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#190464 11/01/09 10:23 PM
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Hey all;

Need some help trying to understand how to split logs. I have a splitting maul, an axe, and an electric splitter. I have many logs I cut last Fall I want to split, but the electric splitter won't even crease them. When I try to use the maul, I simply bury it and it won't make a split. I've also tried using a wedge and sledgehammer but I often times just get it buried in the log and there it sits - too deep to get out and I can't budge it even with several dozen hits from the sledge.

I realize this is probably hard to describe via a post, but I need to learn how to use this maul on the larger logs. I know there are a few of you out there who have been doing this all their lives and can give me the lessons you learned as a youngster. I am sick and tired of throwing $175 for a cord of wood every Fall. Any advice would be appreciated from this city boy!

Thanks in advance guys.


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TJ what is the diameter and length of the pieces your trying to split, naturally the longer the piece the harder to split.
For most larger pieces of wood a 20 ton or larger wood splitter is best. Many places usually rent splitters for less than $50, and you can split alot of wood in a day without killing yourself with a maul.
If your determined to get lots of excercise make sure the log is on a hard piece of wood and work the edge of the log with your maul to start the split.

Last edited by adirondack pond; 11/01/09 10:58 PM.


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Hey AP

Logs are around 16-20" long and 12-14" in diameter. I bought a $400 4 ton electric log splitter a few years back but it won't do anything to these logs. Is that common for a 4 ton splitter to have major limits in their capabilities?

Work the EDGE of the log...okay - that's NOT what I've been doing. Jeesh...that makes complete sense from a physics standpoint.

I am a pretty strong guy, I know it's not for lack of effort or strength, but I simply cannot get these logs split. I imagine a 20T splitter costs around $1k, huh?


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What kind of wood is it?


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Cottonwood from my land...but also get ash and elm from out there. I know Cottonwood isn't ideal to burn, but it's quick and hot and I like to start my fires with it and throw on the oak, ash, or locust later on once I have some coals and heat rolling. I'm self taught - any advice is appreciated.

Last edited by teehjaeh57; 11/02/09 12:14 AM.

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Yeah you really need a bigger splitter with 16 to 20 inch pieces.
Have you checked around to see if any rental places have a splitter, I would think someone has them if your in a good size town. Unless your gonna split alot of wood every year it's best to rent one, a good one will run $1400.
Sounds like you have some tough wood, I only have oak, maple and beech, with a little yellow birch.

Last edited by adirondack pond; 11/01/09 11:08 PM.


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TJ:

There's 2 ways to tackle it, one way is to try taking the "edges" off of the log and it'll work just fine. With an underpowered splitter like you have (trust me, for what you're wanting to do, it is) you have to look at the piece of wood to be split, noting where the branches were (if any). Try and keep the end of the log that is closest to where the branch was towards the ram end, and not the splitter end. Also, the wood should be partially dried. Look at the end of the log, and you'll see it starting to crack. Use that crack as a starting point on splitting that piece, fitting the splitters' wedge in the crack.

Also, if you take the "edges" off of the log, try to square it up, then split rectangles off of the log if possible. It'll stack easier than if they are the "pizza pie" wedge shape.

Doing it manually, you'll probably need a couple of wedges, a sledge hammer and the maul. Again, look to see where it started to split when drying. For the larger pieces, forget the maul, go right to the wedges and the sledge. Start with one wedge right on that split. If you get close to burying that wedge and it still isn't split, start another wedge right next to that first one, effectively doubling up on it's width.

The easiest way? Rent an upright hydraulic 2-stage splitter for the $50/day. Get 2 friends to help, one feeding you the logs to be split, you splitting them, and the other friend moving the split pieces out of your way. If you have enough logs cut to length and piled next to the splitter, I'll bet you could split 3-4 cords in a day easily.

I paid a guy $700 for 5 mixed cords of oak/maple/cherry/hickory this summer including delivery and him stacking it in the woodshed.


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esshup #190504 11/02/09 07:18 AM
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TJ,
IIRC,wood splits a whole lot easier after it freezes.When I lived in Mich. we always stacked our firewood and split it in the winter.You dont sweat near as much as in the summer either.

P.S.You can also set the beer in the snow and you dont need an ice chest nor spend money on ice.


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TOM G #190507 11/02/09 07:35 AM
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 Originally Posted By: TOM G
TJ,
IIRC,wood splits a whole lot easier after it freezes.When I lived in Mich. we always stacked our firewood and split it in the winter.You dont sweat near as much as in the summer either.

P.S.You can also set the beer in the snow and you dont need an ice chest nor spend money on ice.


If they have dried up the freese want help, at least that is my experience. The lesser watter they hold, the lesser the efect off the frost.


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TJ, lots of good advice, the only difference for me is I prefer a horizontal splitter, your splitting the wood and catching it at waist height, saves on the old back muscles, and if you can get 1 or 2 people to help , you can go thru wood like _hit thru a goose.
Also remember eye and ear protection, a good pair of tight fitting rubber gloves, and steel toed boots if you have them.

Go easy on the beer till your done, I think Tom splits his wood with dynamite anyway. \:D

Many splitters like this one can be used horizontally or vertically.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=116418-270-24BF572B711&lpage=none

Last edited by adirondack pond; 11/02/09 08:19 AM.


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This is my faworit splitter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll5R4oSSmQc&feature=related

I didn't buy one yet, but I'w borrowd from a friend that fits my excavator.
So no more sore back.


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 Originally Posted By: teehjaeh57
Cottonwood from my land...but also get ash and elm from out there.

What elm we have left around here is the hardest wood to split I've ever seen. Ash should be pretty easy if it is straight grained sections. Cottonwood I have never handled.


