Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Badger on April 07, 2014, 12:25:30 pm
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I recently had to pass on some large straight elm trees that the city took out because I wasn't able to process them on short notice. My back just aint good enough to split big elm trunks. Has anyone ever heard of using a jack hammer to split wood before??
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I believe DVSHunter posted something about splitting elm with a skid loader or similar non-primitive device...
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I know what you mean Steve
I tell folks you have not made a elm bow till you have split it yourself !
I don't think that is true of other woods but Elm is tough stuff
I have my doubts about the jack hammer but give it a try
The backhoe may work better!
Have fun
Guy
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If you start a bow building class have some of your students split up the elm. It will be important for them to know where a bow stave comes from.
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What oo said ;)
I would think that it would be tough to control the split. Something hydraulic any slow?
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Your to funny!
I always make sure I've got a sharp hatchet or ax handy when I split elm. It'll give any one good experience on splitting. After elm everything else is a piece of cake.
Might try one of those reciprocating saws to slice thru all those connecting pieces.
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Another option is to have someone at a sawmill quarter it up for you.
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run a saw kerf the length of it then a jackhammer with a wide bit would prolly do it
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I can imagine the jack hammer chisel will get stuck when you're working on the first split. So you would need several chisels to make one split. I've never tried it, but I don't think the jack hammer would be powerful enough to split big logs.
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i'm sure he has wedges, just have to drop them in as you go
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Thew logs I had to pass on were about 18" to 24" chinese elm. About 10 years ago I tried to split one and after about an hour of beating all I had were stuck wedges.
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run a saw kerf the length of it then a jackhammer with a wide bit would prolly do it
i'm sure he has wedges, just have to drop them in as you go
I meant as a compliment to the jackhammer
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Thew logs I had to pass on were about 18" to 24" chinese elm. About 10 years ago I tried to split one and after about an hour of beating all I had were stuck wedges.
Elm is a bee-otch to split. I've only had the 'pleasure' once, and I didn't like it much.
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The trick is to score it with a circular saw and let it freeze. Splits like Ash if you do that. You need some severe cold though.
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I would for see the chisel bit from the jackhammer being permanently imbedded in the log. Now if it was shaped like a splitting wedge......that might get yah a good start on it. I split a 16" elm log once............never again. i ended up chainsawing the two halves i got into the quarters. I believe if i ever get my hands on some elm that big again i'm gonna take it to a mill.
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Pat, I think 44 degrees was the coldest it got here all year long. I doubt that is cold enough.
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The Class splitting it is a good idea,at least it will thin the class to them that really want to make a bow ;) ,all that just think they want to build a bow will quite for sure on an Elm log. :)
Pappy
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Badger, what experience do you have making bows from chineese elm? My only experience ended with an exploded bow, I asked this forum a couple of times if any one used it or knew any thing about it with no one who did. It is a common wood in many places and would be nice if it were a good bow wood. As for splitting I would just find some smaller trees and let the class do the work.
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John, I have had very good luck with the few I have made over the years. It seems to behave about the same as American Elm. About 10 years ago the freeway took out about 200 of them, they were too big for me to handle and remove. I think I will organize a volunteer elm force that can be ready on short notice. I am lucky if I can get 4 hours notice to get them out once they are cut. We have a guy with a portable saw mill that will cut them up for 100.00 per hour. He says he can cut one up in less than 30 min, but he usually needs a few days notice.
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My Stihl does a lot of splitting for me, I am too old to bang on wedges hour after hour. I know, I am going to violate some grains and ruin some wood, but wood loss is very minimal, especially with straight grain woods like hickory. On osage I read the bark before I proceed but almost always halve the trunk with my Shtihl.
I always cut and split wood by myself so field expediency during the acquisition is a must, at least for this 66 year old.
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You can still read the lateral grain during lay out even when using a power tool.
I've seen photos of bowyers using a band saw to "split" an osage log.
A resawing power tool is also a possibility.
http://www.americanwoodworker.com/userdocs/articles/200008/main/index.html
As I age, getting on my knees to split for long periods has become less and less of an option.
I'v e jusut been toughing it out.
Jawge
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The thought of using a jackhammer scares me more than splitting an elm log. :-\
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I use two jack hammers to split wood. My left arm and my right arm..................Clint knows..........
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I thought those things were guns, not jackhammers. Please make up your mind, Pearlie! ;D
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PD, you are also 30 years younger than most of us. LOL. Jawge
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I want to see someone come up with a bow stave sized wood splitter with a hydraulic cylinder from an excavator arm. I don't know that it would work but I think if you could get enough force out of it, it would work like an oversized splitter.
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Wiley I thought the same. Problem is every piece is different and often times your chasing wedges at different angles as the grain runs here and there. Good ol' fashioned human power is the best IMHO.
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A neighbor of mine used wood chips to heat his home and greenhouse business. He and his maintenance guy built a log splitter that would take a 8'x 36" oak log and split it into 8 staves that he could feed into a chipper. He used an I-beam for the rail, a 4 cylinder Toyota engine for the power, an 8" diameter hydraulic cylinder with a 8' throw and an 8 way star wedge. That thing would walk through a 36", knotty red oak log like it was butta.
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I use two jack hammers to split wood. My left arm and my right arm..................Clint knows..........
what were you telling me yesterday about your gunships? ;D
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Pat B that sounds like the hot ticket. If I knew in advance about a bunch of elms comming out I would build one. Some of the lift gate cyl are about 3" and have about a 12" throw, I think they would do the job. 12 volt motor.
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That and some big dogwood wedges should do the trick, Steve....and some strong, young muscles of course! ;)
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Mike McGuire said he tried a super sized log splitter for his oasge business but didn't like the end product and went back to hand splitting.
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Elm is not near as critical as osage to follow the radial grain on. If I get a 4" piece I saw it on my bandsaw straight. This chinese elm is not even too touchy about ring violations. I picked up a waste piece I sawed off while roughing out a bow with massive steep violations and tillered it out, still shooting today.
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On a big log getting the thing in half was always the hard part for me. After that it seemed to be easier...but the only elm stave I ever split I only got 2 staves. It was only 3" to 4".
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I have only split one elm log. It was about an eight incher.
Now I pick trees about that same size and saw the staves with the tree standing. It's much easier in every way than chainsaw ripping the log on the ground. I start at the top and keep the saw at something like a 35-degree angle to the cut (bar tip highest) and make repeated cuts an inch or so deep. I don't use any mind altering substances and would strongly recommend against it. Also, make sure your footing is clear before starting.
Don't cut the staves free at their ends. Wait until all the slices are cut, then drop the tree and cut the staves free.
Jim