Splitting Elm For First Time...

[BIGChrisNH]

Yeah, so I've been splitting wood for many years but had never run across any Elm before. I've heard it's tough to split but I would have never believed just how tough it really is. Long story short, after producing several "splits" that looked more like hairy stringy balls of crushed wood, I cut an X in the top of the rounds to about the depth of my chainsaw bar, and then they popped right open. This elm better burn good in two years though!

 

[firefighterjake]

When it comes to elm there are two words to live by in my book:

Hydraulic splitter



And yes . . . elm is a half decent wood to burn once seasoned. I'm actually a bit partial to elm as I had several standing dead elms that got me through my first season of burning . . . which reminds me . . . once dead and dry, elm splits up much easier as it is not so stringy.

 

[peakbagger]

If you can wait two years for it to dry, its nice overnight wood. Quite dense and gives a long burn. The trade off is its best thrown on a bed of coals rather than starting the fire with it.

 

[walhondingnashua]

I have been burning elm for a few years (nothing as big as what you have in the picture). I agree with jake, if its already been standing dead or if you wait two years to split it, much easier. I only split by hand with a maul or my needle wedge. Burns hot and slow, but best in an already hot fire. Does have a slight funny smell.

 

[BIGChrisNH]

It does smell funny too. Thanks for the input. My splitter would get a little ways into the rounds and just stop, I’ve never seen anything like it. Most of its split now, I look forward to burning it in 2019.

 

[saewoody]

I like elm. My wife really likes the way it starts up on a hot bed of coals. And I love that my kinetic splitter just slices right through it!


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[StihlKicking]

I burn a fair amount of elm most years and agree with all who have said it’s good firewood. I also agree that if your gonna regularly split elm a hydro is your best friend.


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[Jags]

Elm - mother natures cruel joke to hand splitters. Hehehehe.

 

[Zack R]

Never encountered elm but it sounds like a fun opportunity to noodle up some rounds.

 

[Dobish]

as I have mentioned before, it is awesome for teaching you expletives that you didn't even know existed!

 

[Woody5506]

I feel your pain...sorta....I'm doing mine with the splitter though. The mashed up "splits" should make for some interesting wood stacks.

 

[BIGChrisNH]

Yeah noodling it dulls the chain quickly, but a good learning experience

 

[Bspring]

I use that same process on rounds that have knots in them. I have never been man enough to try Elm. I did try some Sweet Gum once and decided that if it had to be split someone else could have it.

 

[Bad LP]

When I was a youngster Dutch Elm wiped out all of them near us. My father was a wood scrounge because he liked the workout in addition to his 3 trips to the YMCA for handball, heavy bag and run a 5 minute mile to finish every week. Nothing stopped him from going except cancer. No hydro splitter for him back in the 70's. It was a maul, some wedges and a 15 pound sledge.
He said the secret was to split it frozen.

I did not follow in his foot steps. I was taught to think smarter not harder but to this day every friend I have still say they would not have ever messed with Jim.

 

[BIGChrisNH]

I don't think I would have messed with him either! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Wood1Dennis]

Does have a slight funny smell.

That's why we call it piss elm in these parts......
It does make great firewood. I have my eye on about 10 standing dead one for this year's cutting.

I'm not any kind of expert so I can't tell you what the difference really is, but we have two types of elm. One that splits hard (borderline hand splitable), and one that splits really hard (Hydraulic splitter only). They look alike when standing dead. I usually just plan to get the splitter out when cutting elm. I will take it every time I can.

 

[Roger2561]

The previous supplier of logs for fire wood once delivered a nice load for me but stuck in the middle of it was an elm tree approximately 24 inches in diameter. That thing was a bear to split even with my hydraulic wood splitter. After I finished splitting it, I had to go to confession.

 

[kennyp2339]

as I have mentioned before, it is awesome for teaching you expletives that you didn't even know existed!

Time to buy some steaks and call the brother over to split?

 

[beatlefan]

I have some 3 year elm that I will use, once we’re out of the shoulder season.

Back when I split it on the hydraulic splitter, I swear you could literally see the wood stretch under the force of the splitter and the swell back into place after the wedge went through.

Toughest stuff I’ve ever seen.

 

[Hasufel]

Last winter I cut up a small tree that turned out to be elm but I didn't know it at the time. It had been lying dead and was mostly barkless so I figured it would be an easy job. Boy was I wrong! It stopped my X27 in its tracks. Rounds less than 6" I could manage with a few whacks from a Fiskars maul. Anything bigger I had to wedge & sledge. If it hadn't already been pretty dry I would have given up.

 

[johneh]

American Elm the only reason I bought a splitter
Guarantied to drive a man to drink
now where did I put that wobbly-pop

 

[tsquini]

The second worst wood to split is hickory.

 

[Dobish]

Time to buy some steaks and call the brother over to split?

I do have a few more decent size ones to take down...

 

[TreePointer]

American elm (white elm) can be difficult, but decades ago we had a giant red elm that was by far the toughest I had ever splitted. The trunk was twisted and tough from enduring all the forces of being a yard tree in an open area. Since then, I've only encountered a tougher splitting species--yellow birch.

 

[Hasufel]

The second worst wood to split is hickory.

Hickory isn't too bad to split manually with the right tools & techniques. I've heard worse things about sycamore and sweet gum.