How do i go about cutting this wood?

[Slamm]

This will be the fastest way to deal with that problem:

Sam

 

[stihl waters]

A 10in. table saw works pretty good as well, not a chainsaw job ne more.

 

[clayman]

Repetition: doing the exact same thing over and over, and the more times you have to do it, the worse, or the better, it becomes. The key is, if you want to do it quickly, and you may not as you get paid by the hour, is to eliminate saw down time, and wasted motion. You must get the wood off the stack, cut it, then re-stack it in some manner. Being an old retired contractor, I see a three man job. One guy brings the wood to the saw, one guy cuts it, and another moves the cut wood out of the way, and they all re-stack it. The trick is to keep the saw running and not laying on the ground waiting on wood. The danger is in working too fast, getting careless, and somebody gets hurt.

Doing it that way would make quick work of the job. Build a good saw jig, and set it close to the wood to be cut. make a work plan, then find two guys who will work for $5.00 hour, But even one extra guy would really speed it up.

 

[StihlyinEly]

Sam is right. Absolutely the safest (and most efficient) way to do the job. A 12-inch power chop or miter saw will allow you to cut through 5 inches of wood. I'd bet, since the birch is all split, most of the splits can be trimmed with one downcut of the saw. I've had to do the exact same job the OP is inquiring about, though with slightly less wood, and it worked great and was WAY safer than any type of chainsaw system.

If you don't have a 12-inch power saw like this one, tell her to spend the $ for a day's saw rental.

I second clayman's thoughts on efficiency. Sounds like you can get the same buddy to work with you. Maybe pick up a third guy? The cost savings in efficiency should make up for her paying a third guy.

 

[Somesawguy]

It sounds like a pain any way you cut it, but I would go with making a 24"x16"x48" box. Fill it with the 22" pieces, and go right down the middle Then just dump it over to get the pieces out of the way. If it's up on a couple pallets, that will help make it a little less awkward.

At least she isn't trying to get you to do it for free. :msp_scared:

 

[CentaurG2]

A three point hitch cordwood saw on the back of tractor would make short work of this job. A two man team should be able to cut 4 cords in under 2 hours with 2 hours to restack. A mornings worth of work.

 

[clayman]

Giving this a little more thought, and thinking what I would do if this were my problem, I think I would recommend cutting the wood down to 18", or what would fit the stove. That is way easier to do than cutting it in the middle. Nothing is really lost as you could still burn the 4" pieces in little chunks. Just make an 18" jig and cut off what sticks out (safer to hold), and it would be way easier to re-stack as it would only take half the time. Put all the little pieces in a card board boxes. It's easy to be penny wise and pound foolish in a case like this.

 

[tbow388]

My Idea

Take a larger log or stump that won't roll. Make 2x4 or 4x4 runners on the log. Set wood between runners, cut to whatever length you want. Wood stays put. This would be a easy button kinda thing. Especially if you have 2 people.

:msp_thumbup::msp_thumbup:

 

[mantis]

Sell the 22" wood to someone who can use it, then cut and split some 18" wood for her. Less work, more money. Just thinking about what she's asking you to do is making my head hurt. I also agree with the point others have made, cutting a bunch of split wood pieces in half with a chainsaw isn't safe. It's the wrong tool for a stupid job.

I was going to say the same think...You must be smart like I are:msp_thumbsup:

 

[fearofpavement]

Giving this a little more thought, and thinking what I would do if this were my problem, I think I would recommend cutting the wood down to 18", or what would fit the stove. That is way easier to do than cutting it in the middle. Nothing is really lost as you could still burn the 4" pieces in little chunks. Just make an 18" jig and cut off what sticks out (safer to hold), and it would be way easier to re-stack as it would only take half the time. Put all the little pieces in a card board boxes. It's easy to be penny wise and pound foolish in a case like this.

+1 on the above. Don't cut it in half. How would you stack it? Just shorten the wood to the appropriate length and the nubs can get thrown in boxes or crates. When you say "cords" are you referring to full 128 cu foot cords or face cords? Doing this to four full cords of wood is going to be a huge job. She should've gotten a stove that fit the wood.

