Marc
New member
I took down two big ash trees, with help from my dad, this weekend, and in the process, expanded my firewood supply for next year by a great deal.
The first one is the big one, about 40" diameter, I took down for friends of my folks. It has been dead for a few years, and as you can see in the pic's below, starting rotting from the center. I'm glad I didn't wait any longer on this one. The only hazards were a fence line, directly behind the tree, and the six herefords contained within. We had to distract them with some grain, because for some reason they were very interested in my 372... and my dad's friend told me they'd be hamburger eventually, but didn't need all that much all at once.:dunce:
Anyway, here's me, that's a 24" bar and I'm 5'11" for reference-
And here's a shot of the butt.
I cut in from the left first (as you look at the pic) and then back barred the other side of the back cut. It went before I finished squaring the hinge wood, but I was pretty happy with it. Face may have been a little deep in retrospect, especially since there was center rot, but I got it dead on where I wanted it in a controlled manner. I had three wedges in the back just to be safe as the crown was pretty spread out, but well balanced.
Cutting it down for firewood, that's my dad in the foreground. The barn where the beef animals are kept is in the background. I've got steel cleats on for stability on the log. It was actually better footing standing on the downed wood than the snow.
Take me to your leader.... (that was a pun, get it? ok, sorry, really bad tree humor)
I have NO idea what I'm doing with my ax in this picture... I think I might have been picking up stuff because I'm pretty sure I've got a wedge in my other hand.
And this is the only shot I have of the other nice ash, totally dead, I dropped. This was smaller, about 25" dbh, but probably close to the same height, as it had a lot more competition where it was growing.
Went well, I cut an asymmetric hinge purpously on this one because I was aiming about 50 degrees off the natural lean. Again, went exactly where I aimed it.
Ought to be enough wood between those to trees for 1/2 to 2/3's a winter for me.
The first one is the big one, about 40" diameter, I took down for friends of my folks. It has been dead for a few years, and as you can see in the pic's below, starting rotting from the center. I'm glad I didn't wait any longer on this one. The only hazards were a fence line, directly behind the tree, and the six herefords contained within. We had to distract them with some grain, because for some reason they were very interested in my 372... and my dad's friend told me they'd be hamburger eventually, but didn't need all that much all at once.:dunce:
Anyway, here's me, that's a 24" bar and I'm 5'11" for reference-
And here's a shot of the butt.
I cut in from the left first (as you look at the pic) and then back barred the other side of the back cut. It went before I finished squaring the hinge wood, but I was pretty happy with it. Face may have been a little deep in retrospect, especially since there was center rot, but I got it dead on where I wanted it in a controlled manner. I had three wedges in the back just to be safe as the crown was pretty spread out, but well balanced.
Cutting it down for firewood, that's my dad in the foreground. The barn where the beef animals are kept is in the background. I've got steel cleats on for stability on the log. It was actually better footing standing on the downed wood than the snow.
Take me to your leader.... (that was a pun, get it? ok, sorry, really bad tree humor)
I have NO idea what I'm doing with my ax in this picture... I think I might have been picking up stuff because I'm pretty sure I've got a wedge in my other hand.
And this is the only shot I have of the other nice ash, totally dead, I dropped. This was smaller, about 25" dbh, but probably close to the same height, as it had a lot more competition where it was growing.
Went well, I cut an asymmetric hinge purpously on this one because I was aiming about 50 degrees off the natural lean. Again, went exactly where I aimed it.
Ought to be enough wood between those to trees for 1/2 to 2/3's a winter for me.