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TJ, check Craiglist or your local paper for guys that own splitters for hire. Some of them just want a % of the wood they split for payment…it might be worth a shot.

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 Originally Posted By: andedammen
This is my faworit splitter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll5R4oSSmQc&feature=related

I didn't buy one yet, but I'w borrowd from a friend that fits my excavator.
So no more sore back.


That's a nice splitter if the wood that you have is straight and small enough to fit. The wood that's on my place wouldn't fit, the trees are too big in diameter. Unfortunately, they are Pin Oak, and there are branches coming out all over the place so they aren't fun to split, but they burn good! My cousin has a splitter like this, too bad he doesn't live closer! Looking at the website, he's got the Model 15-20 with an elevator to fill up the trailer. He has a small front end loader to load the logs. He's cutting lodgepole pine and shrink wrapping small buncles for sale at campgrounds, convenience storees, bait shops, etc.

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esshup #190546 11/02/09 10:51 AM
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Thanks guys - I think I'll be mindful to keep my cuts shorter [12-14"] so splitting isn't so difficult and may rent a gas powered splitter for a day and see what I can do.


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That's a nice splitter if the wood that you have is straight and small enough to fit. The wood that's on my place wouldn't fit, the trees are too big in diameter. Unfortunately, they are Pin Oak, and there are branches coming out all over the place so they aren't fun to split, but they burn good! My cousin has a splitter like this, too bad he doesn't live closer! Looking at the website, he's got the Model 15-20 with an elevator to fill up the trailer. He has a small front end loader to load the logs. He's cutting lodgepole pine and shrink wrapping small buncles for sale at campgrounds, convenience storees, bait shops, etc.

Blockbuster wood processor
[/quote]

It can handel biger zises but then you have to do a bit manuel
operationes, araound here you woul usualy get fairly god prices on bigger diameter, for other uses than fire wood.

My father used to say that the best firewood was the one that heated you more than once.
1.the jobb of cutting/splitting
2.transport/stocking
3.burning
Iff you had a real fight in any operationes that was extra heat,
and maybe even something to brag about, so if you can take that aproach its valueble firewood we are discusing.
PAUL


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Cottonwood is very tough to split. Too fibrous. Kind of like trying to split a piece of plywood. As others have said, the ash will split better when it is cold.

Bullhead #190567 11/02/09 12:35 PM
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TJ:

How bad is it cutting/splitting the locust? I heard that it's good wood, but not so good to work with.


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esshup #190568 11/02/09 12:52 PM
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I have a lot of volunteer honey locust trees on my land that are super dangerous with 3" razor sharp spines...don't want to walk on a downed branch in deep grass or take a turn too sharply on the atv - it would take out an eye in a snap.

I haven't felled any locusts on my land yet, as I was told they will shoot up literally dozens of new trees unless one uses diesel fuel to kill the tree. I'm not really into applying petroleum on my native prairie so thought I'd leave them be until they really cause a problem.

However, the mixed hardwood cords I've bought in the past contain Locust - it's easy to identify and super dense. Looks like it wasn't easy to split [rather twisted and fibrous] but I don't have any experience splitting it personally. I do know it burns very long, clean, and hot...my favorite wood to burn.


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How big are your locusts, TJ? I've got a ton too, that have grown up in old pasture that we're reclaiming. We just pull the ones up to about 4" diameter with a chain and tractor-they come out roots and all, if the ground is moist. Makes a heck of a bonfire when they're dried out.

Yolk Sac #190578 11/02/09 01:45 PM
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My locusts are anywhere from 4" - 10". The grow slowly at my place due to lack of precipitation over the last 8 years. I don't have a tractor...yet - but that's a good idea.


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Has anyone else worked with the 4 ton electric log splitter I have? As usual I made a somewhat expensive purchase without doing my homework and now own a tool that can't perform on jobs I need. Sounds like the 12T ramsplitter is the best electric version available according to gardenweb. Suffice it to say I trust the PB Forum's feedback more than any other, that's why I'm asking. Let me know if you have any experience/opinions to share.

Thanks

TJ


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I quit lumber jacking years ago, but in the 1980s I was cutting/splitting 15-20 cords each year. A lot of the wood we burned was cottonwood and elm. Both are crappy woods for a fire place, but work fine for a wood burning furnace.

I built myself a hydraulic splitter. The Cylinder was 7"x30" with a 3.5" shaft. I put a 2 stage hydraulic pump with a 16HP gas motor on it. That splitter would have popped your logs into submission without even going to the second stage! 30 years later the splitter is still on the job though it is now on its 4th or 5th owner. I believe it had a maximum of around 50 tons of splitting force in the second stage. It was just the ticket for splitting 30” diameter x 24 " long logs right through the center.

Did I mention that I also built a thermostatically controlled forced air wood burning furnace that was the sole source of heat for our house for many years? During really cold weather (-10 thru -20F) it needed to be filled with wood once a day. During milder periods it would run up to four days without attention.


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Dwight #190599 11/02/09 04:11 PM
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Dwight...good idea, I don't know what I was thinking. I'm going to go build my own right now. Should be done by dinner time I'll wager. \:\/

In all seriousness, a handy guy could probably consider building one - but I lack even remote mechanical skills so this option isn't on the table for me. I was reading in another forum guys were making 20T electric and gas versions for $500 bucks. I sure wish I had the skills to do that.


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TJ,
I agree with Theo, forget trying to spit elm with anything but a hydraulic splitter. Even then, be prepared to pry the log from the wedge on occasion. Stringy stuff. Give me oak, cherry and poplar anytime.

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