I've found that splitting any straight-grained wood, oak, birch, maple, ash, etc. is fairly straightforward, provided there are no knots in the section. Having a knot makes it tough. That's why I like to cut the sections off the log so as to put a knot at one end of the section, rather than in the middle. Then I put the knot end down on the chopping block. The maul drives down through straight grain and breaks the knot. If I put the knot end up, the maul either bounces off or buries itself a short distance without accomplishing anything. If a large side limb left a section with a huge knot, I'll make a vertical cut down through the section with the chainsaw past the knot, so that the maul can drive down through the cut.
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