Maple wood is too tough to split

mike64 · Mar 29, 2011

I picked up a bunch of maple wood pieces from a tree that was cut down last fall. I've always managed to split up wood so far, up to around 1 1/2 ft diameter, using a cone wedge & sledge, plus a a splitter axe. But this maple was impossible to split. Left it over the winter thinking it's too green and springy (cone wedge would get 1/2 way in then pop out like a cork) but it ain't much better now.

Don't want to rent a splitter- if I did that I might as well pay for some nice pre-split cordwood. Should I just rip the tough pieces down the middle with a chainsaw? If so the chain will probably get dull fast. Is it worth it to invest in a carbide saw chain or just get a second regular chain and take turns getting them sharpened? Any other ideas for how to cheaply split this stuff up?

rbh · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

Give it time, there is alot of moisture in it and the time over the winter may not have been warm and dry enough.
Stack it up on its side for the summer on pallets, then try splitting it in the fall, then if it does split let it sit for another year before using.

MTboatguy · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

Takes maple a long time to dry out, you have not let it sit long enough, once it has dried out enough, it will normally be pretty easy to split, that is unless it is not a straight grained maple, then it is still going to be difficult to split. Dry straight grained maple kind of pops apart when hitting it with the cone or the splitting maul, curly grained type maple spirals when trying to split it.

jasoutside · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

You could always cut your rounds shorter, splitting a 12" piece is sure easier than a 20". You can also start at the outside of the round (vs. right in the middle) splitting off thinner pieces working your way through the round.

I burn 5-6 full cord per year and I got tired of splitting by hand so rented splitters. I also got tired of renting splitters, so I picked up one of these...

...worth it's weight in gold!

Boomyal · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

Amen to, too tough to split. Last year I had a three trunk Boxelder maple tree fall in the back yard. For the main trunk sections I had to cut thru it laterally in six, four or two different sections, with a chain saw. I partially sawed thru the log, in 16" segments, then just kept rolling the log and making the necessary lateral cuts, depending on the diameter. In the end I just finished cutting thru the sements on the remaining lengths.

I even wonder if a hydraulic splitter would have done the job. I had to get the blade file out several times during the cut.

It sure did make good firewood though. Each piece feels like an ingot of iron.

Captain Caveman · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

Not knowing how you dried, that could also be the issue. A friend of ours had a few trees taken down and offered to split the firewood with me if I'd split it all. The tree had been cut down the previous year so she told me it had been seasoned for over a year. Well, all of the logs were in a giant pile in the shade. Those things hadn't dried one bit!

The point is, if the wood wasn't stacked in a way to promote the drying process then that would could easily be just as hard to split today as the day it was cut down.

joed · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

I try to split all my wood in the dead of winter. Frozen wood splits better because it is hard as a rock.

MTboatguy · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

For us in the northern tier, I agree, splitting when it is frozen is a viable alternative..

mommicked · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

You can sharpen your own chains w a hand file in 5 mins.Just do it often and dont let them get too dull.Then it only takes a few passes w the file.ive seen maple and other woods that a splitting maul would bounce off like hitting a rubber log!.It is also more dangerous to split w a sledge and wedge when woods that tough.Dry it and it may start to crack on it own giving you a place to split it easyer.Or just pile it up and invite friends over for BEER,BBQ and a big,hot bonfire!!!

MTboatguy · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

I sharpen my saws with my dremel tool, only takes a few minutes and with the dremel tool jig for chain sharpening, it works great!

Boomyal · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

MTboatguy said:
I sharpen my saws with my dremel tool, only takes a few minutes and with the dremel tool jig for chain sharpening, it works great!

Sounds like a handy device. Got a link? I got the motor so a bit and a jig would be a snap.

It's not too bad doing it with a hand file but I like the sound of high speed.

MTboatguy · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

Boomyal said:
Sounds like a handy device. Got a link? I got the motor so a bit and a jig would be a snap.

It's not too bad doing it with a hand file but I like the sound of high speed.

