The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: Clay on November 20, 2018, 09:24:40 am
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I have a tractor mounted log splitter that is not very good and some rather large diameter conifer logs that have just been cut. They now need splitting and just wondering when best to do it? Bring them in and let them dry out over winter or do it now?
Thanks for your replies
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Unlike oak, which is what is burned here, pine splits easier when dry. Problem will be drying it out when it hasn't been split- it may take a very long time. I'd be tempted to try splitting one now. Perhaps try to split all of it just to halves to increase the drying area, as the bark covering is an effective a moisture trap and whole trunks can only dry from the ends..
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I have found all wood easier to split when green. Larch got everything rather sticky but the few rounds we didn't split wet were really hard work a year or two later.
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As mentioned by chrismahon, conifer splits easier when dry. To speed up the drying process try removing the bark if feasible.
I always try to split wood green but the resin in conifer can be a total pain
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I had loads of room to play on the small farm so after cutting 20 or so 10 inch dia Leylandii trunks into metre lengths , stacked them on a raised platform of plastic pallets , covered it over with weighted down corrugated iron sheets leaving the ends & side open . 18 months later chain sawed it all into 9 inch logs which got restacked in the same manner and stored for another 18 months . .
They split as easy as pie on an old electric splitter save for one or two which I cut length wise as quarters with the chainsaw till I was past the big knot areas then used the axe and lump hammer to finish the job .