Please explain why

[precaud]

Was out felling today, downed a nice pinon with two trunks which joined about 2 feet above the ground. After it was down, I proceeded to rip down the center between the two. At first all was ok, nice long stringy wood coming off the just-sharpened chain. About 1/3 of the way down, it just plain stopped cutting. I flipped it, same thing. So I stopped and finished it with an axe.

Went to the next tree, and damn if the chain wasn't dull as can be. What happened here? Why did a freshly sharpened chain get dull so quick just by cutting with the grain? I've never seen this before.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Drity, sandy bark? Was there dirt engrained in the trunk where to two tree grew together?

 

[manual]

maybe you hit a nail.
or wood was dirty.

 

[Stumper]

It didn't get dull because of cutting with thr grain-there was probably Dirt or rock grown into the included bark.-Very common in Pinyon.

 

[Urbicide]

I run into an occasional piece of wire now and then. Seems it was much easier in the good old days to just use trees rather than set posts. Does wonders for the cutters. Did you happen to notice any sparks? What type of chain are you using?

 

[precaud]

I guess the embedded dirt makes sense. So, how should one handle things like this? I encounter them fairly often.

 

[Stumper]

Rip those things last....and instead of doing it down the center of the union through the bark(which is actually easiest if things are clean) rip it off the centerline through the wood of one side of the union-you miss the inclusions that way.

 

[GitWood]

I agree with the others, you must have hit something. I was cutting up a storm-downed hickory one day and the saw just stopped like you described. I chopped in with an axe and found a piece of flint. Seemed strange to me because it was about 25' up into the tree. Made me wonder how it got there. I suspect that it was a bird or a squirrel, but always wondered if it may have been an arrow head.

 

[314epw]

dull

I carry a small stiff brush with me.Most of the wood I cut has been pushed around with equipment.When in doubt,I brush the area I am going to cut.You would be amazed as to the amount of small crap that will show up.I see fine dirt to small stones you never saw before.
Ed

 

[precaud]

... and the saw just stopped like you described.

I didn't say the saw stopped, I said it stopped cutting... i.e. no wood/dust was being pulled out.

I went over the chain last night, and saw no evidence of hitting rock or metal. But the depth guages needed to be filed down, even tho I had done it the night before...

Another thought is that pinon is very resinous, and I probably hit a layer of dried and solid resin between the two trunks, which the cutters couldn't sink their teeth into (literally!).

 

[trimmmed]

Why did a freshly sharpened chain get dull so quick just by cutting with the grain? I've never seen this before.

Cutting crotches dulls chain quick, sometimes instantly, mostly due to the embedded dirt.

 

[John Ellison]

And you can bet that the closer to the ground, the dirtier it is.

 

[belgian]

I run into an occasional piece of wire now and then. Seems it was much easier in the good old days to just use trees rather than set posts. Does wonders for the cutters. Did you happen to notice any sparks? What type of chain are you using?

Many farmers in area have the same habit. When you hit such a wire, your chain goes dull in a few seconds.
Only a few months ago, I hit a wire again (see pic).

 

[trimmmed]

I usually seek these crotches out and they are fairly easy to find, as the loggers leave them behind. Here's a small ash

 

[precaud]

Thanks trimmed, that looks like the best way to deal with them. I tend to look for them too, the wood is always more dense and is the only thing we have around here that comes close to hardwood.

 

[trimmmed]

precaud, take a ride up here and we'll fill your truck up for you

 

[precaud]

You're cruel!!!

 

[Gark]

Find all kinda stuff in trees

While bucking a fallen ash, found buckshot embedded in the wood about halfway between the log's center and outer shell. Some shotgunner used the tree for target practice at half its age. Can't figure out why stuff as soft as lead would dull the cutters like that, though.....