Split Your Own?

[Woodman]

I just got chewed out on the BBQ news forum for suggesting that a guy split his wood by hand instead of buying , or renting a log splitter. Now it is my contention, that, if you want to be healthy, and remain so into your golden years, you ought to do some physical work on a regular basis. This guy jumped on me like I was suggesting that you are Un-American if you don't split your own. Now, I have seen alot of you, and realize that most of you don't. (Also, I have seen the results of Zee's attempt.) How many of you split you own wood when you have whole logs.

ps. Ronny Reagan's favorite way to unwind on his ranch was splitting wood and he was prety healthy until he lost his faculties!

[mw]

I just got chewed out on the BBQ news forum for suggesting that a guy split his wood by hand instead of buying , or renting a log splitter. Now it is my contention, that, if you want to be healthy, and remain so into your golden years, you ought to do some physical work on a regular basis. This guy jumped on me like I was suggesting that you are Un-American if you don't split your own. Now, I have seen alot of you, and realize that most of you don't. (Also, I have seen the results of Zee's attempt.) How many of you split you own wood when you have whole logs.

ps. Ronny Reagan's favorite way to unwind on his ranch was splitting wood and he was prety healthy until he lost his faculties!

Well, Woodman,.... some of us are fat and lazy and that axe handle won't fit our hands, or hand. Therefore, the majority of us that fit that bill will probably make our best attempts at buying it already split. :)

[Zilla]

I agree Woodman, It's great exercise. I have a few mauls and splitting wedges with a stump and tire setup that I try to use when I can. Unfortunately most of the Live Oak, and Mesquite logs I get are so gnarly and twisted that I find it impossible to make any headway by hand. There just aren't many straight sections on those trees. The Pecan is no problem but I hardly ever get any of that. Post Oak from the main trunk splits ok too but the larger boughs and limbs are rather twisty also. Those Texas pioneers had a hard row to hoe splitting firewood down this way. $35.00 a day for a 10 ton gas splitter is the way to go.

[JamesB]

I'm so broke/cheap and since I get most of my wood for free I split it by hand... has nothing to do with exercise really, although I'm sure it helps... It's just a matter of economics.

James.

[KazQ]

:yawn: Found the post and Woodman misspelled spitting. :sarcastic:
Why would anyone buy already split wood? Your supposed to let season in big pieces then split them yourself for better flavor.I use 2 cheap axes,
i place where i want the wood split and hit with the other,when tired i'm ambidextous :crazy: so i just change hands,then split goes on top of firebox,when running low i'll split more,have to do something in the 1/2 hour between adding sticks to firebox.

[DoubleBarrelSmoker]

Started splitting wood with my grandfather over forty years ago.:banghead:

[SmokinInTheDark]

After all the cleanup of hurricane Rita I still have plenty of logs to split by hand it is very good exercise.I use a 12 lb maul to split most of the time.

[Michiana Mark]

I used to heat with wood, and I split it all by hand then, and about 80 lbs ago. Apple I buy split. Cherry and hickory I'll split myself. Does a body good.

[M38A1]

I'll take the gas/mechanical log splitter every time. Makes short work out of an 8' bed pickup load especially with two others. One to feed the beast, one to work the controls and one to carry/stack the split pcs.

[gsmith]

I do both. If it's white oak then a splitter is your friend. Anything with a lot of knots is a ***** by hand but it sure feels good to split red oak and maple by hand.

[Coal Miner]

I split my own wood. My father in law supplies us with lots of oak, apple, and cherry wood. He cuts the wood into pieces small enough to fit into our wood stove and our smoker and all I have to do is go down to his place with the truck and pick it up and then split it. It's good exercise!

[Woodman]

To Michelle, I've seen you and Ronnie and neither of ya really qualifies as "fat". Now lazy................

[DoubleBarrelSmoker]

Heres a good tip for anyone who splits wood by hand. Don't stand your piece of wood upright before you split. Let them lay on the ground, put your foot on it and whack it. Most of the energy you expand splitting wood is from bending down to pick the wood up,trying to get it to stand up[which can be frustrating], and then repeatedly doing it again and again. You will be so much happier if you do it this way:wink: http://usera.imagecave.com/barryturner/Copyofnov208Small.jpg

[david brace]

DBS...looks like you're gonna chop off your foot!!!

DB

[snaker]

I used to split my own pecan, but I decided not to spend an entire season splitting certain hard types.

[WBC]

I take mine to David Klose and he rips them in half with his bare hands.

[oldnndway]

I split my own wood...both for my cooker and my fireplace.
I use a splitting maul that weighs around 10 to 15 lbs.
That's after I cut the tree down, saw it up and haul it home.

