Springtime Firewood Festival #3

[Simonkenton]

This ash tree was growing on my property. Dying, of course. Most of the leaves are from giant poison ivy vines.
Fortunately, poison ivy does not affect me.

It got snagged up, almost impossible to avoid on this heavily forested terrain.
I had to cut it into 7 foot long pieces to get it unsnagged. I hauled the logs off the mountain with the logging chain.

A good chain saw, and a good cant hook.

A beautiful sight. A Nissan truck load of ash. There is about one more load of ash still in the woods.
This is the first ash tree I have cut up into firewood. It is rather hard to split, even with my badass Fiskars.
I will have to get out the ten pound hammer and the Wood Grenade for the big stuff. No problema.
Is ash normally hard to split?

 

[kennyp2339]

Is ash normally hard to split?

I find the green stuff harder then when its been sitting in log form for about a year, the nice thing with ash that has been sitting for a while is that when you split it, 9 times out of 10 the bark also comes off.

 

[WoodBurnerInWI]

The ash I've been getting thus far from my tree guys has been a real workout to get through. I do cut all my trees green, but besides that I'm guessing it's yard tree's so it's probably more twisted grained then a ash tree from the woods. Anything I can't get apart after 6 to 8 real good hits with a wedge goes to the splitter!

 

[Simonkenton]

So the ash is easier to split when it has been sitting around for a year, than when green? That is weird, normally wood splits easier when green. I will probably go ahead and split it any way I need to show it who the boss is.
No, this is a woods tree from out in the thick forest the nearest house is 1/4 mile away.

 

[Woodspliter]

I've had great success when its green and frozen but I guess that goes with any for that matter

 

[Simonkenton]

I did go ahead and split the ash. This is my backup wood pile. The ash is along the top, and on the left side. The darker wood on the right side is white oak. There is a little section of locust in the pile as well.

As I said this is the first ash tree I have cut up for firewood. About 14 inch diameter drums. One drum split with one whack of the Fiskars. The next one the Fiskars wouldn't touch it, I had to get out the ten pound hammer and the Wood Grenade.
I like the ash I have looked it up on the charts and it is good firewood. I tested the moisture of two pieces and got 34 percent, and 25 percent so this was a dying tree that was 3/4 dry already. Probably will be ready to burn this winter if I wanted to.