I need to process and move 3 huge beech trees as soon as I can since I got earth moving project coming. Time cycle is 13 sec on my 22 ton splitter. It is going to be seasoned 2-3 years before burned. Fairly open space that getting sun to season . How large I can make those splits without being ridiculous? Time is the essence here.
What is the largest diameter of split I can make?
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You didn't mention the diameter but i'd bust them in quarters and work on them again at a later time. I'd think even a 30" beech round quartered would be good in 3 years in full sun? I find good straight beech pops in a second or two, knotty stuff longer obviously.
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CentralVAWoodHeat
Minister of Fire
What's your door size? That is as big as you can make them. Lol
I always go off of whatever round size I'm comfortable leaving so in my case 6".
I always go off of whatever round size I'm comfortable leaving so in my case 6".
KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
leave them in rounds or logs if time is such a concern. They'll keep til you have time to split them and you wont have to handle them twice.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Sounds like you're just looking to split them down to size so you can move the wood easier? . . . Or maybe I'm wrong and you're asking what size to split the wood for long term storage.
If you're just looking to split to size so you can move the wood easier . . . whatever size you can lift comfortably.
If you're looking to split for long term storage . . . I would split to the normal size to avoid handling the wood a second time in the future.
If you're just looking to split to size so you can move the wood easier . . . whatever size you can lift comfortably.
If you're looking to split for long term storage . . . I would split to the normal size to avoid handling the wood a second time in the future.
bfitz3
Feeling the Heat
With beech.... I'd never leave them in log form for long. I left a 16" tree in nice shape for a year. Came back and it wasn't worth my time. Lots of soft punky wood. Maybe rounds would be okay, but splitting is your safest bet.
sportbikerider78
Minister of Fire
I make them small enough so that if I (or my wife) drop them on the way to the stove, they don't break anything or dent the hardwood floors.
The smaller the splits, the better they dry.
The smaller the splits, the better they dry.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Hard to understand your question in relation to the problem. To increase speed, only split to liftable size and then move them. That's the goal, to move them. I pick up lots of wood from tree services at the customer's house and these are big rounds, like 36"+, and I need to move them fast before somebody else gets them and as a service to the homeowner.
I don't split them, I take my saw and quickly cut them into chunks small enough to lift into my pickup. When you get to some actual large wood, it is hard to even move them to the splitter.
I don't split them, I take my saw and quickly cut them into chunks small enough to lift into my pickup. When you get to some actual large wood, it is hard to even move them to the splitter.
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Without mechanical advantage only as large as you are comfortable with moving- not stressing your back ect. That is how I do it where I can't get machines in although it does make for a bunch of noodling as well as cross cutting. Depending on the fuel in question even a 12x12 x 16 inch pieces can be quite intimadating weight wise.
If I understand the question - and I am not sure that I am...If you are looking to process once for storage and drying and yet looking for the largest reasonable split to do so...I would suggest keeping it to a size that can still be grabbed from one end (palming the end). This keeps them reasonable to work and move as well as still viable stove chow without reworking them.
Paulywalnut
Minister of Fire
I think you have to split beech a sap and keep it in the sun. Big splits or not at all turn white and rot quickly.
KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
I read it as he wants to get the wood split to move asap and he'll store it til he has time to come back and split in into stove size pieces later so he's wondering how big he can leave the splits where they will still dry and not punk out sitting. But perhaps he'd like to clarify?
Was me i'd just make the time and split them to the size needed for the stove instead of handling them multiple times. One afternoon and its all said and done.
Was me i'd just make the time and split them to the size needed for the stove instead of handling them multiple times. One afternoon and its all said and done.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Agree. The only time I would partially split is when I am limited by time and could never get all the wood out if I spent the extra time to fully split the wood. Or if I was unable to transport the splitter to the site. Manual splitting is fine for some but once you own a hydraulic splitter the hand splitting stops.
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