Hand Splitting Firewood

[RI Chevy]

I hand split a cord and a half of Cherry wood over last 2 days. Cherry is a bit more difficult than oak or maple. Hickory is some tough wood to split for sure.

 

[Lnk]

I hand split a cord and a half of Cherry wood over last 2 days. Cherry is a bit more difficult than oak or maple. Hickory is some tough wood to split for sure.

Was it green? Just curious as I have some cherry trees that are going to come down, (I have goats), and was wondering when the best time to split is.

Thanks.

 

[jakethesnake]

Let cherry set for a few weeks. When the ends crack it splits respectably

 

[RI Chevy]

I cut all this about a month or 2 back. I generally split wood when green. Easier for me. This stuff wasn't easy. Had to work hard. Funky grain with knots.

 

[jakethesnake]

I don’t see many straight cherry trees here. The few I’ve found split better than the mangled up ones I usually cut

 

[RI Chevy]

No straight ones here either. They all look like Dr. Suess trees.

 

[jakethesnake]

Good wood though. Smell hella good burning. I like cutting fruit trees just for the chimney scent.

 

[RI Chevy]

Yes sir. Very nice smell for sure.

 

[Battle Cross 2]

I don’t see many straight cherry trees here. The few I’ve found split better than the mangled up ones I usually cut

The cherry on the left was straight as an arrow. Made for easy splitting with the fiskars.

 

[RI Chevy]

Nice. Easy to get to as well.

 

[Thesandman]

I cut my firewood 24-30" long but big stuff, yokes and stuff stuff I split with echo. Cut some yokes short and put in stove sideways. I set everything up on ground since I want as much swing as I can get. Frozen driveway works good. Anything tuff I save for zero or below. I use a 6 and or 8lb maul. I built our wood stove and started first fire in Dec of 77 and it's been our only heat except year I had surgery we had gas heat. That first year we burned a 100ft cottonwood. I wore a wedge out on that thing and the water would just pour out the ends of it. Never burned CW again. Now I cut mostly dead trees. Ash, maple, elm, oak and beech when I can get it. Elm dries good standing and is great wood. The ash has been dead long enough that it's starting to go bad. I only split it on sight if it's too big to lift. I'm 70 now so I'm looking for smaller diameter trees than I used to. I love falling huge trees.

 

[Battle Cross 2]

It's a very nice property. I was given permission to cut here a few years ago after clearing some blow downs that blocked there driveway. It has some of the biggest trees I've ever seen on it. That's an oak blow down from a few years ago on the same property.

 

[RI Chevy]

Nice! Cute kids too...lol

 

[Wilhelm]

Some of last weeks splitting action

 

[Wilhelm]

Also last week, it was a productive week

 

[Wilhelm]

And I found this, thankfully splitting not bucking.

 

[RI Chevy]

Nice Wihelm. Some of those gnarley grained logs look like the oak that I split. Lol

 

[Wilhelm]

I cracked my custom made locust ax handle splitting some knotty rounds.
I can't get handles for my ax in local stores so I am noodling gnarly rounds from now on till I source or make a spare handle.

 

[RI Chevy]

Crap. The handle on the Dragon Slayer?

 

[Wilhelm]

Crap. The handle on the Dragon Slayer?

Yes!
Is there any other ax worth using, really?!

The handle was made by my uncle, a little over sized in grip diameter.
But I got used to it now, so I "fixed" the crack - temporarily.
Office supplies can come in handy for firewood processing.



The handle cracked length wise following the grain.