Electro Oak

[zogger]

One of two big oaks hit by lightning I need to deal with

This dude is big (big one, center of first pic), and would fall right in the pasture, and shed branches, etc, so better to get it now while the wood is still good and less bugs. Bark is starting to fall off and def dead, leaves never recovered after the lightning hit last spring. Then you can see it down, I chained and roped the trunk up above my head a little before felling, just in case it was cracked internally. I used a regular humbolt on it. I will give me an 8 out of 10 on the stump (but ya'all can razz me too, fun! hahahah). I used Rhino the echo 8000 for felling and bucking the trunk, Ferret the husky 246 for the one thousand branch pieces that are under all those leaves, and Simba the 365sp I will use to noodle the big rounds so I can lift them on the trailer later. That is still to be done, later on in the week I guess. Stump was 24 at the narrowest point, and 28 at the widest. Managed to get it to roll off gracefully where it was hung up by working from the top down, got to one branch holding it, blocked it underneath with hammered in rounds, cut it, gave it a tap with the axe and she rolled over sweet as you please right off that stump where it was wedged. Dang wish I had a video of that happening....one lb pressure at the right point and gravity took over, it was slick...

why yes, I do name my saws... some of them anyway...

Next lightning hit oak is bigger in the trunk by a lot, close to the house and stuff, but less branches, they mostly all fell off already except for some big ones, so I will be looking up a lot, plus run a big guide line for it anchored to the tractor. Gonna run twice as much chain and rope around the trunk to help insure the trunk stays together as well, I am suspicious of that one. This tree here was a practice (lightning struck killed dead) tree I wanted to do first. I have done lightning struck destroyed trees, or partly damaged, but none this big before. The branches can look just great, and they still fall off readily I have found....

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=315638&stc=1&d=1379982552
http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=315639&stc=1&d=1379982798
http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=315641&stc=1&d=1379982896
http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=315642&stc=1&d=1379983048
http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=315643&stc=1&d=1379983124

 

[MrWhoopee]

Now that's nice! I even got some wood!

 

[Miles86]

I did one very similar in April, but it had the double leader form. I find the lightning struck trees seem to be harder wood than normal? Is that white Oak, looks like white oak but hard to see the leaves, the bark looks like white oak. Nice land you have.

 

[zogger]

I did one very similar in April, but it had the double leader form. I find the lightning struck trees seem to be harder wood than normal? Is that white Oak, looks like white oak but hard to see the leaves, the bark looks like white oak. Nice land you have.

It's a red oak of some kind, pointy leaves.

Not my land, I just live and work on a big farm. Ya, it's nice, plenty of fields, woods, swamp, ponds, creeks.

The wood was real dirty, chain dulling dirty. I stripped what bark I could from the main trunk after it was down, broomed it off, still had to resharpen twice just to cut it, and it needs it again. Million bugs and lotsa bug crap under the bark.

Can't really tell if it is significantly harder than regular undamaged oak, seems similar, and the rounds are just as heavy. Maybe a little bit harder? The branches were mostly easy to cut, that trunk though was tedious. I didn't cut quite as small as I normally do, I wanted to get the field cleaned up as soon as possible. Still cut small though, got quite a few small rounds, no idea how many I said a thousand, there might be that many, big hundreds anyway. 5 tanks with the smaller saw, three with the big echo and still some noodling to do. 1 3/4s gallons mix used so far and most of a gallon jug of bar oil.

 

[griffonks]

How many cords do you think Zogger?

 

[zogger]

How many cords do you think Zogger?

I don't know yet. Around 1.5 in the trunk I would guess, maybe a bit more, then a lot of branch wood. It was real hot out and the combo of heavy cutting boots/pants/helmet plus a saw that is between 1/4th and 1/5th my body weight made me more concentrate on getting it cut up..ha! I took a lot of breaks and sat in the shade at times. When my glasses steam up and the insides are slick with sweat and I can't see any more, I take a break. But, needed to be done, pretty soon will start up mud season again, want to get my winters worth of sport splitting rounds out before that happens.

 

[CWME]

Nice looking place you have to cut there!

I did 6 cords or 11 trees two years ago on about what you have used up in fuel and oil for 1.5 cords:msp_scared:

 

[zogger]

Nice looking place you have to cut there!

I did 6 cords or 11 trees two years ago on about what you have used up in fuel and oil for 1.5 cords:msp_scared:

Oh, there's more than 1.5, I wasn't counting all the branch wood, and just guessing on the trunk wood.

Ya, that echo sucks it down like Barney on a bender at Moe's. I would have used a shorter bar on it if I had one. As it is now, for echo mounts, I only have a 20 and a 36, need like a 24 or 27 for some jobs. I am sure running that extra chain hurt mileage.

Most likely I could lean it a little,too, but I have rank ears and am paranoid about toasting pistons and cylinders. It starts great now and spools up quick, but maybe I could use a tad less fuel and pick up some more top end grunt.

eek, I am chicken....

Guess I will pull the plug out and look at it tomorrow...

 

[Miles86]

Nice job again, I think red oak draws up a lot of sand into its fibers, I have the same problem with dulling chains.


I had my first fire of the season last night! I think this is going to be a colder winter than last year.

I must get to the farm and get more kindling.

 

[zogger]

Nice job again, I think red oak draws up a lot of sand into its fibers, I have the same problem with dulling chains.


I had my first fire of the season last night! I think this is going to be a colder winter than last year.

I must get to the farm and get more kindling.

I wound up dragging back 2.5 trailer loads, which will roughly translate into that much cord-age most likely.

but..now I know why it was taking me so much gas and killing the chains fast! Had to quarter the big rounds to load them in the trailer, blue streaks everywhere, ancient wire in the tree from way back when it was a sapling, way in the heartwood.. Can't ID any intact wire, but that stain is a dead giveaway. I guess going through the iron/steel/rust remnants is enough to goober up chains. It was driving me nuts there for awhile, sharpen..cut some blocks and...dull...grumble. Thought it was me and my sorta used files, even though I checked every cutter as I sharpened and they all felt like my normal work, i.e. "good enough". Not the best, not the worst, good enough though usually. then I thought all the bug frass. proly both.

Oh well, all back in the splitting/stacking area now. I'm tired, but looking forward to the next big ones, got several on this winters list.