Bad Idea

[tiknuttle]

I cut down a maple tree today about 8 to 9 inches tick. I usaually only cut small to medium sized saplings to make bows but today I decided deferently. I wanted a cleaneir piece of wood free of knots, pins, etc.. to make into 2 or 3 staves. When I was spliting the log with wedges it started to take on a propeler twist. the grain was spliting around the log. This is about the third time this has happened to me. It happens every time I try to split a log. I chick to see if the bark was running straight and everthing whats the problem?

[snedeker]

The twist can be hard to detect in a lot of wood types.  I run into a lot of twisted wood.  Its one of those grin and bear it situations.  Gotta say, Hey this is nice firewood.

dave

[youngbowyer33]

I don't cut and split a lot of wood, but the first and only wood that twisted when splitting for me was maple. But when you get straight stuff, it is a great bow wood.

[acker]

Doesn't has to be fire wood , you can cut it and than splice it back together .

acker

[Del the cat]

It's just one of those bad things like death and taxes.
I got my bandsaw so as to minimise wasteage on decent Yew logs, but I'd rather split if possible as it shows the real run of the grain.
I reckon 45 degrees of twist over the length of a stave is about the max you can live with.
Del

[acker]

It's just one of those bad things like death and taxes.

Del

  absolutely right

acker

[tiknuttle]

Does maple have interlocking grain cause it wouldn't split very easily. I wasn't able to split the log in two and I can't get a couple of my wedges out. I don't know maybe I need bigger wedges?

[acker]

OK , thats now a bad sign , a bad sign because most the time when that happens the wood has a lot of twist.
You probably need a chainsaw 
acker