# Great ideas to keep the firewood the same size



## farmerdoug (Nov 13, 2013)

I ordered a couple of things that I thought would make firewood processing more efficient:

Measuring "chainsaws rule":







Wood Dock Log Holder for the smaller stuff:


----------



## zogger (Nov 14, 2013)

They both look pretty cool for smaller stuff. Do a follow up once you try them out.


----------



## labdad (Nov 14, 2013)

That looks like a pretty neat contraption but I'm too old to change my ways I just use a stick and a piece of carpenters crayon. I take a minute and lay them out and then cut.


----------



## pennsywoodburnr (Nov 14, 2013)

It's going to sound funny, but I don't even bother with a measuring stick or anything of that nature. I just eyeball it up and cut away. After it's all said and done I don't lose any sleep if I happened to cut an inch too short, or long.


----------



## daleeper (Nov 14, 2013)

I use a mingo to mark the big stuff, the bar to measure the small. When I changed to a smaller stove, I had to pay more attention to length. With the big old stove, it would hold about anything under 20 inches, new stove not much more than 16, and with the small box, need every inch of wood, and my eyeballs were not that accurate.


----------



## flotek (Nov 14, 2013)

Seems unnecessary to me . Are your eyes that bad you can't tell if a cut is too long for your firebox. ? If so you oughta not be using a chainsaw lol


----------



## flashhole (Nov 14, 2013)

If I were selling firewood I would want them cut to precisely the same length. Cutting for my personal use it really doesn't matter as long as they fit in the fireplace. Looks like a useful tool. Good luck with it.


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 14, 2013)

Oh boy... have we been here before??
Most of y'all have seen my stacks and how uniform the cuts are... and the only "tool" or "gauge" I use is th saw in my hands. C'mon, your saw has the bar, the handle, body lines, and I-can't-list-it-all... and you need a separate "tool" to make consistent cuts?? Any time I can reduce the number of things I take into the woodlot is a "more better" thing... haulin' additional "stuff" ain't.

But... whatever makes your weiner wiggle...


----------



## Photog95 (Nov 14, 2013)

I really couldnt imagine trying to cut wood with that thing hanging off the side getting caught on everything. I just eyeball it


----------



## MNGuns (Nov 14, 2013)

From the end of the rear handle to the forward bar nut on most medium to large Stihl saws is right about 16" were one to need a reference.


----------



## ttyR2 (Nov 14, 2013)

I can mark up a decent size tree in a couple minutes (or less) using a surveyor state (18" long exactly) and one of those downward pointing aerosol cans.


----------



## GrassGuerilla (Nov 14, 2013)

Ok, I gotta know. How easy does that rig "break away"? I assume it isn't super rigid, no? It just looks... Well, dangerous as all get up. My first thoughts go more to product liability issues. 

My stove will take a full 20" without issue. But the living room fireplace works better with some shorter pieces mixed in. Ideally, I try to get a mix of 16" to 20". You fellas and your straight tidy stacks sound OCD(ish). For crying out loud, were going to burn it. Not build furniture.

If your selling it and need consistency, I guess that's different. But if that's the case, wouldn't you be able to simply develop eyeball consistency? Or as said above, use saw as your gauge? 

I agree also about trying to minimize the gear needed. I got enough stuff to pack as it is on a firewood run.


----------



## jrider (Nov 14, 2013)

I sell so precision is key for me. I can easily mark up plenty of wood in no time using a 16" marking stick and sidewalk chalk from my kids endless supply of that stuff. Used to use lumber chalk but it doesn't work well in the rain or when morning dew is still present. The chalk fits in my pocket and the stick is about an inch in diameter. If I lose it just make another out of limb wood and keep going on.


----------



## Mastermind (Nov 14, 2013)

I use a small top handle saw, and a 20" stick......I mark the log using the stick and the saw......and knock the limbs off as a I go.


----------



## kennyl70 (Nov 14, 2013)

have to agree with some on here. exact isnt a big deal...... i burn it sooooooooooooooo. even selling some isnt an issue here. long and short all equals out in the end.


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 15, 2013)

Hey... a fella' is gonna' do what works for him, no way 'round it.
But everytime I see someone mention marking sticks, paint, chalk and whatnot I can't help but shake my head. Seriously?? You walk over to your marking tools, set your saw down, pick up the marking "stuff", walk the full length of the log/tree marking it, walk back up the length of the log/tree to retrieve the saw, and then walk the log/tree again cutting it?? And then start the whole process over again?? Really??

I know... I know... it don't take *that* long, you say. But seconds add up to minutes... minutes add up to hours... hours into days... 
And individual steps add up to yards... yards into miles..

