Two big (40" and 25") ash trees = lots of firewood (with pics, dial-up beware)

[Marc]

I took down two big ash trees, with help from my dad, this weekend, and in the process, expanded my firewood supply for next year by a great deal.

The first one is the big one, I took down for friends of my folks. It has been dead for a few years, and as you can see in the pic's below, starting rotting from the center. I'm glad I didn't wait any longer on this one. The only hazards were a fence line, directly behind the tree, and the six herefords contained within. We had to distract them with some grain, because for some reason they were very interested in my 372... and my dad's friend told me they'd be hamburger eventually, but didn't need all that much all at once.

Anyway, here's me, that's a 24" bar and I'm 5'11" for reference-

And here's a shot of the butt.

I cut in from the left first (as you look at the pic) and then back barred the other side of the back cut. It went before I finished squaring the hinge wood, but I was pretty happy with it. Face may have been a little deep in retrospect, especially since there was center rot, but I got it dead on where I wanted it in a controlled manner. I had three wedges in the back just to be safe as the crown was pretty spread out, but well balanced.

Cutting it down for firewood, that's my dad in the foreground. The barn where the beef animals are kept is in the background. I've got steel cleats on for stability on the log. It was actually better footing standing on the downed wood than the snow.

Take me to your leader.... (that was a pun, get it? ok, sorry, really bad tree humor)

I have NO idea what I'm doing with my ax in this picture... I think I might have been picking up stuff because I'm pretty sure I've got a wedge in my other hand. And yeah, that's a ludicrously priced $13.00 gallon of Stihl winter grade bar oil there. My father's holding his 260 (nice, nice saw).

And this is the only shot I have of the other nice ash, totally dead, I dropped. This was smaller, about 25" dbh, but probably close to the same height, as it had a lot more competition where it was growing.

I'll see if I can get a stump shot today, maybe, when I go out to finish bucking and maybe do a little splitting. Went well, I cut an asymmetric hinge purpously on this one because I was aiming about 50 degrees off the natural lean. Again, went exactly where I aimed it.

Ought to be enough wood between those to trees for 1/2 to 2/3's a winter for me.

 

[beerman6]

Nice,I dropped a 33" ash yesterday...Biggest tree I've tackled by myself.It fell were I wanted,but I quickly realized I need a bigger saw.

 

[TreePointer]

Oh, don't be so modest. We all know the 372 is just for show and you actually cut them down with the axe. Showoff!!!

Good work!

 

[husky455rancher]

great pics man, i cut a 2 foot pine on sat. i wish it was oak actually all the trees i had to cut on sat were pine burn is burn i guess....

 

[strongback]

Nice pics. Looking forward to a final cord tally.

 

[Marc]

Nice pics. Looking forward to a final cord tally.

Heh, me too... it'll probably be a few weeks before I get everything cleaned up and stacked up. That bad part about both of them is they both went into hay fields, and had a lot of dead junk to clean up. Fortunately the land owner of the bigger one has a small Kubota and york rake.

Thank God it's ash, all of it will be split by hand.

 

[thejdman04]

Nice pics

 

[iowa]

Cool shots. That's one big tree. I have to cut down a bigggg black jack soon. Probably 36-40" and very tall

 

[wdchuck]

Looks like way too much fun. The one picture where the saw is resting on the smaller tree trunk, looks like a nice straight piece, that would have made some nice lumber. The rest of your fellings are great firewood.

Go sharpen that axe, its screaming for attention, probably jealous of the saws.

 

[iCreek]

Great story and pics, thanks for sharing....

ps. glad to see your dad found the good saw

 

[Marc]

Looks like way too much fun. The one picture where the saw is resting on the smaller tree trunk, looks like a nice straight piece, that would have made some nice lumber. The rest of your fellings are great firewood.

Go sharpen that axe, its screaming for attention, probably jealous of the saws.

Straight, yes, but surprisingly knotty. I'll have to take a picture... but I was out bucking the smaller one today, and there was a section of truck that I thought was going to be perfectly straight, but had four symmetrical growth ring origins surrounding the main one. Might save a cookie for a cool looking stool though. Plus there isn't much market for white ash around here; it isn't one of the sought after species for the local guys who run small milling operations anyway.

And the axe is, believe it or not, razor sharp (though it doesn't look like much). One of many tools belonging to my grandfather and all of the blades on his tools where like that.

