Eucalyptus splitter.

simonsays · Nov 8, 2013

muddstopper said:
If I ever visit up north again, I think I will try and find a piece of elm , bring it home and see what all the fuss is about. . I have split oak, hickory, ash, oaks, and just about everything else that grows around here. Often use the splitter to shear off a short piece if the round has been cut to long to fit in the splitter. I find it hard to believe that anything can be so hard to split that people wont use it for firewood

Sounds to me that elm and euc are on the same level of toughness!!

locknut · Nov 9, 2013

muddstopper said:
If I ever visit up north again, I think I will try and find a piece of elm , bring it home and see what all the fuss is about. . I have split oak, hickory, ash, oaks, and just about everything else that grows around here. Often use the splitter to shear off a short piece if the round has been cut to long to fit in the splitter. I find it hard to believe that anything can be so hard to split that people wont use it for firewood

Well,it's not that bad to burn if you can get past the stink.My first encounter with elm was back in the 80's.Local contractor gave me a tree for free that was close by and I was thrilled until I tried to split it.Elm does not actually split,it just rips apart in strings.The fibers run the length and do a twist pattern like a woven rope.The only wood around here that even comes close is pin oak and it's a whole lot easier than elm.

Renze · Nov 10, 2013

BHD said:
I have at time wondered if one could connect a second cylinder at could be kicked in and out and only used when needed to power through the nasty's on a standard 8" diameter round it will usually power on through if not a knot or crotch of a tree, many times tho it will not come apart as there are strings of wood still connecting each halve.

There is an easier way to do this: If you plumb it so that the bottom and rod sides of the piston are connected, and pressure is applied to both sides, you effectively push only with the surface of the rod diameter. When the going gets tough the connection between rod and bottom side is shut and the rod side flows away to the tank like it would normally do, so you have the full power of the cylinder again.

Oliver1655 · Nov 10, 2013

Normally after the first split the rest of the splits in elm aren't to bad. I just don't like the moving around the stringy pieces. Any elm over 20" gets noodled into 4-6" wide strips. These split real easy & are not near as stringy.

Have you decided on the design for your splitter yet? We are looking forward to progress reports/pictures of your build.

OldMcDonald · Nov 21, 2013

beeforty said:
As a side note to splitting twisted/knotty wood, I try and make sure that I split from the BOTTOM up as the tree grows. You get curved slices out of your wood sometimes, as the wedge splits the wood as it grew and branched out.

It is a while since I saw somebody write this info. I always thought it gave the reason for "You cut a tree down, and then cut it up."

fishinfool · Nov 23, 2013

Heres a soultion:

yomax4 · Nov 23, 2013

I have no elm issues when splitting below freezing. Red Elm is awesome. White stringy elm is not. Split cold and it's tolerable.

dave1949 · Nov 23, 2013

I think the elm I have here is White/American elm. The Dutch Elm Disease gets them before they get to 12" usually.

I leave the live ones alone whenever possible, you never know when one will be naturally resistant. Slim chance, I know.

Those I have had to cut are mostly 10" or less and are unsplittable with my 8lb splitting maul. Just bounces off and hardly makes a dent. I have to try, one of these days I might get lucky. :laughing:

Colonel Monk · Nov 24, 2013

muddstopper said:
If I ever visit up north again, I think I will try and find a piece of elm , bring it home and see what all the fuss is about. . I have split oak, hickory, ash, oaks, and just about everything else that grows around here. Often use the splitter to shear off a short piece if the round has been cut to long to fit in the splitter. I find it hard to believe that anything can be so hard to split that people wont use it for firewood

Hard to explain. We are talking about wood splitters, and most wood will SPLIT after the wedge goes in a short distance. With Elm, The wedge just keeps encountering resistance as the fibers of the wood are sheared, but it is very resistant to just popping apart like most hardwood. The word "Fibrous" comes to mind.

Around our property, most of the elm we've ever cut was standing or falling dead, and therefore fairly dry. I'd say 12" is the about the biggest we encounter at the base of the tree. Yes, wait till January and it pops open much easier.

TB