I remember some years ago, when my oldest boy was around 7-8 or so, my brother and I decided to take our boys (he had 2) camping in the woods out along the river. We met at the edge of the wood, and it's 'round 300 yards walk to where we wanna' camp on the riverbank. I believe that may be the most laughing I've ever done in a single weekend. My boy and I grabbed our gear from the back of my truck... everything we needed for the whole weekend could be carried in one trip. The laughing started when my brother and his boys opened the hatch to their fancy SUV... Lordy, I never seen so much "stuff". My boy and I had camp set-up, fire started and lines in the water before they were finished haulin' it all. My brother must'a spent a small fortune "preparing" and then spent most of the weekend fiddlin' 'round with all that fancy gear and gadgets (half of which he couldn't make work as advertised). The boys and I caught fish, roasted marshmallows, and whatnot while I taught them a little bit about plants, trees, wildlife and the stars... well... when I wasn't LMAO at my brother that is.


----------



## AIM (Nov 15, 2013)

I will admit I am terrible at cutting to the same length. I'm just lucky that my OWB can take up to a 40" piece.


----------



## Whiskey_Bravo (Nov 15, 2013)

Mastermind said:


> I use a small top handle saw, and a 20" stick......I mark the log using the stick and the saw......and knock the limbs off as a I go.



Wow, this is an awesome idea!

Hmmmm, I suddenly feel CAD kicking in. The top handle variant of course....


----------



## olyman (Nov 15, 2013)

a piece of 2x2. 20 inches long. go to said log, lay 2x2 on top of log,with end of 2x2 and log end meeting. set saw at the opposite end,cut log.repeat as needed..........probably should get a 1/2 inch dowel,,weighs tons less............sheesh.......I stack my wood, in rows. when all the pieces are near dead consistent, the rows DONT tip over, odd lengths and such....first year I have done this....and I WILL keep doing it that way...


----------



## labdad (Nov 15, 2013)

Well I know I should be better at it and my string and piece of chalk are a lot of equipment to drag along but when I'm loading my stove at five am and there is a piece 1/2" to long and I can't close the door it sucks. I have a big pile of pieces that I burn up at the beginning of the year that are from when buddies come over and help me cut my logs up and I have to trim them down to fit. I probably should quit having them over but all the laughs we have is worth more than the extra work it makes so I just deal with it later.


----------



## zogger (Nov 15, 2013)

Whiskey_Bravo said:


> Wow, this is an awesome idea!
> 
> Hmmmm, I suddenly feel CAD kicking in. The top handle variant of course....



I have been using my top handle poulan s25cva for that very purpose, added bonus, it has a 16 inch bar, so that's what I measure, then swing and cut a little mark with. Eyeball, swing, cut, eyeball, swing, cut...works and is fast. Also rips as a small diameter bucker....oner of the cheapest best deals on small saws out there, IMO....

however..I just got a husky 335xpt carcass to work on, 7.5 lbs!!! It's like nuthin in your hand! That's even lighter than the little poulan and a bit better as a tophandle, a little more ergo and balanced.... Get it running then scrounge up like a narrow kerf lightweight 16 inch bar for it.


----------



## jrider (Nov 15, 2013)

Whitespider said:


> Hey... a fella' is gonna' do what works for him, no way 'round it.
> But everytime I see someone mention marking sticks, paint, chalk and whatnot I can't help but shake my head. Seriously?? You walk over to your marking tools, set your saw down, pick up the marking "stuff", walk the full length of the log/tree marking it, walk back up the length of the log/tree to retrieve the saw, and then walk the log/tree again cutting it?? And then start the whole process over again?? Really??
> 
> I know... I know... it don't take *that* long, you say. But seconds add up to minutes... minutes add up to hours... hours into days...
> ...



If I am in that big of a hurry, I shouldn't be stepping in the woods or picking up a saw. Some guys take coffee breaks, some guys take cigarette breaks. I take measuring breaks. Otherwise I am busting my hump because time is money.
Drop the saw at the butt end. Pull marking stick and chalk out of pockets. Mark to the little end. Walk back to butt end pick up saw and go. Lets not add unneeded steps to make it seem like more of a task than it really is.


----------



## CTYank (Nov 15, 2013)

jrider said:


> If I am in that big of a hurry, I shouldn't be stepping in the woods or picking up a saw. Some guys take coffee breaks, some guys take cigarette breaks. I take measuring breaks. Otherwise I am busting my hump because time is money.
> Drop the saw at the butt end. Pull marking stick and chalk out of pockets. Mark to the little end. Walk back to butt end pick up saw and go. Lets not add unneeded steps to make it seem like more of a task than it really is.



Anyone really obsessed about wasting milliseconds should be running at least a 90cc saw. And have a quick-disconnect fuelling rig for it. 

For me, a simple 25' tape and a chalk-holder gets it done elegantly, as they say in ME.


----------



## Relex (Nov 15, 2013)

I picked up a Mingo marker from my local saw shop when I bought my 455. I've only used it a few times but so far I don't have anything negative to say.


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 15, 2013)

labdad said:


> *Well I know I should be better at it and my string and piece of chalk are a lot of equipment to drag along but when I'm loading my stove at five am and there is a piece 1/2" to long...*



It's always the same thing when this argument.... errrrr, discussion comes up.
And keep doin' what works for you... 'cause it ain't botherin' me... But...
I mention three things, extra tools, extra effort, and extra time... and because your string and chalk fit in your back pocket you ignore the effort and time factor. While you're setting your saw down, pullin' out your string and chalk, walkin' back and forth along the tree... I'm makin' firewood!

