30 hours since cutting and no reaction. Guess I avoided Mr Ivy again.
Cutting/Splitting for a Children's Camp
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amberg
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I hope you are good to go. 30 hours is good. the wife can only go couple minutes.
I try to be really careful but you never know.
The stumps of those infested trees are nasty now. The PI vines have literally encircled the whole stump and are reaching upward for something to climb.
The stumps of those infested trees are nasty now. The PI vines have literally encircled the whole stump and are reaching upward for something to climb.
One last picture before this thread will more or less go dormant until summer.
Here is the campfire area at camp. Top is last year's polar vortex winter in upstate NY. Lower is yesterday, exactly one year later.
Ironically the ultimate low temp of -11 was reached on this trip. However last year we had over a foot of fresh snow (on top of already sizeable accumulation) versus mild temps for most of this trip. When we left yesterday it was 63 degrees.
Here is the campfire area at camp. Top is last year's polar vortex winter in upstate NY. Lower is yesterday, exactly one year later.
Ironically the ultimate low temp of -11 was reached on this trip. However last year we had over a foot of fresh snow (on top of already sizeable accumulation) versus mild temps for most of this trip. When we left yesterday it was 63 degrees.
great pictures. Looks like a lot of sawing going on. I like the sound of the youth group hauling it out. Who is splitting?
Not sure. Probably the director during off season or some of the male counselors. Most of the manageable rounds have already been hand split so the bigger and nasty stuff is left for a rental splitter. I certainly wouldn't want to tackle a couple cords worth of elm and cherry. And bigger sugar maple isn't a treat to hand split either.
When I'm there I do the work that others cannot, i.e. felling and bucking. For insurance purposes the director is the only camp employee that can run a saw and he's very much a noob when it comes to saws. He's plenty able to get a windfall tree off the road but not so familiar with safe felling techniques.
Well I'll be back at it next week. There's still several cords from what I've cut in years past in need of splitting and judging from previous experience the other volunteers probably split all of the small stuff so I'll be working the bigger rounds of ash and red elm.
The camp director just sent me this picture. The low part of the pile is about 4 feet high and the pile is about 40 feet long. So I'll have plenty to work on.
The camp director just sent me this picture. The low part of the pile is about 4 feet high and the pile is about 40 feet long. So I'll have plenty to work on.
Put a few hours out at the pile today. The snow has been melting which is good as much of the pile has been frozen in.
Shared in the splitting tool thread as well that I'm very happy with the Fiskars Isocore for the larger/tougher species of rounds. A lot of the sugar maple and red Elm rounds were busting on the first hit.
Worked at the small log pile till I ran out of wood that wasn't frozen in. Ma nature can loosen up the rest for me now.
The camp saw is a MS211. It's a decent little saw but since I was here last someone ran it without bar oil and the bar rails are worn beyond use. Luckily we have a spare bar (and chain) that @spike60 graciously donated to the camp.
I'll give the pile an afternoon of sun before I tackle it again. Maybe try to rustle up some kids to stack what I've split so far.
One of the last things I cut was a black cherry log and must have gotten some sawdust in my nose as that's all I can smell right now. Could be worse lol.
Shared in the splitting tool thread as well that I'm very happy with the Fiskars Isocore for the larger/tougher species of rounds. A lot of the sugar maple and red Elm rounds were busting on the first hit.
Worked at the small log pile till I ran out of wood that wasn't frozen in. Ma nature can loosen up the rest for me now.
The camp saw is a MS211. It's a decent little saw but since I was here last someone ran it without bar oil and the bar rails are worn beyond use. Luckily we have a spare bar (and chain) that @spike60 graciously donated to the camp.
I'll give the pile an afternoon of sun before I tackle it again. Maybe try to rustle up some kids to stack what I've split so far.
One of the last things I cut was a black cherry log and must have gotten some sawdust in my nose as that's all I can smell right now. Could be worse lol.
Ooh, much better!
zogger
Tree Freak
Well done! Where are the kids? No teenagers there to help out with axe and maul work?
I started in on the remaining oakzilla pile today (maybe 3.5 cord left)..my hand is still stinging. Dang that's some gnarly stuff.. I think I am going to pop for the isocore pure sledgehammer next, and get like a half a dozen same size shape new wedges, and put good edges on them. That's really the only way to deal with huge and twisty by hand.
The kids went skiing today with the wife.
The rest of me feels better but boy my legs are sore now!
The rest of me feels better but boy my legs are sore now!
