With the grain or against the grain??

[BLACKJACK]

Had a friend helping me cut up a big ash tree this weekend, he cut some pieces off at normal length (I'd have made them smaller), about 18-20 inches but considering that the the diameter was close to 24 inches, the pieces are just too big for my back to handle, so I want to take my chain saw and cut them down, right down the middle, so I end up with the round diameter part cut in half, with my chunks still 18 inches long.

Am I better off cutting from the round 24 inch part or from the 18 inch bark side of the chunk, cutting with the grain??

My guess is that it won't make a difference on the chain saw cutting performance but thought I'd ask. BTW, my chainsaw has an 18 inch bar so I'm leaning toward starting the cut on the bark side.

[Musky hunter 82]

Doesn't matter for your chainsaw it'll cut it regardless of the grain. Depending on what you're going to use the wood for, if you're burning it in a fireplace you may want to make sure a 20" log will fit in it. I have an indoor wood fireplace in my living room, I usually cut the logs to 14" - 16" then when I split them, I always try to get close to the edge to remove the bark and burn those pieces outside, and burn the inside pieces in the house that way I don't have to sweep up bark every other day.

[BLACKJACK]

I know they will go in my wood stove but I better check my splitter to make sure it will take a +20 inch piece. Pretty sure it goes up to 24 inches.

Also I know that my chainsaw will cut it either way, I was just wondering if there was one way that would cut faster/easier. I know in the past when I've cut some pieces 'with the grain' you get long wood noodle chips.

Either way I just need to get the size down so I can lift them onto the splitter and get that first split done -- without wrecking myself. Almost tempted to leave those big bastards in the woods... Lots of wood in them but almost not worth the hassle either.

[PropsterII]

Don't know if your back can handle lifting a maul overhead, but if you can do that it is my experience that ash will split very easily, especially this time of year. You shouldn't have to even swing very hard, which is why I say lift it up and drop it. I've never liked cutting any wood, but especially the firm stuff like ash, with a chain saw with the grain. Actually harder and longer to cut that way in my opinion.

[Powerstroke]

Wood grain goes up and down the log, so there is no way for you to cut across the grain. As far as what you described, I would stand the log on the cut face and cut down. Its not ideal, but its the best way to accomplish what you're asking. Cut across the 24" side. You will still get the "noodles" because you are cutting with the grain.

For circumstances when you are cutting with the grain, they actually make a "ripping chain" that is made for ripping wood down the grain. Its made for people who use their saws on a saw mill, but its designed for cutting with the grain. Using a standard chain for ripping doesn't work as well. I'm not sure of the particular difference, but I know that they are made for different uses.

[BLACKJACK]

Don't know if your back can handle lifting a maul overhead, but if you can do that it is my experience that ash will split very easily, especially this time of year. You shouldn't have to even swing very hard, which is why I say lift it up and drop it. I've never liked cutting any wood, but especially the firm stuff like ash, with a chain saw with the grain. Actually harder and longer to cut that way in my opinion.

In my younger days I split a lot of wood by hand and if it was as easy as you say I wouldn't have bought a splitter.

Your idea would probably work eventually, keep splitting off pieces until it could be put on the splitter but on those big chunks you'd end up with a lot of thin pieces as you work your way around the edge.

[BLACKJACK]

Wood grain goes up and down the log, so there is no way for you to cut across the grain. As far as what you described, I would stand the log on the cut face and cut down. Its not ideal, but its the best way to accomplish what you're asking. Cut across the 24" side. You will still get the "noodles" because you are cutting with the grain.

For circumstances when you are cutting with the grain, they actually make a "ripping chain" that is made for ripping wood down the grain. Its made for people who use their saws on a saw mill, but its designed for cutting with the grain. Using a standard chain for ripping doesn't work as well. I'm not sure of the particular difference, but I know that they are made for different uses.

Thats kind of what I was wondering, whether it made a difference which way I started the cut. Will try one like you said, starting on the face. If I don't like that cut I'll just make the 18 inch logs into 9 inchers, split them, and live with tough stacking .

[hayseed]

If your not in a big hurry here is something that has worked for me. Use either a heavy hammer or sledge hammer and wedges. Splitting wedges work best. Not the round ones though. Since Ash is usually a straight grain wood it's known to split rather easy. So if you work a couple or three wedges in from the side they will split before the wedges disappear in the wood. Avoid splitting where there are large branches or knots and you should be able to get them down to manageable size.

Here is one way.

[fivebucks]

I sometimes use my big saw for making lumber and I had one of my chains modified and cut for ripping as Powerstroke mentioned. You can rip with a regular chain but it works much better with a chain modified for ripping. Long term ripping with a cross cut chain might put extra pressure on the saw and make it work harder than it needs to - just a theory as I do not know the real reason.

[BLACKJACK]

If your not in a big hurry here is something that has worked for me. Use either a heavy hammer or sledge hammer and wedges. Splitting wedges work best. Not the round ones though. Since Ash is usually a straight grain wood it's known to split rather easy. So if you work a couple or three wedges in from the side they will split before the wedges disappear in the wood. Avoid splitting where there are large branches or knots and you should be able to get them down to manageable size.

Here is one way.

The old man used to have a saying "Boys, if the Lord would have wanted me to carry that he'd have put hands on me like a mule, go get the tractor". Watching that video and other video next to it, watching guys slitting by hand, trying to put that extra ooomph on the downstroke, hitting the same piece again and again -- been there done that --- those big pieces will either get cut down with my saw and split on the splitter or they'll be hauled to my fire pit for recreational burning.

[Sea Hage]

BJ, Does your splitter tip up ?

[BLACKJACK]

Nope. When you look at the splitters that can be used horizontal or vertical, in the horizontal position you were always standing over one of the wheels, a pain in the arse and tough on the back, leaning over. My thinking at the time was that anything too big to lift would get left in the woods!!!