Seriously?? A ½ inch too long for your firebox?? Man, if'n your box takes 18 inch... then cut at 16 inches!! I cut at 16 inches, and I'll pay you a fin for every piece you can find in my stacks (12 cord or more) over 16½ inches, or under 15½ inches (don't expect to get rich). All I've ever used for a "reference" is my saw; I use body lines or made marks, whatever it takes... but I ain't wastin' time marking, or using unnecessary energy walkin' up and down the tree.

If'n you're gonna' make an argument... ya' need to address all the points.


----------



## jrider (Nov 15, 2013)

Whitespider said:


> It's always the same thing when this argument.... errrrr, discussion comes up.
> And keep doin' what works for you... 'cause it ain't botherin' me... But...
> I mention three things, extra tools, extra effort, and extra time... and because your string and chalk fit in your back pocket you ignore the effort and time factor. While you're setting your saw down, pullin' out your string and chalk, walkin' back and forth along the tree... I'm makin' firewood!
> 
> ...



I sell so its not my firebox. But I also have a saw big enough to make one cut on a large log not two, one from each side. That alone saves me plenty of time.


----------



## blacklocst (Nov 15, 2013)

I've done it both ways and when I forget to bring my lumber crayon I dread the idea of doing the chainsaw tango.


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 15, 2013)

CTYank said:


> *Anyone really obsessed about wasting milliseconds...*



Milliseconds?? Hardly.
Obsessed?? Naw... it's just that I've always been about working smarter, not harder.
I don't run when I can walk... don't walk when I can stand... don't stand when I can sit... don't sit when I can lie down...
As far as the human body is concerned, time and energy ain't limitless, and the more of it you conserve, the more you can get done... that's simple laws of physics.

I climb communication towers for a living... it's all about time, energy, and the effect of the tools/equipment you carry.


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 15, 2013)

jrider said:


> *...I also have a saw big enough to make one cut on a large log not two, one from each side. That alone saves me plenty of time.*



And because you save time and energy in one area... it gives you an excuse to waste it in another??
How the hell does that make any sense?? Because you gain here... it's OK to lose there??
Sorry man... that's just ridiculous. What good is a "gain" in the beginning if you lose it in the end... it's still a loss no matter how you look at it.


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 15, 2013)

blacklocst said:


> *I've done it both ways and when I forget to bring my lumber crayon I dread the idea of doing the chainsaw tango.*



I got nothin' for that... it's just natural, automatic motion for me.


----------



## blacklocst (Nov 15, 2013)

Whitespider said:


> I got nothin' for that...


----------



## jrider (Nov 15, 2013)

Whitespider said:


> And because you save time and energy in one area... it gives you an excuse to waste it in another??
> How the hell does that make any sense?? Because you gain here... it's OK to lose there??
> Sorry man... that's just ridiculous. What good is a "gain" in the beginning if you lose it in the end... it's still a loss no matter how you look at it.



Because you talk about being efficient and saving time but then brag about having a saw that will get the job done but takes twice as long because you have to cut from both sides. Bottom line is I cut and split damn near 100 cords this year while wasting time measuring. As you've said many times what works for one doesn't work for the another. Just because I've found a way to efficiently get it done doesn't mean another person can.


----------



## jhellwig (Nov 15, 2013)

I am doing good if I can keep them short enough to go in my splitter. I had one large chunk yesterday that I could only get one side in of it in. And it was a straight piece. My cutting is that crooked. 

I never remember to use the bar to measure the length.


----------



## MasterBlaster (Nov 15, 2013)

pennsywoodburnr said:


> It's going to sound funny, but I don't even bother with a measuring stick or anything of that nature. I just eyeball it up and cut away. After it's all said and done I don't lose any sleep if I happened to cut an inch too short, or long.


 
This!

/thread


----------



## Evanrude (Nov 15, 2013)

I have trouble with the big logs (20" plus). Smaller stuff I can eyeball pretty good. I have the mingo marker and use it on the large logs. When you get into 30"+ wood and you're 2 or 3" too long for your firebox, that adds up to a lot of splits. The mingo is quick to use, quicker than fighting 20 some splits that are too long into the stove. Of course, I'm never in a hurry to cut wood. I like to enjoy my time out in the woods.

My dad and I used to cut a lot together, so he'd run the marker down the bulk of the tree as I was limbling the top. Didn't lose any time doing it that way anyhow.


----------



## GrassGuerilla (Nov 15, 2013)

Funny thread. Some of the "greatest minds" in the chainsaw world have weighed in... I had no idea it was so hotly contested, or that so many gadgets existed for marking firewood length. Seems like a lot of ado about a relative non-issue. But whatever it takes.

I'm pretty sure that dirty little monkey just sold a whole fistful of top handles though;-)


----------



## Evanrude (Nov 15, 2013)

Yup, the chimp is always helping guys spend their hard earned cash .


