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Old 11-13-2013, 03:33 PM
 
Location: Central Maine
565 posts, read 929,188 times
Reputation: 402

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Before a few weeks ago I had never split any wood before. Over the last 2 days I think I have split about a half cord of wood, maybe more. Its strangely satisfying and relaxing. My back and arms are not used to it, but I figure after a while they will become.

I'm using an 8lb maul and splitting beech, oak and white birch right now. We don't even have a wood stove, however I think last year and this year combined I probably spent $200 on campfire wood. Now I got a little husqavarna chainsaw and a maul.

I plan on having a nice bonfire in the backyard for winter solstice and thanksgiving(if we have snow on the ground). Will require a good amount of dried kindling to get this green wood going, but it works and when the fire is really going it will burn nearly anything. Most will get used next spring and summer camping and in the backyard.

Not sure I would enjoy it as much if I had to split enough to heat the house for the winter, then again I'm sure if I thought about the price of oil and propane, I wouldn't mind at all.
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Old 11-13-2013, 04:01 PM
 
Location: Maine
3,531 posts, read 2,828,920 times
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Splitting wood is probably the most satisfying hard work you can do, split a cord (or half) of wood then sit in front of a blazing fire with a adult beverage is just unbelievable.



bill
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Old 11-13-2013, 06:16 PM
 
3,925 posts, read 4,101,432 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roadrat View Post
.....with a adult beverage is just unbelievable.
bill
You mean Irish Hot chocolate?
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Old 11-13-2013, 06:38 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,282 posts, read 61,045,095 times
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There is lots of downed trees on my land that need to be twitched out, cut and split. If you are looking for more.

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Old 11-14-2013, 06:56 AM
 
3 posts, read 4,737 times
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Originally Posted by Submariner View Post
There is lots of downed trees on my land that need to be twitched out, cut and split. If you are looking for more.

I am moving to Maine around January 1st and would like to know if this offer stands for me as well? It of course would depend on how far away you are from the Bucksport/ Bangor area and what you would like in exchange? If you are close enough and there is an abundance of downed trees I would be willing to barter with you for the wood
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Old 11-14-2013, 07:06 AM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,282 posts, read 61,045,095 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jpmako View Post
I am moving to Maine around January 1st and would like to know if this offer stands for me as well? It of course would depend on how far away you are from the Bucksport/ Bangor area and what you would like in exchange? If you are close enough and there is an abundance of downed trees I would be willing to barter with you for the wood
Yes, you are welcome to come and get yourself firewood.
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Old 11-14-2013, 10:05 AM
 
3 posts, read 4,737 times
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Originally Posted by Submariner View Post
Yes, you are welcome to come and get yourself firewood.
Thank you very much for the offer, it is greatly appreciated. Approximately how far are you from Bucksport/ Bangor?
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Old 11-14-2013, 11:51 AM
 
Location: NJ
23,369 posts, read 17,045,178 times
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One of my passions is splitting wood.

Have two different weight mauls and a selection of sledge hammers, 15, 12, 8, 5 pounders with differnt length handles. Some handles are cut short to start the wedge using one arm. Four wedges for 36" deep oak rounds. Wedges of different thickness and angles are a requirement. A well used mushroomed wedge head can send shrapnel in your soft parts with almost no initial pain.

Splitting wood is like splitting diamonds and you have to be able to read the grain and know the different sounds that come from wedge or maul meeting wood. The wood shouts Absoute resistence or whispers, I might think about splitting, NO, you are doing it wrong!, Ah, perfect hit.

Sycamore thicker than your thigh is formidible opponent. Larger pieces are a fight to the death with neither side giving quarter and always on the brink of surrender. Straight grain oaks are a gift from heaven. Black locust will split but just once. Cherry rounds are fun, ash is gold and splits well. Bradford pear is overlooked as junk wood until you try it. Doesn't split well, but does it ever burn, even when green much like ash. Always pick up bradford pear! I like sassafrass as it is light wood, and burns well. Good to add to any recipe for a fire. As to recipes, it is best to pick a mixture of woods with fast burning woods mixed with hardwoods and then some grrener or knotty hardwood chunks for long burns overnight. Tulip poplar is better than nothing. Soft maples like Norway maple of silver maple or red maple are 'fillers'. Hard maple = good! I like beech and hickory when I can get it.

I always cut a slab and paint th end grains to prevent splitting and use that piece for mouinting deer antler, or canoe parts or some other project. Have some nice hickory slabs aging.

Big oak rounds still freah can send a wedge flying 20 feet through the air when hit with a heavy sledge. Try setting the wedge close to the outer edge to start a split. Best to use the narrowest and smallest wedge. If that wedge doesn't go in like a nail without a hint of splitting, you need to left that round sit on its side for a few weeks. You start that wedge with a short handled sledge and when it begin s to grip, mnail it with the 15lb hammer and you will know if you stand a chance of splitting. Sometime the wedge wants to bounce out after a certain depth and sometimes you might jsut overcome that reistence with a 15# hammer. Sometimes the wedge launches into space. Be prepared and get to know the feel of wedge to wood to predict what will happen. Look out for flying wedges!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then there is the movement where you commit your entire body into a coiled swing only when you know where you are with the round and feel confident that swing will break the woods resistence. Some wood does not require a full body commitment and complies with modest effort. Only a few unique pieces of wood will be reconizable after a season even when the intimacy with the round involves soul searching barrel scraping energy to make a split. That intense struggle is somehow forgotten as the face of that resistent wood fades away. You think you will remember that unique piece of wood but rarely can you recount that day or cross grained adversary you struggled with so mightily.

Then there are the 'dirty dozen' the last of the bunch with merging grain from big branches and burl. Save your energy and study each opponent for angles to chip away small pieces and leave the bulk just small enough to fit in the stove. Splitting for a fireplace is a much easier endeavor than splitting for a wood stove.

Your energy is combined with the energy stored by the living tree to provide heat each time you interact with the wood. When you cut it, split it, load it in the truck, take it out of the truck, split it, stack it and fianlly when you carry the wood inside... and then the glorious fire, light and heat. All is wel with the world as you ahve kept your self in shape and now bask in the warmth of a wood fire.

Somehow that neat stack of dry wood aging in a roofed, open side wood rack is so satisfying as it records as in a ledger the effort you put forth to achieve it. You can now direct your efforts to hunting harveting and cooking and other winter activities with a settled soul. Notice your moving parts are flexible and hard as the sinewy trunk of an ironwood tree. You are what you heat with.
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Old 11-14-2013, 12:51 PM
 
151 posts, read 198,336 times
Reputation: 73
Default Kracer

Sounds like you are having far too much fun splitting wood than is allowed, I was taught splitting wood NEVER handle a piece of wood more than twice, this works well for me, but occaisionally it is 2 and one half times, ever heard of this rule??
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Old 11-14-2013, 12:58 PM
 
27 posts, read 44,733 times
Reputation: 22
I always use an axe when splitting wood. Here's a tip: to increase the mechanical advantage you could increase the mass of the head, you increase the handle length, maximize the cutting angle{for the type of wood intended and it depends on what you start with whether you need to make the blade narrower or wider}, sharpen the blade

Of the answers listed, making the blade longer from the cutting edge or making the blade wider at the cutting are possible choices but they need refining.
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