Hi

[james huffaker]

Gents:

New to the forum, in fact this is my first post.

I live in the same house I grew up in. As a kid it was bordered on 2 sides by woods, now surrounded on 6 sides by houses . As a kid, my dad and I had a wood processing area, taking trees from the property and adjoining woods. Never had a wood burning stove, but we have a fireplace for recreation and contingencies, and we always kept a burn pile for those purposes.

Last protracted power outage saw my burn pile significantly diminished. Fireplace was used for heating (inefficient, but wife doesn't want a wood stove), and cooking (moms cast iron).

I need to re-establish my wood processing area. Up till now, I've been processing what wood that becomes available (need to secure a more reliable source), with a bow saw, axes,, splitting maul and wedges. I like using my hand tools, and they are quieter when your tooth to jowl with the neighbors, but I recognize not the most efficient way of going about it. I never owned a chain saw, and don't know where to begin on buying one. I'm in the process of building a saw buck, and seasoning a splitting crotch and chopping block. Putting together the equipment to harvest from outside the property, but I don't have a way to get the logs form the woodlot to my house. Wife doesn't want logs on her Honda Odyssey, and my Accord don't cut it. Maybe I can borrow a friends truck.

I'm reading everything I can get my hands on regarding lumbering/felling/arbor etc. No classes I know of around here. Any thoughts/wisdom/suggestions would be appreciated.

Regards, Jim

 

[BillNole]

Well, I think you took the first and most important step in coming here and asking for help! Welcome to the forum and good luck in your quest. I've no doubt there will be plenty of advice, whether offered in this thread, or gleaned from reading other threads in the forum. Dig in and have fun!

I'm looking forward to reading the feedback as I'm always looking to learn something new...


opcorn:

 

[Cheesecutter]

Hi , welcome to AS. If you enjoy using hand tools and peace and quiet maybe an electric chainsaw would work for you. They are quiet and cut fairly decent. As far as gas chainsaws find a dealer near you that you can build a relationship with and stick with them. Big box stores may save you a few bucks, but dealer knowledge is priceless. Stihl, Husqvarna, Dolmar all make excellant saws that will last for years. There is more info in this forum than you could ever believe, and don't ever feel bashful about asking questions here. Enjoy.

 

[TonyK]

Welcome to the site.

 

[unclemoustache]

Welcome! Please send your AS dues directly to my home address.

Don't forget about the 'search' feature. It's not the best, but it might help you to track down answers without starting another thread, but even if you do start a thread which may have been started a few dozen times already (such as 'best gloves for firewood') nobody here will scold you for it, but 08F150 might send some pictures of fat women your way. :msp_sad:

That being said, I'd recommend you start out with a husky saw from Lowes or Home Depot - get their 235 (I think it's 240 model now). It's cheap and runs great, starts easy, and plenty of safety features. I'd recommend going to a saw shop (or ordering online) and getting a semi-chisel chain, though.

Here are some good beginner pointers for you:

1. Run only high-octane fuel in your saws, and get ethanol-free if you can. If you can't, mix in some kind of preservative to help keep the fuel from separating and eating out your saw innards. Don't forget to use high-quality oil in mixing the fuel for your saw, and make sure it's the right mixture - probably 50:1. It'll say in the saw literature what it should be.
2. Cut only wood with your saw, and don't let the chain hit any dirt, rocks, metal, concrete, etc. It will dull the chain INSTANTLY and you don't want to start another thread on sharpening, nor have to get into that aspect too quickly.
3. PPE - Personal Protective Equipment. Safety Glasses (or face shield), Hearing Protection and Chaps are vitally important. Some guys here might poo-poo the hearing protection, but as someone who suddenly lost the hearing in one ear, I discovered the loud noises were also slowly degrading the hearing in my good ear, and I began to be diligent about protecting what's left.
4. Learn. Get on Youtube and search "how not to cut down a tree" and "chainsaw accidents" and "proper felling" and such things. You'll need to learn now to avoid getting your saw bar pinched in a limb or trunk, and what to do if that should happen. (That's where CAD usually begins to strike).
5. Be Safe. Don't tackle anything you don't think you can handle, and be very careful about tackling anything you think you can handle. There are dangers in this area that you may not be aware of, such as barber chairs, widow-makers, storm-tossed trees, overhead branches which may fall on you for no reason at all, etc. etc. It's good to take a buddy with you into the woods, and don't drop a tree on your buddy. A guy here (a very experienced woodman) just lost his dad this way not two months ago. Safety is everyone's responsibility, and make sure you have a proper 'escape route' for every tree you fell.
6. Burn only seasoned wood - some wood needs a few months to season (after it's split and stacked) and other wood (such as Red Oak) may need a year or more to season. Wood does not season unless it's split into firewood size pieces.
7. Not all wood is created equal. Some wood has great BTU ratings, other wood is very low. Some wood splits easy, other wood is darn near impossible. Some wood leaves very little ash in the stove, other wood seems to leave more ash than you had wood to begin with.
8. Make sure your stove/fireplace and chimney are in good working order, and properly cleaned out. Chimney fires claim many homes and lives every year, and are easily preventable.

