Mark a log for firewood?

[victorytea]

Has anyone found a novel, practical way to mark a log for firewood lengths? This past Friday we were cutting firewood and attempting to mark the wet wood with a marking pen. Needless to say, it did not work well. What have you guys/gals used that works. I was thinking some kind of florescent paint but felt the cost would be prohibitive. Any ideas? Thanks, Paul F B

 

[THALL10326]

Has anyone found a novel, practical way to mark a log for firewood lengths? This past Friday we were cutting firewood and attempting to mark the wet wood with a marking pen. Needless to say, it did not work well. What have you guys/gals used that works. I was thinking some kind of florescent paint but felt the cost would be prohibitive. Any ideas? Thanks, Paul F B

Easiest way of all is take ya saw and saw ya marks up the log. Just hit it with ya saw and leave a small cut and she's marked for blocking..

 

[kennertree]

I've used chalk, it works well.

 

[Patrick62]

Use the saw

Unless you are a perfectionist!! Close is good enough.

If you are using a 18" bar, then turn it sideways and gaze upon a point a few inches back from there. That gives something around 16", a nice size.

My mothers insert requires 10-14" stuff with 12" the happy medium. So I set a size 12 steel toe boot (with my foot in it) upon the log and then mark the cut with a chain at 50 mph .

A more seasoned veteran of cutting wood would get pretty good at eye-balling.

-Pat

 

[chowdozer]

Go to Home Depot and get one of those plastic spring clamps and fix a dowel or piece of tubing to it. Clamp it to your handle hanging off the clutch side for a gauge.

 

[THALL10326]

Unless you are a perfectionist!! Close is good enough.

If you are using a 18" bar, then turn it sideways and gaze upon a point a few inches back from there. That gives something around 16", a nice size.

My mothers insert requires 10-14" stuff with 12" the happy medium. So I set a size 12 steel toe boot (with my foot in it) upon the log and then mark the cut with a chain at 50 mph .

A more seasoned veteran of cutting wood would get pretty good at eye-balling.

-Pat

lol, you really do that with ya foot, durn you braver than me. I don't quite understand a inch or two off either way if all your gonna do is burn the stuff. As long as its not too long and it goes in the stove thats really all that matter. I mean the stove don't care if its 12 and 3/4 or 6 and 3/4 as long as it goes in. Some ole gal might take those figures to heart but not a stove,haha

 

[Lawn Masters]

Baileys sells a device that connects directly to your clutch cover by the bar nuts. I think they come in 12-16" lengths if I recall right. look at their stuff, its cheap and safer than using your boot to mark length.

 

[Patrick62]

Yes I do (carefully).

Tromp the left foot on the log, lay the saw (carefully) just in front. Buzz it just enough to make a decent mark. I have been known to measure the other way with the saw BEHIND my heel!!!! One false move....

-Pat

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Baileys sells a device that connects directly to your clutch cover by the bar nuts. I think they come in 12-16" lengths if I recall right. look at their stuff, its cheap and safer than using your boot to mark length.

Yup!

 

[manual]

Measure from the tip of your bar back, Spray or Brush on a paint line of the length you are going to cut. then you can use this as a reference when you need to.

 

[musher]

Baileys sells a device that connects directly to your clutch cover by the bar nuts. I think they come in 12-16" lengths if I recall right. look at their stuff, its cheap and safer than using your boot to mark length.

And they break off real easy too. I think I went through two of the sticks (they send a 14", 16" and 18") on the first tree where I tried using it.

I just use the bar as a guide now. From the spikes to the start of the sprocket nose on my ES bar is my guide on the MS361. Tip of bar to the adjusting screw on my MS210. Just a quick turn of the saw every once in a while to check my lengths.

 

[clearance]

Measure from the tip of your bar back, Spray or Brush on a paint line of the length you are going to cut. then you can use this as a reference when you need to.

Or scratch the paint with a bar wrench.

 

[brian660]

I made a stick like what baileys sells, cept I used a piece of an old firestick cb antenna so it was flexible enough to bend if a log fell on it and not pull the saw with it or break off, for attachment it just clips on to an oversized bar nut I machined a groove into.

 

[THALL10326]

Tromp the left foot on the log, lay the saw (carefully) just in front. Buzz it just enough to make a decent mark. I have been known to measure the other way with the saw BEHIND my heel!!!! One false move....

-Pat

You a brave man no doult. Whenever I cut up firewood blocks I glance at the length and site it and go yep, it will go in the stove.

 

[sawn_penn]

Errr... Was the question about marking timber rather than measuring it?

I mark timber with something called a "lumber crayon" Pretty novel use for it really. I'm pretty pround that I thought of using these for timber myself.

 

[musher]

Errr... Was the question about marking timber rather than measuring it?

Yes, but why waste time measuring, marking and then cutting when you can just measure and cut? Or for those that are daring enough, eyeball it, and just measure every once in a while to check accuracy.

Or do we need to subscribe to the "measure twice, cut once" approach for firewood now?

I guess my point is that marking for firewood seems like overkill.

 

[Newfie]

I use lumber crayons as well. Quick and easy. Can be used to mark the ends of logs as well as marking points for the tree to be bucked into logs or blocked into firewood rounds. Works on wet, icy or rough bark. I've found red to be the best color when marking on the bark. Any of the colors available work well on the end of the log. Get a crayon holder to go with it. Bailey's carries the stuff.

I've found that firewood guys that pay attention to length of product have repeat business and don't have to waste time and money on advertising a product that sells itself. I've picked up a few customers who were tired of getting 16" wood that wouldn't fit in their stove because the firewood guy figured "summer" wood was close enough and 18" wood wouldn't fit.

 

[bugfart]

Then you can mount an external laser behind the bar and line everything up perfect!

The wood even tastes better like that.

 

[THALL10326]

Yes, but why waste time measuring, marking and then cutting when you can just measure and cut? Or for those that are daring enough, eyeball it, and just measure every once in a while to check accuracy.

Or do we need to subscribe to the "measure twice, cut once" approach for firewood now?

I guess my point is that marking for firewood seems like overkill.

There's nothing daring about eyeballing ya wood,haha, just messing with ya. Round here where I live I know of no one that marks firewood blocks at all. They all judge it and saw it. I have never heard a customer say I want it exactly 20 inches, they say oh about 20 inches. I don't know about anyone else but if i had to measure every single block to a exact length thats going to be one very costly cord of wood. I've never in my life took a tape measure to the woods or any other device to mark my blocks. I always use the length of my bar as a guide and start sawing.

 

[turnkey4099]

I don't "mark" the log but do size my blocks. The eyeball method has one big drawback. The mark I eyeball gets fooled by the size of the log thus what looks like, say, 16" on a 6" limb winds up at 18 or 19" while on a 3ft lot comes out closer to 12".

I made my own guage out of 1/8" x 3/4" crs flat bar stock drilled to mount on the bar bolts. Works great, no need to turn the saw sideways or anything, just finish cut, lay back on log with end of marker on last cut and go. I can be back in the cut before someone who turns his saw to measure even gets the saw turned the first time.

Of course then that depends on having the guide on the saw. Lots of times I don't want it there (limbing). If I wind up needing to judge length of cut, my 16" yellow painted stick comes out of my back pocket.

Harry K