Rick's 'side'

[turnkey4099]

Finally cleared other places and began on this one today:

4 trees, all multi stemmed, all ancient. Not a lot of wood in any of them but those long stems make nice firewood sized chunks without splitting. The big stub is about 18" diameter and I only got 4 rounds before the small stems began. Got a bit over 1/2 load in 3 1/2 hours which included some time at the start of just cleaning up old ancient junk that had fallen over the years. Left 1/2 the tree to do next trip:

I should go to vegas. In the past year and this year I have cut up 14 'fencerow' and 12 'barnyard' locusts and haven't hit anything. The current batch is bound to be an exception as the one I am on has some electrical wire hangin out of it. Then there is this:

I didnt' even see it until I had split it. Wonder if a carbide chain would work . Very neat how I managed to exactly center that between cuts not knowing it was there.

I talked to Rick this evening and he says he doesn't care if a tree hits the house. "Or maybe you could have a brush pile a bit close and burn the whole thing down". I'll suggest he donate it to the local fire department but they probably won't take it as it is sided in vinyl.

Harry K

 

[smokinj]

got your work cut out there!

 

[turnkey4099]

got your work cut out there!

Not too bad. At the rate I work anymore I figure 2 trips per tree. Actual brushing out will be easier than what I have done in the past. Out in the morning to finish up that tree and perhaps start anohter one.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

My two trips per tree isn't going to work. Put in 5 hours again today on that one and didn't finish it. Came home with a 1/2 load. Left one stem to be cut up plus cut up that stump:

That brush pile is getting big!

All you arborists can be jealous. I am allowed to fall trees right on the house and damage anything I have to as long as I stay out of the crop. Last cut fell the last stem. I tried to miss the house but it was too weighted that way. Hit on the edge and rolled off, pretty well mangled that evergreen.

Harry K

 

[Steve NW WI]

All you arborists can be jealous. I am allowed to fall trees right on the house and damage anything I have to as long as I stay out of the crop. Last cut fell the last stem. I tried to miss the house but it was too weighted that way. Hit on the edge and rolled off, pretty well mangled that evergreen.

Dagnabit, that's just not fair!!! I wish I had a Ford to aim for !:hmm3grin2orange:

Side question- why are you cutting some of them off so high up? Might be less room to work than it looks like?

Steve

 

[turnkey4099]

On that one, it was easier to do it one stem at a time. Falling the whole tree at once would result in one godawful mess to work through.

(edit) oops, misread the question. Due to the way the stems joined it was best to take them down above the joins. The right hand one is an old ancient one that was topped years ago by the appearance, left hand one I cut above a wire sticking out.

The tall stump will be 'barbered' down to about a 3' stump.

I haven't scouted the other trees yet but I suspect they also will be done one stem at a time.

Still haven't hit anything yet but I had to work around one wire sticking out today.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Good progress today. 4 1/2 hours. Barbered that tall stump. Remainder has good wood in it but bigger than I want to fool with. At least 4' across and looks like the 3 stems are solidly joined.

Started on tree 2. Has basically three co-dominant. 1/3 of the tree on the ground.

The stem on the right will have to be bounced off the house away from camera. One on left will have to wait until after harvest. I bet I lose a chain on this one. There was some wire embedded but it is now on the underside of thelog and I can't tell where it was.

Did come home with a full load. Could have put more on but the weight was getting up there.

Harry K

 

[acer saccharum]

Make a movie when you clobber the house!

 

[sdt7618]

harry you sure do get em! give them tree's hell!

 

[turnkey4099]

Started day by giving my chaps another coat of gas by forgetting ot put the cap on...again. Ended by forgetting to pick up my two shovels and the short ladder. I'll run back out in the car to (hopefully) retrieve them in the morning.
Did come home with a full legal load again. I may start loading a bit heavier but I am usually bushed before I can add that much more.


Now that wasn't in the plan:

It was supposed to hit and then roll off. For a change, the hinge did not break - usually does on locust. A bit of whittling cut the hinge and it rolled off. Should have taken out the corner of the backporch roof but somehow didn't even though it hit there hard.

Next stem should hit just about the same spot.

Harry K

 

[treemandan]

You know if you just leave those logs lying around they will grow?

 

[turnkey4099]

You know if you just leave those logs lying around they will grow?

I figure the farmer isn't going to have the neat fence/crop edge he thinks. There will be shoots coming up everywhere and the stumps themselves will sprout again

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

I have all I want just moving them from the tailgate to the splitter so why don't I notice it when I am loading?

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Getting there. Had to pull a couple to keep them out of the crop. This was the big one:

The F150 is just out of the picture on the right.

Other one was small and landed on the butt end of the big one.

Now if I could convince myself that I could pull the last stem still standing. It needs to come back and to the rear. I will probably wait until after harvest. There is also a very small, 3-stem back there that I will remove just to make it a complete job.

Not a fun day. HOT!! (89 when I got back at noon). Also lost my cap half way through the job and my ear muffs came up missing right at the end. Just did buy them a few weeks ago to replace another pair I lost.

Harry K