Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[JRM]

Got 2 good loads in today. Mix of cherry, oak, silver maple, locust. All good stuff, and green (HEAVY!)

 

[SS396driver]

I know he has not posted here in a while, but my Nephew MechanicMatt took a 6 pt with the crossbow this morning.

I drove by his place this morning . My sister lives around the corner from him

 

[Squareground3691]

If you favor an axe over a maul fir splitting by hand. May I suggest a 6lb. Council with a 36" handle.

6lb. Council next to an eighth pound maul.
View attachment 1031946

Fir back country felling, limbing and even recreational or competition throwing? A hand forged Gransfors Bruk is hard to beat! I've never experienced any other axe as sharp or stay sharp as long as a GB! Spendy, but well worth it. When you tap on a GB with a screw driver or bar wrench? You will here a familiar "ting" unlike tapping on any other axe of cheaper steel.
View attachment 1031948View attachment 1031947

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

A good sharp edge at entry , and a wider profile to finish it off .

 

[Squareground3691]

I've never used a nice wooden handled splitting axe, but I do like the two fiscars splitting axes I have. I prefer the x27 over the x25 (iirc) even though I'm not real tall (5'7"). They are different than using a large splitting maul as they don't have the weight behind them, it's all about the speed with them. Here in the states they also have a lifetime warranty, which is great. I let a buddies kid try mine out, he swung just past the round and nailed the handle on it, it busted the head right off. Had I not seen it myself I would not have believed it as I had over swung it myself and never had a problem, not sure if I started the fracture and he finished it or if he hit the perfect spot. I contacted fiscars and the said get online and follow the instructions, put my name and address in and sent pics, they sent me a new one free of any extra charges. What's not to like about that .

Come on Brett , take ur pick lol

 

[Kodiak Kid]

A good sharp edge at entry , and a wider profile to finish it off .

Most definitely! I actually prefer the eight pound maul over the 6lb council fir that very reason! A good powerful and snappy swing technique is also key IMOP!

 

[JimR]

Well... you see, here's the problem: I *DID* get my knee replaced. Not that it was a joy before the surgery, but I was still playing basketball on it up until the week before my total knee replacement. Now, with the new knee I am much worse off going on 6 months. Most of the stories from guys like you talk about how great it is and often say they wish they had done it sooner.

This has been the worst experience of my life. I've had foot surgery and ACL surgery that I've recovered from very well and quickly without complications. In fact, the operation on my foot was the best decision I ever made healthwise (one doctor told me that I'm the only individual that he's ever met where that procedure was successful.) So this is not how *I* typically recover.

I should be the ideal candidate from age, health, weight, activity, history, etc. and it has not turned out that way. I even went with this surgeon based on multiple recommendations including a colleague's wife who works in the hospital - he also had his done by this doctor. I've been to 55 PT sessions and they finally discharged me because it wasn't working - and not for lack of trying different things. 2 doctors and my PT therapist had been telling me that this is normal and it just takes time. I'm done with that BS and they have all finally admitted that something is wrong (as I've said from the beginning.) I had a CT scan on Friday and am waiting to meet with the doctor to review it.

Sorry if I sound short, but a new knee is not a good recommendation to me right now. If I could, I would trade back for the bone on bone in a heartbeat. But I hope they figure it out and I get to be happy with it in the end.

All I can say is WOW. I think somebody screwed up. That was how I ended up getting a knee replacement. I overextended my knee and popped a Bakers cyst on the backside of my knee. I had an MRI done and was told that I had a torn meniscus and torn cartilage. Surgeon went in and cleaned it out. He told me I would be like new in 3 months. In that 3 months I had my knee drained 3 times. I saw the surgeon again and he asked how my knee was doing. I told him it was worse now than before he touched it. His reply was that there was nothing else he could do for it. I called Workmans Comp and they ask me where I wanted to go to see a new doctor. I told them Boston. They arranged everything. I had another appointment date the next afternoon and had an MRI scheduled for that Friday. I saw the new doctor a week later. She connected me with a knee surgeon and less than 2 months I had a new knee. I hope you can find a good doctor to fix that knee for you.

