Bit off more than I could chew today...

Answered a craigslist ad about free maple - large rounds. I thought I could split some there, load into the truck and have no issues - I was wrong. My Fiskars 8lb Iso-Core Maul bounced off like a rubber mallet! I took any medium rounds I could carry and then split 2-3 large rounds with considerable effort. I couldn't touch the 40"+ rounds...just way too heavy and I was gassed trying to split them. I did load up my truck, but it was a "weak" load.

I guess I could have tried to noodle them, but never have done that before. Any advice for future extra large round loads?

My axe is 36" in the photos.

 

I noodle a lot of hard to split rounds. Even 3/4 the way through many times can make it splitable. Some saws are better for noodling then others but use what you have. Just try and make sure the wood is solid and not going to role on you. But be prepared knowing it can and adjust accordingly.

 

This is how I deal with the big ones.

 

Been in that situation many times. Noodle them down to size.

 

I've been able to chainsaw grooves into the face of rounds deep enough to set a wedge. Then, pound away at them until split. Best to have extra wedges. I've been known to use the head of a mail as a wedge as needed.

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I actually kept 2 large bags of the noodles and put them in 55 gallon plastic drums. Makes excellent fire starter and also great for the chicken coup.
(cargo net held them down)
Couldn't drag a splitter because of the trailer.

 

Man I had to take 2 Ibuprofen and an Aleve just lookin at your first picture

 

Yep noodling them is the quickest easiest way to get them down to size.

 

Yep I save some of the noodles also for fire starters. So noodling is not always a waste of the wood.

 

This ^ ^ ^. I recently bought a couple steel wedge to use with my new Fiskars maul/8 # sledge hammer.
Also, you could try putting a "starter slice" in the round with your saw and then take a whack at it with the Fiskars maul...getting it started like that will often make it pop much easier...and less noodles to clean up (when you are on somebody elses property) less wear n tear on the saw, and more solid firewood left

 

You don't need a big saw to noodle. Yeah, it helps, but it's not necessary.

 

Use your maul and split off pieces around the edge. Kinda like slabbing them off. You won't get the largest splits, but it works.


Unless you want to noodle, then knock yourself out.

 

Here is my little 40 cc noodling a bit of oak.

I agree a larger saw helps. My 6100 noodles with the best odds them.
If a fiskars iso is bounced off the top, wedges could still a hard job.

 

That's what I've done. I'll use the tip to bore a small spot to set the wedge.

 

I have only noodled twice and until I started reading the Firewood Hoarders forums, I didn't know that it had a name or that some thought it was an acceptable practice. This is first time I have publicly admitted to doing it. The last time that I tried it was on huge hedge trunk and I first bound up the roller nose and clutch on my 026 with noodles and then immediately did the same thing to my 024. I have considered doing it since then but I keep remembering my last experience. Was my experience unique? Is there some technic that keeps this from happening?

 

I dont really like noodling either but sometimes you have to.

 

Sort of, don't bury the bar. Make sure your tip pokes out of the log so the noodles can fly forward too. This helps but doesn't solve the clutch cover jams.

No shame in doing it. This summer I had a HUGE poplar the guy wanted gone quick. Sometimes ya have to do what ya have to do.

 

Some saws are more prone to plugging up with the noodles than others. You can not always stop it.

 

I noodle all the time. I am lazy like that.