Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Oldmaple]

I was actually wondering about electric chainsaws for a while now, just haven't had the time to read about them yet. Not sure if I mentioned it but my son probably flushed a whole freaking wad of those Clorox cleaning wipes down the toilet. He claimed it was toilet paper but I found an empty Clorox wipe container on the kids sink. I tried a plunger, one of those wire thingies I had to buy from Ace Ripoff Hardware, a wet/dry vacuum, dish soap and hot water, and a fancy plunger. Finally took the toilet off and noticed the seal was completely gone from one side of the pipe.

Anyway, sorry about my boring plumbing story. I wasn't sure if a electric chainsaw needed 2 cycle oil. I'll look it up now. Also, I bought two roles of the Woodland Pro (I think that's the name) semi-chisel from Bailey's. The plastic clamp on filer I have seems to work great but takes a while to set up and wastes a lot of my time while I'm scrounging. I'll bring three chains with me all sharpened to just switch out. Thanks for the chain info.

Two bars of soap don't fit down the toilet either. Don't know what possessed that "not me" child that lives in my house to try it.

 

[farmer steve]

here's today's haul. mostly white oak tops. gettin ready for zoggers polar vortex next year. pics aren't great. i think my phone was cold.

 

[zogger]

Buncha hard working guys here!!

whellpp..I went scrounging way over to the secret polar siberian vortex express stacks! Loaded up! Ash, hickory and oak.

Then to keep fueled up for this arduous task, some thick venison chili, courtesy of garden goddess..

 

[X-S-FLA]

Alright Zog, when's dinner? I'm only 640 miles away; be there in a few
I'll bring the barley, hops, and oats... or the mash; which ever you prefer

 

[zogger]

Alright Zog, when's dinner? I'm only 640 miles away; be there in a few
I'll bring the barley, hops, and oats... or the mash; which ever you prefer

Ha! I only drink coffee anymore, but I'll stare at some barley beverage. Stare at it anyway, hahahahaha!

 

[mainewoods]

49 " of snow on the ground as I speak( more than that by my yardstick). Not as bad as last year at this time, but enough to make scrounging difficult. Keep those sweet pic's of "snowless" ground coming farmer steve, it's all I have to look forward to.

 

[Ambull01]

Got some pics of the root ball and the really dangerous tree while I bucked and limbed. I'm hoping this site alone will get me 2-3 years ahead.

 

[Ambull01]

 

[Ambull01]

Some of the rounds I've cut so far.

 

[wudpirat]

Hey, Clint out of that snow drift, find your shins?
Only way to move around in that much snow is snow mobile or on webs. You do have snowshoes ?

Zogger,that chili looks great, maybe it needs a splash of
Dave's Gourmet "INSANITY", The original hottest sauce in the universe.
One drop and your mouth is on fire.
I mix mine one drop to 64oz of V8, great for cleaning the sinus and it keeps the kids from drinking my juice.

Farmer Steve, nice pile of wood, lotta BTU's there.
Just got back from getting load of white oak. Some body got to the pile first as we only got 3/8 instead of 1/2 cord.
Have to talk to Billy. Hope he didn't short us on purpose, got another "full"cord coming.

More snow predicted, guess it will be a while before I can get to my wood pile. Buying wood sucks.

 

[Oldmaple]

Did one like the broken one last summer. Lightening got it. One scary monster. Lots of rigging and thinking to get it down without hurting anyone. Stay safe.

 

[wudpirat]

Hey Reid,
Be berry, berry careful as you cut toward that rootball, they can flip up and get you.
They also like to pinch your bar, lot of tension there.

 

[MechanicMatt]

I know how id getthe broken one down.......
Is there a standing dead tree near by you could nudge it with?

 

[Philbert]

Got some pics of the root ball and the really dangerous tree while I bucked and limbed.

What's the other end of that broken trunk look like? Is it hung up or on the ground?

Philbert

 

[SteveSS]

Got some pics of the root ball and the really dangerous tree while I bucked and limbed. I'm hoping this site alone will get me 2-3 years ahead.

I'll preface this comment with the fact that I am NOT a professional tree cutter downer, nor have I ever played one on TV, and I did NOT stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Now that the legal disclaimers are out of the way....

In this pic, it looks like the fork in the foreground would let the rest of the trunk drop if were gone. I don't think I'd try to cut it and drop it all at once though. I think you said you have several days avail to cut at this site, so I think I'd try a relief cut near the bottom of this fork of the split just to weaken it a tad. I'd walk away from it and see if the weight of the trunk would drop it over night, or even over a few nights. I wouldn't want to be under it when it fell, but a careful cut to weaken the support might be helpful. A little nudge to help gravity do what it does.

I might also get myself killed even trying the thought above, so under no means try it yourself. See the legal disclaimer above.

 

[SteveSS]

I'm not even going to comment on the root ball. Do you cut with a buddy, or by yourself?

 

[zogger]

Ambull, that rootball tree is in the same area where you have all those rounds? Great! Stabilize the trunk with some rounds/logs/branches, whatever ya got handy. Get as much under the trunk as you can in several places. This is to keep the tree from moving once it is free from the rootball.