 

[LondonNeil]

I've never used a nice wooden handled splitting axe, but I do like the two fiscars splitting axes I have. I prefer the x27 over the x25 (iirc) even though I'm not real tall (5'7"). They are different than using a large splitting maul as they don't have the weight behind them, it's all about the speed with them. Here in the states they also have a lifetime warranty, which is great. I let a buddies kid try mine out, he swung just past the round and nailed the handle on it, it busted the head right off. Had I not seen it myself I would not have believed it as I had over swung it myself and never had a problem, not sure if I started the fracture and he finished it or if he hit the perfect spot. I contacted fiscars and the said get online and follow the instructions, put my name and address in and sent pics, they sent me a new one free of any extra charges. What's not to like about that .

Wood handles and a nice head can be good too.

It's only a 5 year warranty here I think, but they're pretty good and they are very tough.

That's pretty cool indeed! I guess it's kinda hard to re-handle a Fiskars axe bit anyway, aren't they epoxied or something?

With the maul, most effort goes into lifting it, indeed. On a lot of (small enough/straight grained) wood I basically just let it fall, paying more attention to my aim than to applying force.

I have seen one rehandled on YouTube. It must have been hard work though!

 

[H-Ranch]

I hope you can find a good doctor to fix that knee for you.

I believe your original surgeon probably did do everything he could. But he was likely not a knee replacement surgeon. My ACL surgeon from 12 years ago couldn't do anything further for me now either.

I'm not quite ready to blame the surgeon or PT yet, though I did feel they were dismissive of my concerns. (And I'm sure they get that a lot, where patients think that they are progressing too slowly for their expectations - so even that I feel they were guided by experience.) The doctor did get me in quickly for XRay and exam each time I asked for a follow up. The last time we talked I let him know in no uncertain terms that I was done with the "everything is fine" BS and we were going to do something different. So now I have his attention - we'll see what further exams show.

I'm glad it worked out for you and look forward to the day I can tell a similar happy ending.

 

[dancan]

Says dancan from nova Scotia, I wonder if he knows WCC?

Been busy as all get out over the last bit , I ain't dead yet but the wife has instructions "in the event" .
Shoot me a pm if'n y'all want my number or email , i'll converse with any or all of y'all lol
Not burning wood but still look at downed trees with lust in my eyes .
WCC send me a pm .
That wasn't a Caravan , Pontiac SV6 btw , jus sayin

 

[WoodAbuser]

Been busy as all get out over the last bit , I ain't dead yet but the wife has instructions "in the event" .
Shoot me a pm if'n y'all want my number or email , i'll converse with any or all of y'all lol
Not burning wood but still look at downed trees with lust in my eyes .
WCC send me a pm .
That wasn't a Caravan , Pontiac SV6 btw , jus sayin

We were just worried u were pizzed off at us.

 

[JimR]

No question in my mind, the 60 will spank the 50 with either chain. The real question to ask would be, is the 50 faster with the 325 or the 3/8.

I was going thru my bars and chains and found a 3/8 small frame that will fit the 550XP. The only problem is that it is a 20 inch setup. I also found 2 18 inch bars but they are both .325 spockets.

 

[Squareground3691]

It’s time to stoke the stove for the months ahead .

 

[dancan]

We were just worried u were pizzed off at us.

Been using Brave as a browser , with all the ad filters turned on , as don't work .
Had to reload SRWare Iron to browse .
Was still in the 60's up here in Igloo , should start to drop this week .

 

[JimR]

I believe your original surgeon probably did do everything he could. But he was likely not a knee replacement surgeon. My ACL surgeon from 12 years ago couldn't do anything further for me now either.

