Small ash score today. The rounds I left for later in the week are 30+, probably gonna split with a wedge before throwing them on the trailer
CutSplitStack , that’s what I did with this 32” red oak round, but I gave myself a head start with the saw just so I’d have nice stackable quarters.
Exactly, that's the same way I do it. A big x about an inch or 2 deep on the face and then a regular wedge with a diamond wedge as backup in case the first one gets stuck!
I haven't used a wedge in years. In fact i just found them squirreled away in a box. Where I started using wedges to halve rounds, now I use a maul to shell off pieces around the outside edge, working in as the log grows smaller. If the pieces are tough for splitting, noodling the rounds with the saw might save time over wedge and sledge.
Makes sense, I do it the way I do because I figure I save the chains a bit of work and can always use the exercise.
I love the sounds a wedge makes on really stubborn rounds—when you can hear the wood slowly ripping apart.
Horizontal, vertical and now upside down splitting! Serious looking machine. Post a video of it in action JB.
This technique works well too to half big rounds. Small kerf cut. Ill do this if the wedge wont take after several whacks with the sledge. Most of the time i can half big oak with just the axe and a few hits. In this case i had an injured finger and couldnt grip very well on the axe/maul and was one handing the smaller sledge. Oak pops so easily.
I would be glad to if the tech dummy here knew how to do it I pre split all the big wood then resplit over the other splitter my back does not like the big rounds anymore I will try to find the instruction book for the camera JB
Wish I had known this splitting "hack" two months ago. Have found getting the wedges started in big beech and hickory rounds is difficult. I always use two wedges at a time and aim for about 75lb pieces for easily loading and unloading.
I was gonna try and make on of those out of a home made splitter we had at work. Then we robbed the cylinder for a different homemade P.O.S.. we gave up on that one and brought a manufactured splitter so now maybe I need to put it back on the list of projects I want to do someday.
I had built one first one of my customers liked it enough to offer me good money for it I needed another and got this one as a demo cheap they are well made for the price I really like it on those days when it is to miserable to work outside like 90 degree days just sit in the machine with the radio and a/c going and split JB
I've seen one of those mounted on the end of a stick/boom on an excavator but not a skid-steer. That looks quite a bit more cost effective.
Brad I know there is a tm splitter video on you tube (I do not know how to share the link either!!!) JB
A friend of mine has one of those splitters on his skid-steer. He both splits the wood and puts it into a trailer with one operation. He will split rounds in half and then pick up a half and hold it over the trailer to make the final split. He must have 8-10 trailers he loads and hauls them up next to his OWB . A number of his trailers are the back half of PU's.
