Old steel wedge trick saved me 2 hours on a stubborn oak removal yesterday

I had this big red oak in a tight backyard with a nasty lean toward the house. Chainsaw bar got pinched twice even with wedges, and I was ready to call it a day. Then an old timer I worked with years ago told me to soak a steel wedge in water overnight before driving it in. I tried it out of desperation and the wood split clean after the third tap. Has anyone else used a wet wedge trick for heavy compression wood?

2 comments

2 Comments

hart.parker1mo ago

Huh, that's an interesting one. I mean, I've heard of wetting wedges before but I always figured it was more of a old wives tale than anything that actually makes a difference. Soaking a steel wedge in water overnight just seems like a good way to make it rust, honestly. Maybe it's just me but I think the wood was probably just ready to split after you worked it with the wedge a few times, and the water didn't really do much. I'd need to see it happen a few more times before I'd start soaking my wedges.

claire9581mo agoTop Commenter

Yeah exactly, I tried it once and the log popped right open. Totally worked for me.