Here is the link to Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-1453-Chain-Sharpening-Attachment/dp/B0000302YO

I think I bought mine at Home Depot for about $10 and the stones when you need to replace them are only a couple of bucks, it has saved me a lot of work...

rbh · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

The newer chainsaw chains are great for sharpening as they have a built in line on the cutting tooth that shows you the angle to sharpen them at,
no more angle plate on the file

rbh · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

rbh said:
The newer chainsaw chains are great for sharpening as they have a built in line on the cutting tooth that shows you the angle to sharpen them at,
no more angle plate on the file

Just to add, there is no place to plug in your dremel in the middle of a cut block unless you packed in a genset.

mike64 · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

Wow, lot of great ideas, thanks everybody! I learned a lot here.

Here's my replies to some of these:
"Try splitting from the outside of the round instead of starting at the center"
The simplest ideas really are the best sometimes. I like to think of myself as having above average intelligence, but for some reason I couldn't figure that one out on my own...my mindset was always to start at the center. :facepalm:
I went out after work today and I was able to split up a 2' diameter piece of some ash that I also have that was giving me trouble. I got to where I was able to pick the perfect spot to put the wedge to split off the next chunk, like cutting diamonds. I had better luck with the maple too-- and that stuff really is still wet inside.
Split the wood when it's frozen
Another idea beautiful in its simplicity. Too late for this year though, even here in Michigan, where it was 17 degrees this past weekend. Definitely have to remember this one for next winter.
"You can sharpen your chainsaw blade yourself"
I always figured this would be too difficult or time-consuming, so I just took it to a place. But as often as I need to, if it's that easy I'll definitely try to sharpen my own saw blades now.

I want to get the maple split up and do this again--another iboater told me about making a "holzen haus" a couple years ago and it worked out good (can't seem to find the post now, unfortunately)-- it's supposed to create airflow through the center that dries out the wood in like 1/2 the time.

LongLine · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

Definitely split the real hard stuff from the side. Also if you have to use a chain saw, also cut from the side. That way you'll plane/shave your way thru it rather than ending up with real fine sawdust & an overheated blade. Much easier on the blade.

Tom B.
(LongLine)

MTboatguy · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

rbh said:
Just to add, there is no place to plug in your dremel in the middle of a cut block unless you packed in a genset.

Actually, I can plug my dremel into my inverter in the car, never been a problem for me, and I don't carry the genset, so THERE!

Living in the woods, I have very few reasons to go anywhere else to cut and split wood..

rbh · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

MTboatguy said:
Actually, I can plug my dremel into my inverter in the car, never been a problem for me, and I don't carry the genset, so THERE!

Living in the woods, I have very few reasons to go anywhere else to cut and split wood..

UMMM, cut block, an area were logging takes place.
I do not know if where you are if you can take your PMV (vehicle) into a cut block and start cutting up fire wood easly.
But around here you better walk in (LPC) or have a skidder or helicopter, and there is no 110VAC for your dremel.

usually, fire wood is brought out by the logging truck load.

j_martin · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

On sharpening. I sharpen all my own chains, and a lot for friends. I use files only.

If you grind on a chain, and overheat it, you loose the temper and it'll not hold an edge after that. Unfortunately, most of the hacks at the hardware store that sharpen chains are way to impatient to not hit it so hard with the stone that they blue it a bit. Dremmel is the same.

That line on the top of the cutter is not neccessarily the file angle. On a chisel tooth chain, the file is held about 10? down and 10? steeper than the line, and the resulting angle on the cutter will be parallel with the line. If you don't pay real close attention to those angles, the chissel point will dull very rapidly.

When I true up a chain for someone that's been grinding on it or having it ground, I often get the complaint that now the chips hurt. They thought it was supposed to be fine sawdust.

Here I'm doing a little fine work with my saw.

MTboatguy · Mar 29, 2011

Re: Maple wood is too tough to split

rbh said:
UMMM, cut block, an area were logging takes place.
I do not know if where you are if you can take your PMV (vehicle) into a cut block and start cutting up fire wood easly.
But around here you better walk in (LPC) or have a skidder or helicopter, and there is no 110VAC for your dremel.

usually, fire wood is brought out by the logging truck load.

The private timber company that owns the land adjacent to our land allows a two week period every year for those with a permit to access their land and gather firewood with our private vehicles. In addition with a $5.00 permit, I can access National Forest Service land and gather up to 6 cords of wood every year...and we access with our private vehicles..

J Martin,

I don't use the tool in such a manner as to blue the blade, if you use the dremel properly, you won't blue the blade, I also know how to sharpen properly with a file and have sharpened many a chain over the years by hand..My saws produce chips and not sawdust...

Maple wood is too tough to split

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