# noodling basics



## phil21502 (Sep 19, 2012)

seems like an easy concept but i suck at it...any hints or suggestions from u fellas with more experiance? this is my 1st year burning wood so im still learning.


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## savageactor7 (Sep 19, 2012)

Lay the round bark side up, lay the running saw along the length of the round and let the saw do the cutting. clear out the rats nest of shavings every so often to prevent overheating. This site has excellent pics of noodling I'll check for them.

Here's one anyway
http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/128822.htm


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## Dalmatian90 (Sep 19, 2012)

I think the only way you can suck at Noodling is if you're actually Ripping instead!

See the pics at:

Just Ducky: Noodling

and make sure you saw is oriented the right way. The guys who make lumber rip with chainsaw mills, and they use huge saws with special chains because it's a much, much tougher thing to do.

Other then that, keep the noodles cleared out of your sprocket cover (set chain brake first, then pull them out if needed).


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## Stihl310 (Sep 19, 2012)

It can help to throw your bar slightly out of parallel with the round, it will decrease the overall length of noodles and minimize buildup inside the cover...


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## OH_Varmntr (Sep 19, 2012)

Some folks will cut the rear portion out of their clutch cover so it will clear noodles easier so they don't have to constantly remove a wad of noodles. This obviously makes it easier to expose your hand to the clutch and chain so please use your head before doing so.

I've got a few spare clutch covers and thought about doing so for my 026. I noodled a 55gal drum full of ash noodles the other day. My wife uses it as bedding for the chicken coop.


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## Swamp Yankee (Sep 19, 2012)

Since no one asked

What saw are you using and what type of chain?

There is a huge difference in trying to cut noodles with a 50cc saw vs an 80cc saw. Inboard clutches seem to work better than outboard as there's less "stuff" to get in the way. On a 20 inch or longer bar for noodling I prefer RSF on a seven tooth sprocket as it doesn't make as many chips and gives more time to get those created out of the clutch housing.

The type of wood makes a huge difference too. Red oak is a whole lot easier to noodle than shagbark hickory. Use a sharp chain and do not dog in. Let the saw feed itself. As mentioned try to cut at a slight downward angle rather than pull straight across the grain. Make sure the oiler is pushing the oil through and not getting blocked up. 

The rest if you have the correct equipment is just practice.

Take Care


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## phil21502 (Sep 19, 2012)

was using my 33cc poulan with 16 inch bar and then used the poulan pro 50cc with 16 inch bar once the green poulan died. really want a husky 555 but have to wait an see if we have tax money leftover this year. lol


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## redoakneck (Sep 19, 2012)

Use a long bar and keep the saw 6" away from the log so the noodles fall downward instead of getting jammed in the clutch cover.


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## Chris-PA (Sep 19, 2012)

This is really the first year I've done much in the way of noodling because I can't stand using fuel to do what my axe should do. But I also can't stand twisted logs that can't be stacked. 

I like LoPro chain for noodling - you can really tell the difference the narrower kerf makes. But of course that is limited to an 18" or less bar. Make you're not using a safety chain with the big shark fin bumpers, as they take up too much room in the kerf for clearing the noodles. I also tend to prefer my one saw without a chain brake, as there is less stuff in there to get clogged and overheated. I have an extra old clutch cover for it I'm thinking about modifying for noodle duty.


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## El Quachito (Sep 19, 2012)

When working smaller pieces or odd sized knots I like to make sure the dogs are touching (but not dogged up) so the plastic cases on my Rancher don't get kicked by the piece of wood. I will also rest whatever I am cutting on top a chopping block or another round.


BTW, I never heard of "noodling" before this site. But I had been doing it for years as "ripping." 

Cheers
'Quatch


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## treemandan (Sep 19, 2012)

phil21502 said:


> was using my 33cc poulan with 16 inch bar and then used the poulan pro 50cc with 16 inch bar once the green poulan died. really want a husky 555 but have to wait an see if we have tax money leftover this year. lol



Well THERE'S YER PROBLEM!

I don't always noodle but when I do I usually am plumb drunk.


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## Coldfront (Sep 19, 2012)

Why do you guys do so much noodling anyway? I have noodled once in my life on a couple of pieces of white oak that was about 38" dia. I usually just make 2 cross cuts on a big dia. log if I can't lift it I split it with wedges.


