Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[svk]

Ooh better put a gallon of bar oil in there too!

 

[svk]

The children were nestled all snug in their bed.....while the 550 told tales of its trip to @MillerModSaws saw spa.

 

[dancan]

Roll on the trailer split at homeView attachment 542985This is today project
I am 6ft 2 in 240 lbs 28 inches half way up the tree 44 at the notch
Heading out should have more pic's tonight

Just once ,I'd love to score a large oak , just once ,,,,

 

[woodchip rookie]

I'm not sure I would ever want to cut/buck/split a big oak. With the little saw I got and no gas splitter it would take me a month to get stackable splits out of it.

 

[nomad_archer]

I'm not sure I would ever want to cut/buck/split a big oak. With the little saw I got and no gas splitter it would take me a month to get stackable splits out of it.

Dont worry about the splitting part, there is no need for a hydro splitter with oak. I dont know what kind of saw you have but you can do a lot of cutting with a small saw. You want that good sized oak there are so many BTU's

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Dont worry about the splitting part, there is no need for a hydro splitter with oak. I dont know what kind of saw you have but you can do a lot of cutting with a small saw. You want that good sized oak there are so many BTU's

Agreed. I can split oak much faster and easier by hand than with a splitter (a basic one anyway). Skid log from woods, buck into rounds, split rounds right where they land, stack on pallet, wait two years, done.

Here's a 32" diameter round i did by hand. I split into small pieces. I counted 95 splits from one of these rounds.

 

[zogger]

Agreed. I can split oak much faster and easier by hand than with a splitter (a basic one anyway). Skid log from woods, buck into rounds, split rounds right where they land, stack on pallet, wait two years, done.

Here's a 32" diameter round i did by hand. I split into small pieces. I counted 95 splits from one of these rounds. View attachment 543226

Straight oak, yes, twisty stuff, no. I still have around two cord of oakzilla hanging around to split. Every single piece is a #$%^&&%! Maul sledge wedge, egads. I've had good straight oak that was a joy, you can rip! It really just depends.

 

[nomad_archer]

Straight oak, yes, twisty stuff, no. I still have around two cord of oakzilla hanging around to split. Every single piece is a #$%^&&%! Maul sledge wedge, egads. I've had good straight oak that was a joy, you can rip! It really just depends.

oakzilla was a special tree.

 

[nomad_archer]

I look at that leaf and I think oak yes, red oak well probably. There are variations and someone educated in this field could probably explain. Red oak is likely the best splitting of the oaks. You have a good find. Enjoy. This is the red oak leaf I am familiar with.

I thought the same thing. Possibly immature leaves. Here is a leaf from the red oak across the street which looks a lot like what you have.

 

[svk]

I thought the same thing. Possibly immature leaves. Here is a leaf from the red oak across the street which looks a lot like what you have.

Sometimes oak leaf palmation will vary by where the leaf is on the tree. More palmated towards the bottom as it's tougher to gather sunlight.

 

[MustangMike]

Straight oak, yes, twisty stuff, no.

I agree with Zogger 100%! Straight grain Oak can be as easy to split as Ash, but stuff with twisted grain, ripple grain or knots can be murder to split.

My ported 460s work great for bucking & noodling the large Oak, and I have a ported 066 "in process" from Randy.

If the wood was bucked a year ago, the splits dry much faster.

 

[hardpan]

Straight oak, yes, twisty stuff, no. I still have around two cord of oakzilla hanging around to split. Every single piece is a #$%^&&%! Maul sledge wedge, egads. I've had good straight oak that was a joy, you can rip! It really just depends.

Thanks zogger. IF oak is in the open or edge of a woods or fence row in can be a mother to split. Your oakzilla was a classic example. I bet you hauled away truck loads of noodles. LOL. The oak trees grown in the middle of woods act like an altogether different species. I still will not pass up the ornery ones. Love the BTU's and the long storage times.

 

[zogger]

Small load of cherry, oak and pine, with the battery saw. Split and stacked 4 wheelbarrows so far from this load (whatever needed splitting). Looks to be about six total, just now getting to the larger diameter stuff. One more hit with the battery saw and switch to a gas saw. I think that kowalski mule could tote double that with tall sides.

 

[al-k]

the bigger piece in the middle was about 30" and i had to quarter it with the saw, it's tough to get old. I just could not lift it.

 

[zogger]

View attachment 543359 the bigger piece in the middle was about 30" and i had to quarter it with the saw, it's tough to get old. I just could not lift it.

Looks to be around almost 3 cubic feet, 150-170 lbs.

 

[Hoosk]

I was really needing an adventure, so I headed out into our fresh snow. Didn't feel like getting stuck with the trailer, so scrounged bobtail.

Edit: Steep sidehilling or poor photographer?

 

[SeMoTony]

I'm not sure I would ever want to cut/buck/split a big oak. With the little saw I got and no gas splitter it would take me a month to get stackable splits out of it.

call a local csm operator on the large oak . 1st last & side cuts are fire wood rest is lumber.

 

[svk]

Made it into the hunting cabin today but it was a challenge. Snow was pretty deep plus I slid off the road in one spot and got stuck in the mud which was not frozen at all.

Luckily I'm pretty good at being able to walk a vehicle through tough areas without spinning and digging in so I got out. But the last half mile into the cabin and turning around probably took me close to two hours.

Ran the saws on one big (and pretty solid) aspen that was partially blown over. Each saw got some run time and found a couple more bugs that need to be worked out of the project saws.

This part of the road was easy as it had been plowed before the last snow.


Had about a dozen small maples and balsams to clear that broke down during the wet snow in late November.


Temp at 10 am.


I had to back down to get another run and got sucked into the ditch. No frozen ground here!


Dropped this leaning aspen.


New bar, cuts straight now!



Shot this after running saws. Shoots nice!

Back at the cabin warming up and drying off.

 

[NGaMountains]

Wow, I don't envy you with all that snow. Heck I could have worked outside some today but passed because it was raining off and on. Man do I feel soft after seeing your day LOL! Well, the rain and Christmas presents and cards that need taken care of and time is drawing short!

 

[svk]

As I posted in another thread, I love winter but getting used to the cold after over a 50 degree drop in a week takes some getting used to.

I slipped when moving along that Aspen today and fell backwards over a small balsam into the snow and ended up with the 272 idling on top of me. Jabbed my leg good too with one of the spar branches.