bucking dirty wood

[4direct]

Hello everyone, I am new to the site and am thankful for all the great info that is available. I am very new to the chainsaw, but was a framer for many years, so have a great respect for power tools, and experience around them too.
A couple of months ago I bought my first chainsaw, a used Husky 51, from a pawn shop, and have not had any trouble with it, other than trying to keep a sharp chain on it.
I am not going to be cutting for a profession, but will be cutting a considerable amount for firewood, and perhaps some to sell. So with that in mind, I went out and purchased a new Stihl 260 and a 440 magnum, figuring that those 2 saws will handle all of my needs into the future. I have learned alot just going thru the archives, answering many of my questions. I'd like to throw one at ya that will help me to keep my saws and chains in good shape.
If I am tackling a 16" or better diameter tree, that has been down but is still attached to the root, laying directly on the ground, I cant roll it with my timberjack, how do I cut the rounds without touching the chain into the dirt? I know I just have to roll the smaller stuff to finish the cut, but how about the bigger stuff that has to be cut where it is?
Also with the ppe issue, I have chaps, hardhat with visor and ear protection, wear gloves. How about shoes? Are 10" boots with steel toe sufficient or is kevlar recommended?
Thanks guys for the help, and have really enjoyed the wealth of info on this site.

4direct

 

[SRT-Tech]

i've been cutting a LOT of wood in the last month, some of it with dirt/mud on the logs. I carry a big wire brush, makes short work of the dirt where you want to cut.

 

[Patrick62]

There are ways to do this...

Mostly depends on situation. I have learned the hard way a few times on how to rock a chain. Some sugestions here are not the safest way (kickback potential):

After I have limbed the thing, sometimes I start bucking from the top back. This makes things easier when it is time to try and roll it. If you want to, you can turn it loose from the still somewhat attached stump. Look at the tension of the thing, and figure out which way to make the cut. Sometimes it is necessary to bore thru the log and then cut in one direction or the other to remove the stump.

laying flat, you can cut straight down using a small wedge to keep the kerf open. You can bore thru, and then cut down then up....
If there is a little room below you can cut from the bottom up a few inches.

I have been known to cut the things into shorter sections that can be lifted and blocked. Every situation is a little different.

-Pat

 

[John Ellison]

Welcome 4direct, IF you are familiar with how to avoid kickback you can use the tip of your bar to carefully cut the last bit on the bottom of the log watching for a slight change in the color of the sawdust.Bark.
Also if it is not a real 16' dia. log :jester: you can cut the longest lengths that you can roll with your peavey and then buck them again.

 

[4direct]

Thanks John, so to make the cut, should I just take the cut level down to just above the ground, then take the tip and try to round down inside the bark? What is the best bar length and chain for this kind of work? And which saw? I have a 16" bar on my 260, and a 20" bar on the 440. I currently have a full chisel on both. Should I change to a RM chain to try to avoid kickback, or do I have to worry much about kickback in this situation if the nose of the bar is in the wood?
I think part of my problem may be that with a boatload of experience using a circular saw where you usually tend to have the bottom of the blade out of the wood...I am not use to having the whole thing, chain in this case, buried in the wood. Does the length of the bar matter when trying to make this cut? Thanks
4direct

 

[314epw]

Wedges

This works for me.Alway carry 2 PLASTIC wedges with you.If you can't find an open spot to cut all the way through,drive a plastic wedge under the tree.Now make your cut.Half way through,use your second wedge to keep the cut open.When getting near the bottom go slow.Hitting plastic is better then dirt or rocks.
Ed

 

[4direct]

wedges

thanks 314epw for the info about the wedges. I did pick some up with my saw, but haven't used them yet. I am itching to get up to the mountains this week and let those two saws run. What is a good technique for using the wedges? With a tree on the ground, to avoid bar pinch, do I cut a ways into the tree, remove the saw, put the wedge in the cut, then what is the best way to reenter the saw into the cut? Half throttle? Full throttle? and which chain is best for this kind of bucking? RM with tie straps, or straight RS? does bar length matter?
Thanks
4direct

 

[B_Turner]

I don't know if this was one of the posts was saying, but I'll relate a trick that my brother a very long time arborist showed me.

On many logs that are laying with their ends on fairly firm ground, you can cut the log from the top, chasing it with a wedge or two as you go to keep it open. Once you've cut most of the way through the log, often you can drive in the wedges a bit further which actually lifts the log off the ground a little at the cut so with care the rest of the log can be cut without touching the ground.

If you haven't done this before, try it. I've had luck with this technique even with some fairly big and long logs. Surprised me at first, but can be handy.

 

[314epw]

wedges

What B TURNER said is correct.Start your cut put the wedge in with saw still in log,continue to cut.Keep pushing wedge in deeper.If log doesn't raise,drive a wedge under the log.Like I said hitting plastic is a lot better then a rock or dirt.
Ed

 

[4direct]

yep, I will concur, it is not nice being in the dirt or hitting a rock....I will work on this method this week. thanks for your help on this one.
Sam

 

[Sparky_NY]

All of the wood I cut is logs, laying flat. It was mentioned before but what I do is slow down (feed, not throttle) when getting near the bottom, keep the bar level, and watch for the chips to change color when you get into the bark. Once you hit bark, you can stop, no need to go through the bark, it will snap easily when you roll the log.

 

[manual]

i've been cutting a LOT of wood in the last month, some of it with dirt/mud on the logs. I carry a big wire brush, makes short work of the dirt where you want to cut.

I like that Idea.

 

[highsiera]

Sam, where in Concord are you? We lived there for a short while on Washington Ln right of of Union St S.
Brian

 

[4direct]

Hey Highsiera, I'm down off the reservoir off highway 3. Kind of country out here, but I like it up in the mountains better, where my girlfriend resides. Lots of wood to get after up there...
Take care, Sam