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## NDtreehugger (Sep 19, 2012)

*I do a lot of noodling using the noodles for fire starter.*

I like the non-safety yellow stihl chain best with the depth
gauge ground down about 50 thousands.
The saw I use Stihl ms 361


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## D&B Mack (Sep 19, 2012)

More power the better. I use my 660 most of the time.

I try to use a bar that is at least 6" longer than the log. So, with the dual dawgs on a 660, I like the 28" bar the best. This lets noodles that cycle back through come off the other end; that way you aren't pulling noodles through the bottom more than once.

On the 660, I took off the stock chain catcher and went only with the ceramic roller, this lets the noodles come out much better.

Always be a little out of level, but not too far. Too far and you are starting to rip. Slight rocking back and forth keeps the bar-to-wood exposure at a minimum.

Elevating wood helps, makes the clean through cut easier so you are not near the ground with noodles piling up under your clutch cover.







Hope this helps and pile-o-way!!!


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## El Quachito (Sep 19, 2012)

Coldfront said:


> Why do you guys do so much noodling anyway? I have noodled once in my life on a couple of pieces of white oak that was about 38" dia. I usually just make 2 cross cuts on a big dia. log if I can't lift it I split it with wedges.



I don't do it a heckuva lot to be honest. Really only for the toughest knots that can't possibly be split. Or with a big tree and a big saw I'll stand a round on end and quarter it bar deep so it will bust apart easy.

Cheers
'Quatch


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## phil21502 (Sep 19, 2012)

i hurt my shoulder so i was trying to make life a lil easier while it heals. no log splitter or anything.


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## scotvl (Sep 19, 2012)

I do it to save my back, I get all my wood from scrounging and the bigger the better. I have a big bore kit on my Home Depot rental and it noodles almost as fast as it cross cuts. 

To the op I suggest you get the biggest saw you can afford and keep your chain sharp and your back and shoulders will thank you. Also check out the Home Depot rental centers and you'll find one of the makita 6400s for $250.00 eventually. Even without the bb kit they are one he'll of a saw.


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## CTYank (Sep 19, 2012)

Usually I noodle just enough to set it up for the maul- don't need the kindling.

Best saw I've seen yet for noodling: Poulan Pro PP5020AV. It just refuses to clog, and engine has no problem with 20" bar noodling.


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## haveawoody (Sep 20, 2012)

If your on a less than powerful saw make sure.
1. Dont cut at a direct 90 degree angle when noodling, a slight angle off 90 helps to clear the chips away.
2. keep the back of the bar an inch or two from toughing the wood, allows better chip flow, use more caution though cutting this way and the bar can grab and pull in on you.
3. If it's a real underpowered saw, noodle for 5 seconds, lift up just a bit then repeat, clears teeth and give a small motor a chance to catch up.
4.get a more powerful saw  

I personally place my round flat ontop of another round and just cut right through.
Real big rounds stand on side and cut until you are near the ground, roll and finish the cut from the other side, less than good for the back though so do just a couple and then do something else and return for a couple more later.


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## Stihlman441 (Sep 20, 2012)

If you lower the bar nose the noodles become shorter.

[video=youtube;jnlGWXyODtY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnlGWXyODtY[/video]


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## haveawoody (Sep 20, 2012)

Stihlman441,

Pinch because he is cutting on the side between two other rounds.
A safe for back method but you can see the saw grabbing here and there as the round gets close to through.

I never cut down the side unless it's a hulking round and then only directly on the ground.
I just throw round on round and cut down at maybe a 87 degeee angel with tip of bar at the 3d down and rock to 3d up.
I find that is effective even on a big saw to clear the chips faster.


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## haveawoody (Sep 20, 2012)

Stihlman441,

The poulan technique 



Wish i could find a video on how i noodle but it might be a me technique.
If my bar will reach i just cut right down with the next round under it, seems like everyone else likes to noodle on the side and play near the ground.
I find round ontop of round to be a much safer way, much the same way as you would split wood.


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## aaronmach1 (Sep 20, 2012)

Dalmatian90 said:


> I think the only way you can suck at Noodling is if you're actually Ripping instead!
> 
> See the pics at:
> 
> ...


well im a damn fool! no wondering it never works well for me! i have been ripping! thanks


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## zogger (Sep 20, 2012)

phil21502 said:


> was using my 33cc poulan with 16 inch bar and then used the poulan pro 50cc with 16 inch bar once the green poulan died. really want a husky 555 but have to wait an see if we have tax money leftover this year. lol




Look around for a poulan 3400-4000 series used saw for a mid range size (56 to 65 cc). Most cut for the buck you will find. You'll get speed plus torque. You can fell/buck/noodle all de doo dah day long with one. You can find them cheap, half price or even less of an equivalent stilhavarna. Old American muscle, still a lot out there. The poulan sticky has all the repair info you could ever need. The *most* I have paid for a 3400 is $40 (but I fix them). You can find good runners needing nothing for around 100 bucks or so (varies like any other used prices).


