Chipping Help / Advice?

[tacman]

A friend of mine is visiting from Minnesota and brought me a big box of apple wood he pruned from his trees.

The pieces he brought me are about 6 - 8 inches long and vary in size up to 3 -4 inches across.

He has a similar smoker to my Camp Chef Smoke Vault and he says he cuts the branches into medalions about 3/4 of an inch thick and just tosses them into the smoker plate.

I tried cutting the medallions with my chop saw and just about lost two fingers on one attempt and picked up the piece I was cutting clean across the room on my second attempt.

Now I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I am not the dumbest either and called it quits with the chop saw.

I then tried to cut them with my saws all but the piece kept vibrating out of the vice and this attempt failed too.

Short of investing in a chipper....does any one have an idea as to how I can reduce the size and maintain all my digits in the proccess?

Or perhaps it is okay to use the bigger chuncks on longer smokes mixed in with my store bought smaller stuff?

Please weigh in and offer me your invaluable insight.

 

[ericjeeper]

Instead of cutting them into .75 inch lengths. Cut them into 3-4 inch logs and splitting them. That is how I do my sassafras roots..

 

[jimr]

Know anyone with a bandsaw???

 

[tacman]

Hey Eric, that is an excellent idea. I actually threw in a few pieces about the finished size you reccomended with the store bought chips I had on hand and was pleased to discover that they not only smoldered mostly through on a 3 hour smoke but gave me a light smoke long after the initial chips were ash.

Thanks for weighing in.

 

[mikey]

I'd let that wood "season" for about 6 months, then try cutting it into the sizes you prefer. I'd cut them in half, then split em.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

As above ^^^^^, and when I've busted up plum wood for smoking, I just break the limbs with an 8 lb maul, then split them smaller with a hatchet or lighter axe.

Hmm...I need to find some more plum wood...haven't used it for over 2 years.

BTW, apple is a great wood for pork/poultry/fish...you'll love it!

Good luck and great smokes!

Eric

 

[beer-b-q]

Sounds to me like you found the solution Tacman

 

[meat hunter]

I'd say split them. Pieces that small should split no problem and would quicken the drying time as well.

 

[tacman]

I did...I figure it's a learning proccess and the best way to learn is to do....really appreciated the advice along the way though..... after all the "Good Book" says..... " A wise man learns from the mistakes of others... and a fool by his own"

 

[travcoman45]

Got a nieghbor kid ya don't really like?

 

[morkdach]

band saw or hammer and chisel works great