That'll do to get you started. There may be some here who might disagree on a point or two I've made, but just remember the guy with the large moustache always wins.

 

[james huffaker]

Gents, Thanks for reading my query and taking the time, appreciated.

Saw shops??? Guy locally has a lawn mower, snowblower, generator repair shop, that sells some used saws, but saw shops went the way of full gun racks in the back window of pickups and 8 tracks around here. Too many 'benzes and 'beemers. Just as the crosscut supplanted the axe and the chainsaw supplanted the crosscut, the phone and too deep pockets supplanted the folks that wanted to do their own work. Like I said, I like tools, and I got a thing for axes. Have you looked for an axe lately at the local hardware or box stores? Better be willing and able to grind some steel and rehalft,(hard to fix the poor metallurgy though) because for what you need an axe for (felling, limbing,bucking), they are largely unusable as bought. To find a 3 1/2Lb. x 36" "jersey" felling axe. you need to find an old head in reasonable condition, find a halft with straight grain, and re-halft it yourself, and then profile and sharpen it for how you will use it. I bought a new manufacture one man crosscut recently. Advertisement said the saw was tuned and sharpened and gtg, my ... , came with burrs on the saw teeth. Now I either need to learn how to tune and sharpen a cross cut (which I need to do anyway), or find someone that can do it for me (there's those 8 tracks again) before I can use it. Why this state, because nobody uses crosscuts except the forest service in "wilderness"areas. Too few of us idiots that like to sweat. Sorry, rant off. Thanks for the feedback.

Regards, Jim

 

[brenndatomu]

As far as a wood hauler, if you can't borrow one, you can rent a truck from Home Depot or U haul for $20 a day or so. The U haul trucks have a ramp that makes it easy to roll large rounds up if you luck into something larger. Of course U haul vans don't do so well offroad, so if you're cutting way off the road, that might not work out to well.

 

[james huffaker]

unclemoustache, thanks. What's your address?

I am endeavoring to learn as much as I can before doing. I have been looking around your sub forum, didn't see a "how do I get started without spending ill advised funds or killing myself" question, so I asked.

I am a country boy at heart, trapped in suburbia. I like the relationship between my hands, the tools and the wood, if that makes sense.

Thanks again.

Regards, Jim

 

[AT sawyer]

I know a lot of folks who prefer to sweat for their wood with a crosscut. Most are off the grid or living on the edge of it. If you can get your wife to double buck with you, you'll cut significantly faster.

Modern saws are mostly made from poor steel and arrive dull and way out of joint. You're better off buying one at a yard sale or on Ebay and getting a competent filer to sharpen it.

 

[james huffaker]

Sir,

Thanks for getting back to me.

"a competent filer", akin to hens teeth around here. The USFS gives classes once a year in Montana. I need to learn to do this myself anyway, upkeep and all that. Well tuned saws "sing".

Regards, Jim

 

[pennsywoodburnr]

Gents, Thanks for reading my query and taking the time, appreciated.

Saw shops??? Guy locally has a lawn mower, snowblower, generator repair shop, that sells some used saws, but saw shops went the way of full gun racks in the back window of pickups and 8 tracks around here. Too many 'benzes and 'beemers. Just as the crosscut supplanted the axe and the chainsaw supplanted the crosscut, the phone and too deep pockets supplanted the folks that wanted to do their own work. Like I said, I like tools, and I got a thing for axes. Have you looked for an axe lately at the local hardware or box stores? Better be willing and able to grind some steel and rehalft,(hard to fix the poor metallurgy though) because for what you need an axe for (felling, limbing,bucking), they are largely unusable as bought. To find a 3 1/2Lb. x 36" "jersey" felling axe. you need to find an old head in reasonable condition, find a halft with straight grain, and re-halft it yourself, and then profile and sharpen it for how you will use it. I bought a new manufacture one man crosscut recently. Advertisement said the saw was tuned and sharpened and gtg, my ... , came with burrs on the saw teeth. Now I either need to learn how to tune and sharpen a cross cut (which I need to do anyway), or find someone that can do it for me (there's those 8 tracks again) before I can use it. Why this state, because nobody uses crosscuts except the forest service in "wilderness"areas. Too few of us idiots that like to sweat. Sorry, rant off. Thanks for the feedback.