Now, if ya want, stabilize the rootball with longer stout logs/branches, wedge them in good at an angle, 3-4 of them.

Now you can get rid of that thing down near the base. Don't cut straight, you'll get pinched. Cut a wide V, just keep beavering away at it, cut some, then whack it out with a sharp axe, cut some more, hit it with the axe again. Once you get down to the stuff holding it together, the last stuff, only the axe, put the saw out of the way. The wide V helps eliminate any potential pinch.

Really look at the tree, see if it is gonna want to roll on you. If there are any big heavy branches leaning way over, you can take them off first. Brace the trunk underneath to negate roll and to keep it suspended (some at least, makes for easier bucking as well) once free of the rootball. And if it does look like it still might roll, stand on the other side

There's other ways to do it, but that works for safety. Once the trunk is separated, you can go around and knock the braces out, let it flop then if it wants to.

You might still need to do some fancy moving at some point, but that should reduce the risks.

I am not right there to see the situation, my opinion might change if I was, but that's a generic way to handle them things without a ton of equipment.

That overhead deadfall, have to see it. Might could just snatch it down with a chain/rope and a comealong. The suggestion to nail it with another stout tree is also a good one.

 

[Ambull01]

Did one like the broken one last summer. Lightening got it. One scary monster. Lots of rigging and thinking to get it down without hurting anyone. Stay safe.

It's actually lower than I thought lol. I'm going really slow with this one.

Hey Reid,
Be berry, berry careful as you cut toward that rootball, they can flip up and get you.
They also like to pinch your bar, lot of tension there.

Yes sir, I will. One of the reasons I haven't touched it yet.

I know how id getthe broken one down.......
Is there a standing dead tree near by you could nudge it with?

Yes, there are a few standing dead near it. I'll have to see if it's possible to drop one on it.

What's the other end of that broken trunk look like? Is it hung up or on the ground?

Philbert

It's partially on the ground on was lying on another downed tree. I cut off the parts lying on other trees now it's all on the ground. It was attached to the back portion of the split stump so the wind must have broken off more fibers. I'm hoping the wind will keep doing its magic and take it all the way down for me. I pushed and pulled on a branch to see how sturdy it was and I was able to move the whole trunk. Worst case scenario the wind leaves it alone, I keep cutting up the branches to lessen the weight, then attach a rope to the smaller end closest to the ground and try to pull it off.

I'll preface this comment with the fact that I am NOT a professional tree cutter downer, nor have I ever played one on TV, and I did NOT stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Now that the legal disclaimers are out of the way....

In this pic, it looks like the fork in the foreground would let the rest of the trunk drop if were gone. I don't think I'd try to cut it and drop it all at once though. I think you said you have several days avail to cut at this site, so I think I'd try a relief cut near the bottom of this fork of the split just to weaken it a tad. I'd walk away from it and see if the weight of the trunk would drop it over night, or even over a few nights. I wouldn't want to be under it when it fell, but a careful cut to weaken the support might be helpful. A little nudge to help gravity do what it does.

I might also get myself killed even trying the thought above, so under no means try it yourself. See the legal disclaimer above.

Yeah, I have no time limit. I'm just taking my time and focusing on safe cutting practices. As I mentioned above, the last time I was here the trunk was a bit more attached to the log. I assumed it was the same so I went to cutting the other stuff upon arrival. Finally noticed the daggone log is kinda just sitting in between the split trunk and realized I was working under some of the branches. Learned my lesson, never assume things are exactly the same in the woods/scrounge site.

 

[Ambull01]

Ambull, that rootball tree is in the same area where you have all those rounds? Great! Stabilize the trunk with some rounds/logs/branches, whatever ya got handy. Get as much under the trunk as you can in several places. This is to keep the tree from moving once it is free from the rootball.

Now, if ya want, stabilize the rootball with longer stout logs/branches, wedge them in good at an angle, 3-4 of them.

Now you can get rid of that thing down near the base. Don't cut straight, you'll get pinched. Cut a wide V, just keep beavering away at it, cut some, then whack it out with a sharp axe, cut some more, hit it with the axe again. Once you get down to the stuff holding it together, the last stuff, only the axe, put the saw out of the way. The wide V helps eliminate any potential pinch.

Really look at the tree, see if it is gonna want to roll on you. If there are any big heavy branches leaning way over, you can take them off first. Brace the trunk underneath to negate roll and to keep it suspended (some at least, makes for easier bucking as well) once free of the rootball. And if it does look like it still might roll, stand on the other side

There's other ways to do it, but that works for safety. Once the trunk is separated, you can go around and knock the braces out, let it flop then if it wants to.

You might still need to do some fancy moving at some point, but that should reduce the risks.

I am not right there to see the situation, my opinion might change if I was, but that's a generic way to handle them things without a ton of equipment.

That overhead deadfall, have to see it. Might could just snatch it down with a chain/rope and a comealong. The suggestion to nail it with another stout tree is also a good one.

Thanks, this sounds like a safe way to do it. Root ball isn't as big as thought. I really want that log though, it's a pretty sizable piece. It will look great in my soon to be new Ideal Steel stove lol.

 

[SteveSS]

Matt's idea of falling another tree onto the hanger is probably the best and safest.