 

[wdchuck]

Straight, yes, but surprisingly knotty. I'll have to take a picture... but I was out bucking the smaller one today, and there was a section of truck that I thought was going to be perfectly straight, but had four symmetrical growth ring origins surrounding the main one. Might save a cookie for a cool looking stool though. Plus there isn't much market for white ash around here; it isn't one of the sought after species for the local guys who run small milling operations anyway.

And the axe is, believe it or not, razor sharp (though it doesn't look like much). One of many tools belonging to my grandfather and all of the blades on his tools where like that.

Lumber for personal use more than selling for a few bucks. I've butchered a swell walnut and hickory in the beginning, kicked myself for doing it, and now look at every tree for its maximum useage, even if it is only for personal use.

 

[chainsawaddict]

Oh, don't be so modest. We all know the 372 is just for show and you actually cut them down with the axe. Showoff!!!

Good work!

the axe would have been a lot faster....:greenchainsaw:

 

[Marc]

Lumber for personal use more than selling for a few bucks. I've butchered a swell walnut and hickory in the beginning, kicked myself for doing it, and now look at every tree for its maximum useage, even if it is only for personal use.

Yeah, I hear what you're sayin, but right now, I only really need firewood.

Now if only there were still chestnuts around, I'd be busy hewing those into new timbers for my house restoration.

 

[Dok]

Sweet pics, thanks for sharing. How do you like those wrap around chaps? My regular chaps get hung up too often so I've been thinking about trying the wrap arounds.

You done good on that big one, I can see where you didn't quite get the hinge wood finished before it went over. Between a hard wood canopy and the rot in the middle, you did a great. Looks like a lot of fun!
Dok

 

[fishercat]

just $13 for that bar oil?

my dealer charged me $17 and change last week.

today he gave me a 20" Stihl skip chain for free.must have felt bad about the bar oil.no biggie,they always give me deals on saws and other stuff and they never get service work out of me.

 

[Marc]

Sweet pics, thanks for sharing. How do you like those wrap around chaps? My regular chaps get hung up too often so I've been thinking about trying the wrap arounds.

You done good on that big one, I can see where you didn't quite get the hinge wood finished before it went over. Between a hard wood canopy and the rot in the middle, you did a great. Looks like a lot of fun!
Dok

Thanks for the compliments. I could feel the first fiber pull and break when it started to go through the ground in my feet, despite that I was wearing thick soled, steel shank boots and the Stabilicer cleats. So when I felt that, knowing I was close to the end of the cut, I decided it wise to turn tail and clear the area. Especially it having such a big and dead crown.

I do like the wrap chaps, but have never worn any other style, so I might not be able to give you a well rounded opinion. I can tell you that over the course of this winter I've been clearing some 15 - 20 year grown in fencelines full of bramble, multiflora and bittersweet, and the chaps don't get snagged on any of it. Just keep them reasonably snug and tuck in the ends of the straps.

 

[TreePointer]

Thanks for the compliments. I could feel the first fiber pull and break when it started to go through the ground in my feet, despite that I was wearing thick soled, steel shank boots and the Stabilicer cleats. So when I felt that, knowing I was close to the end of the cut, I decided it wise to turn tail and clear the area. Especially it having such a big and dead crown.

I do like the wrap chaps, but have never worn any other style, so I might not be able to give you a well rounded opinion. I can tell you that over the course of this winter I've been clearing some 15 - 20 year grown in fencelines full of bramble, multiflora and bittersweet, and the chaps don't get snagged on any of it. Just keep them reasonably snug and tuck in the ends of the straps.

I've been looking for something like those Stabilicer cleats to put over my steel-toe boots. I googled them and they don't seem terribly expensive. How do you like them, if I may ask?

 

[Marc]

I've been looking for something like those Stabilicer cleats to put over my steel-toe boots. I googled them and they don't seem terribly expensive. How do you like them, if I may ask?

I love them. This winter has been heavy on the ice here in SNE, and my driveway, up until a couple days ago, had a sold three inches of impenetrable blue ice on it. With the Stabilicers I could walk on that stuff like sneakers on tarmac. I'm a big fan... and they have the added advantage of giving you traction on timber like caulks without having to have a dedicated caulk boot.

I found them cheapest online on Campmor...

 

[TreePointer]

Thanks, Marc! I just ordered a pair with a pack of replacement cleats. Now to find a 40" ash to walk on....