----------



## Mastermind (Nov 16, 2013)

People throw top handled saws away thinking they ain't worth fixing......we got several.


----------



## griffonks (Nov 16, 2013)

I have s Stihl 015L on the back of my bench, maybe I should dismantle it and see what it needs....

Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk


----------



## Mastermind (Nov 16, 2013)

Evanrude said:


> Yup, the chimp is always helping guys spend their hard earned cash .



I've tried to tell all you guys that ported saws were just a silly fad......it ain't like I didn't warm y'all.


----------



## FLHX Storm (Nov 16, 2013)

I use a broken cheap telescoping mechanics magnet with a landscaping flag stuck in the end of it. The flag I cut down to size and removed the rest. The wire, I cut to length and stuck it in the end of the broken telescoping part with the magnet on the end, pinched it tight with a pair of pliers and used a little piece of duct tape to hold the wire in place. I carry the thing in my saw box or in my pocket so that when I need to cut wood to length, I'll pull it out, attach it to the end of the bar and walk along the log (with the chainsaw running) and make a little cut in the log as I go. When the little flag lines up with a little cut, that's where I make my next little cut and so on until I have marked however many logs i have staged. Then just simply reach over remove the little contraption and stick it in my pocket or toss it towards the saw box. Instead of walking back to where I started marking the logs, right there, in reverse order I make my cuts 3/4ths of the way through the log, roll the log and finish. It might not be perfect, but it's close enough and my firewood is fairly uniform when all is said and done. If per chance I have multiple logs stacked, that means only one log gets marked since as I'm making my cuts they will automatically mark the next log. 

If I need to measure logs to whatever length, then I'll use a regular fiberglass tape measure, make a little cut and move on down the log.


----------



## Steve NW WI (Nov 16, 2013)

Whitespider said:


> I got nothin' for that... it's just natural, automatic motion for me.



And an unnecessary one, that's repeated how many times per tree? Swinging a 10# (or more) saw 90° and back before every cut is a lot of wasted energy.

I'm thinking you're gonna have to come to the spring IA GTG - I smell a challenge. 2 equal sized logs, I'll even use the same size saw as yours. First one to have em in firewood lengths, with deductions for over/under length (tolerance and penalty to be determined), wins. Winner gets a box o beer from the loser. I'm packin Mingo.


----------



## Icehouse (Nov 16, 2013)

I'm just old and cranky don't like new things, had the same stick for 30 yrs. bought a box of lumber crayons and a holder when I bought my stove. Still got 1/2 box left, even gave some to the neighbors, my time is worth squat. I do like to see and read about new things, but I don't change much. Of course that doesn't mean I haven't bought a crap ton full of saws over the years. 

opcorn:


----------



## daleeper (Nov 16, 2013)

Steve NW WI said:


> And an unnecessary one, that's repeated how many times per tree? Swinging a 10# (or more) saw 90° and back before every cut is a lot of wasted energy.
> 
> I'm thinking you're gonna have to come to the spring IA GTG - I smell a challenge. 2 equal sized logs, I'll even use the same size saw as yours. First one to have em in firewood lengths, with deductions for over/under length (tolerance and penalty to be determined), wins. Winner gets a box o beer from the loser. I'm packin Mingo.


Better pack an extra box o beer too, whitespider is one that I wouldn't be challenging. I have seen pictures of his wood stacks. I do agree to the swinging the saw being a pita, but easier than running that mingo down the small limbs.


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 16, 2013)

Steve NW WI said:


> *And an unnecessary one, that's repeated how many times per tree? Swinging a 10# (or more) saw 90° and back before every cut is a lot of wasted energy.*



You would think so... but really it ain't.
It's darn simple, easy and fast if the log is elevated, a bit less so for one laying directly on the ground, which I try to avoid... and built a HD log lift to avoid it ('cause hittin' dirt with the chain really wastes time). When you hold a saw it doesn't "naturally" hang in your hands with the bar sticking straight out... as a right-hander, the bar "naturally" swings left and pivots down slightly, and I take advantage of that. I cut most of the time with a 16-inch bar (my gauge), and the 20-inch bar has paint marks.

Cuttin' right-to-left - when I finish the cut I simply _relax_ my arms and the bar "naturally" swings left under the log, the clutch cover is in line with the log end and I only need to glance where the bar tip is... lifting the saw for the next cut (lifting is required no matter how you wash it) as I'm sort'a side-stepping/back-stepping into position brings the bar back into cutting position.

Cuttin' left-to-right - again, I _relax_ my arms at the end of the cut, the bar "naturally" swings left, while sort'a side-stepping forward into position and lifting the saw I watch the bar tip, when it's flush with the log end my clutch cover is the reference... and again, lifting the saw brings the bar back into cutting position.

