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wood spliting by hand

Started by bendjoseph, December 21, 2012, 04:57:22 AM

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bendjoseph

I split about ten cords a year.  Who else splits by hand?

Al_Smith

I did until about 4-5 years ago .Odd ,I had the stuff to build a splitter it just took me 20 years until I got around to it and 4 days to do it once I got in gear .--slow ---

VT_Forestry

I enjoy hand-splitting...I've had opportunities for deals on hydraulic splitters, but while I'm young I figure I can still do it the old fashioned way  ;D  It's a good workout and great way to knock out the frustrations of the day...
Forester - Newport News Waterworks

thecfarm

I use too. Was not really that hard or bad. I cut my wood from Father's land.Than I moved onto my Fathers land and built a house. Wife wanted a cook stove. Has a typical fire box,big as a shoe box. ;D Wood should really be split kinda small. I had 3 brothers and we use to split my Grandmothers wood for the same stove. No big deal,or so I thought. Wood was about a foot long.I started to split. Took a stick a foot across and split it in half,than half again. Did that for about ½ an hour. The unsplit pile was not going down much and the split was not growing either. Looked around for my brothers,they was no wheres to be found. :D  Went into the house and told the wife we are buying a wood splitter. That wood split easy,but it would of taken a long time. The splitter goes so much faster. Than about 6-7 years later we brought a OWB. I'm glad we have the splitter now. I burn a lot of white pine from left over bucking up saw logs. Get a lot of pieces that would be just about impossible to split by hand.And I don't have the wind I use to have either. There is no way that I could do it now by hand now.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

ohsoloco

I hand split 7-8 cords a year up until I got a hydraulic splitter last year.  No way I'm going back, hurts my back just thinking about it  ;D

gspren

  I still like to split some by hand (maul) but not with wedges. The nasty stuff I use the neighbors splitter. When you get a nice straight oak about 10-12 inches its nice and fast to bust it up with a good sharp maul.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

bill m

In the late 80s we used to sell over 300 cord a year, all split by hand. Don't miss those days.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

beenthere

Used to too.
But interesting as one gets older, gets wiser too.  :) ;D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

doctorb

I spilt some by hand every year.  The really large rounds that can't be easily moved are all done by hand.  If I can roll it, and the round is not too long, then I'll split it with the splitter in the vertical position.  If I can't position it, or lift it, it's probably gonna be split by hand.  I am of the opinion that I am getting too old for it, as it wears me out and hurts my back too.  I've got some elm I would like to give to some good home......
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Sprucegum

I split for recreation  ::)  ::) Just enough for the little stove in the cabin and kindling for the fire pit. I find it better exercise and less frustrating than golf

:christmas:

bill m

I have seen more than 1 person swing a golf club like a splitting maul. :o
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

thecfarm

That elm will split much easier next year,but we use to split with iron wedges and a sledge hammer.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

drobertson

I like the eight pound mall, I usually split around a cord a year, the boys do the rest. I do use a hyd. splitter on the big rounds that are knotty. My favorite mall was the 16lb original monster mall,  I stepped drilled it out to a 2" dia. and added some 7-1/2 bird shot to it, covered it back with a 1/2" plate.  finish product was 17.4 lbs. And before anyone says anything, yea it was heavy, but man this thing would split anything, just raise it straight up and pull it down, no swinging.  But someone took it, 
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

brendonv

I split by hand, I lift the lever on the Super Splitter and watch it bust that wood apart.   :snowman:
"Trees live a secret life only revealed to those that climb them"

www.VorioTree.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vorio-Tree-Experts-LLC/598083593556636

talldog

I split by hand up at my cabin in northern Maine.Only about a half cord a year. I only burn blow downs or leftover slash from logging operations. Even at only a half cord,I'm very fussy as to what I burn.I'll look for ash or maple that doesn't have knots.Just kinda lazy I guess. At home I use a splitter on the tractor. My father ,who is 78 years old,splits about 3-4 cords a year;4 foot,with a maul and wedges! Once in awhile he will have me take a gnarly piece home to split on the tractor

