Bucking Tricks?

[Gypo Logger]

Since falling and bucking on the landing are two seperate jobs, most loggers have a different saw for each job. The best is to buck straight off the log arch of a skidder, unless there are multiple stems in the hitch. Wedges are a great asset as well.
When bucking for firewood in the 8-16" dia class, a branch can be left attached to the bodywood to use as a means of leverage to turn the log.
The quickest production in firewood comes from cutting 3/4 thru, then rolling the whole piece and completing the cut by putting the tip in the established kerf and cutting your way out.
John

 

[Hemlock]

One more thing can save the chain is a trick we use in land clearing when pushing trees over and the roots throw dirt over on top of the log or if you get a bunch of chips in the way. Some saw models have a muffler that if you turn it just right it'll act like a leaf blower and blow loose stuff off. Gotta keep an eye on the bar while your at it though. It really does surprise you what a well driven wedge can do but you sort of commit yourself to going all the way with your cut on log length stuff if you sink your wedge. Sometimes you play heck trying to get it back out if she don't break loose right.

 

[buckwheat]

The quickest production in firewood comes from cutting 3/4 thru, then rolling the whole piece and completing the cut by putting the tip in the established kerf and cutting your way out.

I do this alot, but I wonder sometimes about the safety aspect of cutting by pulling the saw up towards you. Yah, I have the saw under control, but ....

 

[che]

Two possibly 'dumb questions':

The quickest production in firewood comes from cutting 3/4 thru, then rolling the whole piece and completing the cut by putting the tip in the established kerf and cutting your way out.

1) Why would that be quicker or more efficient than cutting 3/4 thru, rolling the whole thing....than just cutting down to meet that cut??

2) What's a 'landing'?

 

[Jacob J.]

A landing is an area where turns of logs are yarded to and sorted, processed, and prepared for shipment.

 

[buckwheat]

If its a large log, you can't necessarily see both "ends" of where the previous cut stopped, especially if you cut at a slight angle. By going into the kerf, the bar feeds right into the first cut, and then you just pull up and out of it.

 

[IndyIan]

I use the cut 3/4 through and roll method unless I can cut straight through. I always have my felling lever with a cant hook on it so I can roll big mostly round logs with no problems with out carrying the 5 ft long peavy around...

Also if there is a dirty side I'll put it on the bottom, do the 3/4 cut and then roll the log around 1/3 of a rotation away from me and then finish the cut from the top which means the chain exits through the dirt instead of pulling it into the cut. I find it amazing how much dirt you can go through this way with dulling the chain too much.

Ian

 

[che]

Thanks...the only 'landing' I know of is the ungraceful one I did trying to get into the truck this morning out in the snow.

I can see that. I'm working with smaller stuff....and even then sometimes I have to kind of look around to see where the ends are (and hopefully hit them.) I'll try that technique Monday....good timing. I pulled some logs out of a big pile of ancient hedge so I wouldn't have to play billy-goat. They're easy to get to now....but full of dirt on the side that was on the ground on the short trip.....I was going to wait for a rain, but I'll try the alternate route instead.

Thanks again.
Che

 

[ricksvar]

Always better the position the bar so the chain cuts thru the clean wood and exits on the dirty side of the cut,as opposed to cutting thru the dirt and pulling it into the cut.

Rick

 

[Typhoon]

Thanks for all of the replies guys! Im gonna take the advice!! Also, IndyIan, where did you get that tool?? It looks really nice. Looks like im going to be buying one. I sometimes use a long prybar.

 

[topnotchtree]

How many guys do you know shove sticks or wedges under a stump while flushing it so the weight of the stump don't bind the saw? If you wedge the back of the stump, the minute the saw goes thru it will still set on your bar. This trick will be hard to explain with out pics but I will try. Stop the saw and put only 2 wedges,twigs, pieces of bark, whatever is handy, in the cut. Put the pieces close to the blade of the saw on each side of stump. When you cut through the stump, the stump should rock back to where you started the cut and open up where you finish. Make sense?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Bigger stumps I cut 3/4 through, slap a wedge in, and cut on through.

Doesn't everyone do this?

 

[topnotchtree]

Where do you put the wedge? this sounds silly to discuss because its not a really big problem for most poeple. if you put your wedge in the back of the stump where you started the cut, the other half of the stump will sit on your bar as soon as you cut it off. If you set your wedge two thirds of the way through your cut, your wedge will act like a teeter totter and the cut through side of the stump will raise up off your bar instead of setting down on it.

 

[che]

Like this?:

 

[topnotchtree]

wow che, you spent some time on that. You need to make sure your wedges are more closer to the cut-thru side of the stump. As your picture shows, there will be more stump weight on the cut thru side of the stump than the backside. You need to position the wedges closer to the cut thru side of the stump.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I put the wedge on the opposite side of where I'm gonna come out - basically.

 

[che]

more like this?:

 

[topnotchtree]

More like that!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Is this a troll?

 

[Hemlock]

Nice trick Topnotch. I've always started out like Butch and added a wedge or two towards the other side to keep from pinching. I like your way better because it gets the teeter-totter thing working for you instead of against you. Confused me until I saw the diagrams because I was thinking we were still talking about bucking horizontal wood. Do ya think that guy in the new Bailey's catalog knows that trick?