Had to bring a load of brush from a pruning job to the dump this afternoon. Ive been wondering if the log pile from my down in the dumps, with a happy ending! score three weeks ago was still there or was chipped. Well, it wasn't, but i did grab a few nice 16" diameter ash rounds actually cut to my length. There was more ash but too gnarly. Lots of pine and other lesser quality stuff. It was closing so i didnt have time to search. Got home early enough to split them. Several whacks with the Fiskars and it just bounced off. Had to sledge and wedge ash! Unbelievable! No knots either! I was surprised how green and wet it was. Never seen ash bark peel this easy on a green round. One piece had early signs of EAB infestation under the bark.
Nice when it is cut to length! Ash doesn't always split easy. I had a Ash round that broke my hyd. splitter, it had grown out in the middle of a field along a hedgerow although it looked straight grained it was twisted and split hard.
Yes sir - a yardbird or a specimen at the edge of a field facing the wind will be twisty no matter how straight it usually grows. Nice score anyway Brad - I too have taken to peeling bark when it's easy after burning indoors for the first time this year and seeing what a mess bark leaves, and how much faster the naked splits will dry after a wet day (or month, lately.) Lot less bugs, too.
I wasnt even trying to pull the bark off BigPapi Some of it loosened as i was splitting. Rather weird splitting green ash when most of the stuff i process is dead. Im starting to like barkless wood myself. Old habits are tough to change as "green and clean" is my favorite score.
