2018 Axe Cordwood Challenge

[Multifaceted]

Very cool, I've been getting into crosscut saws and have three of them now. All tuttle/champion tooth. Only one of them still seems serviceable. The amount that goes into maintaining those bad boys is unreal, but I think it's a cool bit of heritage to hang onto.

 

[Multifaceted]

Set out again today to continue adding to the pile for the 2018 ACWC. I didn't do any felling because it was not only bitter cold, but the wind was rather gusty. I did however have a small catalpa that I felled the day after Xmas, and I also had to chop of the limbs from the ash I felled this past Monday. Catalpa I hear is crap for firewood, but our woodlot is only 2.3 acres so we'll burn just about anything, even the stinking Ailanthus... and truth be told, catalpa smells worse when cut green. Hopefully it'll season out, the Ailanthus does.

Today I used my Council Tool 2.5 lb Cruiser axe, which is great for these small trees. One side has 27.5° grind for chopping, the other is 35° for limbing and swamping, or even splitting. I really love using this little axe. All in all I spent about 2 hours doing this, chopping, splitting, moving, stacking, and also cutting some more kindling (which isn't part of this challenge).

Here's the small pile of catalpa and a wheelbarrow full of ash limbs.

I also got to laying out some pallets in a row 16' long, and then started stacking what I've cut so to gauge my progress - not bad. I should have the row stacked 4' tall in no time. Heck, I might even go further if I'm still motivated, we'll see. I do love using axes.

Not sure if the bitter cold had anything to do with it, but the head on my Cruiser had the slightest little wobble to it, I noticed when I was cleaning the sap off of it. I have posted before about my disdain for metal stepped wedges, so I bought some various sized conical safety wedges a while back, so I decided and drive two in which has it on there solid again.

 

[svk]

Remind me of the reason for disliking the metal wedges? I have a whole jar of those from my grandpa.

Is that a new or older Council axe?

 

[Multifaceted]

Remind me of the reason for disliking the metal wedges? I have a whole jar of those from my grandpa.

Is that a new or older Council axe?

The stepped wedges in particular, at least in my experience, have a tendency of splitting the end grain. They also like to"walk" on you when driving them in. The circular safely wedges can split the grain as well, but if placed right are less likely.

This is an older Council that I restored, it had a bunch of old red paint on the head. I'm not certain, but my guess is late 70's early 80's.

 

[svk]

Cool, thanks.

I was just curious about the Council. Seemed they made good stuff, then they dropped prices and were selling stuff that was rather poor quality and lately they seem to be real nice again.

 

[Trx250r180]

Cool, thanks.

I was just curious about the Council. Seemed they made good stuff, then they dropped prices and were selling stuff that was rather poor quality and lately they seem to be real nice again.

They have higher end $200 stuff and $40 stuff the 6 lb mall i got was a $40 one ,is all sand cast ,not forged ,if hit the ground the sharp edge dents easier ,bit that is expected for the lower price.

 

[rarefish383]

I'm in for the challenge once this cold air passes through. Just not fun in the bitter cold. Around here there is plenty of dead ash, so splitting will be the easy part. Chopping dead, dry, seasoned ash, well.... not so much.

Joe-- that saw of yours looks like an Atkins 390, one of the finest one man saws ever made IMHO. I just filed up a 4-footer for a guy in Rockville who maintains trails on the Antietam battlefield.

Warren Miller made a great series of videos for the USFS on filing crosscut saws, but they focused on big two-man saws. This vid is a bit dated, but is aimed at smaller saws and the tools to file them:

Thanks AT. I was down in the basement yesterday and found another one almost identical to the one hanging in the family room. I also have a small saw that looks like a standard framing saw. It has a hard rubber handle and says Asplundh Tree Company. We used a lot of Asplundh equipment, including 16" Asplundh chippers. But it's the first climber oriented hand saw wit small teeth that I'd ever seen, till the curved pruning saws came out., Joe.

 

[rarefish383]

Dang, now we are going to have to start a "Hand Saw Restoration" thread. Here's three that were downstairs, all saws my Dad used up in trees. The curved saw with the scabbard that looks like it has a black finish, is actually Teflon coated. It dates to the late 60's early 70's, Joe.

 

[rarefish383]

If you look at the back rake on the Teflon coated saw you can see it cuts on the pull. You can put your off hand on top and pull with both hands. One of the first times I used that saw up in a tree, I was cutting a limb about 4 inches in diameter. The first stroke went about half way. The second stroke went all the way through, and with all my strength of both hands pulling back, it kept going and stuck in my knee cap. We had to pull it out. I can't prove it because that's the knee I had replaced. Once you get used to really leaning on the pull stroke and relaxing on the push you can cut some big wood fast. Same on a two man crosscut. You always pull, never push. Let the other guy pull back. If you push the saw will bow and kick you in the face, Joe.

