Splitting ash- soon after felling?

[Steven P]

I'm alway of the opinion  to split it as soon as you can. it will start drying now rather than in 6 months time, get the job done and out the way. If you get bits that are tricky to slit you can always put them aside and have another go in 6 months (but you can't go in revese, and split tricky bits 6 months ago when green)

[sandspider]

Yeah, that's true!

[Rob_the_Sparky]

On 05/01/2020 at 21:32, sandspider said:

Thanks all. I'll be splitting with an axe not a splitter, so unlikely to pop myself in the goolies! Will make a start on it when I find time. 

Don't bet on it.  I also split with an axe but have a scar on my leg from a log that came towards me when it split.  Only log that has done this on me in 3 years of splitting with an axe and typically it was summer so had taken off the chainsaw trousers and it hit just above my boots!  No serious damage but it did smart somewhat...

[sandspider]

I'll risk the legs, it's my goolies I care about!

[neiln]

I've had a few splits hit my shins and make me since, did it just now with a bit of strawberry tree. I will wear shin pads sometimes.

[Steven P]

I've never assumed that splitting wood with an axe is safe, ever since I dented the car with a pieve of wood.

 

So far.. lots of shin bruises and cuts, bruised foot a few tmes when logs fall off the chopping block onto it, black eye once (log caught me on tne bridge of my nose), couple of cuts on my hands at the moment where I rubbed them along the edge of the axe blade. No scars yet and the golies are still safe.

[Mick Dempsey]

If nothing else this thread has brought the word ‘goolies’ back from the 70s

[william127]

Smacked goolies and dented cars, 2 more reasons to screw an old tyre to your chopping block! Once you've done it you wont go back.

Straight ash is generally a pleasure to split, until it's really dry, then it can be a bit too hard

[Steven P]

I guess I am like many people, but not all of my wood is easy to split ash or similar with a nice round shape and small enough to fit in a tyre.. but I've seen videos and this trick works well.

 

Bits of wood flying off what I am splitting at a speed enough to damage stuff is rare though