Nick Maclaren says...

In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
|
| Splitting logs by hand is very hard work. If the OP has
| tons then this is just not an option.

Not usually, it isn't, though it can be. With a suitable wood
(e.g. holly) that is fairly free of major knots, one stroke of
an axe is all that is needed. You don't have to do it all at
once, and it doesn't take long to do a hundredweight.

Some woods and ones with major knots are a different matter,
but I have heard that they are beyond an el cheapo mechanical
splitter, too. Surprise, surprise ....

| We heat our house
| with a log burning stove and the logs arrive pre-split from
| the farmer. He has some sort of hydraulic splitter
| attachment for the back of his tractor.

Those work, on almost all woods. But I doubt the OP is likely
to hire one.

| I'm not sure what type of wood it is (possibly oak) ...

Oak is one of the harder ones to split. Not as bad as yew,
though.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.


I've got a heavy axe to split over-wide logs. Some split
easily as you say, but it is still hard work. I wouldn't
want to do more than a few at a time. Not good for
arthritic joints :-(
Definitely a job for muscular young men.

Wood with knots can be a nightmare. Some "split" logs that
arrive are still joined via fat knots. Such pieces are
virtually unusable.

A few logs also arrive too long to fit the stove. If the
wood is fresh I can just use a bowsaw, or if the wood is
seasoned and hard it is a job for the chainsaw. I tried
chainsawing some really old oak beams and they were so hard
the chainsaw struggled. The wood was smoking hot! Had to
resharpen the teeth afterwards.

Ah the joys of a wood burning stove. No fuss or mess with a
gas boiler. Just set the thermostat and job done. No
messing about stacking logs, bringing them in everyday and
stacking them next to the stove, then the ongoing task of
starting the fire, topping it up and emptying ashes. That
said, watching the real fire often beats watching
television. Something satisfying about watching the flames
licking around the wood and consuming it. The occasional
highlight too when the wood bangs, spits or sparks.

There is a saying in France that you get warmed three times
with wood. The first time cutting it, the second time
stacking it and the third time burning it. How true.
--
David in Normandy