I dropped & sawed up a hard Maple that was hit by lightning recently. The wood was super hard sparks flying & 17"D tree would break in 1/4s as I sawed up sections since lightning split the tree internally. I changed to a new chain to see if the new chain would saw more easily no luck still super hard wood. The branches sawed ok but the main trunk of the tree was rock hard. I was using a new chain & a Stihl 18" Farm Boss that usually saws up huge hard Maples no problem. Did the Lightning strike harden the wood???
Does A Lightning Strike Harden Maple Wood Or Any Wood?
- Thread starter whitedust
- Start date
The tree was live full of leaves before the lighting strike. I blew out the bar & chain before I started & was taking oil to the chain. I probably should have pumped more oil by hand to the chain but was difficult getting my angle cut to drop the tree & hold oil can too. I sill think the lightning did something to the wood. Always cut dead or live trees 1st tree cut struck by lightning.
anonomoose
New member
I read a long time ago that the sap in a tree hit by lightening is cooked, and heats the wood up similar to a charred stump.
So no doubt it hardened the wood and probably caused the sparks...oil or no oil.
Farmers used to char wood posts prior to putting in the ground to cook the wood and prevent decomposition of the wood.
You want to watch a stump last twice as long, just try and burn it out green and the rest will last longer than you will.
So no doubt it hardened the wood and probably caused the sparks...oil or no oil.
Farmers used to char wood posts prior to putting in the ground to cook the wood and prevent decomposition of the wood.
You want to watch a stump last twice as long, just try and burn it out green and the rest will last longer than you will.
Wood was very dry 10 feet either side of the strike zone & no spltting necessary wood splintered as I cut into 20" sections. When I cut sections that where not splintered the wood was rock hard to cut but split easy in the spliter today. Yep probably was cooked. You could see where the ground had been pushed out around the tree trunk when the bolt dispersed in the ground. Still finding ground fault outlets in garage & outside that were tripped. Too dang close taught me have some respect for lightning.
anonomoose
New member
More folks die from lightening strikes than from floods, tornados, and huricanes combined....whatzat tell yah?
mjkaliszak
New member
Well... I always wondered were " rock wood " came from !