I love Elm...I hate Elm!

[SLIMBOB]

  Cut this elm back about a month ago up at Curt's place in Poolville.  Some good straight pieces in it for sure.  We kerf cut it, and it's been sitting up there in his barn.  He brought it down last weekend and I told him I would split it this weekend...So you know, had to keep my word...Good Lord!  I love Elm, but I hate splitting this stuff.  Got it finished.  Lashed back together with spacers between the 2 halves.  Now I'm gonna have a cold adult beverage or 2.  I've read all of Marc's stuff on Elm.  This looks like the good stuff he describes.  It's American Elm (white).  The heart wood is about the size of a dime with the rest sap wood.  Rings are fairly consistent through the length it appears, at about 1/8 inch on all of them.  We shall see.  Excited about getting one started.

[PatM]

 Run your kerfs gradually deeper so that you are  doing more cutting than splitting.

[SLIMBOB]

Now you tell me.   Kerfed it about an inch deep on the first run.  Came back today and went about an inch deeper before I put the wedges to work, then cut as deep as I could as it opened up.  Turned it over and ran the saw again down the back side, so I used that saw for all it was worth.

[PatM]

Using a hand saw or a hatchet tapped with a hammer to cut the strands as you go also reduces the difficulty.

 Another tip is to split Elm when it's frozen.

[SLIMBOB]

Well, I'm in Texas, and we here rumors that in some places it gets down below freezing.  Just rumors though, like Bigfoot sightings and alien abductions.  I can see that being good advice though in a cold climate.

[bushboy]

Ki use a chain saw and slice right through

[ohma2]

Yes sir ounce you split good elm you remember it for a while .like patm said a little hachet helped me.