I imagine that wouldn't be so easy to pull off for you folks that live in a more urban area.

[Hankerin Bar-B-Q]

If the pieces are managable, I'll split by hand, no problem.

[Bowhnter2]

Wonder if I should have voted twice :D I split what I can to get it to size but then I run it thru the table saw to make chunks. It just burns cleaner for me.

[Thom Emery]

I take mine to David Klose and he rips them in half with his bare hands.
LOL Blake

[Woodman]

I have also seen Dave "Kung Fu" a whole tree and as it falls, he splits it and it self stacks.

[Zilla]

Damn that DK is "one bad mother..shut your mouth" I'm glad I live in San Antonio.

[WBC]

I have also seen Dave "Kung Fu" a whole tree and as it falls, he splits it and it self stacks.

What you don't know is that he pointed at it, went "kaboom," and that's what made it fall.

[KazQ]

I just sent 2 pieces of mesquite by Canparmaybe to DK,these pieces are unsplitable! 2 years now i'v been trying,though i think your all fulloballoney it only cost me 3$ to send,i'll see what happens and report back.:o

[DoubleBarrelSmoker]

DBS...looks like you're gonna chop off your foot!!!

DB
:) :) That maul is pretty dull, and the steel toed boots help.And payin attention once in a while makes a big difference:idea: :idea:

[david brace]

True...so I should wear my glasses when I come up there to help yo split wood???

DB

[KazQ]

Just had a canpar delivery,the 2 pieces of mesquite i sent to be split came back as a dining room set,wine rack,ice fishing shack,3 cutting boards,and a muskoka mesquite chair.:lol:

[Woodman]

He split me a house!

[KazQ]

I can't stop:lol: :lol: :lol:

[KazQ]

There's more- 2 barrels, thinkin one for sauerkraut,the other for pickles though i pickle pickles in glass gallon jars,i was just about to purchase another for next fall cabbage season,2 canoes with paddles,and a pallet of mesquite toothpicks.

[Buckeye]

$35.00 a day for a 10 ton gas splitter is the way to go.

I'll take tha 10 ton gas splitter for $35 Alex. :D
I buy my wood alreddy split, but there are sum peeces that do need ta be split again, so I do split sum.

[TexLaw]

I tend to buy my wood already split. However, if I get some freebie wood, I split it myself. I rarely have enough freebie wood to justify renting a splitter, though.


TL

[Buckeye]

...so I should wear my glasses when I come up there to help yo split wood???

DB

Better safe than sorry........ya don't wunna put yer eye out do ya?:shock:

[CookinOkie]

Your so right Woodman: I started splitting wood when I was 12, that being 61 years ago. I did that till I was 64, then built a splitter in my shop. I thought it was time LOL. Well now after moving to town and not needing it My friend had it at his farm. When I decided to get myself a smokker a little NB Hondo I cut up a couple of pickup loads of Pecan and Oak. Split it like I would fr a heating stove or fireplace only shorter and hauled it to town. Now after spending a year not being able to do much of anything except really enjoying Q-fest 3 I have found myself sitting on a folding chair splitting the wood again with a small axe and wedge making it smaller to fit my needs for the cooker while that old splitter sits out at the farm and am enjoying every minute of it. LOL

CookinOkie Ron

[Woodman]

Good for you Ron! Do what you can....as long as you can!

[Buckeye]

Your so right Woodman: I started splitting wood when I was 12, that being 61 years ago. I did that till I was 64, then built a splitter in my shop. I thought it was time LOL. Well now after moving to town and not needing it My friend had it at his farm. When I decided to get myself a smokker a little NB Hondo I cut up a couple of pickup loads of Pecan and Oak. Split it like I would fr a heating stove or fireplace only shorter and hauled it to town. Now after spending a year not being able to do much of anything except really enjoying Q-fest 3 I have found myself sitting on a folding chair splitting the wood again with a small axe and wedge making it smaller to fit my needs for the cooker while that old splitter sits out at the farm and am enjoying every minute of it. LOL

CookinOkie Ron

Okie....I like yer style!:D ......woodn't mind have'n you teech me at QFest IV tha proper "sit'n" teckneek for split'n wood. :wink:

[CookinOkie]

Okie....I like yer style!:D ......woodn't mind have'n you teech me at QFest IV tha proper "sit'n" teckneek for split'n wood. :wink:

Hey man that be no chore atall, you jest sit in dat chair with a short round block of oak ( about 12 er 14 inces through ) Set you a stik of dat oak or pecan on it and whack it a time er two wit dat hand ax, ifen dat don't work flip dat ax over and hold a wedge on top of dat stik, tap it a time er two, git yore hand plum out da way and whak the daylites out o it. Wrks fer me Buckeye. Hope your doin fine down there in Georgia my friend.
CookinOkie Ron

[CookinOkie]

Good for you Ron! Do what you can....as long as you can!