Regards, Jim

If there's that many fancy cars driving around and people have more money than they know what to do with, well then that works out all the better for you! They are the kind that would look down on wood scrounging. Plus if no one around there is taking it for themselves, that leaves more for you! Start expanding on your contacts, that's what I ended up doing. While I'm still looking for storm blowovers, occasionally an offer will come my way to take an "unwanted" tree. Most of the time the tree is dropping too many seeds on the owners deck (or some other mundane reason they want it gone). So I'll go and get it. After that, word usually gets around fast that the owner can remove the tree without paying big $$$ for a tree service company to haul it off just by calling you. Then it kinda turns into: "hey, I know a guy that'll take that off your hands, here's his number". Happy hunting.

 

[blades]

If you are not aware of this company in Niagara. " Crosscut Saw" they have a web presence. All the old people powered cutting tools and repair/ sharpening supplies for same. Yes, reconditioning of the hand powered tools is a dieing art, mostly because the tools themselves have been replaced by various power tools. There are a couple shops out west that specialize in the 1 and 2 man saws. the one (in the mountain states I think or maybe Washington) has a absolutely gorgeous set up just for those saws. Was a time when I would have several handsaws to redo every month, now its a rarity maybe 5 or 6 a year of any type. The big 3ft on up crosscut/ rip saws maybe 1 or 2 a year. Had a 4 ft tuttle tooth unit in last month. Still have a couple 4 ft units myself although I have not used them in a long time.

 

[james huffaker]

Gents:

Thanks again for taking the time, and your candor in responding to my question.

I'm in the process of reading "To Fell a Tree" by Jeff Jepson, Backyard Lumberjack on order. I keep going over The Axe Book by D. Cook, trying to assimilate it's information. I've got various missives from the USFS on axes and saws. I'm working on it.

Blades, I know of "Crosscut Saw", do they sharpen? Yeah, that's what I got, a 36" tuttle tooth. From what I read, this tooth pattern is for hard woods but can cut softer wood, the lance tooth/perforated lance tooth is for softer woods?
I intend to learn how to sharpen cross cuts for myself, but short term, is it likely worth seeking out someone to fix my saw? How can I tell if the steel/heat treat is good, worth not scrapping? Needs a new handle, too small. I'd rather fix it if worth fixing.

pennsywoodburnr, yup, but I have to get my skills up, and get a chainsaw, before I can do that. Do a good safe job, and clean up, your rep spreads. Drop it on something, or get it stuck, not so much. Gotta tweak my skills.

Thanks again.

Regards, Jim

 

[Ronaldo]

Welcome to A.S., Jim.
Check out the Hand Held Equipment forum on here(just below the chainsaw forum on the line-up) they have some info on axes, good metallurgy, handsaws, etc.

Ron

 

[CTYank]

Jim,

You will eventually need/want chainsaws. Don't fight it, feed it when the time is right. Forget the misery whip when scrounging. I live on the CT side of the NY burbs. Haven't encountered a saw dealer (yet) in these parts that wasn't primarily about grabbing (your) bucks. I've found that shopping online at VMInnovations dot com worked out great- for non-pro saws.

First scroungers to hit a roadside pile take the small stuff. If you've a big enough saw, you can do much better by going for the bigger sticks. 40-50 cc can do wonders, one that can work a 16" bar.

Without a light truck, I just couldn't "do business" around here.

Anyhow, wherever you are in the LARGE state of NY, some local show & tell could work.

I like hand splitting with a maul too, and discovered a year or so back that most all you find around here are simply instruments of torture. Lousy shape, made to be cheap to make. European smiths make MUCH better mauls- cost more, but are enormously better. And, I don't mean Fiskars. With a disc grinder, I reshaped some big-box mauls so they split much better. One of the better buys is the Ochsenkopf maul Stihl dealers sell for ~$80. A "best buy."

Modern woodstoves, compared to fireplaces, are way cleaner and more efficient. Large windows a big +. Once you've used one, you'll never go back. Fireplaces do NOT heat the house, net. Sisyphean task.

 

[Henry and Wanda]

Hello,
I think the first thing that has to happen is to get the wife onboard with getting a wood stove. If you continue to use that fireplace to heat with, you'll kill yourself trying to get enough wood to feed it !!!!! Woodstoves use much less wood than a fireplace and you get a lot more heat output. After getting the wood stove, then get serious about buying all the tools you will need !!!!! Good luck !!


Henry and Wanda

 

[james huffaker]

CTYank;

I live in a once upon a time small town in Westchester county. Not far enough away from the city not to feel it's effects, but at least far enough away that a small minority still feels that though they may set tone and policy by their votes/associations, they in no way represent us .

My maul and smaller axes are Gransfors Bruks as is one of my wedges (only maul and wedge I know of that comes with a protective sheath as they a sharp enough to cut you). Between the saw, axes and maul/sledge and wedges, and the hauling and lifting who needs a gym?

