How to Split Apple Wood

Apple wood can be used to add flavor to fire-cooked meals.

Apple wood is hard, sturdy wood that was used for furniture and other carved materials from the colonial times. Nowadays, apple wood is used as firewood for warmth and for cooking food. The smoke from the apple wood might add an additional flavor to your fire-cooked meal. However, since apple wood is so dense, it can be difficult to split properly if you cut the logs too long.

Things You'll Need

• Wood splitter's maul

Instructions

1. Cut the apple wood into pieces no longer than 12 inches. This should make them easier to split properly. If they are still hard to split at this length, then cut them eight to 10 inches long.

2. Use a six lb. maul to cut the apple wood. It is lighter and you can swing it faster than a heavier maul.

3. Stand the apple wood upright on a flat surface, such as a tree stump or the ground.

4. Stand upwind of the apple wood to give yourself better leverage over splitting it. and make sure your feet are shoulder width apart. Study the wood for any cracks you can exploit to split.

5. Hold the maul above your head, and bring it down quickly near the outside of the apple wood, not the center. This will cause the wood to split more readily. Swing the maul with your whole body; use your arms, back and legs. Bend your back and legs when you swing to create a powerful blow for splitting the wood.

6. Continue to split the apple wood in this fashion until you have no more logs left.

References

• Wood Heat: How to split wood