Pics?
Thanks.
Philbert
Thanks.
Philbert
Firewood Measuring Sticks
- Thread starter Philbert
- Start date
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I'll see if I can find my current version out in the shop. An "incident" with the lawn mower caused me to have to replace the original. The magnet is protected with a metal cover, so I was able to save it. I grabbed a 3/4" dowel rod I had laying in the corner, cut it to 24" and gave it a few coats of white spray paint left over from another project. Used the same sharpie to mark it like the previous one.
husqvarna257
ArboristSite Guru
I use a 24" sticker That I painted to find it when I drop it . Now my new saw 562XP I have a 24" bar so that makes it easy. I like neat stacks in the 10-20 shed so over 24" makes a mess. I do have left over short pieces because I am cutting up ends that I got from a logging company. I use them for the wood strove or put them in a skid crate by the boiler.
I have several regular measuring tapes that I put a larger hook in the end. These work pretty well, but do not carry well in or on pockets well. I cut up old tapes into 24'' that can be folded up into ones pocket. A strip of canvas that has measured marks on them works pretty good too. Thanks
Finally took a couple of pics. Looks like I only made the replacement version 22" long.
YIKES! The Woodcutter's Helper is up to $21 on eBay. Might make sense to make your own now!
Philbert
Philbert
I was going to order a pre made version, but they were all $20-40 so I'm still using chalk. It works and is cheap.
The basic ones were something like $14 to $16, shipped, when I started this thread!
Philbert
Philbert
I took measuring stick in another direction. Back in the 70’s a friend had a factory made “yard stick”, that was 4’ long, just for measuring “cord” wood. I was making Oak floor boards for a yard cart out of 30-50 year old 1x6 fence boards. I had some long scraps left over so I cut them to 4’, ran them through the planer down to 3/4“ thick, and trimmed to 2“ wide. On one side I wrote 1 cord = two rows 24”X4’X8’. On the other side on top, 1 cord = three rows, 16”X4’x8’, and on the bottom, 1 cord= two rows 18”x4’X10.66’.
It also doubles as a good switch. You can line up three bad kids and straighten them all out in one swing.
TimberWolf530
ArboristSite Guru
I literally use a stick for my measuring stick. 18" is the perfect length for my stove, so I cut a straight(ish) one to 18" and mark where to cut with shallow cuts with my small saw. Can't beat the price, and if I lose one, they're easily replaced.
24" will fit the burner, so 24-25" bar is right in there
Two hands plus my thumb is 18'' and two hands minus a thumb is exactly 16''. I have not misplaced my measuring devices yet but who knows. Thanks
2 minutes with an engraving tool
Eons ago
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Eons ago
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I use a piece of dowel cut to 16" and marking spray paint that points down. I have a plastic crate that my bar oil, gas, extra bar tool (one in my back pocket too), extra chain, chain file, spray paint and dowel all live in. The dowel gets some orange overspray on it so it's easy to locate.
I saw this and wondered how 10 pages could be devoted to sticks cut to a certain length. Now that I’m informed, I’ll throw in my two cents. I usually just “eyeball“ stuff. If I bring a log to the bucking station, I’ll just knock an inch or so off of my MS250’s (18 inch) bar length when held along the log and use that as my “stick”. For the last cut, if the last piece is 30+ inches long I’ll split it in half, if it’s less I’ll have a long and a short piece. If I’m in the field and I’m bucking it, the log is 24+ inches in diameter so a 32 inch+ bar is being used, so I’ll divide the bar length by half and use that as my measuring stick. As the wood is being stacked I have a pvc pipe 18.5 inches long with a notch cut at 17 inches I hold the piece against. If the piece is about 18 inches long it gets chucked in the “buck” pile, if it’s less, it gets stacked.
As it says near the beginning of the thread, it does not matter to a lot of people. However, some folks with small stoves, or who sell wood to fussy customers might care.
And most of us have thought about some way to do this.
I have personally: ‘eyeballed’, used my guide bar, used a dedicated stick (wood, PVC, whatever), and tried some devices that attached to the saw handle or bar nuts. They all ‘worked’.
Lots of of other devices described in these threads: paint, chalk, story poles, etc.
The magnetic sticks are just so simple, easy, and effective. Measure once; cut once. I really like them.
Philbert
