very stringy Shagbark Hickory

[coltfever]

Most of my woodburning is Shagbark Hickory. I try to only cut my dead standing or on the ground wood and never had a problem with splitting with my Huskee 22 ton splitter. This last big tree is a pain in the butt being stringy. When I cut it up in rounds it had been laying for a year. 28" across at the base so very big tree. Top small limbs alittle stringy but ok. As I get into the larger rounds I'm getting so mad I'm about throw all this wood into my burn brush pile. ( not really just alittle anger ).This wood is not needed for 2 years away. Will this get better for splitting if I let it set in a row off the ground for a few months or go ahead and try to get what I can out of it and burn pile the rest . The one's of you that have been cutting wood for many years and see this alot what do I need to do.

 

[smokinj]

No its not going to get any easier. I would noodle it up first before sending it to the splitter. Most say there is nothing there splitter will not split. (they just have not found the right round yet) lol

 

[Jags]

Let me guess...this tree came from a spot where it got more wind than the ones you usually deal with?

As Jay says - it ain't gonna get any easier. Man up and work a couple of rounds in with better splitting stuff so that you aren't tackling the whole pile at one time.

Oh - and fair warning - If you do end up burning this in a pile I will nick name you Nancy. Just thought you might want to know. :lol:

 

[basswidow]

This was my first year dealing with shagbark. I got a big one scrounged after the Hurricane. It wasn't on the ground too long and I'd consider it green. My axe just bounced. Sledge and wedge worked on the big stuff for pie cuts (lifting into my truck), but I still couldn't make splits, without a hydraulic splitter rental. Mine was stringy too. Took 7 hours with the splitter to do one full tree (roughly 4 pick up loads). It may have sat in rounds for 1 month at most. Stuff was a bear. I was glad to have the splitter to power thru it. I will burn it next year. Should be worth it.

I wouldn't burn pile any of it. Git R done!

 

[coltfever]

Ok thats all i need to know. This tree was in a very thick wooded area and I had to cut out a path and few small trees ( oak and ash ) to get my tractor back to it and drag it out. Here are a few pictures of it on my 16 foot trailer. Jags I will post another picture after its split to stay on the good side of you.

 

[smokinj]

Ok thats all i need to know. This tree was in a very thick wooded area and I had to cut out a path and few small trees ( oak and ash ) to get my tractor back to it and drag it out. Here are a few pictures of it on my 16 foot trailer Jags I will post another picture after its split to stay on the good side of you.

That wood is worth the extra effort. When your bust through cury stuff, to me it seem like it burns longer and hotter. (Dont know for sure) But I will keep telling myself that! ;-)

 

[Jags]

Jags I will post another picture after its split to stay on the good side of you.

Good to hear it.

 

[wishlist]

Hey colt, do you get a good hard freeze in Jan or February? If so, wait until then. My experience is it will be much easier.

 

[iod0816]

Agree with the freeze idea... I've got 2 cords of Shagbark and my least favorite to split, Pignut that I'm waiting for a good string of cold days... Cold temps work best as the frozen hickory just pops apart then. Warmer temps = stringy. Though with a fiskars I just give it a nice follow up swipe and they're split!

Buuuuut I've been burning hickory at night the past two with 18 degrees temps and my house is 74 when I wake up (older 40s era house too with Original windows). Only downside is that I need to burn down some of the coals as there's too much to put more wood in!!

I cannot believe the differences in wood types/temps and burn times...

 

[basswidow]

Nice trailer load. Yeah, the splitters gonna moan alittle. I love it when the ram comes to a crawl and the motor rev's. It's the sound of the wood surrendering.

Good looking load! Nice score.

 

[coltfever]

thanks about my old homemade trailer. It sure will hold alot of wood. No springs on it but sure does the job. I do need to get the trailer empty though. I've got an Oak tree that was hit by lighting a few years ago and needs to come down that is no longer a good shade tree for my cows. Jan & Feb are the coldest freeze months around here also. Thats when I split most of my wood last year and I guess thats why I didn't notice the stringy that bad.

 

[basswidow]

An oak tree struck by lightning is a great score! You may find it very dry inside - almost seasoned. Might dull your chains - but it should split and burn great! Might not need the 2 years to season which is a bonus IMO.

 

[Stephen in SoKY]

Those rounds in the second photo are going to be interesting to say the least when you split them. I'll pass a shagbark up for a pignut even if it's smaller myself.