Firewooding pictures, or, Marc plays logger for a day

[Marc]

So... I had been eyeing up a big dead elm tree for a while below my house, and I finally decided, after it dropped another limb, it was time for it to come down. Most of the bark was missing on it after the initial split, and I wanted it down before it fell on it's own in the wrong direction, possibly into some other trees and getting hung up in the process.

I'd just like to put in a disclaimer- falling a big tree, especially a dead one, is nothing to take lightly. Don't try it unless you know what you're doing and you're confident in your falling and saw handling skills.

This one ended up being 32" dbh (diameter breast height). I was using a 72cc Husqvarna with a 24" GB Pro Top bar and a full comp 3/8" full chisel Carlton chain.

Pictures are low quality, taken with camera phones.

Me on the stump (I'm wearing a white hard hat in case you're wondering where the top of my head is)-

The tree on the ground (my dad on the left)-

Stump, wedge, single bit axe (perfect size for falling duty)-

 

[TheBEast]

Coming from a family of woodsmen, there is a certain joy of falling, cutting and splitting wood. Nice work......if only my 1/3 acre lot could afford me some trees to "utilize"......

 

[Warp Daddy]

Nice work guys ! How many cords do ya think you'll get out of that one ? Now it'll be Time for some tractor fun too

 

[Marc]

I could see there being a 1.5+ cords in this tree. I'll loose some in the trunk because I'll have to rip the rounds with the chainsaw because there ain't no way in hell I could split elm that big with a maul and wedges. I'd have better luck trying to split rocks.

 

[severine]

What a manly activity for the weekend.

Just teasing, Marc. You have my respect; I wouldn't be messing with something that could fall on and kill me.

 

[Marc]

Pfft, you damn right it was manly... otherwise, why would I be wearing orange chaps?

 

[from_the_NEK]

I've actually had pretty good luck splitting dead elm this year. Of course none of the trees I was working with were 32 inches in diameter, the largest I had were ~18 inches. If you don't need to burn this wood this year. Block it up and stack it off the ground without splitting it. Put a tarp over it to keep direct rain off of it. Let it sit until late next summer. Then try to split it. I found that the 18" pieces would pop pretty easily. If it is really stringy, the chainsaw is the best bet. Or, you may want to look into renting a wood splitter for a day (but just for the really hard stuff). I actually like chopping wood so I rarely use a wood splitter.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Nice..I've never split firewood..but I don't have a fireplace..more satisfying than buying artificial logs..serious firewood stoke!!!

 

[from_the_NEK]

Nice..I've never split firewood..but I don't have a fireplace..more satisfying than buying artificial logs..serious firewood stoke!!!

Chopping wood is an excellent stress reliever. Technically, you're beating the crap out of something and being productive at the same time 8)

 

[Marc]

Chopping wood is an excellent stress reliever. Technically, you're beating the crap out of something and being productive at the same time 8)

QF muthfeckin T.

There's nothing quite like the feel of an 8 lb maul blowing apart a round of red oak on a nice cold day.

 

[from_the_NEK]

That tree must have had one hell of a lean to one side .. from the picture your lucky you didn't drop that tree on your head. I see no fall notch ..looks like you pretty much cut straight through ..no angle cut about the notch..

It's all about the hinge and the position of the wedge. It is amazing how you can control where a tree falls with good wedge placement and good uniform hinge. I'm always trying to perfect this art.

 

[Marc]

That tree must have had one hell of a lean to one side .. from the picture your lucky you didn't drop that tree on your head. I see no fall notch ..looks like you pretty much cut straight through ..no angle cut about the notch..

I had a 70 degree open face cut about 1/3 the diameter of the tree, that closed when the tree fell (which is why you can't see it in the pics). I left 1.5 inches of hingewood. I was falling 30 degrees off the natural lean of the tree, and it fell exactly where I wanted it to fall. The biggest mistake I made was I should've left more hingewood because the tree was dead, but the trunk had no rot and it held fine. It was a grapevine that killed this one.

Horizontal back cuts only. That angled backcut stuff is dangerous and unnecessary.

 

[Greg]

from the picture your lucky you didn't drop that tree on your head.

Wouldn't have mattered. He was wearing a hard hat, remember?


:razz:

 

[Marc]

If you're still worried about me Uncle Jerry, I cross posted this on ArboristSite and had a couple of timber fallers in Oregon both say I did a good job with it.

I've also had some informal training from a graduate of the Paul Smith's forestry program.

How many people do you think would own kevlar chaps, a 70+ cc saw, falling wedges... hand sharpen his chains and has been cutting firewood all his live that would just take a single cut whack at a 32" dbh snag?

 

[Grassi21]

Great wood stoke

 

[Marc]

Wouldn't have mattered. He was wearing a hard hat, remember?


:razz:

...more so to protect against falling limbs broken loose from setting my wedges (which I did very gingerly).

 

[Greg]

...more so to protect against falling limbs broken loose from setting my wedges (which I did very gingerly).

I was teasing. Lighten up Francis. :smash:

 

[Marc]

I was teasing. Lighten up Francis. :smash:

I shoulda worn my ski helmet.

 

[Greg]

I shoulda worn my ski helmet.

Wearing both would have been the only reasonable way to protect yourself.

 

[o3jeff]

What are the chaps for? in case you snap a chain?