Got 4 of these left to split and hoping to get them at least quartered up tonight. Takes a while just to get them in position. Wonder what these suckers weigh ?
Noodle them monsters!!! I come at them about a quarter to a third in from the edge, break strings with a hatchet if need be. Easier IMHO to handle instead of splitting right down the middle
She split good down the middle, i noodled the last few and honestly think this is faster ,for me anyway. Plus I can’t cut straight to save my life. After they bust open I take the Fiskars to it a few swings and take a few chunks off so I can move the bastards at least.
Would they fit horizontally? Straight splitting wood will usually pop pretty easily going at it from the side. Often easier to roll the round onto the shoe than muscle it on there flat. There is a recent thread titled something like "Anyone ever halve or quarter huge oak round like this?" That has some good pics of successful side splitting. -edit- looking again, those are probably too big. Are you using some branches or saplings underneath to roll the big bastards? That can make it easier, too. Hard work dealing with the big ones, but very rewarding.
I roll them to the splitter , line them up a little closer than I think the should be and do whatever o have to to flip them over. They settle in on the shoe where they want to , sucks bad when I misjudge and have to move them. And yes o saw that thread and got super excited, until I realized the rounds were 30”-37” and the splitter is 26” max.
Made a good pile , that was 2 of them. Getting dark but rain is threatening so I am gonna break out the lights and go ahead and stack it tonight
Rounds that size are no fun to handle, but boy do you ever get a ton of wood from them. I may get kick off the forum for staying this but I often wonder if they are truly worth it? My back usually says no for a few days. Lol. But how can you really say no to free oak???
I sure can’t. I wonder the same until I get it all processed and stand back and look at it all , then it is.
damm I'm getting a pain in my back just looking at them, thank god the longest we have to cut them here is between 10-12"
I'm working on some of those monsters right now. Use that "wind crack" to your advantage! I roll them up to the splitter and get the wind crack lined up with the wedge, then tip the round right over onto the foot of the splitter. Keep a 2-2 1/2" round about 12-14" from the foot, then when you have the round laying down you can get your hand under it to help position it.
My back says it's not worth it for a few days after as well. I try to noodle what I can, but with nice straight grained stuff like that, its quicker to bust them into quarters with the maul. I can fit more into the truck that way too.
I despise noodling so simply will not do that. I have been known to bust some rounds in half or even quarter them. A sledge and a few wedges will do the trick faster than a chain saw most times and use a whole lot less gas and no need to sharpen the wedge either. For rolling the big logs, 2 or 3 or even 4 short pieces of galvanized pipe or something similar helps a lot. I'm not even against laying down a piece of plywood or osb then putting the pipe on that to make the rolling much easier. I try to not be lazy but also try to not work too hard, especially with my bad back. A cant hook can also be a huge help with those lots as can a pickeroon.
I wouldn’t even attempt wood this large without my hookaroon , I use 2 actually. I actually spoke to Logrite last week and they are making me some of the old style pins with out the barb so I can roll large rounds with one on each side. This is the drawing I sent and their solution was a straight pin, which makes sense. .
Good idea dropping it on a small round. Of course these are pretty much immobile once flat ok the ground. That may help though. I have the biggest ones split now so I have new wind on my sail that the rest will be a breeze !!
No they don't roll. Actually the wood slides on the metal alot easier than on wood. I have a 2 1/2' and 4' cant hook to roll them up to the platform, then flip them over on it, a pry pole works too.
Got the last of it done tonight!! Now I got room for last weekends trees, which was all standing dead so I need some less green ( and less heavy ) wood.
