Wood that is next to impossible to split by hand - what is it?

[Spikem]

I have some wood that I have all bucked and need to split. I have been able to split some with an ax, but it's hard, hard work.

Could someone please tell me what type of wood this is?

 

[LLigetfa]

Hardwood. %-P

 

[NHFarmer]

Looks like hickory to me

 

[ansehnlich1]

Looks like hickory to me

uh, yep, my vote is hickory, burns real nice!

 

[Gooserider]

Moved to woodshed - more appropriate there.

Gooserider

 

[Spikem]

Moved to woodshed - more appropriate there.

Gooserider

My bad - sorry.

 

[dvellone]

It won't split? Oh no, that's not good firewood. I'll stop over and get it off your hands ;-P

 

[glacialhills]

yep, I would say maybe Pignut hickory...are the splits kinda stringy and pretty straight grained?

 

[Spikem]

yep, I would say maybe Pignut hickory...are the splits kinda stringy and pretty straight grained?

That stuff is, yes.

I also have stuff that even if I use a log splitter, it essentially pulverizes it - it really doesn't split it. I'll post a pic of that when I have a chance.

 

[raybonz]

I have some wood that I have all bucked and need to split. I have been able to split some with an ax, but it's hard, hard work.

Could someone please tell me what type of wood this is?

Hey neighbor welcome aboard!

Ray

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

The left picture is white oak and hickory, the right picture maybe Pignut. A few years back I was fooled by what type of Hickory I had in my pile......so
I read on a website somewhere ( I forget where) about Hickories that "Hybridize" and makes bark ID hard for even a seasoned Arborist.
Alot of times... bark, leaves and nuts are needed. Look around on the ground "Pignut Hickory" drops much smalled nuts than "Shagbark Hickory"

I have a pignut on my shelf and a shagbark nut....I will take pics.

WB

 

[Hurricane]

I have some logs like the ones on the left and was told it was hickory too.
It splits pretty easily with my 8lb maul. The stuff on the right ??

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Some Hickory nut pics.
These nuts had such a green color to them back in the fall.

WB

 

[Jags]

I also have stuff that even if I use a log splitter, it essentially pulverizes it - it really doesn't split it. I'll post a pic of that when I have a chance.

Does it look like this?

 

[Spikem]

I also have stuff that even if I use a log splitter, it essentially pulverizes it - it really doesn't split it. I'll post a pic of that when I have a chance.

Does it look like this?

Exactly like that

It's the nastiest stuff I've ever seen! Rounds that were 12" in diameter put a bit of a strain on the Troy-Bilt 27 ton splitter I used!

 

[Jags]

I also have stuff that even if I use a log splitter, it essentially pulverizes it - it really doesn't split it. I'll post a pic of that when I have a chance.

Does it look like this?

Exactly like that

It's the nastiest stuff I've ever seen! Rounds that were 12" in diameter put a bit of a strain on the Troy-Bilt 27 ton splitter I used!

Welcome to ELM! my friend. I have seen rounds that would stop a 20 ton and laugh at it, barely denting the end. My machine doesn't have a problem with them, but as you can see, stacking can be a real b!t@h. :lol:

Disclosure: not all elm acts like this, some split somewhat reasonable, but the pic was of an overly season, dead standing, petrified bastage, that simply wouldn't give up the ghost. The whole dang tree was like this.

Here's another one for your viewing pleasure:

 

[Spikem]

Some Hickory nut pics.
These nuts had such a green color to them back in the fall.

WB

Very appreciated information!

(This next part is tongue-in-cheek.)

The only problem is that, when the wood was delivered, they didn't leave me their nuts.

 

[wendell]

Ah, yes. Elm. It is amazing stuff. Some of it looks like this and then you will get 1 split out of 50 that is as straight as a piece of pine.

 

[Hurricane]

I went out last evening to split some wood and my hickory was a lot harder than before with some strings holding it together. I had to chop the strings to get the wood apart. Nothing like the elm in the picture. I guess the last time I was splitting and it was easy the wood was frozen.
I didn't think that would make that much of a difference.

 

[gpcollen1]

Yup - splitting elm is more of an art - even with a splitter.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Some Hickory nut pics.
These nuts had such a green color to them back in the fall.

WB

Very appreciated information!

(This next part is tongue-in-cheek.)

The only problem is that, when the wood was delivered, they didn't leave me their nuts.

Good one, I bet you like that 361....good saw!

WB

 

[Wood Duck]

If you're trying to split with a regular ax, then try a maul instead. I think you'll find it works a lot better. I use a standard 8 -pound maul that you can find in any hardware store and it works great on most wood. I don't have any elm, but I have split hickory and it worked fine.

 

[Jags]

If you're trying to split with a regular ax, then try a maul instead. I think you'll find it works a lot better. I use a standard 8 -pound maul that you can find in any hardware store and it works great on most wood. I don't have any elm, but I have split hickory and it worked fine.

Comparing hand splitting hickory to elm is not really a fair fight. I have seen monster mauls bounce off of elm repeatedly. I have stuck many-o-wedges trying to get a crack to define itself. That stuff is pure evil to split by hand. But I have also noticed that from tree to tree, there can be a huge difference in the difficulty.

 

[Flatbedford]

I had a standing dead elm cut at my house. I asked my tree guy if it would burn well he says yes. No matter how hard I hit it with my maul, it just bounced right off! I promptly stacked it on the street for somebody else to fight with. I saw my buddy the tree guy a few days later and told him what happened. He said yeah it burns nice, but you can't split it by hand!. Somebody did take most of the stack I left.