 

[Mustang71]

I have a hand saw that I assumed was for "art" purposes I cleaned it up a bit and tried to use it well I gave up after about 5 min. Another person might have helped but I like the speed of a chainsaw. I cut down a Christmas tree at one of those u cut places with a hand saw the one year and said what the hell am I doing I have 6 chainsaws.

 

[Multifaceted]

I think it's hilarious that a thread on challenging one to process wood with an axe only has evolved into the topic of saws.

 

[Trx250r180]

I think it's hilarious that a thread on challenging one to process wood with an axe only has evolved into the topic of saws.

Wish i had time to try this challenge ,too many projects to finish right now though.

 

[Mustang71]

I think it's the use of processing a tree with primitive tools. I'd rather use an antique chainsaw to cut wood than a hand saw. Most of my saws probably are considered antique. The hand saw is primitive. The axe still has a good roll in wood processing, I don't think it will ever be replaced. A swing of an axe can split wood a stroke of a saw doesn't do much. Times money and I don't have either...lol I'll spend my limited amount of money on old technology tools that save me time. Like my 028 and my fiskars. Less than 150 dollars and i could process all my wood in decent time.

 

[Multifaceted]

The axe is about a primitive a tool as you can get, probably the most primitive tool still in existence aside form the arrowhead/spear tip.

Yesterday was probably the last block of time I'll get to do this again, or cut any wood for that matter for probably the next few weeks. I'm just glad that all of my wood for next season is already split and stacked, so I have an excuse to put my axes to work. I busted my hump running saws and throwing splitting axes last summer/autumn to get ahead. My goal is to have two 8'x4' ricks full of axe cut wood by March. By spring I'm going to go hard with my power saws again to get even farther ahead. Already made a few leads from neighbors to scrounge from. Here's to 2018 and no more surprises that suck my time away.

 

[Mustang71]

The axe is primitive like a hammer. Not to many ways to improve either one. I do believe that in the right conditioned wood I can split efficiently like a splitter can. A hand saw was improved on many times in many different ways. I wasn't taking a shot at the axe or the axe challenge just the time and effort into a primitive saw.

 

[svk]

They have higher end $200 stuff and $40 stuff the 6 lb mall i got was a $40 one ,is all sand cast ,not forged ,if hit the ground the sharp edge dents easier ,bit that is expected for the lower price.

Cool, I had no idea they had a higher end line.

For a while the 6# maul was down to $25 delivered which seemed too good to be true and probably was. That was when CTYank was really pushing them and a bunch of guys bought them and the handles were breaking left and right because the grain was terrible.

 

[Multifaceted]

It's all good, brother. I wasn't offended or anything. We're just talking, and I'm just yakking away like I always do.

I guess if we really want to get technical, the rock is the most primitive of tools in the history of life on Earth. Just roll the largest boulder off of a cliff onto a pile deadfall and we can put this argument to rest, ha ha

 

[Trx250r180]

Cool, I had no idea they had a higher end line.

For a while the 6# maul was down to $25 delivered which seemed too good to be true and probably was. That was when CTYank was really pushing them and a bunch of guys bought them and the handles were breaking left and right because the grain was terrible.

http://counciltool.com/velvicut
The 4 lb one was going to be my pick before i came up with the 4.5 lb arvika

 

[Multifaceted]

Spent all day working at my dad's house yesterday, so I decided to have some "me time" today and get back to the ACWC. I selected a another standing dead ash, slightly larger, about 14" in diameter at the base and maybe 70' tall. Seemed to be a good candidate, has a clear lay, only a very small (1.5") small branch in the crown was snagged. I thought the weight of the tree would break it free as it fell in the lay... I thought...

Did my face cut notch nicely, then my back cut about 2" higher leaving about 1.5" of holding wood. It didn't move. Ended up tying it off in the lay to another tree, then got a 20' pole to push it into the lay from the back of the tree. Nothing. I kept going at it by pushing it in a subtle rocking motion, then I hear a crack and the notch gave... and sat atop the stump. That single little branch of black cherry was all that was keeping it from falling. Flabbergasted, I decided that this was a highly unsafe situation and that the cherry next to it had to come down too. So I grabbed my 271 and cut the notch facing the tension of the axe cut tree. Did an open faced cut, then a single kerf in the back. Shut the saw off and then stepped away. Was about to get my wedges when I heard a snap. I then got as far away as I could and waited. After about 15 seconds, it started to fall taking both trees down where I planned. Chainsaw for the win in this case! Technically, the axe cut ash was severed at the stump, so as long as I process it with an axe, It's still qualifies for the challenge. It was an interesting situation to say the least, but I learned a lot. Saw cut cherry on left, axe cut ash on right.

 

[Mustang71]

I was dropping trees today in the woods and had the same results the tree would fall be fully cut through and hanging up on the smallest branch. Now what do u do. I had a rough day. A lot of pushing trees. Using an axe would have added more of a risk factor.