Taking down a large lawn Oak

[rwoods]

Jere39,

Good job wrapping up the bucking.

We previously discussed your friend's saw, now it is your saw - don't you know you should have bought a new super duper ported big bore saw to buck that tree?

Seriously, it is good to see a man just go to work and get the job done. Prior to this season which I had to sit out due to an injury, I cut with a firewood ministry that provides firewood to folks in need. One of our regular volunteers is in his mid-eighties and for several seasons he bucked with a 31cc saw and a 12" bar. He regularly produced more firewood than many of the more youthful volunteers wielding much more powerful saws. Beside experience, the main difference was he just went to work and stayed at it. IMO, at the end of the day, generally the man holding the tool accounts for far more than the size of the tool.

This post is my around the barn way to say I admire the work ethic you display and I hope it does not go unnoticed by the many of us who endlessly pursue the latest, greatest, biggest and fastest with the belief that such is necessary to get the job done.

Keep up the good work.

Ron

 

[Jere39]

Thanks guys for continuing to follow my thread. And, Thanks Ron. You nailed it, I know I could have spent a lot more, and own several saws. But, to be honest, I don't cut one this big but about once a year. If this were in my woods, I would have let it stand another couple years to drop a whole lot more of those branches before cutting it down.

I don't participate in an official or named charity/ministry, but I did donate three cord of wood to a family whose oil burner is broken, and they can't afford to repair it. They were all sleeping on the kitchen floor with the oven door open on a gas oven till I heard from a friend about their situation.
Anyway, I think this was the coldest February on record around here, and a good year from the firewood pile, so I was happy to contribute.

Another busy day here, my friend with the 24" bar stopped by to haul another load to the family mentioned above, and to clean up the face of one of those rounds I intend to use as a table on my deck. Long-ish video, watch if interested.



This is what it looks like now:



Haven't figured how I'm going to move it yet. Also took another slice off the stump, and couldn't even knock it off, so I started whittling around the edges:



I am still stacking the smaller rounds, and the splits from the limbs:



More to go, but, the forecast for more snow tomorrow will likely mess with my afternoon plans. Thanks again for following, and commenting.

 

[zogger]

Looking better and better!

How'd ya like to do one that size per week? You'd have a woodpile that would show easy on google earth!

 

[Jere39]

Looking better and better!

How'd ya like to do one that size per week? You'd have a woodpile that would show easy on google earth!

Both saw and sawyer are under powered for that.

 

[zogger]

Both saw and sawyer are under powered for that.

HAHAHAHAHA! I hear ya..I'd still be milking them lil branches out...

 

[740jsmayle]

Great thread Jere39
I took down a couple dead cherries at a neighbors. All those broken limbs are a lot of work. I cleaned up all the big stuff and when the snow melts I'll go rake the small stuff up .
Once again thanks for the pics and vids

 

[hardpan]

Get a sling shot with that throw line! (Couple poles too). Just read the directions and have fun.

Welcome to AS. I have watched with great interest the videos of arborists using throw bags. I bought one with a recommended quality line but have not used it yet. The slingshots made especially for the bags are down right expensive and effective but I have wondered about using a tennis ball thrower like the one I use daily when throwing balls for my golden retriever. Basically a cup at the end of a plastic stick. I am damn good with it. What do you think?

 

[moondoggie]

Give it a shot. Good idea!

 

[zogger]

Welcome to AS. I have watched with great interest the videos of arborists using throw bags. I bought one with a recommended quality line but have not used it yet. The slingshots made especially for the bags are down right expensive and effective but I have wondered about using a tennis ball thrower like the one I use daily when throwing balls for my golden retriever. Basically a cup at the end of a plastic stick. I am damn good with it. What do you think?

Well, go give it a shot!

 

[moondoggie]

Ty
for the welcome

 

[Oldman47]

View attachment 407818

Haven't figured how I'm going to move it yet. Also took another slice off the stump, and couldn't even knock it off, so I started whittling around the edges:

I agree with you. When I get my saw running I will be cutting a stump to length then splitting off what I can around the edges. With my 20 inch bar I will eventually get a complete cut of that 38 inch stump

 

[coltont]

That stump though.. Might want to post that in the advance felling thread.

 

[Oldman47]

No falling involved. The thing is only about 4 feet tall. I intend to make a deep cut right at my stove length then split it right where it is using my Fiskars. Once I am done with the first cut I will just do it again. When I get near the ground it will be time to stop. The "ideal" length for my stove is only 12 inches. I can load those splits N/S.

 

[coltont]

I was talking about the cut that took the tree down.

 

[Jere39]

I agree with you. When I get my saw running I will be cutting a stump to length then splitting off what I can around the edges. With my 20 inch bar I will eventually get a complete cut of that 38 inch stump

That stump though.. Might want to post that in the advance felling thread.

No falling involved. The thing is only about 4 feet tall. I intend to make a deep cut right at my stove length then split it right where it is using my Fiskars. Once I am done with the first cut I will just do it again. When I get near the ground it will be time to stop. The "ideal" length for my stove is only 12 inches. I can load those splits N/S.

I was talking about the cut that took the tree down.

Thanks, I guess. I probably wasn't clear. That last slice off the stump is cut through, just this 62 year old back wasn't able to lift it off the base. So, I split around the edges to make it more manageable

 

[Oldmaple]

Welcome to AS. I have watched with great interest the videos of arborists using throw bags. I bought one with a recommended quality line but have not used it yet. The slingshots made especially for the bags are down right expensive and effective but I have wondered about using a tennis ball thrower like the one I use daily when throwing balls for my golden retriever. Basically a cup at the end of a plastic stick. I am damn good with it. What do you think?

I just pull a loop of line through the ring on the bag and throw it underhanded. A little practice and you can hit crotches 50' up pretty easily.

 

[Oldman47]

Jere, my 67 year old back won't take much either. I really liked what you were doing but see no need to move any of that round until it is split. Why move it from a nice stable splitting base?

 

[Jere39]

Jere, my 67 year old back won't take much either. I really liked what you were doing but see no need to move any of that round until it is split. Why move it from a nice stable splitting base?

The only one I want to move before splitting is the one I intend to make a table out of, the one I am standing beside. I used to have a hood off a 1950 Chevy panel truck that I used to flop large stuff on for moving it around in the snow. Sadly, I got married about 40 years ago and gave up a treasure trove of future useful stuff.

 

[Jere39]

One picture for three threads:

1. This is the stack of the firewood processed from the limbs of my lawn oak
2. This is my GT serving duty in hauling the rounds to a suitable splitting and stacking place
3. This is my Firewood Buddy - who is in charge of perimeter security for all timber operations

1. 

 

[Oldman47]

The only one I want to move before splitting is the one I intend to make a table out of, the one I am standing beside. I used to have a hood off a 1950 Chevy panel truck that I used to flop large stuff on for moving it around in the snow. Sadly, I got married about 40 years ago and gave up a treasure trove of future useful stuff.

Heck, I used to drive that 50 Chevy sedan delivery back in the late 70s. I added a nice 4 inch thick foam cushion to the back end and tossed my kids back there for long trips. The little 235 6 cylinder engine was a dream to work on and I completely rebuilt mine shortly after I bought the truck. The guy that bought it new sold it to me because he was retiring as a house painter. Have you ever seen a 1/4 inch thick layer of paint on the web between the truck body and the bumper?