I don't need a mark on the log, there's always something to reference... a piece of bark, a knot, a scar, a stray saw chip, whatever. That reference don't need to be exactly in line with the bar tip/clutch cover... if it's an inch or two off I can adjust accordingly. Yeah, the technique does require constant minor modification depending on actual conditions/positions... but the motion is fluid and don't use any extra energy... or, at least it uses a whole lot less energy (and time) than walking up 'n' down the log marking it!! Of course, I've been doin' it for over 30 years so it is automatic and extremely fast for me. It might feel a bit awkward at first for a beginner because the natural tendency is to lift straight up on the saw after the cut... which never _relaxes_ the arms and uses more energy because the arms, especially the left arm doing the lifting, is partially extended away from the body.


----------



## Festus (Nov 16, 2013)

Everyone is different. I'm pretty good at just eying up things, so I don't use anything. Sometimes I just imagine the width of my stove door when I make the cut. I'm usually not more than an inch or so off. But if I hand my chainsaw to my boy, the lengths are usually 2-3 inches too short. I'll keep telling him "a little longer", but still the same result. He's 23 and he puts wood in the same stove as I do all winter long. WTH. Too short wastes time. It's more cuts, more time watching the log splitter go back and forth, more stacking, and you're not getting the stove as full as you could with longer pieces. So anyway, if you're not so good at eyeballing, I guess you can use whatever helps. As far as neat stacks, I never seem to have firewood that splits all that straight anyway. I see pictures on here of all those perfect stacks and just wonder where they get all that perfectly straight grained wood.


----------



## FLHX Storm (Nov 16, 2013)

In a contest with White Spidey, I'd win (cuz he'd be laughing so hard at my even thinking I could beat him) I'd get all my cuts done and he'd still be laughing!


----------



## Mastermind (Nov 16, 2013)

Folks that think they are smarter than everyone else chap my ass......


----------



## Icehouse (Nov 16, 2013)

Firewood cutting is fun no matter how you do it. What else could you do and play with your saw at the same time


----------



## Gologit (Nov 16, 2013)

icehouse said:


> Firewood cutting is fun no matter how you do it. What else could you do and play with your saw at the same time






Logging. Sometimes you might even make a little money at it.


----------



## Mastermind (Nov 16, 2013)

And just what would you know about logging old timer?


----------



## Icehouse (Nov 16, 2013)

Gologit said:


> Logging. Sometimes you might even make a little money at it.


Oh I do that too but not on the basis you do I'm like 2 loads a week, not 2 loads an hour. I know you've heard this but; how to make a million dollars logging, start with 2 million. Oh well have a great Saturday


----------



## milkman (Nov 16, 2013)

Mastermind said:


> Folks that think they are smarter than everyone else chap my ass......




I think you already posted that in the FHOP section, or maybe it was someone else.


----------



## Mastermind (Nov 16, 2013)

It wasn't me......this is the first time I've had to endure such blatant douchebaggery.


----------



## labdad (Nov 16, 2013)

Mastermind said:


> Folks that think they are smarter than everyone else chap my ass......


 And you ain't the only one at the farm store buying "Monkey Butt" powder.


----------



## kodiak (Nov 16, 2013)

Mastermind said:


> Folks that think they are smarter than everyone else chap my ass......


 
But, but, but... what if the guy that thinks he's so smart also continually claims that "this isn't my first rodeo"??? Doesn't that give him automatic bonus points? And what if he's strong (supposedly, just ask him) as well? Surely that must count for SOMETHING??

Regarding uniformity of woodstacks, plus or minus an inch or two is plenty close for me. Within two years they'll be replaced by new stacks anyway.


----------



## zogger (Nov 16, 2013)

Ha! I started last year doing grade A stacks, then anything else. The "anything else" stacks are rather.......modern art, free form.....Criteria is "will it stack up and not fall over" y/n


----------



## MasterBlaster (Nov 16, 2013)

Why does firewood have to be cut perfectly? Plus/minus an inch or two ain't gonna make a difference, anywho.


----------



## Mastermind (Nov 16, 2013)

What got me started making sure all the firewood I cut is all one length was this grouchy old man that I call my uncle. He insisted that we do things a certain way. 

Most of the wood I cut is used for sweat lodge ceremonies, and I have been taught that the spirits like everything to be beautiful, including the wood stacks.


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 16, 2013)

Mastermind said:


> *...blatant douchebaggery*.



Blatant douchebaggery?? OK, OK... you win!


----------



## Icehouse (Nov 16, 2013)

I cut all my wood even because I have set my wood splitter up for a specific size. If wood is to long won't go in splitter, only like 1 1/2" clearance between pusher and splitter. This shortens up cycle time because cylinder doesn't return full 24", also let's me do something else while ram returning.


----------



## turnkey4099 (Nov 17, 2013)

icehouse said:


> I'm just old and cranky don't like new things, had the same stick for 30 yrs. bought a box of lumber crayons and a holder when I bought my stove. Still got 1/2 box left, even gave some to the neighbors, my time is worth squat. I do like to see and read about new things, but I don't change much. Of course that doesn't mean I haven't bought a crap ton full of saws over the years.
> 
> opcorn:


 I also carry a cut-off stick. Went through a lot of them by losing them in the pecker brush while cutting. Now I us white 1/4 or 1/2" PVC riser pipe cut to length. Easy to spot when I drop it somewhere 'temporarily' . I carry it in my left hand, lay on log, eyeball where to cut, repeat. I don't like to mark too far ahead as one is always having to make adjustments as to where to cut at crotches, knots, etc.

