Two question.

[Preston]

I've been cutting firewood for some time now. I started if I'm doing it wrong. I see stack of wood so neat, same length, and split to almost the same size pieces. My question here is do y'all measure you log cuts to get the same size pieces?

The other question is just something I was wondering the other day. I spent almost 4 hours splitting fat lighter. That put me to wondering just how many folks ever use fat lighter any more. On a cold morning I use it as my major starter from the nights coals. am I the only one? :msp_smile:

 

[HorseFaller]

I measure most of the time. I think alot of people here have cut enough wood they can eyeball it pretty good. I have been known to trim a peice or two in the stack.

No you are not the only one. I do kind of mix. Some smalls and a big piece of birch. I like birch cause the bark catches like paper.

 

[haveawoody]

Preston,

I just posed a topic on exactly what your asking about log length, how i do it.
Must have been at about the same time as your question LOL

 

[Preston]

Sorry, I guess I didn't look. :msp_smile:

 

[darkbyrd]

I measure.

 

[4seasons]

I use my bar as a gauge for log length. My saw runs a 20 in bar and my stove will take up to a 24 in log so as I work my way up the tree I turn the saw 90 degrees put the dog in the end of the last cut and look at where the tip of the chain is and fix my eye on that location for the next cut. If I wanted 16 in logs I would draw a line on the bar with a sharpie and use that as a guide.
My grandfather uses a cut off mop handle and walks every log with his axe in one hand and that stick in the other and makes an axe mark at every cut before starting the chainsaw. Always seemed like a waste of time to me. If he wants 18 in logs his saw is wearing an 18 in bar, seems simple enough to me. But what do I know, he has been doing it for 70 years now.

 

[4seasons]

By the way what is fat lighter? I have never heard that term before.

 

[darkbyrd]

I made a little tool for the job, works nice.

http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/190090-4.htm#post3416848
Action starts at post #145

 

[darkbyrd]

By the way what is fat lighter? I have never heard that term before.

AKA rich pine. The sappy roots that smell like pine sol. My firestarter of choice, though I don't use it to wake the fire up from coals.

 

[Rob1276]

I don't really measure I just know what size my stove will take and just eyeball it. I suppose if I had to give an avg length it would be 16-18 albeit my stove handles up to 25 I like smaller pieces it easier for the wife to load too

 

[Circle B MN]

From the end of the handle to the bolts that hold the bumper spikes on measures 16 inch on Stihl pro saws..361, 441, 660, etc

 

[cajunhillbilly]

I have a fireplace not a stove. I like my wood like I like my women, short...tall...fat...skinny...all mixed together. Variety man!!

 

[Preston]

Fat lighter is the sappy roots and/or stumps, that are left in the ground. I've dug some of of these up to get the fat lighter. Never knew how deep these are. It takes years for the stumps to reach the point of use. I split the larger pieces to about 1/4 inch stips. Let them set for a year or so. Then just a very small flame to start one and it's of and runnin. :biggrin:

When I was working down in Reidsville, Georgia, there were flat bed trucks coming through town loaded heavy with fat lighter stumps that were headed to a plant the made gunpowder with the sap. That's what I was told when I asked where they were going. :smile2:

 

[Sterff]

I make all of my logs 17" to fit in the fireplace. I made a small stick out of kindling (17" long) and go down the log and mark it with side walk chalk. That way you just have to cut on all of your marks. Blue and pink work the best...

 

[firewood guy]

We measure

Found a little trick to measure that works well for us. Ever break a tape on a tape measure? Don't throw it away! Cut it into pieces along the red stud locating marks on the tape to get even 16" lengths, then round of the sharp edges so it will slip into your back pocket when not in use. If you hold the curved side of the tape against the front handle of the saw, you can't even feel it through your glove. It comes in handy when double checking length ever so often or when switching diameters of logs. Plus it's basically free and the yellow color is handy if you drop it in the field.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

For my personal wood I just eyeball it. For everything I sell I use one of these Bailey's - Quick Stix - Firewood Log Guide . They work really well and are cheap and easy to use.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Practice

After 30+ years of cutting firewood, commercially and for self I've gotten pretty good at sizing by eye.

For those who have difficulty getting lengths right by eye, I suggest you sell 5 to 10 cord per year for a couple years. Nasty, whiney, get your butt over here and shorten the wood in my pile phone calls from irate customers will get your eye trained and paying attention to what you're doing quickly.

Like Mel Gibson said in The Patriot. "aim small, miss small". If the needed length is 18 inches, go for 17, etc. after a dozen cuts you'll be amazed at how consistent you can be if you're careful. Customers never complain about wood being 1 inch short, but if you go 1/2 inch over and the door won't close, expect all heck to break loose.

Take Care

 

[zogger]

I've been cutting firewood for some time now. I started if I'm doing it wrong. I see stack of wood so neat, same length, and split to almost the same size pieces. My question here is do y'all measure you log cuts to get the same size pieces?

The other question is just something I was wondering the other day. I spent almost 4 hours splitting fat lighter. That put me to wondering just how many folks ever use fat lighter any more. On a cold morning I use it as my major starter from the nights coals. am I the only one? :msp_smile:

I use fat lighter sometimes, I knock them out of old rotten stumps once in awhile around here. Ya good stuff. Guys up north don't have it to get. It's more a southern thing. Almost a shame to burn it as you can sell it cut to small pretty pieces. Do you dig yours out with like a pick or something? I only get what I can kick out and yank out by hand. I know there's some big ones in the woods here though, from when they logged like 40 years ago.

As to length, I try to eyeball around 16 inches. A three row wide stack with those size pieces fits my scrap broiler house curtain wall plastic I use on the top just about perfect, with a little overhang. My eyeballs seem to work OK. My stacks aren't quite as pretty as some guys here, but they work. The stove will take up to a 20", so if I get close, that's good enough. GF does most of the stacking and she likes some of the puzzle pieces I give her...ha!

The quickest way to get more uniform pieces without using a log marker or tape is just use your bar, flick it sideways, know where you want to cut in relation to bar length, keep your eye on that chunk of the wood, cut there.

That's too slow for me though, just eyeballs and away ya go! You can buy one of those marker wheel things but I cut so many small branches it would be ridiculous to use that on them. If all you cut is perfect what should be saw logs instead of firewood logs I guess they would work OK. I can't see them working on normal goofy wood though when you are milking out a tree, and I just can't waste branch wood, hate brush piles and waste. If I have to cut it, I want it in the stack, small medium or large.

 

[Preston]

So the consensous is for pretty stacks, measure.

zogger..........I normally use the subsoiler to loosen the dirt around the stump. Dig out what I have to with a shovel. Then use the tractor, subsoiler and a chain to loosen the stump and pull it out. Some of these stump on my place are over 36 inches in diameter.

A lot of work for a 200 lb stump.

 

[zogger]

So the consensous is for pretty stacks, measure.

zogger..........I normally use the subsoiler to loosen the dirt around the stump. Dig out what I have to with a shovel. Then use the tractor, subsoiler and a chain to loosen the stump and pull it out. Some of these stump on my place are over 36 inches in diameter.

A lot of work for a 200 lb stump.

OK, I getcha now, "fresh" fatlighter.

You can get similar by splitting off the outside chunks on big rounds and saving the heartwood, at least the first several feet of the main trunk. (that I have noticed so far, haven't done a lot of big pines yet)