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## Fedaburger (Sep 20, 2012)

I don't noodle unless I have too like all the reasons already mentioned. I have a big log that I've tried buckin as much as I could. My bar's are too small on all my saws and I haven't got a 20 incher yet. But that dont stop me gettin firewood from tha big log thanks to the noodle method. Noodle down the round and then use the wedges to get the firewood pieces. Goes a little slow but it's gettin smaller and it's produced a lot of firewood.


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## OH_Varmntr (Sep 20, 2012)

Folks around here leave the big and gnarly rounds in the woods because they're too hard to handle. 

That is usually the best firewood as it's very dense. It's worth the extra time needed to noodle it out.


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## Chris-PA (Sep 20, 2012)

Coldfront said:


> Why do you guys do so much noodling anyway? I have noodled once in my life on a couple of pieces of white oak that was about 38" dia. I usually just make 2 cross cuts on a big dia. log if I can't lift it I split it with wedges.


Yeah, like I said I kinda find noodling to be offensive, but then I hate twisted, unstackable rounds and wasting large pieces of wood that happen to be knotty. But noodling is still very much the exception. 

It's also a good way to use junky pieces of wood to <s>play with</s> set up a saw!


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## Fedaburger (Sep 20, 2012)

I know whenever I see a big huge log I just think of how big the firewood stack is gonna be. I have an even bigger tree a little deeper in the woods but I'm waitin for the growth to die down a little. And plus I want my 20 inch bar for the Jonny, I can't wait till I can shoot the rooster tail of chips behind me on that log.


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## Fedaburger (Sep 20, 2012)

haveawoody said:


> If your on a less than powerful saw make sure.
> 1. Dont cut at a direct 90 degree angle when noodling, a slight angle off 90 helps to clear the chips away.
> 2. keep the back of the bar an inch or two from toughing the wood, allows better chip flow, use more caution though cutting this way and the bar can grab and pull in on you.
> 3. If it's a real underpowered saw, noodle for 5 seconds, lift up just a bit then repeat, clears teeth and give a small motor a chance to catch up.
> ...


Until the deal with the Jonny came along, which I couldnt pass on. The poulan 5020 was at the top of my list for a bigger saw, how's it been treating you?


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## scotvl (Sep 20, 2012)

haveawoody said:


> If your on a less than powerful saw make sure.
> 1. Dont cut at a direct 90 degree angle when noodling, a slight angle off 90 helps to clear the chips away.
> 2. keep the back of the bar an inch or two from toughing the wood, allows better chip flow, use more caution though cutting this way and the bar can grab and pull in on you.
> 3. If it's a real underpowered saw, noodle for 5 seconds, lift up just a bit then repeat, clears teeth and give a small motor a chance to catch up.
> ...




Great tips except for the last paragraph for me. If I can lift a round onto another round there's no need for me to Noodle it, I lift it into the trailer. I've found most big rounds almost fall apart when I get an inch or two from the ground just from their own weight.


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## andydodgegeek (Sep 20, 2012)

I'll noodle up a whole tree. I like noodling. I have a tree monkeyed 064 that is happiest when noodling. I would rather noodle than split, I'd rather run a chainsaw than a splitter. Just my opinion. Heck that's part of the reason I am on this site so much.


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## haveawoody (Sep 20, 2012)

Fedaburger,

I do have a poulan pro saw.
I use it to limb sometimes and to cut stumps down close to the ground when you can almost count on a dull chain afterwards.
In a very brushy hard to move situation they are great because the chain seems to stop as soon as your are off the gas, husky and stihl don't.


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## haveawoody (Sep 20, 2012)

scotvl,

Thanks.

If they are semi easy to lift then usualy they depart that way.
If I'm working with pretty big rounds that are really very heavy to lift then i will even cut a 2" or so wide section and use it as my base for other rounds.
If they are real big like you say you can work pretty much right on the ground and have them split most of the time as you get close.
The 2" piece for medium to large rounds just gives your saw a ground stop to keep out of the dirt and stablity while cutting.
Then you can saw like mad without playing how close am i to the dirt


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## scotvl (Sep 20, 2012)

haveawoody said:


> scotvl,
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> ...



