Cutting wood

[at1010]

What are the benfits of splitting wood.

I honestly normally just cut logs small enough to burn. I only burn them at the cabin, not at my home. However, I have always wanted to split, it but never really saw a reason to spend the extra time doing it. Is it just to help it dry, and give you more wood?

 

["J"]

You can take down 1 big tree or 10-12 smaller trees too make up the difference... Split stack too dry it and it'll burn better....

 

[at1010]

You can take down 1 big tree or 10-12 smaller trees too make up the difference... Split stack too dry it and it'll burn better....

I understand for larger trees, I normally only cut trees that are fallen over trails, etc. I am starting to need a lot more wood cause I am there every weekend or more now.

At what size is it worth it to split instead of just stacking?

Sorry this is such a green horn question, but I have just been thinking about it lately. Trying to decide if I need a log splitter or not.

 

["J"]

Depending on what your wood burner is most inside wood burners I wouldn't go larger then 6" logs but again some wood burners can handle larger logs... I kept a friend of mine who has since passed away in wood for close too 7 years and 6" logs were pushing the limit for his wood burner which wasn't large that he had in his kitchen that would heat the house for the most part....

What size saw you cutting with?

 

[at1010]

I am using a sthl farmboss 18inch bar.

I mean our woodburner is fairly large, I can fit some darn long/thick logs inside.

 

["J"]

Splitting makes it stack easier and dry quicker from my experience. Even on the 6" logs I liked them split so they'd be dried better with less moisture and less smoke stack problems.... Creosote causes lots of issues....

 

[at1010]

Splitting makes it stack easier and dry quicker from my experience. Even on the 6" logs I liked them split so they'd be dried better with less moisture and less smoke stack problems.... Creosote causes lots of issues....

Yea, I think I will start to split it all. I just was more curious then anything.

 

["J"]

Yea, I think I will start to split it all. I just was more curious then anything.

Splitting wood is a beer drinking, socializing activity and always had a good time doing it.....

 

[hoot gibson]

smaller pieces burn quicker , but hotter , wood does not dry very fast through the bark . split it for faster drying . the wetter the wood the more energy it takes to burn it . dry wood keeps the chimmney cleaner . other than that . because it is supposed to be .. :smiley_crocodile:

 

[Jackalope]

What are the benfits of splitting wood.

I honestly normally just cut logs small enough to burn. I only burn them at the cabin, not at my home. However, I have always wanted to split, it but never really saw a reason to spend the extra time doing it. Is it just to help it dry, and give you more wood?

When i have access to a bunch of wood I cherry pick and only cut rounds small enough to burn. Firewood is all about handling. The more you handle it the more you work per cord.

Cut load, stack unload, carry in the house. That's 3

Cut load, unload on ground, pick up to split, stack splits, carry in house. That's 5.

You had to handle the wood 2 more times for the same BTU to split it.

You also want to pay attention to the btu per cord of the species you're cutting. Both take the same handling per cord.

For example black walnut is only about 20 million btu per cord. But shagbark hickory is 27 million btu per cord. And a buckeye tree is only about 13 million btu.

So if you have various species to pick from it pays dividends to know your trees and BTUs per cord. You could end up doing twice the work per btu cutting this tree vs the other one.

But this is all wood that is already down. It would be wasteful to cut down a tree and only limb it out. If I have to split a trunk ill buck the limbs then make a cut through the knots and then size it up for the stove. This places the knots at one end of the log to split and not directly in the middle. Gives you more leverage if hand splitting when you sink the splitter in a round where the knot is located farther away from the face.

Hand splitting is not about strength. It's about being able to read a log and accurately hit it. Pay attention to the face of the log. If the grain gets tight in one spot don't try to go right across. Split off that side by hitting it on the edge knocking off a chunk. Then try to split it across. If your working a larger log like 24 inches then walk your impact like a chalk line. Hit it in the middle. Then hit it on your side, then on the other, try to line up all three hits like you drew them with a marker and a straight edge. If you're a half inch left or right the impacts aren't working together. Concentrate more on reading how a log wants to split and lining up the hits than strength. You'll be less tired with more wood.

 

[Archertl]

Joe knows his wood....

 

[Jackalope]

Joe knows his wood....

Nah. Just how to avoid as much work as possible.

 

["J"]

Nah. Just how to avoid as much work as possible.

Most of the places I used too cut at was more of what was blown down in storms than being able too take what you wanted so it was not like we had our pick of the litter so too speak so it was what it was.....

 

[Jackalope]

Most of the places I used too cut at was more of what was blown down in storms than being able too take what you wanted so it was not like we had our pick of the litter so too speak so it was what it was.....

I'm always keeping my eyes open for easy pickings.

Four years ago they were clearing 4 city blocks for a new hospital in downtown Springfield. I stopped in and talked to the foreman about cutting wood. I could cherry pick any tree on the 4 blocks. I would just drop one and buck the limbs. Hauled out 22 truckloads out of there and didn't split a single piece. It was all trees like ash and walnut. I cut every osage and mulberry I could find between yards.

I cut wood on a gas line easement that ran down a set of abandoned RR tracks. Auditor site said the Ohio Port Authority owned it. Someone came in and cleared the lane leaving wood on each side. I came in right behind them cherry picking the rounds I wanted. 8 loads with most of the work done for me. .

Once they were cutting trees off the hills on SR4. They chipped the branches but left the rounds beside the road presumably to be picked up later.. I pulled off the state route and hauled 4 loads that I never had to put a saw to.

This year I have been cutting where two years ago a bunch of trees fell in a field where Alex has permission to hunt. They pushed the trees out of the field and pushed a bunch of others over to make more edge room.. I basically drive down the field and hop out to cut up a top. I've hauled 5 loads out of there this year and it takes an average of 30 min to fill the bed of the truck.

I once stopped to help a couple cut up some big limbs from a storm. I cut the branches up while they stacked the brush by the road and the rounds in my truck.. Free firewood helpers and two easy truckloads that I didn't have to handle except saw work and unloading.

I try to work smarter not harder.. Not because I'm smart. Just lazy.. lol

 

[CJD3]

Gramp always said"Splitting wood; it warms you twice".:smiley_blink:

 

[DJK Frank 16]

If you get to the point where you need to drop trees, go out this spring and find the Ash trees that have been decimated by the Ash Borer, and mark them. That way this Fall/Winter you will know which ones are dead and you can drop them before they rot.

 

[hickslawns]

Gramp always said"Splitting wood; it warms you twice".:smiley_blink:

Love it. Same thing I have heard growing up!

 

[bowhunter1023]

I love clearing brush and cutting wood. I've been looking for a wood burner just so I have an excuse to do it more!

 

[Ricer2231]

We go around and clean up what wood has fallen into the crop/ hay fields for a lot of the farmers in the area. It has gotten me some hunting privileges and some really good wood. It seems like on alot of the farms the majority of the wood is dead red elm. A splitter will soon pay for itself splitting the gnarly stuff. It sure does make good, hot burning wood though. We hit the honey hole this past summer when we were cleaning up some field edges and the farmer had a bunch of downed locust trees. He said we could have all of it that was on the ground or snapped off, needless to say the ground didn't have a branch left on it when we got done. That is some of the hottest wood you can burn TOO.

 

[hoot gibson]

as you go , you will learn what to stay away from . soft woods leave alot of ash and dont burn hot , but quick . such as cotton wood . a waist of time for it . i wont burn it for camp fire wood . i burn alot of cherry . maple , walnut , they classafy walnut as a hard wood , but they must be retarded . most all burns ok . i burn alot of wood , so im not to picky .