charlz
Elite Member
You _might_ be able to rent a larger saw to tackle the big parts.
How Long to wait for cutting up tree into Firewood?
- Thread starter deepNdirt
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You _might_ be able to rent a larger saw to tackle the big parts.
dave1949
Super Star Member
That's a good suggestion. Don't wait until your 20" saw is pinched tight in several tons of oak 10 minutes after the rental shop closes
Seriously, that's a lot of tree, take precautions, especially with the root ball not flopping back and the spring tension that is probably stored in the limbs.
Dave.
buckeyefarmer
Epic Contributor
I like to cut wood when it's cold. Plus it splits easy when frozen.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
I have two bars and several chains. If the bar gets pinched you just have to leave the stuck bar and chain in the tree. Then put on the replacement bar and chain to free the stuck bar and chain.
A 20 inch bar and chain is plenty big enough for the trees I have to handle. Though after Fran knocked down some big fat oaks at the wife's kin folks place I thought I might have to buy a 30+inch bar/chain. :confused2: Thankfully someone else cut that tree up.
Wood mostly dries through the end grain so the sooner it is cut into firewood length rounds the better. Having it split helps for sure but at least cut it to length ASAP. The wood we burn I cut from 12-18 inches long for the stove. I am lucky if it has 6-9 months to dry and that is long enough. I have managed to burn some wood that 2 years old but we did not see a difference between it and our usually aged firewood.
Later,
Dan
A 20 inch bar and chain is plenty big enough for the trees I have to handle. Though after Fran knocked down some big fat oaks at the wife's kin folks place I thought I might have to buy a 30+inch bar/chain. :confused2: Thankfully someone else cut that tree up.
Wood mostly dries through the end grain so the sooner it is cut into firewood length rounds the better. Having it split helps for sure but at least cut it to length ASAP. The wood we burn I cut from 12-18 inches long for the stove. I am lucky if it has 6-9 months to dry and that is long enough. I have managed to burn some wood that 2 years old but we did not see a difference between it and our usually aged firewood.
Later,
Dan
MossRoad
Super Moderator
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I have only had a stuck bar a couple times. Wedges and sledges do wonders to get them out. :thumbsup:
MarkV
Super Member
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An old growth Oak like that probably has some pretty good wood in it. You might want to check around and see if anyone that does portable milling would be interested in it. I don't think you will make money but you might get rid of the tree if you don't burn firewood.
MarkV
MarkV
OP
deepNdirt
Veteran Member
I took another look at this monster and it is not going to be any easy task,
the first challenge is trying to get across the creek, all this rain has cause the creek to also wash out the walk across bridge I built, and the tree has fell from one side of the creek to the other side, the large root ball prevents me from simply walking the tree log across, this tree sure looks a lot larger now that it's down then what it looked when it stood upright,
about 10 years ago I had pulp wooders come in and thin out the pines from our woods because of having so many pines of the ground several years prier due to the pine Beatles coming thru this area, the Pulp wooders made a real mess of things leaving the mess for me to clean up but back then I was younger and enjoyed working on my tractor, the pulp wooders had a large skid loader and could handle most all the pine tree's but I don't think even that machine could budge this oak, 2 years ago I watch the crew with their large machine clear 10 acres across from my property and was amazed with how fast they cleared it, (3 days) But they had a machine that would drive up to a tree clamp hold to it and saw it at the stump all in just 1 motion and was rolling with the tree upright position in a matter of 45 seconds, that is the machine I need :thumbsup:
I still have yet to get that lightning struck poplar down it my front yard, it worry's me evertime a storm comes up and yet now I have another to deal with
the first challenge is trying to get across the creek, all this rain has cause the creek to also wash out the walk across bridge I built, and the tree has fell from one side of the creek to the other side, the large root ball prevents me from simply walking the tree log across, this tree sure looks a lot larger now that it's down then what it looked when it stood upright,
about 10 years ago I had pulp wooders come in and thin out the pines from our woods because of having so many pines of the ground several years prier due to the pine Beatles coming thru this area, the Pulp wooders made a real mess of things leaving the mess for me to clean up but back then I was younger and enjoyed working on my tractor, the pulp wooders had a large skid loader and could handle most all the pine tree's but I don't think even that machine could budge this oak, 2 years ago I watch the crew with their large machine clear 10 acres across from my property and was amazed with how fast they cleared it, (3 days) But they had a machine that would drive up to a tree clamp hold to it and saw it at the stump all in just 1 motion and was rolling with the tree upright position in a matter of 45 seconds, that is the machine I need :thumbsup:
I still have yet to get that lightning struck poplar down it my front yard, it worry's me evertime a storm comes up and yet now I have another to deal with
Chuck52
Veteran Member
If you need lessons in how to get your saw stuck, I'd be happy to oblige. I have an uncanny ability to misread the stresses on a limb so that I can pick the exact wrong angle to start a cut from. I can't think of a single time using my Husky that I haven't gotten it stuck at least once. The only thing that has saved me from more stuck chains is my mastery of flooding the saw when trying to start it.
Chuck
dmccarty
Super Star Member
Long limbs aka levers work as well.
Usually when I get a bar pinched is topping a tree. It will be a wee little branch. Meaning 4-6 inches. Small but with too much weight to move.
Wedges wont work. Most of the time the long lever method works. Only once or twice have I had to cut out with an axe or handsaw. ONCE I had to leave the bar and chain in the tree. It was late in the day. Almost dark. I should NOT have tried to cut down this particular tree after a long day. But I tried. :confused2: The tree pinched the bar. Since a standing tree pinched the bar things were not going well.
Sanity returned. Better late than never.Left that bar and chain in the tree. Came back a week later and cut the tree down with my spare bar and chain.
Later,
Dan
mbohuntr
Platinum Member
It will dry faster if you "ring" it, or cut down thru the cambium layer into the hardwood. Cut a ring 3/4" deep all the way around the tree by the root ball, and it cannot feed itself from the root ball.