Newbie Question. Cutting vertically down stump?

[Rusty99]

So my question to all the more experienced member is this. I've aquired 6 huge stumps about 2ft in diameter that I thought would be great for firewood.

I have a New MS 260 and started cutting down the center of the stump, I guess you would call it "ripping" to make more managable pieces. It seemed much more difficult to cut compared to the normal bucking that I've done. I think the wood is poplar or ash, not really sure. Its also still quite green.

Is this cutting against the grain of the wood down the center of the stump hard on the saw. Will I cause damage to my pride and joy?

What other alternatives if any do I have for turning these 2ft diameter by 3 feet tall pieces into more managable pieces??

While I'm at it, whats the difference in terminology between ripping vs bucking??

Cheers

Rusty

 

[pgg]

Try this way..

 

[husky455rancher]

nice curlies lol

 

[Edge & Engine]

nice curlies lol

That's really how they come out when you saw like that. Massive curlies.

 

[SawTroll]

Try this way..

Yes!


Never cut a stump from the top, unless you have a huge saw, with a ripping chain on it - and even then it isn't a really good way to do it.......

 

[Rusty99]

ok I'll give that a try. Is this way still considered as cutting against grain. What makes this method better?

Thanks for the input

 

[Mike Van]

You're not cutting end grain when you saw like in the pic.

 

[Lakeside53]

ok I'll give that a try. Is this way still considered as cutting against grain. What makes this method better?

Thanks for the input

it works... the other way needs 3x the Hp...

 

[galde]

Imagine whittling with a sharp knife. Think how hard it is to slice across the end of a board versus slicing along the length of the board. The saw chain has the same difficulty cutting across the end grain of the stump. Chainsaw milling systems have the guide bar perpendicular to the centerline of the log, but special ripping chains are used which helps somewhat but it is still a slow laborious process. Some day I plan to time the two -- ripping versus splitting. When doing the splitting cut ( sawing along the side ) it is better to have a bar long enough to keep the power head 6" or so away from the wood so the long curly shavings can fall away and not get jammed up around the sprocket.

 

[abohac]

So my question to all the more experienced member is this. I've aquired 6 huge stumps about 2ft in diameter that I thought would be great for firewood.

I have a New MS 260 and started cutting down the center of the stump, I guess you would call it "ripping" to make more managable pieces. It seemed much more difficult to cut compared to the normal bucking that I've done. I think the wood is poplar or ash, not really sure. Its also still quite green.

Is this cutting against the grain of the wood down the center of the stump hard on the saw. Will I cause damage to my pride and joy?

What other alternatives if any do I have for turning these 2ft diameter by 3 feet tall pieces into more managable pieces??

While I'm at it, whats the difference in terminology between ripping vs bucking??

Cheers

Rusty

I do it all the time. Been doing it for 30 years. Gotta do what ya gotta do to get the job done.

 

[husky455rancher]

i been makin a ton of curlies with the much loved 455. i been workin on a oak 4' 9" across the stump. got 2 loads so far using my 18" bar lol. the guys yard is full of curlies, you cant even see grass anymore.

 

[turnkey4099]

ok I'll give that a try. Is this way still considered as cutting against grain. What makes this method better?

Thanks for the input

No, it is cutting 'with' the grain and takes off long shavings. Those shavings can cause youproblems as they don't clear out around the sprocket well. You can alleviate that somewhat by angling the saw a bit instead of keeping it square to the stump.

Bucking vs ripping:

Bucking is cross cutting - cutting across the width of the log, i.e., cutting rounds off it

Ripping - sawing down the lenght of the log. Unless you have a ripping chain,it is a slow, hot, hard process as the saw is trying to cut the same way you have been doing it. That is one of the drawbacks to the 'chainsaw lumber mills'.

Harry K

 

[gekko]

another newbie question...
whats the difference between a ripping chain and a normal one ???

 

[tree_beard]

another newbie question...
whats the difference between a ripping chain and a normal one ???

the top plate angle of ripping chain is filed/ground to 0-15degrees, where as normal crosscutting chains have a top plate angle of 25-30degrees....

you can rip a log with normal crosscut chain, but you shouldnt try crosscutting a log with ripping chain...

ripping chain is for chainsaw milling only

 

[spacemule]

A side benefit of cutting lengthwise and getting long curlies is that you can save the curlies for fire starter. They burn really well. When I burned wood, I would keep two or three garbage bags full of those curly shavings specifically for fire starting.

 

[Wood Doctor]

ok I'll give that a try. Is this way still considered as cutting against grain. What makes this method better?

Thanks for the input

Ever operated a hand plane or a thickness planer? Imagine how the plane in your hands would feel like if you planed across the end grain rather than with the grain of the wood.

The same principle applies here. The teeth on the chain are almost planing the wood as they dig in and the shavings look much like what a hand plane would remove. Therefore, it's much easier to remove the stock. All you have to do is make sure the cylinder doesn't roll while you cut it. I usually have lots of scrap peices or smaller logs lying around to wedge under the sides.

 

[Billy_Bob]

There are 3 directions from which you can cut a log. 2 of these ways will give you a fast cut and the 3rd will take forever!

So you have a log laying in front of you on the ground (basically a tree cut from the stump and the limbs removed)

The log is 10 inches "around" (in diameter). And it is 8 ft long.

One "fast" way to cut it is into "slices". Say 1 foot long "round slices". Now you have 8 - 1 foot "slices".

Then you can take one of these slices and rotate it so the end showing the exposed wood is facing you. Then cut straight down through the bark. This is another "fast" way to cut. Like the picture above which gives you the "curly fries".

Then the third "slow" way is to turn a "slice" so the exposed wood part is touching the ground and it is standing up like a stump. Then cut straight down through the exposed wood like you were trying to do with your stump. This will take forever.

Also when you are cutting up logs and you get to a section of the log where a branch was growing out, a portion of the cut in this area will be like that third slow cut when you get to the branch wood part. So it will take longer to make cuts in these areas. If you can cut to either side of a branch area on a log, your cut will go faster.

 

[OilHead]

Face cuts will dull your chain fast & produce saw dust. If you gett'in frys your good to go.

 

[teacherman]

A side benefit of cutting lengthwise and getting long curlies is that you can save the curlies for fire starter. They burn really well. When I burned wood, I would keep two or three garbage bags full of those curly shavings specifically for fire starting.

Yup, that's a great idea, using termite pasta for fire starter. pour sum old fry oil on it and yer woodstove'll smell like a burger joint. I do that with the newspapers starting a fire, and it works great.

If you have a nice 8 lb. axe eye maul, why not buck the 3' stumps to 18'' and get sum good thereapy out of the deal? I love splitting a dozen logs when I get home from work, makes the stress vanish, and I get sum sticks fer the stove.