Wedges and Cold Weather

[flyboy553]

I been out cutting these last couple days in the sub zero weather we been having. I was having trouble with my wedges busting when I tapped them in to the back cut to fell the trees. Wrecked two of 'em before I was done. I have the yellow Oregon ones, about the only ones I can find locally.

Yeah, easy answer is to not cut in this cold of weather, but I am behind, dang it and have no choice.

Anyone else have this problem? Any one brand better in cold weather than another?

Oh, I posted this in the loggers forum, but apparently ya gotta have redwood chips in yer boots to get a reply there!:msp_confused: And I am fresh outta them!


Ted

 

[Mad Professor]

You can make some hardwood wooden wedges. Crude ones made on spot are quite effective.

 

[Jakers]

im all ears here as well. break mine every time i go out below about 20 degrees

 

[RandyMac]

I been out cutting these last couple days in the sub zero weather we been having. I was having trouble with my wedges busting when I tapped them in to the back cut to fell the trees. Wrecked two of 'em before I was done. I have the yellow Oregon ones, about the only ones I can find locally.

Yeah, easy answer is to not cut in this cold of weather, but I am behind, dang it and have no choice.

Anyone else have this problem? Any one brand better in cold weather than another?

Oh, I posted this in the loggers forum, but apparently ya gotta have redwood chips in yer boots to get a reply there!:msp_confused: And I am fresh outta them!


Ted

Keep them warm, they won't break as easy. I put them in my back pockets, it was enough.

 

[flyboy553]

Keep them warm, they won't break as easy. I put them in my back pockets, it was enough.

I will try that tomorrow! Sounds logical enough. Thanks!

Ted

 

[stihl023/5]

Just dont slip and fall with them back there or you will have a wedge.

 

[Herd8497]

Keep them warm, they won't break as easy. I put them in my back pockets, it was enough.

A cracked wedge is much better than a wedge in your crack

 

[hunter h]

You can make some hardwood wooden wedges. Crude ones made on spot are quite effective.

I agree with the professor. All the years my dad was logging he never bought a wedge they were all made out of wood. The good thing about that is you can make them the size you want. I have some I cut out of maple if I break one lose it or cut it I have not lost any thing.

 

[cnice_37]

your avatar and your topic

mine too?

Always in the back pocket... what's the solution to stop cutting them?!

 

[Gologit]

I been out cutting these last couple days in the sub zero weather we been having. I was having trouble with my wedges busting when I tapped them in to the back cut to fell the trees. Wrecked two of 'em before I was done. I have the yellow Oregon ones, about the only ones I can find locally.

Yeah, easy answer is to not cut in this cold of weather, but I am behind, dang it and have no choice.

Anyone else have this problem? Any one brand better in cold weather than another?

Oh, I posted this in the loggers forum, but apparently ya gotta have redwood chips in yer boots to get a reply there!:msp_confused: And I am fresh outta them!


Ted

Sub-zero weather? What's that?

Ted, I've never cut in weather that cold, and I hope I never do, but I think most plastic wedges would be brittle at that temp. I've had them shatter at 20 degrees but they were well used and probably should have been replaced anyway.

Just keep your head out of the way and hit 'em square.

 

[flyboy553]

Sub-zero weather? What's that?

Ted, I've never cut in weather that cold, and I hope I never do, but I think most plastic wedges would be brittle at that temp. I've had them shatter at 20 degrees but they were well used and probably should have been replaced anyway.

Just keep your head out of the way and hit 'em square.

Bob, you wouldn't be sneakily suggesting steel wedges now, would ya? :msp_scared: I know you're a big fan of them for felling!

Ted

 

[Gologit]

Bob, you wouldn't be sneakily suggesting steel wedges now, would ya? :msp_scared: I know you're a big fan of them for felling!

Ted

Yup, I love steel wedges...especially that load I took to the scrap yard.

They have their place but I don't see any real need for them in the kind of wood most guys cut. They were handy in big, and by big I mean at least 48", soft wood like cedar or Redwood. The small plastic wedges would get pushed right into the wood if the cut started to close on you and the big paddle shaped metal wedges would help prevent that. Sometimes.

We'd also take a double kerf in the back cut sometimes, notch it out, and lay a limb in there if a tree wanted to set back. That worked. Sometimes.

And splitting wedges being used for falling wedges? Only in an absolute emergency.

 

[flyboy553]

Yup, I love steel wedges...especially that load I took to the scrap yard.

They have their place but I don't see any real need for them in the kind of wood most guys cut. They were handy in big, and by big I mean at least 48", soft wood like cedar or Redwood. The small plastic wedges would get pushed right into the wood if the cut started to close on you and the big paddle shaped metal wedges would help prevent that. Sometimes.

We'd also take a double kerf in the back cut sometimes, notch it out, and lay a limb in there if a tree wanted to set back. That worked. Sometimes.

And splitting wedges being used for falling wedges? Only in an absolute emergency.

Just giving you some crap inre: steel wedges and felling. was reading the thread where you had a minor disagreement with someone on that subject!

Ted

 

[Jakers]

hey ted, what are you using to smack your wedges with? i have heard some guys started using a dead blow hammer. maybe that would be just soft enuf on the wedges to not shatter them? im gonna try it when i need to start felling again but as for now im still cleaning up downed stuff

 

[One Shot Will]

I was using a dead blow hammer and that cracked too!!
My solution was to quit cutting till it warms up a bit.
Besides my back will not let me cut for a while anyway.

 

[Cbird14]

i think im gonna whittle a couple outta som ironwood:msp_biggrin:

 

[flyboy553]

Jakers, I have been hitting them with my 3.5 lb splitting axe. I followed RandyMac's advice today and put them in my back pocket. I didn't have any of them get broke today so it worked!

Also, if you go up to the logging forum and read the replies I finally got up there, they recommend some other wedges that can be ordered online. Apparently they are made to withstand cold weather, albeit a bit more spendy than the Oregons I can get here.

I only cut 1 load today(1/2+ cord) due to the winds picking up into the mid twenties. With all the widowmakers out there and all the dead branches associated with standing dead oak, I didn't feel very safe out there.

In fact, the trees I did cut down, I limbed them out real quick and dragged the log out to an open area so I wouldn't have to be looking all over the place instead of at what I was cutting. Of course, then you get to deal with that dang wind!:msp_angry:

Nice thing about cutting in winter is that one can drag a log as far as you need to without getting any dirt on the log! I dragged 7 logs out to the clearing, 2.5 of them filled my truck (probably more full than it should have been).

Ted

 

[allstihl]

bought a case of green wedges from baileys on sale. the cold dont seem to bother them. -11 this am no problems.

 

[flyboy553]

bought a case of green wedges from baileys on sale. the cold dont seem to bother them. -11 this am no problems.

ok, I just have to ask: Did you actually use them today?

Ted

 

[allstihl]

ok, I just have to ask: Did you actually use them today?

Ted

yes