Harry K


----------



## haveawoody (Nov 17, 2013)

Even on the original picture you can see a few problems.
The little stump sticking up is going to hit the measure while cutting and even that size log is going to have the measure bottomed out before the cut is done.
Can you imagine hitting a little stump 100 or more times cutting up a days logs or being limited to what size log you can cut so bigger things require you to remove the measure.
It's an interesting idea but not practical IMO.

I remember a very long conversation a year or so ago and most of the people cutting that cared about size just used the bar length to measure.
At the end position of the log it's as simple as laying the bar pivoting at that point and cutting.
No extra time, movement or tangle tool needed to make a precise cut each time.


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 17, 2013)

icehouse said:


> *I cut all my wood even because I have set my wood splitter up for a specific size.*



Ya know?? If I was to list all the reasons I cut firewood to a uniform length, splitter operation would likely be on top. My splitter is fully automatic and hands free, but there ain't any log cradle so until the wood engages the wedge I need to keep a hand on it. I cut to 16-inches, set my splitter at 17... and a long or short round just messes-up my timing.


----------



## haveawoody (Nov 17, 2013)

I would guess that an easy add on would be something like a laser level.
Got to be an easy way to mount it to the handle and give you a cut line when your at a set length from the end.
That sort of thing might be popular and remove the tangle tool problem, the carrying one more thing problem and the measure being in the way problem.


----------



## Icehouse (Nov 17, 2013)

Rereading this thread I think I may try the string with the washer tied on it, makes sense, but I'm not going to throw my stick away.


----------



## (:-D (Nov 17, 2013)

On my 361, where the tip meets the bottom of the bar on a 20" ES bar back to the clutch cover is ~16". I just put the tip line at the already cut end, then turn the saw 90* and cut. Works well for me. No need for gimmicky attachments, paint, tape, sticks. Line up, turn, cut, repeat.


----------



## Icehouse (Nov 17, 2013)

Here's some Snotime Noodling pics all cut to same length, so I'm anal


----------



## MuskokaSplitter (Nov 17, 2013)

This being my first year cutting firewood i've just been eyeballing it.....and it shows LOL. I have been thinking of ways to make my cuts more accurate and im going to try using my saw for measurement.


----------



## zogger (Nov 17, 2013)

icehouse said:


> Here's some Snotime Noodling pics all cut to same length, so I'm anal



Looks good to me! I like your noodling stand!


----------



## MuskokaSplitter (Nov 17, 2013)

Just curious. Do you noodle the rounds to avoid splitting or for nicer stacking? or to gain fire starter?


----------



## Photog95 (Nov 17, 2013)

MuskokaSplitter said:


> Just curious. Do you noodle the rounds to avoid splitting or for nicer stacking? or to gain fire starter?




I was wondering the same thing. The only time I noodle is when I am not man enough to pick up the rounds to get them in the truck. Those rounds look like they are almost small enough to fit in the stove let alone picking them all the way up to put them on a stand. Why not just split them.


----------



## pennsywoodburnr (Nov 17, 2013)

Photog95 said:


> I was wondering the same thing. *The only time I noodle is when I am not man enough to pick up the rounds to get them in the truck.* Those rounds look like they are almost small enough to fit in the stove let alone picking them all the way up to put them on a stand. Why not just split them.


 
Or when you get so fed up from trying to split them by hand you're at the point of loosing your sanity.


----------



## FLHX Storm (Nov 17, 2013)

Photog95 said:


> I was wondering the same thing. The only time I noodle is when I am not man enough to pick up the rounds to get them in the truck. Those rounds look like they are almost small enough to fit in the stove let alone picking them all the way up to put them on a stand. Why not just split them.


Or maybe he just likes using his chainsaw!

I only noodle when I just don't have it in me to split some of the more twisted stringy gnarly crotchity pieces. If a round is too large for me to move, I'll pull out my splitting axe and either split it in half or quarters depending on it's size n then move it to wherever.


----------



## turnkey4099 (Nov 18, 2013)

MuskokaSplitter said:


> This being my first year cutting firewood i've just been eyeballing it.....and it shows LOL. I have been thinking of ways to make my cuts more accurate and im going to try using my saw for measurement.


 
Same here when it comes to eyeballing. Smaller it is, the longer I cut. Bigger it is, the shorter it gets. Been at this at a rate of 10+ cord/yr for over 30 years and I still can't eyeball 16" to a reasonable tolerance.

Harry K


----------



## turnkey4099 (Nov 18, 2013)

icehouse said:


> View attachment 318923
> Here's some Snotime Noodling pics all cut to same length, so I'm anal


 
Nice noodling stand. I think I'll put one together. I put a couple rounds together and lay the chunk in the notch. Works but not too well.

