Harvesting Fatwood, Advice?

[Sulaco]

My parents have some property and on it there's 4 long-leaf pine stumps which are entirely fatwood. These stumps are from 2.5 to almost 3 feet in DIAMETER! They're huge. I split off enough to fill up a bag and didn't even put a dent in it. Can anyone give me some ideas on the best way to get to it all? I don't have a chainsaw big enough for them but I have axes and whatnot.

 

[upnorth]

Maybe buy a wood splitting wedge and pry chunks off ? Or go find some rail road spikes for free and use them as wedges.

 

[Sulaco]

The RR spikes are a good idea. I might have to try that out!

 

[lambertiana]

For fatwood, you would probably want something better than RR spikes. I have done a lot of wood splitting, and for larger pieces you want something that was designed for it.

Use a large thin-bladed bow saw to cut into the base of the trunk and then use the wedge to split pieces off.

I may try to convince you to do a fatwood exchange. I'll send you some high quality ponderosa fatwood if you send me some high quality longleaf fatwood. I have always wanted to compare them (along with some good douglas fir fatwood, I'll have to get that from someone in the pacific NW).