Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[panolo]

I have the young local loggers helping with the scrounging this year. When a man gets in his mid 60's he gets a little tired.View attachment 674718

I spy a couple birch in there. That's a delicacy round here! Smells the best plus you could split it with a flat tip screw driver and a rubber mallet. I'd take all the ash and birch I could get.

 

[turnkey4099]

I want to see the two truckloads, that locust is pretty heavy. The great thing is it has such a low water content you could split it now and burn it in feb and it would be pretty dry. I like locust .

I had that happen on a cherry tree here at the house, it had a big old bolt in it too .
Why did you choose to start by cutting the root ball off, I would have typically started on the branches/top; just not wanting any surprises, it didn't stand back up or fall into the hole did it?

+1 on 'start at the top and work down'. That is my approach. That way all the stresses come out a little at a time in stead of one big 'oops'. I try to leave nothing uncut behind me

 

[Lowhog]

Ab

I spy a couple birch in there. That's a delicacy round here! Smells the best plus you could split it with a flat tip screw driver and a rubber mallet. I'd take all the ash and birch I could get.

about 10% ash, birch, & maple. The rest is oak.

 

[farmer steve]

+1 on 'start at the top and work down'. That is my approach. That way all the stresses come out a little at a time in stead of one big 'oops'. I try to leave nothing uncut behind me

I've always started at the big end and left the top branches to support things off the ground if possible. Every tree is different so that is always subject to change.

 

[al-k]

I've always started at the big end and left the top branches to support things off the ground if possible. Every tree is different so that is always subject to change.

sounds like you swing both ways. lol

 

[James Miller]

Brought another load of oak home. Only pic because I unloaded the truck in the rain.

 

[MustangMike]

If the end of the trunk is in the air, I will start with that, but otherwise I usually start lmbing and work to larger from there. As much as possible, I let the tree hold up what I cut to length.

 

[Circle B MN]

I spy a couple birch in there. That's a delicacy round here! Smells the best plus you could split it with a flat tip screw driver and a rubber mallet. I'd take all the ash and birch I could get.

I can get plenty of it, but gotta put a few miles on to get it. Usually worth the drive.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

I want to see the two truckloads, that locust is pretty heavy. The great thing is it has such a low water content you could split it now and burn it in feb and it would be pretty dry. I like locust .

I had that happen on a cherry tree here at the house, it had a big old bolt in it too .
Why did you choose to start by cutting the root ball off, I would have typically started on the branches/top; just not wanting any surprises, it didn't stand back up or fall into the hole did it?

Usually start high, work low, but I have to admit I wasn’t sure if it would stand up. Had that happen once about 10’ from the rootball and it scared the crap out of me. In my mind I was try to be safe in case it stood up the stump was only 2’ long. I will take pics of each load.

 

[chipper1]

I have the young local loggers helping with the scrounging this year. When a man gets in his mid 60's he gets a little tired.View attachment 674718

I hope to have one of those for scrounging when I'm 60 too .

 

[chipper1]

+1 on 'start at the top and work down'. That is my approach. That way all the stresses come out a little at a time in stead of one big 'oops'. I try to leave nothing uncut behind me

That's what I prefer most times.

I've always started at the big end and left the top branches to support things off the ground if possible. Every tree is different so that is always subject to change.

I usually start at the top and work down, but I leave whatever supporting branches I can.
It's real nice if there are two branches that are supporting the end and you can make most of your bucking cuts, you know if they are going to stand up or not.
If I drop the tree then I will start at the bottom with the big saws and then work into the smaller ones.

sounds like you swing both ways. lol

If the end of the trunk is in the air, I will start with that, but otherwise I usually start lmbing and work to larger from there. As much as possible, I let the tree hold up what I cut to length.

Gotta roll with the flow!

Usually start high, work low, but I have to admit I wasn’t sure if it would stand up. Had that happen once about 10’ from the rootball and it scared the crap out of me. In my mind I was try to be safe in case it stood up the stump was only 2’ long. I will take pics of each load.