Harry K


----------



## Icehouse (Nov 18, 2013)

I think everyone has it right. My old shoulders after many years of use are junk, went from an 8# maul to a 6# maul to a 4# Fiskars. I really don't use the fire starter but my neighbors do. I just love to run my multitude of saws, a couple have been modified for noodling. The wood does stack good. That wood is going to stay out there in the woods until next summer, when it's hot it will be run through splitter and stacked in woodshed. My stove isn't big enough to put most of those chunks in whole. I load my stove different than most folks, I put wood in end ways instead of side ways, easier to load and wood doesn't roll against glass door as it burns down. My wood is only 14" so I can load that way. I could load 16" but this is easier. Notice pitch fork for stacking noodles and end loader with " thumb " for handling logs. Some of that birch is 24" on butt.


----------



## Photog95 (Nov 18, 2013)

Holy up side down pics batman. Fixed it for ya.


----------



## Icehouse (Nov 18, 2013)

That's weird the picture was right side up when I pushed reply. Thanks a lot I wouldn't know how to turn it around. Glad you are around.


----------



## MrWhoopee (Nov 18, 2013)

Four pages and no one has mentioned the tap-n-cut marker.




I measure for several reasons.
1. I'm apparently slightly OCD. I LIKE it cut consistently.
2. I also like neat, straight stacks.
3. A consistent 16 in. lets me fill my woodshed fully without wasted space.
4. A consistent 16 in. leaves just enough room at the back of the truck for the cutting equipment (including the tap-n-cut).
5. All of my friends cut 16 in. No problems when someone else ends up with my load.
6. My eyeball cuts also tend to vary depending on diameter.


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 18, 2013)

I do a little noodling, not much... big rounds, really big rounds, like over 30 inches.

Normally I just halve or quarter bigger stuff with the maul... but if'n ya' lay one of those 30+ rounds down and it fights the maul a fella' just can't stand it back up (or ya' blow-a-nut accomplishing it). So, on really big stuff I use the saw to cut ¼ or a bit more through, set a splitting wedge, and whack it hard with the blunt side of the maul... that seems to be the fastest way to halve them without overheating yourself or the saw, then couple more whacks with the maul to quarter them. What I don't like about "noodling" is how the cut never seems to follow the grain, and then ya' end up with what my wife calls "stupid pieces" during splitting... so I keep "noodling" cuts as shallow as I can.

Sometimes I'll "noodle" a few nasty crotches, although I really hate to... there's always enough dirt and grit in them to quickly take the edge off cutters. Most of the time I just use the hydraulics and treat each "leg" of the crotch as a separate log, halving each leg first before trying to actually split the crotch itself. Over the years I've only "stuck" a short handful on the wedge that way... and those were excessively big and nasty.


----------



## Saddle Mander (Nov 18, 2013)

It's 16 inches from the end of my handle to the tips of the bumper spikes. That's what I use to measure as I go.


----------



## shutup-n-cut (Nov 18, 2013)

Tap-nCut , Is this something you made. Can you give a little more info. on how it works?
It looks like I might have most of the parts on the shelf allready ,


----------



## turnkey4099 (Nov 18, 2013)

icehouse said:


> That's weird the picture was right side up when I pushed reply. Thanks a lot I wouldn't know how to turn it around. Glad you are around.


 
I thought he was posting from Oz 

Harry K


----------



## Festus (Nov 18, 2013)

I seem to find more reasons to noodle as I go. When I was a kid, my uncle, or Grandpa would cut down from the end grain just a few inches and then finish it by splitting. It still ended up being a lot of work not to mention being hard on the saw. But they didn't know any better and didn't know what a real chainsaw was. On the big heavy blocks with straight grain, I'll just quarter or half them and finish on the splitter. As shown on this thread, noodling should be done by laying the piece on its side and cutting with the grain, resulting in the "noodles". I've also found that it seems to work a whole lot faster with the bigger saws. I mean 70cc's+ with 3/8 chain. I end up doing at least a couple trunks a year between 30 and 50 inches in diameter. Other than the quartering or halving, the noodling really comes into play further up the trunk where the tree branches out and the grain is a total mess. This stuff you could noodle 3/4's through and you still end up with ugly splits that won't stack decent. And if you can't stack it decent, you can't load the stove with it decent either. You can noodle through a lot of wood in 15-20 seconds with a big saw with a sharp chain. So if I have the saw in the cut, I cut all the way through. You figure all the extra screwing around picking up and putting the saw down, moving the piece to the splitter, or switching to a splitting maul, you are not saving time or making it easier, let alone getting stackable wood. My splitter has a 14 second cycle, and the kind of wood I'm talking about hardly ever amounts to getting a decent split per every cycle. On a piece I'm committed to noodling, I'll make parallel cuts, 6 or 7 inches apart, to just a few inches to the ground. Then I roll it 90 degrees and do the same thing again. Then I'll have to just finish up end slabs that were laying on the ground while making the cuts and I have a nice pile of squared wood. It doesn't take more than 3-4 minutes. The only legitimate negative is all the waste. We use the noodles for mulch in the blueberries or grapes.

