Elm! Is it the toughest wood to split?
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Even though it has been almost wiped out by Dutch Elm disease, I got the opportunity recently to split some Elm, and its reputation is well deserved. It is notoriously hard to split. This block, that I worked on, was medium sized without knots and had straight grain, and it was heavy work. The big 11lb (5kg) maul was used on this job: anything lighter would not work, at least until the block was well opened up. Has anybody out there had any experience of trying to split this stuff? Let me know in the comments.
This video brings back memories , I split a few winters worth of elm a good few years back and it's tough stuff alright! My maul just bounced off it, I borrowed a 4 ton hydraulic splitter which didn't even leave a mark on some of it! A lot had to be done with sledge & wedges but I have to say my Fiskars X27 was very effective also. If I never have to split a piece of elm again, I won't shed a tear about it!
I helped my father cut and split lots of dead elm years ago. I still remember how tough it was but gave great firing. I have never got it since.
It is TOUGH stuff to work on.
Well done Michael. Elm does split easier when it is about minus 20 centigrade.
Roy: We don't have the 'luxury' of weather that cold, but elm is 'evil' stuff to work on.
Yeah tough splitting, I cut it short and wait for it to freeze. Not sure you have that option where you're at.
It rarely freezes here, but we do get plenty of rain. Trying to split Elm is HARD work.
You have my respect. I split about 6 cord a year with an axe. I split my elm with a hydraulic splitter.
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Sycamore has the toughest wood to split I've ever seen. The grain is wavy and twisted and it laughs at a splitting maul. It's something you give your kid to work on as punishment and a muscle building experience.
I never split sycamore as far as I know, but I take your word for it. Aside from that, any wood that is twisted, with knots and maybe a few dead branches going through it, particularly around a 'fork' is hard work, regardless of species. Thanks for watching.
i work for a tree service and we took out a sycamore in a cemetary last year and holy crap is that wood heavy. i swear a 6 inch wide 3 foot log weighed atleast 60 pounds. i think it has alot of water in it which makes it so heavy. all i know is i wouldnt mind never taking another one down in my life lol. we mostly take out ash trees now since the ash borer is basically killing them all which is sad.
@@swere1240 We have had Ash 'dieback' here for some years now. It is thought that it will affect about 80% of Ash trees. On the positive side, unlike some species, Ash is very quick to renew itself.
I admire your perseverance !.Hard graft.
Good work Mick. Will keep you young.
When I got the opportunity, I had to test it. There's more to come.
Roy, It certainly makes you work. You need to be in the whole of your health to take it on.
I find straight bits of Wych Elm as easy to split as Ash.
Knotty stuff is best saved for the Splitter
Annoyingly some good Ash hangs together a bit like Elm too!
Probably depends how long its been felled!
Good video!☝️
Knotty ash can be as tough as any wood to split. Elm requires splitting in a certain way; otherwise it is pure hardship.
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That’s a bear. Kin of like black locust. Is similar in that it does not want to come apart.
Yes, it is a bear. I use the word 'evil'. Anyway, I was splitting tougher stuff today. It should be online next week-end.
I'd say that maul ain't bitten use a good sharpening
You will have to translate that for me.
@@michaelkearney5562 i think he means that your maul seems dull and a sharper edge might work better because a sharper edge wont bounce off as much. My experience is that it can help but with some woods even a pickaroon with a needle sharp point will still bounce
@@benscottwoodchopper Thanks for that Ben. I keep all of my mauls sharp. The maul bounced up because it was making absolutely no progress in trying to open up the Elm. It was rock hard. I was on the verge of changing to the sledge hammer and wedges, when the maul (to my surprise) made a crack along the line of the tree rings where I was aiming. Elm is fearsome stuff. I have never come across anything like it.
P.S. I very much like what you put up yourself. It is very informative.
@@michaelkearney5562 Cheers! I think I had some elm once, truly brutal to split, doesn't matter how sharp your tools are, even a ten ton splitter will complain!