Cutting many green oaks soon. Will it be drier in a month? 2?

[Moddoo]

A friend of mine is building a house.
The land is covered with 10"-12" diameter oaks.:jawdrop:
He needs to clear the area for the septic system.
Also, he wants a backyard, so needs to clear about 40 trees back there too.

He says I can have whatever I can cut.

We need to have the septic area cleared by mid october.

Do you guys know if the trees will be much drier if I wait a bit longer to clear the yard?

I don't need this wood for 09-10, but still want to cut it later if it will help.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Johnny Ringo]

I'd get it while the getting is good. By next year it will be fine regardless. the way I look at it the sooner it starts drying the sooner it will get dry. good luck.

 

[woodbooga]

I'd guess that they's be somewhat drier. However, since this is a mutually beneficial favor you're doing, I'd get at it sooner rather than later. Your friend has the peace of mind knowing his property is set and you've got your wood.

Especially if you buck it to length. One of my favorite things to do is to split red oak during the winter.

 

[Wet1]

Sounds very similar to what I'm doing, but on a larger scale. This is what I've found seems to work very well...

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=74735

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Sounds like a good science project...get a moisture meter, leave one tree intact, buck another...test every month or so.

 

[mga]

just cut and split the wood and get it over with.

 

[Soilarch]

Based on my very limited experience this is what I would do.

Make a day of just felling. I suppose you won't be able to some, for one reason or another, but do as many as you can.

Wait a week. Assure you're friend you've not gotten lazy, and that you WANT to leave them there.

Then start in, systematically bucking them. The logs may not be any drier than if they'd sat in a stack for a week (or 3)...but you don't have to mess with the heavier logs of fresh-cut trees.


Everybody knows how they work best, but I'd also make entire days of bucking...entire days of limbing...entire days of brush-clearing. I find I can get more done when I'm able to get in XXXXX-mode and go go go go. Switching things up I tend to waste time transitioning. For me, the worst part of most any job is the changing from task a, to task b, back to task a, then task c, then task b....etc.

 

[Mike Van]

just cut and split the wood and get it over with.

:agree2: :agree2:

 

[Moddoo]

Thanks for all the input.

They will have 2 years to season either way.

I don't think we will drop them and wait.

I can only imagine the mess of dropping them all at once anyway!

I am excited to get started. He says we will start on Oct 4th.

I am no expert, but I see us dropping several then limb, buck, repeat.

Probably leave the rounds lay until we're done.

I don't want to stack rounds then split them later and re-stack.

I guess it all depends on how much time we have.


:greenchainsaw:

 

[Mike Van]

Just me, but I like to keep the work area as clear as I can - When you start tripping over brush, rounds, whatever, it's time to move them out. Dropping 30 or 40 trees into one big mess is something I try to avoid. Drop some, clean up, do some more is a good strategy.

 

[mga]

Probably leave the rounds lay until we're done.

sometimes not a good idea. the rain and ground will soak in and make them extremely wet and expedite rot, not to mention a welcome for bugs under the bark.

drop the trees, cut them up and haul away ASAP. if you can't split them right away, at least stack the rounds off the ground on skids, boards, or anything.

just don't leave them sitting on the ground.

 

[Lignum]

just cut and split the wood and get it over with.

:agree2: :agree2: :agree2:

 

[logbutcher]

Listen: oak is a worthless wood for firewood. Don't fight it drying or worry about what to do.
Here's what to do: buck it up, then split. Take the cords of CSD oak on pallets and place them on a flatcar to Bangor, Maine where two of us here Downeast will pick it up and use it. Thank you. PM the ETA ?

 

[Moddoo]

sometimes not a good idea. the rain and ground will soak in and make them extremely wet and expedite rot, not to mention a welcome for bugs under the bark.

drop the trees, cut them up and haul away ASAP. if you can't split them right away, at least stack the rounds off the ground on skids, boards, or anything.

just don't leave them sitting on the ground.

Agreed,
however, I imagine several loose piles of rounds only sitting for a couple weeks.

I'm gonna see if he'll let me get in there this weekend...

 

[Moddoo]

Listen: oak is a worthless wood for firewood. Don't fight it drying or worry about what to do.
Here's what to do: buck it up, then split. Take the cords of CSD oak on pallets and place them on a flatcar to Bangor, Maine where two of us here Downeast will pick it up and use it. Thank you. PM the ETA ?

LOL
believe me man. I don't ever take the oaks for granted.
They are everywhere near me.
It's awesome getting hardwoods so easily.

Fell free to come visit and take home what you can cut!