Log splitting issue

[Jodocus]

Hey everyone,

Having little experience working with wood, I encountered the same problem several times lately: When I split a log, the crack will eventually run off the logs center, to the side. I encountered it with maple and hazel, which split really easily , and hard to split birch (won't you split now, son of a birch!).

I use metal and wooden wedges, working my way from one side of the log to the other. The first wedge, the metal one, is driven into the logs central channel (or whatever it is called), the rest into the crack on the logs side. I start on the lower end (respective to the standing tree).

Any idea what I can do about this?

[Eric Krewson]

You will get less run out if you start on the small end instead of the butt end.

[dwardo]

Sometimes if you are constantly having to pull the split back in there is a good chance the wood is full of prop twist aka firewood.

[okie64]

I always start right in the center on the small end that way you have more to work with on the other end.

[jthompson1995]

I've heard some people split from the middle of the log to the ends to help eliminate this issue.

[Dauntless]

That's what I do, use a cheap cleaver right in the centre followed by a wooden wedge. Worked just fine on a 4" log, never tried anything bigger though.

[Jodocus]

Thanks for the advice. I've split one this afternoon, a long (8 feet) maple, from the top end and it didn't run off. Out of 3 I'd split so far from that tree, 1 had run off sideways. That's no database for testing effect significance yet  . But It is 4 new staves waiting to be peeled and put to season.
Gonna try from the center too.
 

[osage outlaw]

I've split from the middle out on smaller logs.  If I'm splitting from the end, I always start every split from the smaller end.  What is the size of the logs you are splitting?  Is there a big difference in size from one end to the other?