Other than the big stuff, I was given some cottonwood along with some white ash and hickory last year. What a PITA to split. I will avoid cottonwood in the future if possible, but if I end up with some again, I think I will just noodle that also, regardless of size. On the plus side, the cottonwood seems to burn better than I expected.


----------



## zogger (Nov 18, 2013)

Festus said:


> I seem to find more reasons to noodle as I go. When I was a kid, my uncle, or Grandpa would cut down from the end grain just a few inches and then finish it by splitting. It still ended up being a lot of work not to mention being hard on the saw. But they didn't know any better and didn't know what a real chainsaw was. On the big heavy blocks with straight grain, I'll just quarter or half them and finish on the splitter. As shown on this thread, noodling should be done by laying the piece on its side and cutting with the grain, resulting in the "noodles". I've also found that it seems to work a whole lot faster with the bigger saws. I mean 70cc's+ with 3/8 chain. I end up doing at least a couple trunks a year between 30 and 50 inches in diameter. Other than the quartering or halving, the noodling really comes into play further up the trunk where the tree branches out and the grain is a total mess. This stuff you could noodle 3/4's through and you still end up with ugly splits that won't stack decent. And if you can't stack it decent, you can't load the stove with it decent either. You can noodle through a lot of wood in 15-20 seconds with a big saw with a sharp chain. So if I have the saw in the cut, I cut all the way through. You figure all the extra screwing around picking up and putting the saw down, moving the piece to the splitter, or switching to a splitting maul, you are not saving time or making it easier, let alone getting stackable wood. My splitter has a 14 second cycle, and the kind of wood I'm talking about hardly ever amounts to getting a decent split per every cycle. On a piece I'm committed to noodling, I'll make parallel cuts, 6 or 7 inches apart, to just a few inches to the ground. Then I roll it 90 degrees and do the same thing again. Then I'll have to just finish up end slabs that were laying on the ground while making the cuts and I have a nice pile of squared wood. It doesn't take more than 3-4 minutes. The only legitimate negative is all the waste. We use the noodles for mulch in the blueberries or grapes.
> 
> Other than the big stuff, I was given some cottonwood along with some white ash and hickory last year. What a PITA to split. I will avoid cottonwood in the future if possible, but if I end up with some again, I think I will just noodle that also, regardless of size. On the plus side, the cottonwood seems to burn better than I expected.



Well, there is all that practical stuff..butttt...noodling is a hoot! It's just slap fun!


----------



## Whitespider (Nov 18, 2013)

Festus said:


> *So if I have the saw in the cut, I cut all the way through. You figure all the extra screwing around picking up and putting the saw down, moving the piece to the splitter, or switching to a splitting maul, you are not saving time or making it easier...*



Yeah, that does sound like a lot of screwin' 'round... that's why I don't do it that way.

I wait until the whole tree is cut to length before noodling or splitting anything. Normally the only part that requires noodling is the main trunk... and as I cut it in lengths I alternate rolling the rounds to each side so I have plenty of room. Then I just walk down the line and noodle them about ¼ way (no bending over). OK, so now I'm completely done with the saw on that tree... no "_picking up and putting the saw down, switching to a splitting maul _", etc. Then I grab the wedge and maul, set the wedge in the first big round and whack it hard with the blunt side of the 8# maul, two more whacks (without wedge) and it's in quarters (if needed). OK, now I bend over (once per round) to pick up the wedge and move to the next.



> *I'll make parallel cuts, 6 or 7 inches apart, to just a few inches to the ground. Then I roll it 90 degrees and do the same thing again. Then I'll have to just finish up end slabs that were laying on the ground while making the cuts and I have a nice pile of squared wood. It doesn't take more than 3-4 minutes.*



Hard to believe making 6 or 7 parallel cuts, plus rolling a 30-40 inch round 90° (aren't you setting the saw down and picking it back up to do that?) and making 6 or 7 more cuts is faster and easier than 3 (Ok, sometimes more than 3) swings of a maul... although, yeah, I still have to split those quarters on the splitter. But as I've explained before... I don't move wood to the splitter, I move my splitter to the wood using one hand. And, when set to 17 inches stroke length, the cycle time is 7-8 seconds... hands free 7-8 seconds, which means I have the next chunk ready to load, often well before it finishes the cycle. I don't bring in the splitter until all the other work (saw, wedge, maul, whatever) is completely done... I don't like switching back and forth between tools and equipment.

But none of this really matters... 'cause a fella' is gonna' do what works for him.
It's just that you assume, "_all the extra screwing around picking up and putting the saw down, moving the piece to the splitter, or switching to a splitting maul, you are not saving time or making it easier..._" when that ain't at all what's happening. Maybe that's how you'd do it... but that's just you.


----------



## Farmertan (Nov 18, 2013)

I got a Mingo marker. Sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't. It doesn't seem to make any difference.


----------

