Better To Split Wet or Dry? And Tree ID?

[JuniperBoss]

Seasoned wood has always been easiest for me to split. Really, it's impossible to split green out here in the desert. Maybe it's different with hardwoods? Softwoods I believe are tougher to split when green, and Juniper I know is tough as can be. You'll sweat all day for a cord of split wood (by hand).
     I've got to be honest, I don't see why that method of felling a tree is so hazardous. I clear cut over 15 acres of thick forest in a canyon. Many of the trees were leaning. I just like to dig right into the back (uphill) side of the tree and it always falls right where it's leaning and I have never had 1 issue. No back-cut or anything. Maybe I'm just wild and reckless but It's worked for me so far.

[JohnW]

Seasoned wood has always been easiest for me to split. Really, it's impossible to split green out here in the desert. Maybe it's different with hardwoods? Softwoods I believe are tougher to split when green, and Juniper I know is tough as can be. You'll sweat all day for a cord of split wood (by hand).
     I've got to be honest, I don't see why that method of felling a tree is so hazardous. I clear cut over 15 acres of thick forest in a canyon. Many of the trees were leaning. I just like to dig right into the back (uphill) side of the tree and it always falls right where it's leaning and I have never had 1 issue. No back-cut or anything. Maybe I'm just wild and reckless but It's worked for me so far.

I agree that softwood can be tough to split.  I tried it one time.  It sort of absorbs your splitter, instead of splitting.

The danger in cutting a heavily leaning tree, comes from cutting downhill, not uphill.  This would not be a danger with a small tree.  If you put a notch in the downhill side of a leaner, then start the backcut on the uphill side, most likely, before you get to the 3" hinge, the tree will suddenly split vertically, right up the middle for 20' or 30', and fall.  The spit part will go flying past the cutter as the tree falls, and that would be a killer if it hit you.

[OlJarhead]

Seasoned wood has always been easiest for me to split. Really, it's impossible to split green out here in the desert. Maybe it's different with hardwoods? Softwoods I believe are tougher to split when green, and Juniper I know is tough as can be. You'll sweat all day for a cord of split wood (by hand).
     I've got to be honest, I don't see why that method of felling a tree is so hazardous. I clear cut over 15 acres of thick forest in a canyon. Many of the trees were leaning. I just like to dig right into the back (uphill) side of the tree and it always falls right where it's leaning and I have never had 1 issue. No back-cut or anything. Maybe I'm just wild and reckless but It's worked for me so far.

Funny, I never had that problem but then maybe because I'm splitting either green trees (easy for me with a maul and good axe) or dead trees that are still standing (hard as marbel)...the dead standing trees are best because they are ready to burn pretty much but they are a bare to split by hand!  Hard as rocks!

[JuniperBoss]

Dead and dry standing trees I do believe are difficult to split. However, dry rounds are the easiest thing for me to split, because the sun has beaten on it and all the water is gone, but there are no forces keeping the wood together. This is why they are cracked and have good faults to plunge an ax into. But dead standing trees are compact and have no cracks because it's just one big solid chunk of compact wood. The wood isn't cut and open to dry, so it is like a compact, dry, piece of concrete, and it will remain that way because the water is gone and the wood cannot morph when it is already seasoned.

[OlJarhead]

Aha!  Great explanation!

[JuniperBoss]

Why thank you OlJarhead, I feel so uplifted... and smart...  :P

[beenthere]

I find our hardwoods to be easier splitting when green. Then again, unsplit they will only dry some minor amount on the ends so splitting "dry" is a mute point.

If my rounds are left for a period of time, I stand them on end so only the exposed end dries out.
Then when splitting by hand, turn them end for end and split them from the wet end. This way, I find the splitting maul doesn't bounce off the wood.

Maybe different for Juniper.

[SwampDonkey]

Dry hard maple will just cause your maul to bounce and spring like a kangaroo. It was hard enough to split the one in the yard green. Had to bust it up into quarters to get it onto the splitter. Ever try lifting 200 lb 34" diameter rounds onto a splitter? Not for me. I don't lift on noth'n over 25 lbs if I can help it. Unless it's a sac of taters. :D

[Migal]

 ;) Oak is easier green sweet gum is the devil  :P Soft woods are soft anytime jmo

[WDH]

SD,

I guess that you are not going to be able to lift that 50# bag of grits that I sent you  .

[SLawyer Dave]

From my experience, the type of tree makes a huge difference in the answer.  The answer is even more important if you are splitting by hand.  I very highly recommend getting a "monster maul", or one with a very large wedge face that is going to both transfer the maximum shock into the wood to start the grain splitting, and to prevent it from getting stuck in the wood.  I have traditionally split about 90% of my firewood by hand.

Hardwoods should always be split when they are green.  The higher moisture content of the wood actually "carries" the  pressure wave of the maul hitting through the wood and helps split it open.  If allowed to season, the wood actually shrinks, becoming more dense, and resistant to splitting.  Your maul will tend to "bounce" on the wood, rather than sinking into it.

Softwoods (at least those here on the West Coast), are generally much easier to split by hand after they season.  If splitting when wet, the soft wood tends to turn mushy when hit by the maul, and while your maul will sink into the wood, it doesn't split along the grain.  The maul just sticks in there.   After seasoning, the soft wood fiber becomes more dense, and so when the maul strikes, rather than mushing, it actually pushes the wood apart, splitting it down the grain.

Even with a splitter, if you are dealing with large rounds, it is often times easier to split them in half or quarters by hand so that they are easier to handle.  Hope that helps.

[SwampDonkey]

In winter time I used to cut yellow birch and hard maple in my youth and bring it home on a sled. All down hill, makes a sled rather heavy. :D Would take my axe and a maul and split the log full length for 6-8' what ever the length was. It was straight grained. Once you got started it split easily and I would have two almost perfect halves. ;D Made axe handles and paddles. Sometime I'll have to get a picture of the paddles, if I can find a set. Stuff tends to walk and never come back. :D

[OlJarhead]

Why thank you OlJarhead, I feel so uplifted... and smart...  :P

Hey I'm serious!  I just never thought of that and it makes perfect sense.  So all the while I'm jumping up and down and stomping my feet over splitting green (ok maybe not that bad) I now understand why that may be totally wrong.

Though, if it is easier to split the seasoned pine then heck, my 2 1/2 yr old grandson ought to be able to! muhahahaha