I'm not quite ready to blame the surgeon or PT yet, though I did feel they were dismissive of my concerns. (And I'm sure they get that a lot, where patients think that they are progressing too slowly for their expectations - so even that I feel they were guided by experience.) The doctor did get me in quickly for XRay and exam each time I asked for a follow up. The last time we talked I let him know in no uncertain terms that I was done with the "everything is fine" BS and we were going to do something different. So now I have his attention - we'll see what further exams show.

I'm glad it worked out for you and look forward to the day I can tell a similar happy ending.

Yup, the first surgeon was an orthoscopic surgeon. I do hope your next visit with this doctor or a new one can find the solution to the problem. This Fall I did 8 miles of hiking on it in one day with no issues at all. That included climbing up and down some rocky trails. Hopefully you can say the same in the near future.

 

[JimR]

I scrounged this 455 Rancher today for $30. It is a 2017 homeowner use that got straight gassed. The piston and cylinder are scored. I also have another 455 Rancher from a friend for free that got run over. The crushed saw runs great but the fuel tank is split open. It also has about 1/4 of the 2nd cooling fin from the top missing. Question is, do I just swap the top and piston from the running saw or go with a new aftermarket kit? If so on a kit, what brand? The last saw I rebuilt was back in 2005. It was a 262XP.

 

[U&A]

Man what a good mix. Took some time on this one The only thing i wish i had was ash. Thats in a pile ready for January and February. That stuff will give me 14-18 hours.

Left to right this is going in the stove tomorrow morning for a 12-14 hour burn.

-three black locus
-two maple that seem to be pretty lightweight (burn hot)
-three REALLY hard maple
-one cherry
-two white oak

Fun stuff. Hope all is well guys.

 

[H-Ranch]

Left to right this is going in the stove tomorrow morning for a 12-14 hour burn.

Wow, and I thought I was bad trying to segregate stacks by wood species. Do you use some kind of Dewey Decimal System to catalog your splits?

 

[U&A]

Wow, and I thought I was bad trying to segregate stacks by wood species. Do you use some kind of Dewey Decimal System to catalog your splits?

No

I was just playing around when filling the wood bin on the porch.

 

[Logger nate]

If you favor an axe over a maul fir splitting by hand. May I suggest a 6lb. Council with a 36" handle.

6lb. Council next to an eighth pound maul.
View attachment 1031946

Fir back country felling, limbing and even recreational or competition throwing? A hand forged Gransfors Bruk is hard to beat! I've never experienced any other axe as sharp or stay sharp as long as a GB! Spendy, but well worth it. When you tap on a GB with a screw driver or bar wrench? You will here a familiar "ting" unlike tapping on any other axe of cheaper steel.
View attachment 1031948View attachment 1031947

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

Ever tried a fiskars?

 

[Sierra_rider]

Yep, ported they do well running 3/8x20" as they are over 4hp, a 550mk2 does a decent job pulling it if you keep the rakers a bit taller than I normally do. Running square chain also helps as it take a good bit less power to pull it compared to round.
And as I said earlier if you run a shorter bar 3/8 is fine onna stocknor muffler modded 50cc, but I like at least an 18" for the reach as you were saying about the 20" on your 550mk1 on my 50cc saws, I run 3/8x20" on my ported 261, it pulls it great.

I like the 261s, they're strong runners, yet still light. I picked them out for little brush saws at work, when we got the go ahead to replace some tired 026/260s...they all run 3/8-20 chisel chain, but the bar length is purely for reach. I don't run them much, especially with the bar buried, but I did use one to cut my 462R's bar out of a big oopsie.

I built my mk1 550 with the intention of being able to bury that 20". I could've built a faster "cookie cutter" saw, but was chasing torque rather than rpm. I honestly don't run a 50cc that much, almost all of my cutting is done with my climbing saws or my ms400+ sized saws. The intent with this 550 was to be a larger saw I could carry on my dirt bike to cut big deadfall in the spring...stuff that is very much outside of the range of one of my climbing saws w/16" bars