thecfarm

I forgot about doing that. My father was real fussy with his land. I would cut the trees and saw into 40 inches and split in that length. I would carry in 4-5 iron wedges and a maul. Some times I would have all the wedges in one stick,that was with big beech. Than we would go in with a trailer and load all the wood I split onto a trailer. Pile it up and I would cut it up and haul it home in my pick up truck. did that for a couple years. Than I somehow conviced him to haul it out in what ever lengths worked. I still cut it up into 40 inches,pile that up,the bigger stuff on the bottom and than I hired a truck to haul it to my house. Was easier,but than I had all of the sawdust and bark to get rid of,only had a 250 foot square lot at that time. all that came back over here. My neighbors loved to hear the sounds of a chainsaw each night.  ::)
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Al_Smith

A couple of weeks ago I did get the axe out and made a few swings on some gnarly ash .It didn't cooperate very well so I put the axe away .If it wants to fight me I'll get it with the splitter .I'm going to win .

drobertson

chain saws and hyd, splitter always win against stubborn logs, 
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

Al_Smith

Usually ash splits easy .This eab killed stuff is hard as a rock .I mean it's hard enough you have to file the chain every tank full and it certainly doesn't yield to the axe very well .

woodmills1

I actually straight line rip with the 066, way more than I splilt by hand anymore......at 61
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

woodmills1

and in some ways splitting by hand means more like not using the processor :snowfight1: :snowfight1: :snowfight1: :snowfight1:
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

CTYank

This past year, with all the blowdowns from Irene and the snowstorm shortly after, I quickly had a mountain of rounds (at least 8 cords, best guesstimate) to process. Mainly oak.

Once cut a/r to 16" length, I hand-split it all. Quality 3kg maul made it fun. Some had to be split in the woods to be able to carry it out. Very little noodling involved.

Great exercise. Got some more with Sandy and follow-up snow. Lots of cutting to clear trails at nearby wildlife sanctuary- some immense oaks down, sadly.
'72 blue Homelite 150
Echo 315, SRM-200DA
Poulan 2400, PP5020, PP4218
RedMax GZ4000, "Mac" 35 cc, Dolmar PS-6100
Husqy 576XP-AT
Tanaka 260 PF Polesaw, TBC-270PFD, ECS-3351B
Mix of mauls
Morso 7110

muddstopper

Quote from: bendjoseph on December 21, 2012, 04:57:22 AM
I split about ten cords a year.  Who else splits by hand?

I split all my wood by hand.
I use my hands to crank the saw, carry the saw, hold the saw while it cuts, and then take my hands and lift the wood onto the splitter, Hand pull the control valve, and hand stack the wood. This what you meant isnt it??

ahlkey

For me it something I like to do for an hour or so every few days as routine excercise. Rather than jog or spend time at the local Gym I try to split a couple of hours three to four times a week instead.  If you do it as routine and keep ot down to 90 minutes maximum it is rather enjoyable and a good workout.   I am lucky that my wife enjoys stacking the wood and on average I do around 50 full cords a year.

Al_Smith

There is some merit to it no doubt .I for one am opposed to expending energy for example running on a tread mill in a gym or lifting weights but have nothing to show for it .

Did you ever notice outside of gyms in the parking lots they all try to park close to them .Makes a lot of sense to me ,duh .

So here we have a bunch of muscled up young bucks who pump iron and think they are Gods gift to women kind but about 20 minutes of hard work turns them into worn out old coots .Old farts like me wear them down to a frazzle and don't even break a sweat  . ;D

Hah last summer in 90 degree heat I had a younger guy late 30's helping me some .He replied much in amazement to my wife he could not believe an old man out worked him .Once again proving that the slyness and cunning of old age usually wins out with the enthusiasm and machoness of youth .Sly old foxes didn't get to be old by being stupid .

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