Gonna do my level best, you can bet on that Dave. Hope to see you at Q-fest this fall.
I sure hope your weather gets better for you. You are in the northern part of Ohio up by the lake aren't you?
CookinOkie Ron

[KazQ]

Wedge? Just use 2 cheap axes with diffferent sized handles,place sharp axe point on stick and whack with dull side of the other axe,change axes everyonce in a while so you don't cramp up.

[Woodman]

Gonna do my level best, you can bet on that Dave. Hope to see you at Q-fest this fall.
I sure hope your weather gets better for you. You are in the northern part of Ohio up by the lake aren't you?
CookinOkie Ron


Yep! Haven't been above 10 degrees for a week! Hey, it's what we are used to though!

[BackyardBoss]

For my bbq cooking, I buy bags of pecan logs from BBQs Galore - it seems to be very well seasoned & cut to a good medium size.

For wood for our fireplace, I use cut up trees from our property. Last spring we had about 8 tulip poplars taken down, and I asked the tree guys to just leave the wood for me to deal with. It took me several days to stack it up, but it left us with about 4 cords. Unfortunately, poplar isn't good for bbq, but it burns fast & hot in the fireplace once it's seasoned.

I bust it up with a splitter called a "wood grenade." The wood grenade works really well - I use it with a heavy mallet, not an axe, and those trunk sections just explode apart. Now that winter's really here in MD, we light a fire every night the temps go down into the 20s or lower, so we're going through lots of wood now. And yeah, busting up those logs keeps ya young and hungry!

[Woodman]

Boss, I'll have to look for one of those stores in the NE Ohio area. ANY source for pecan here is welcome!

[Michiana Mark]

ANY source for pecan here is welcome![/QUOTE]

Have you ever tried the wood exchange program. Northern wood to southern states and return. ie. cherry for pecan, or even apple.

[Mic]

ANY source for pecan here is welcome!

Have you ever tried the wood exchange program. Northern wood to southern states and return. ie. cherry for pecan, or even apple.[/QUOTE]


Works for us...don't it Mark? :D BTW, pony express rider is gearin up for the ride yer way! :wink: I'm assuming yer still at the same stop!

Mic

[bigwheel]

Well sure glad you mentioned my hero Ronnie Reagan. Yeppers that whut kept the Gippper in such good shape was splitting his own wood. Just got to love that fella..lessen a person is some kinda godless commie etc. Which I nearly sure aint none of em hangs out around heah.

bigwheel

[DoubleBarrelSmoker]

Well sure glad you mentioned my hero Ronnie Reagan. Yeppers that whut kept the Gippper in such good shape was splitting his own wood. Just got to love that fella..lessen a person is some kinda godless commie etc. Which I nearly sure aint none of em hangs out around heah.

bigwheel
Uh Talked to a guy who worked on his ranch. Sorry to tell ya but he only did that for the camera. That was image stuff. Same as Dubya clearing brush on his 'Ranch'

[Woodman]

Uh Talked to a guy who worked on his ranch. Sorry to tell ya but he only did that for the camera. That was image stuff. Same as Dubya clearing brush on his 'Ranch'


For certain! At least Clinton, and The Kennedy's "hobby" of womanizing and illicit affairs was for "real!"

[droller]

I'll be taking down a white oak (@ 54" diameter), a hickory (@ 40" diameter), and a sassafras (@ 18" diameter) in late February or early March. Any of you macho guys who like splitting with mauls, wedges, and axes are welcome to come by and show me your skills.

If you just can't wait, I still have several pieces of red oak, all over 55" in diameter that I'll be glad for you practice with.

[droller]

Uh Talked to a guy who worked on his ranch. Sorry to tell ya but he only did that for the camera. That was image stuff. Same as Dubya clearing brush on his 'Ranch'

My, my. And to think that I voted for both Regan and Dubya.

[Michiana Mark]

Have you ever tried the wood exchange program. Northern wood to southern states and return. ie. cherry for pecan, or even apple.


Works for us...don't it Mark? :D BTW, pony express rider is gearin up for the ride yer way! :wink: I'm assuming yer still at the same stop!

Mic[/QUOTE]

Same stop, same rider. He'll know what the package is.