Great idea I never thought of cutting or bringing a cookie to protect my chain.


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## haveawoody (Sep 21, 2012)

scotvl,

Thanks and i wish i could take credit for the cookie idea but i stole it from my cutting partner who stole it from his dad LOL
When i first saw the cookie idea i thought this has got to be counter productive having to roll things onto it then cut.
After a few races of me just noodling and my parnter rolling then noodling it was pretty easy to see him at full throttle all the way through and me playing dirt wonder for the last inch or two at about 1/4 throttle.

I seldom noodle anything on site because i bring a hand trolly to the site and it can manage 600lb rounds right onto the trailer.
At home near the splitter is another story and my cookie lives right beside it, but it does travel site to site should it be needed


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## aaronmach1 (Sep 21, 2012)

well after reading this post i tried noodling the right way. that worked great. the muff modded 18" 250 worked great and didnt plug. Here is some big oak from last night because we need more pics in this thread! And now i have some noodles that look like they will work good for starting fires.


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## Dalmatian90 (Sep 21, 2012)

aaronmach1 said:


> well im a damn fool! no wondering it never works well for me! i have been ripping! thanks



Took me a while to figure out why sometimes I made noodles easily and sometimes I made sawdust hard...once I realized it I was like, "Duh."


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## haveawoody (Sep 21, 2012)

aaronmach1,

Goes to show noodling can be fun.
Well more fun than trying to lift a round 1lb bigger than your back can.

I end up noodling rock elm about 9 to 1 over everything else combined.
big rock elm rounds seem to be the only thing than can stop even a decent splitter in it's tracks, but it can't resist a noodle.


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## benp (Sep 23, 2012)

Here's a video of Andydodgegeek noodling from his GTG yesterday.

Pretty cool!


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## haveawoody (Sep 23, 2012)

benp,

Looks like a snowstorm 

I could just never figure why people noodle on the side like that.
To make a side noodle above ground it's always a pinch at some point.

Round on round for me, or round on cookie and top to bottom noodle.
Only giant things get a side noodle.


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## rburg (Sep 23, 2012)

I recently purchased a wide discharge clutch cover for my 365xt and it definitely helps noodling. I got mine from Bailey's and it is listed under the 570,575 saws.


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## DSS (Sep 23, 2012)

I noodle a lot. I get a lot of big yard trees. It doesn't make sense to me to try and lift those monster rounds when you can noodle them in like a minute.

The best saws I've ever seen for noodles are those home depot Makitas. They never seem to plug. A longer bar is better, as is holding the saw a bit nose up or down. Full skip chain works better than full comp, but it's not necessary.

And some saws are almost impossible to noodle with unless you cut the clutch cover. You'll know pretty quick. 

Sometimes I do it just cause it's fun.:msp_wink:


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## Coldfront (Sep 26, 2012)

I guess the main reason I never noodle is because I have a hydraulic splitter that will tilt vertical so I don't have to lift anything heavy that I don't want to. If you like wasting wood, gas, chain, bar oil, noodle away.


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## benp (Sep 26, 2012)

Coldfront said:


> I guess the main reason I never noodle is because I have a hydraulic splitter that will tilt vertical so I don't have to lift anything heavy that I don't want to. If you like wasting wood, gas, chain, bar oil, noodle away.



I agree and disagree to a certain extent. 

If you have a splitter, cut lengths of 24" or under, and have the capabilty of splitting large pieces (vertical or log lift) then noodling really isn't needed. BUT you still have to get those big rounds to the splitter some how either by mechanized or physical means. 

If you dont have a splitter, noodling is a very viable option especially while in the woods and it's a heck of a lot quicker and less stress on your body than a sledge and wedge for large rounds. 

I have yet to waste wood because of it and more actually gets used because anything can be noodled, even the gnarliest pieces. 

It's no more wear and tear on a chain than normal bucking/felling and I consider gas and oil consumables.

I do wish I had a splitter sometimes but I would also still noodle the big stuff into more manageable pieces when out scrounging. 

To each their own.:msp_thumbup:


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## Garmins dad (Sep 26, 2012)

I keep a half dozen bigger cuts just for noodling. When the dogs next door won't stop barking i go out and noodle for a half hour.. The home owners next door get the hint.. They also complain about the cow chit smell they moved in next door to.. :hmm3grin2orange:


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