 

[cberry121]

+1 on the above. Don't cut it in half. How would you stack it? Just shorten the wood to the appropriate length and the nubs can get thrown in boxes or crates. When you say "cords" are you referring to full 128 cu foot cords or face cords? Doing this to four full cords of wood is going to be a huge job. She should've gotten a stove that fit the wood.

its 4 full cords.. and i told her the same thing about the stove. shes not very bright, but that might be due to her age, i will run the 18" idea by her though.

 

[StihlyinEly]

its 4 full cords.. and i told her the same thing about the stove. shes not very bright, but that might be due to her age, i will run the 18" idea by her though.

Oooof, 4 full cords ain't gonna be any fun at all, no matter how you do it. :eek2:

Another thing about the power miter saw is you can set up a stop so every single cut produces an 18-inch split. Chainsawing down through groups of splits will make things a lot less exact, and you will either end up with some 15-16 inchers in order to ensure nothing over 18 inches or, if you try to get them all 18, you'll end up with some longer than that.

 

[Slamm]

Mitre saw will be quieter, safer, easier, uses her electricity, no chains to sharpen, more precise, easier on the back, faster, no setting up jigs and fixtures ......... you get the point.

Cut it into 18" lengths and pile the shorts, for throwing into the corner of the stove or "filler" pieces. I agree, that is better than halving them equally. Take the time to really stack them good with the nice, square, cut sides to the outside and it will be a very nice looking stack and she will be happy with the results.

Sam

 

[StihlyinEly]

Mitre saw will be quieter, safer, easier, uses her electricity, no chains to sharpen, more precise, easier on the back, faster, no setting up jigs and fixtures ......... you get the point.

Agreed on all counts. But you know, I do a lot of carpentry. This here is a chainsaw forum, so I think most really DON'T get the point, or don't WANT to. :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Slamm]

Agreed on all counts. But you know, I do a lot of carpentry. This here is a chainsaw forum, so I think most really DON'T get the point, or don't WANT to. :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

Right you are. I look at cutting wood as work or a pain in the butt, where as, most on here, view it as some sort of medicine or drug, which is fine, but I look at things from the point of getting it over with as quickly and easily (efficiently) as possible. Therefore the concept of picking up some old MAC and getting jackhammer'd around for 3 hours is not my idea of fun, but I do understand that others view it differently, and I there are and have been times when I couldn't cut wood for months and boy did I get the itch bad to run a chainsaw.

Don't want the moderator's to move this thread to the carpentry forum, LOL.

Sam

 

[StihlyinEly]

Don't want the moderator's to move this thread to the carpentry forum, LOL.

Carpentry forum? AS has a carpentry forum? Can't wait to go there and enter into the scintillating debates over which power compound miter saw model is better than the others. :msp_scared:

 

[turnkey4099]

That is a great idea, that isnt too hard to do, never thought of that, thanks!

Make the box some shorter than the bar - teh nose of the bar shouldn't be in the wood.

Also make the box at least as long as the sticks and cut down the middle. Much stabler. You would have to make it tall enough to keep the bottom chunks off the base though, or make the base thick enough to take a shallow cut.

Something like one bay of my limbwood sawbuck. Picture one bay with solid sides and a slot down the middle.

 

[maccall]

Take a look at this page, it has lot's of ideas for easy-to-make saw horses for among others also the situation you have. The text is in Swedish, but I think the photos and drawings will give you an idea about what to do. Should need arise I could translate parts of it for you, just ask.

I use one looking almost like the one on the second picture, only mine is made of metal and a bit bigger. Got no picture on that one tonight though.

Oh, I just saw the post above mine - that's the same principle!

 

[Slamm]

Guys seriously, if he just uses the Mitre Saw, there isn't any need for the loading and unloading of these saw boxes and other weird ideas. Just pull an extention cord over to the wood pile and begin peacefully cutting the wood quickly with an electric mitre saw. You would have 1/8 of it done before the contemplation of the saw box or saw bucks was even thought completely out and then made or ordered.

Sam

 

[Myarmistired]

Is she hot and can she file chain?