Two more tanks through the 211 this morning between noodling and working the log pile.
Rocked one chain before I got the log roller out of the shed.
My arms and upper back are pretty sore from the heavyweight match yesterday with the maul so I'm starting off the day with some saw work. The oak I cut this morning will be easier to split so I'll probably swing the X27 for a while instead.
Rocked one chain before I got the log roller out of the shed.
My arms and upper back are pretty sore from the heavyweight match yesterday with the maul so I'm starting off the day with some saw work. The oak I cut this morning will be easier to split so I'll probably swing the X27 for a while instead.
As a whole work is going slow but continuing to make splits.
The camp director showed me a half dozen hazard trees he'd like dropped while I'm here. Here's the two biggest leaners.
The camp director showed me a half dozen hazard trees he'd like dropped while I'm here. Here's the two biggest leaners.
A little more splitting and noodling today. Forgot to take more pics.
Took today off from splitting. Lots of sore muscles that I hadn't worked in a while but feeling much better tonight than I did this morning. I'll hit it again in the morning.
Had to laugh about this part: I kept finding spruce and pine rounds in the pile on top of the rounds that I've been cutting for camp. Which was strange because I've done all of the tree work here for the last three years. And every round was a different length, some were upwards of 30" and some were under 10". I asked the camp director what's up with the extra wood and he told me a guy with a tree service had offered to drop wood and he told him no thanks but the guy must have dropped them anyhow. I chuckled because I knew it had to be a tree service being the complete lack of consistency of length lol.
Had to laugh about this part: I kept finding spruce and pine rounds in the pile on top of the rounds that I've been cutting for camp. Which was strange because I've done all of the tree work here for the last three years. And every round was a different length, some were upwards of 30" and some were under 10". I asked the camp director what's up with the extra wood and he told me a guy with a tree service had offered to drop wood and he told him no thanks but the guy must have dropped them anyhow. I chuckled because I knew it had to be a tree service being the complete lack of consistency of length lol.
Dropped 9 leaning trees that were threatening activity areas at the camp.
Bore cut the first maple and it fell perfectly.
Second tree was actually a black birch. Was surprised to smell wintergreen when I started cutting as I had only briefly glanced at it earlier and thought it was a cherry. Boy that stuff is heavy!!!
The biggest Elm came down very slowly. I had to cut in a couple extra times and nearly cut the hinge clean off to get it onto the ground completely. Amazing how those fibers stick together!
The Aspen came down easily and fell exactly where I wanted them.
Even a 211 looks bad azz in late afternoon sun lol.
Shattered all temp records around here today.
Bore cut the first maple and it fell perfectly.
Second tree was actually a black birch. Was surprised to smell wintergreen when I started cutting as I had only briefly glanced at it earlier and thought it was a cherry. Boy that stuff is heavy!!!
The biggest Elm came down very slowly. I had to cut in a couple extra times and nearly cut the hinge clean off to get it onto the ground completely. Amazing how those fibers stick together!
The Aspen came down easily and fell exactly where I wanted them.
Even a 211 looks bad azz in late afternoon sun lol.
Shattered all temp records around here today.
benp
Addicted to ArboristSite
Looks good Steve!!!!
I was going to say I would be ticked if you were across the lake doing this and not let me know.
Then I saw the temps. You're definitely not here.
ETA - Just imagine how mambo the Jonsered would of looked in that shadow.
I was going to say I would be ticked if you were across the lake doing this and not let me know.
Then I saw the temps. You're definitely not here.
ETA - Just imagine how mambo the Jonsered would of looked in that shadow.
Rolled into town this afternoon to about 90 degrees and high humidity. It's clouded over and cooled off to a more comfortable temp now.
Will be back at it tomorrow dropping problem trees around the camp.
Will be back at it tomorrow dropping problem trees around the camp.
A couple victims.
First tree appears to be loaded with creeper, the second with PI. I may just chop the ivy out of the way of the falling cut and drop that one and deal with it next time after the now dead PI has time to decompose.
First tree appears to be loaded with creeper, the second with PI. I may just chop the ivy out of the way of the falling cut and drop that one and deal with it next time after the now dead PI has time to decompose.
Four dead "DED" elms on the ground this morning. I'm always amazed how tough elm wood is and how you nearly need to cut through the hinge to get them to tip.
Since we are already overwhelmed with wood the only part of this that I bucked for processing was the part that dropped across the trail in picture 2.
Since we are already overwhelmed with wood the only part of this that I bucked for processing was the part that dropped across the trail in picture 2.
