Just my observations on a wood that is already easy to split...ash... However I am curious as to the opinions of all. I think wood just pops apart in cold winter weather but as I said I split 90% ash so it splits easy anyway. Are there any actual studies by physics geeks to prove this is true or in my thick skull. Has anyone run into wood that splits harder when all freezed up? I know we have some good shade tree professors when it comes to MC and drying theory.
I prefer to do my splitting in sub freezing weather. The moisture in the fiber freezes and allows the fibers to release from each other much easier than when it's green and warm.
Water expands when frozen so I assume the fibres will be pushed apart by the frozen water so this might be the reason it splits easier. Trees creak in cold weather too I believe for the same reason.
i agree. i wouldnt think it worthwhile to wait for freezing to split ash or oak. i get into some locust and quite a bit of black birch that is noticably easier to split when frozen.
Wood definitely split's easer when it's frozen.plus for me it's much more comfortable splitting in the cold, I'm not sweating my butt off.
It sure splits easier when frozen. But to answer your question, I have not run into any wood that splits harder when temps are sub-freezing/sub-zero. I do notice that it is harder to move with the extra layers on!
before we had wood splitter the dutch elm died out and the only way you could split it was froze and it still was quite a job
Have been splitting wood manually for 34 years,its definitely easier when frozen.Even wood that's ''bone dry'' ,3-4 years old & low moisture content to start with will be easier after a prolonged freeze. There's just enough water (even at 10-12% max) to make a difference.
Green frozen much easier Dry frozen, not much difference. With natural anti freeze in the wood, I found green spruce, at -10° f & colder, would split much easier. Now , hydraulics, It all Splits much easier , even the gnarlies & uglies (no maul bounce back ) I split when temps are in the 30°s & 40°s, faster & with less perspiration. LOL
toes ok, fingers don't work to good and then when they thaw out ya really find out what you did that you you wished ya hadn't.
Water freezes and expands. The frozen water in the round is already putting pressure on the wood grain. Hitting it with an axe allows that pressure to release making splitting easier.
For sure if anyone has spent much time in the woods during mid or late January, you've heard a lot of popping which is the freezing of moisture in the trees. And as someone mentioned, when water freezes it expands so it would seem that would help to separate the fibers. One caution. I've seen folks scoff at the idea because they suddenly get a cold snap and rush out to split wood. Problem is, that cold snap may not have been long enough or even cold enough to make any difference. So when we speak of splitting becoming easier in winter, we mean after a prolonged freeze. It does take some time for that cold to reach the center of the wood.
We don't get enough cold weather to really freeze anything reliably except the well pipes once or twice a year. Not usually cold enough long enough to freeze wood solid and when it is cold enough it is usually an ice storm and everything is covered in freezing rain and so miserable that I'm burning wood, not splitting it. I will say that my preferred splitting temperature is cold enough to require a hat and gloves. Then it is finally cold enough that I'm not overheating splitting in a T-shirt.
be a tad more careful around truly frozen wood when splitting tends to shatter at times or let go all at once.
All I know is that it's harder getting my splitter started in the cold, once running, that lever seem's to be no harder or easier to push.
Once again I know it is ash but after a few nights of -0º and one of them was down to -24º , had to do it just to convince myself that I am not just maginin. Green round of ash and barely had to guide 8# maul to the round with no umpf and she popped open. On a half round just brought the maul to eye level and let fall and pop we gotta quarter. Just wish I culd figure a way to quantify force needed now and again in July.
And that is one reason we sort of pile up the wood then do all the splitting at once in early spring. It is still chilly then but nice working and the days are getting longer and sometimes even warmer.