Did it stand up, that's always fun, especially the first time.
Looking forward to the pictures .

 

[MustangMike]

An employee for a local Tree Guy dropped this 460 from a tree, breaking the case. Saw still ran (till the recoil imploded). Luckily for him, I had a spare broken 460 case.

So I cut the corner off of my case to fix his case.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

I want to see the two truckloads, that locust is pretty heavy. The great thing is it has such a low water content you could split it now and burn it in feb and it would be pretty dry. I like locust .

I had that happen on a cherry tree here at the house, it had a big old bolt in it too .
Why did you choose to start by cutting the root ball off, I would have typically started on the branches/top; just not wanting any surprises, it didn't stand back up or fall into the hole did it?

When you referred to 2 truckloads, were you doubting the volume there or more than 2 because of the weight? Been a few times hauling oak that I really think the front tires only touched the road occasionally. I’ve been known to overload weight wise.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

That's what I prefer most times.

I usually start at the top and work down, but I leave whatever supporting branches I can.
It's real nice if there are two branches that are supporting the end and you can make most of your bucking cuts, you know if they are going to stand up or not.
If I drop the tree then I will start at the bottom with the big saws and then work into the smaller ones.



Gotta roll with the flow!

Did it stand up, that's always fun, especially the first time.
Looking forward to the pictures .

It only stood up about 2 inches so the extra underwear I had in the truck wasn’t needed.

 

[chipper1]

It only stood up about 2 inches so the extra underwear I had in the truck wasn’t needed.

.
Glad to hear all went well, and that you saved a little cash on laundry detergent .

 

[MustangMike]

To ensure the bolts would line up, I bolted it to a recoil shell, then bolted the recoil shell to the saw and started to glue it in place (w/Loctite PL Premium). JB Weld may be stronger, but does not give enough work time for something like this.

After it started to set, I removed the recoil shell and finished gluing it. May not be pretty, but the Tree Guy won't care. PL Premium is tough stuff, so it will hold up, and was a lot easier than replacing the case half.

Next I also fixed the recoil and installed new guts. I will drill the hole after it dries, and put one of those metal insets (like they use on the brake handle) in the hole so the bolt does not wear the glue.

I think the Tree Guy will be happy with my "Rube" fix!!!

 

[chipper1]

When you referred to 2 truckloads, were you doubting the volume there or more than 2 because of the weight? Been a few times hauling oak that I really think the front tires only touched the road occasionally. I’ve been known to overload weight wise.

I was just wanting to see what your two truckloads looked like as I know it can get heavy real quick and that was a nice sized tree.
I was going off you saying it was two truckloads, at least that's what I thought you had said.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

I was just wanting to see what your two truckloads looked like as I know it can get heavy real quick and that was a nice sized tree.
I was going off you saying it was two truckloads, at least that's what I thought you had said.

Got ya. I’m usually pretty good judging loads but I could be off because of all the branches. Don’t know what’s worse for branch waste, maple, pine or locust. Love dead ash, branches self destruct.

 

[Logger nate]

First fire of the season

 

[chipper1]

Got ya. I’m usually pretty good judging loads but I could be off because of all the branches. Don’t know what’s worse for branch waste, maple, pine or locust. Love dead ash, branches self destruct.

That one had a lot more branches that most that I deal with because it was a yard tree. I know where there is a big one(nice size trunk and a large canopy) in a yard next to my buddies house, been waiting for it to come down .
When you said two loads I thought he has a big box, but I remember how big it was and was looking forward to seeing it. What made it hard to get a trailer in there.
Dead ash are great when they are in the woods, but stink when you are doing a removal in a yard. One caveat with regards to ash and other dead standing trees in the woods, it's a great idea to wear a helmet when felling them and even that doesn't totally cover you, those branches can come back at you when flicked by another tree/branch . It sure is a nice wood to work with as long as it's not punky in the main stem.