Splitting elm

When I rebuilt my splitter I specifically went with a thin wedge vs those big diamond shaped ones. There is a spreader behind the wedge. So it is more like a knife and slices through the rounds than brute force mashing them . Once in a blue moon I might run into something that won't give- generally attacking it from a different angle or opposite end solves that. I hand split also and even Ash can be stringy. I am not much of a wood snob but do draw the line at Willow, Cotton and Box varieties .

 

I was thinking maybe we could draw straws to see who the real elm lover is.
I’ve said before standing dead with the bark falling off is my staple wood.
Tomorrow I’ll be attacking the the elm from my “more than one load” thread. I’m actually excited about it. I think it’ll be close to enough to get me through next year’s heating season

 

What do you mean by this? I see itI think of a piece of “petrified”wood “Coal” in the middle of the season when you’re dumping ashes out.

 

I'm getting chunks like this in my firebox, but they are sometimes probably 8-10" long and about 5" wide. Every damm time I burn an elm split I know I have to deal with it. Next time I get one, I'll take a vid of it in the box, unbroken up. Complete pain in the butt.

 

Oh weird. I’ve found compacted ash like that in the grate of the fireplace. Probably not the same issue but looks very similar. Just chunky weird stuff.

 

Mine are usually whiter than what wolverine posted, but it's a hard, cement like remnant.

If you rely on the ash to fall through the grates, like The Wood Wolverine does, then it creates an issue. My stove is an insert. I just scoop them out at ash removal time. So it doesn't really affect me.

 

I don't mind Elm, I get a lot. It lights easy when it's all split and shredded. I burned a cord and a half last year. I split it by hand for decades, I used to let it sit for years before splitting, now with a 25 ton splitter I laugh at it. I will add, most of what I get is dead standing.

 

I've done this with oak. Not because oak is hard to split though, just cutting rounds that someone else cut down to the size I need/prefer. I didn't bother splitting the cookies though, just stacked them throughout the stack of oak splits . Some split on their own while drying/seasoning and some, when dry, would split just dropping them.

 

Nah that was me burning in the fireplace so I assume it was just layer upon layer of unburned fuel just getting compacted every time wood was put in. But I don’t burn elm or have any to my knowledge. I actually didn’t get the thing cleaned out until I got the insert I’ve got now installed.

 

Something I think I’ve noticed before, but paid closer attention to today while splitting up a standing dead elm. It seems to split better for me if I run the wedge into the end of the round that is closer to the trunk or ground. Splitting it from the bottom up if that makes any sense. Wonder if anyone else has experienced this. Or is it such obvious common knowledge it never gets mentioned.

 

Yep. Split it in the direction it grows. I don't know why it works but it does.

 

That's fascinating! Just for elm, or all kinds of wood?

 

I don’t know, was hoping to hear from others. Especially the hand splitting crowd

 

Never had any elm, but it works for the pine and maple I work on regularly.

 

I'll take a number please! I like burning Elm and splitting is a breeze with hydraulics. I used to do the hand splitting thing but no more. I always found that the Red eyed Elm split better than the White Elm.

 

I've always wondered if it has anything to do with the further from the ground you get the more the tree moves, and it compensates by "tying" its grain together better the further branches move? Running the wedge, is it like shaving with or against the grain because I can tell the difference when I do that.

 

As good a theory as any

 

I dont take elm, but most of the time i split from top down. Havent paid close attention to it as much in recent years. Usually a knotty or gnarly piece though.