Stoves, yeah I know, much more efficient, and I'm working on it, but she's a city girl married to a country boy. Her version of camping is the Waldorf, and a wood burner don't fit her decorum. I'm working on it.

Saws, I'm thinking firstly I need to find a good shop (maintenance/ repair/ tweaking), then the saw. I've been perusing the chainsaw sub forum,still looking.

Regards, Jim

 

[chaikwa]

Do a good safe job, and clean up, your rep spreads. Drop it on something, or get it stuck, not so much.

Oh, your reputation with still spread... it won't be a GOOD rep, but it WILL spread! :msp_biggrin:

Welcome to the site! Sorry I can't add much that's not already been said, but there's a wealth of knowledge here, just tap into it!

 

[blades]

Old saws and heat treat, That's a tough one to answer, kinda 2 part. First part is steel becomes brittle with age ( don't we all?) Second is sawing creates heat that after many years imparts a hardened edge to the tooth. The combination makes for file destroying hard spots, kinda get a shrieking sound and it doesn't feel right like it's slipping which it is and the file teeth are being rolled over- dulled. In addition if the brittleness is not removed, when you try to impart a set the the teeth they will snap off, sometimes happens just trying to sharpen with a file. Heating the teeth to a dull almost imperceptible red and letting air cool can relieve the above problems. Kinda an art in itself as you do not want to heat the body which will cause them to warp. Years ago it was popular to take the common carpenter size saws and put them in the oven at about 250 degrees or so for a couple hours ( heating the whole thing resolves warp issue). Can' really do that with a 3ft tuttle so it's on to the propane torch approach and the art of just kissing the teeth with out allowing the heat to penetrate too far back into the body ( just enough to allow for filing and setting) Very hard to describe adequately.

 

[Oldmaple]

Welcome! Please send your AS dues directly to my home address.

Don't forget about the 'search' feature. It's not the best, but it might help you to track down answers without starting another thread, but even if you do start a thread which may have been started a few dozen times already (such as 'best gloves for firewood') nobody here will scold you for it, but 08F150 might send some pictures of fat women your way. :msp_sad:

That being said, I'd recommend you start out with a husky saw from Lowes or Home Depot - get their 235 (I think it's 240 model now). It's cheap and runs great, starts easy, and plenty of safety features. I'd recommend going to a saw shop (or ordering online) and getting a semi-chisel chain, though.

Here are some good beginner pointers for you:

1. Run only high-octane fuel in your saws, and get ethanol-free if you can. If you can't, mix in some kind of preservative to help keep the fuel from separating and eating out your saw innards. Don't forget to use high-quality oil in mixing the fuel for your saw, and make sure it's the right mixture - probably 50:1. It'll say in the saw literature what it should be.
2. Cut only wood with your saw, and don't let the chain hit any dirt, rocks, metal, concrete, etc. It will dull the chain INSTANTLY and you don't want to start another thread on sharpening, nor have to get into that aspect too quickly.
3. PPE - Personal Protective Equipment. Safety Glasses (or face shield), Hearing Protection and Chaps are vitally important. Some guys here might poo-poo the hearing protection, but as someone who suddenly lost the hearing in one ear, I discovered the loud noises were also slowly degrading the hearing in my good ear, and I began to be diligent about protecting what's left.
4. Learn. Get on Youtube and search "how not to cut down a tree" and "chainsaw accidents" and "proper felling" and such things. You'll need to learn now to avoid getting your saw bar pinched in a limb or trunk, and what to do if that should happen. (That's where CAD usually begins to strike).
5. Be Safe. Don't tackle anything you don't think you can handle, and be very careful about tackling anything you think you can handle. There are dangers in this area that you may not be aware of, such as barber chairs, widow-makers, storm-tossed trees, overhead branches which may fall on you for no reason at all, etc. etc. It's good to take a buddy with you into the woods, and don't drop a tree on your buddy. A guy here (a very experienced woodman) just lost his dad this way not two months ago. Safety is everyone's responsibility, and make sure you have a proper 'escape route' for every tree you fell.
6. Burn only seasoned wood - some wood needs a few months to season (after it's split and stacked) and other wood (such as Red Oak) may need a year or more to season. Wood does not season unless it's split into firewood size pieces.
7. Not all wood is created equal. Some wood has great BTU ratings, other wood is very low. Some wood splits easy, other wood is darn near impossible. Some wood leaves very little ash in the stove, other wood seems to leave more ash than you had wood to begin with.
8. Make sure your stove/fireplace and chimney are in good working order, and properly cleaned out. Chimney fires claim many homes and lives every year, and are easily preventable.

That'll do to get you started. There may be some here who might disagree on a point or two I've made, but just remember the guy with the large moustache always wins.

Don't send your dues to Uncle. He'll just use it to feed his dozen or more kids. He's got so many that he's even lost count. Takes him a day or two to figure out one's missing.