When do you noodle?

[Wolfcsm]

If you need a fire starter, gather the noodles and let them dry. The shavings make a great fire starter.

I am able to have access to a lot of large oak - 30"-36". Noodle most of them in the field. sometimes I just want to use a big saw and noodle down some of the pieces with the 880, just for the fun of doing it.

Really does make it easier on the back as I get more and more mature.

Hal

 

[Preston]

The best stuff I've used for starting the fire is the little pieces that come off the splits and slide under the cylinder. A little pile of that and a piece of fat lighter and off I go.

 

[Homelite410]

The best stuff I've used for starting the fire is the little pieces that come off the splits and slide under the cylinder. A little pile of that and a piece of fat lighter and off I go.

Heck yes especially after splitting red elm.

Good dry corncobs come in a close second right there!

 

[Wood Doctor]

Wood Doctor,

Easy solution to that problem is don't put the rounds on the ground once you have them on the trailer.
Much easier to make a platform for the splitter to the height of the trailer bed then just roll them onto the splitter than it is to move them off the trailer to the ground and lift them onto the splitter.

Anything that never requires me to never lift real heavy things has got to be a good idea

Now that makes a lot of sense, even if (1) the rounds are not big enough to noodle and (2) the rounds do not need to be stored for drying prior to splitting. In the case of elm and cottonwood, you have to store the rounds anyway until the bark starts falling off. Even ash is very tough to split green. I always wait for a checkup on the ends.

On the other hand, locust, mulberry, oak, walnut, and several more good hardwoods can and should be split green to speed the drying process. So, dropping them off the wagon (or even off my tailgate) and onto the splitter sounds good to me. I'll give it a whirl. Never too old to learn a new trick. Thumbs Up!

 

[Wood Doctor]

I noodle most everything, my shoulders wore out years ago, can't even swing my Fiskar very good. Besides noodling is fun, doesn't take much longer, and I get to use my saws. Built this stand so I don't have to stoop over to saw. I can still lift a ton as long as it's from the ground to my waist.View attachment 320894

I must admit that this is intriguing, and my only concern is getting the big round on top of it. Seems back breaking for an old codger like me. It's easier for me to kneel and noodle cut with the round closer to the ground. I generally use three scrap cookies to support the log, one on each side underneath and the third in the center, opposite the saw engine. The third one keeps you from digging into the ground with the bar's nose.

Your support stand has one definite advantage--the noodles can pile up without clogging the chip exhaust port. Near the ground, you have to keep pawing them out of the way, and that often means pausing the cut.

 

[Fuzly]

The best stuff I've used for starting the fire is the little pieces that come off the splits and slide under the cylinder. A little pile of that and a piece of fat lighter and off I go.

Yep, often take a 5 gallon bucket with me and gather that stuff up

 

[hardpan]

I have to go with the monkey and the wood doctor. Even if you can lift the big stuff, hold back and find another way. The bulky size of firewood makes it difficult to do a smart lift, with your legs, and the weight directly above your feet and even distribution from left to right (dead lift). You can tell what your maximum lift is. It is the one you were holding the second before your back exploded. The older you get, the more you noodle even if you don't have to. The healthy side of CAD.

Randy I think I have a 460 that is almost as strong as that 461........but it has been monkeyed with a little.

 

[haveawoody]

Oliver1655,
I adopted mine so I had no ide what it costs.
Bet a little hunting around on the net and the fork hand cart can be found much cheaper.
I love the forks because getting under a round is really easy.

Got to love the hand carts for moving wood, makes a back breaking job into pretty easy work.
I still see guys with wheel barrows humping rounds from point A to B and just picture my back after a day of that.

 

[Icehouse]

I must admit that this is intriguing, and my only concern is getting the big round on top of it. Seems back breaking for an old codger like me. It's easier for me to kneel and noodle cut with the round closer to the ground. I generally use three scrap cookies to support the log, one on each side underneath and the third in the center, opposite the saw engine. The third one keeps you from digging into the ground with the bar's nose.

Your support stand has one definite advantage--the noodles can pile up without clogging the chip exhaust port. Near the ground, you have to keep pawing them out of the way, and that often means pausing the cut.

With my stand and modified noodling saw, the noodles are sent about 18' from the stand (tape measure) and out of the way, really nice big pile.

 

[nk14zp]

I noodle when I'm bored. I noodle for fun.

 

[Icehouse]

I noodle when I'm bored. I noodle for fun.

I can go along with that

 

[Wood Doctor]

Hey guys, I wonder if noodle cutting might be improved by using a semi-chisel chain rather than a full chisel? In the past I have used full chisel chain, but I have often thought that semi-chisel might actually last longer when noodling.

It would be a simple matter to buck all the big rounds to length with a full chisel chain and then switch to a semi-chisel for the noodle cuts. Anybody have any experience or thoughts on this idea?

I did a search on this and another member already recommended semi-chisel for noodle cutting. Looks like it will work as well if not better than full chisel because it stays sharp longer. However, if anyone else has an opinion on this, please advise and discuss. TIA.

 

[chucker]

at the end of the loading day, with a dozen or more of 20" plus blocked rounds staring you in the face with a 1.5 cord load of red oak on a f250 4x4 stacked a half foot above the cab an racks .... a sore back and a strong mind tends to let the saw do more of the work instead of the once strong back and weak mind! over working a hand maul is not the best of times with another day just a few hours away.....

 

[zogger]

Hey guys, I wonder if noodle cutting might be improved by using a semi-chisel chain rather than a full chisel? In the past I have used full chisel chain, but I have often thought that semi-chisel might actually last longer when noodling.

It would be a simple matter to buck all the big rounds to length with a full chisel chain and then switch to a semi-chisel for the noodle cuts. Anybody have any experience or thoughts on this idea?

I did a search on this and another member already recommended semi-chisel for noodle cutting. Looks like it will work as well if not better than full chisel because it stays sharp longer. However, if anyone else has an opinion on this, please advise and discuss. TIA.

I never saw a lot of difference, used both. if the rounds are real dirty, same as bucking, switch to semi.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I never saw a lot of difference, used both. if the rounds are real dirty, same as bucking, switch to semi.

Thanks, Zogger. I have a good supply of both full and semi, but I generally prefer the full chisel for bucking. Having already noodle cut lots of big rounds of various species with full chisel, I'll now switch to the semi-chisel after bucking and report back. Looks like I can't lose. I'll make up a pair of new 25" (84 DL) semi-chisel chains and 20" (72 DL) semi-chisel chains and have at it. My saws are waiting for the challenge and the chance to prove themselves.

 

[Oliver1655]

Other than charity cuts or when I help others, any log 18" or larger at the small end goes to the saw mill. Exceptions are trees from fence rows & yards which will likely have metal imbedded. Saw mill really don't appreciate them for some reason.

I agree anything larger than 24" is noodled. This is not so much because of lifting as easier to handle on the splitter. I use what ever chain is on the saw, normally it is .404 full chisel.

I am spoiled. Tractor with loader, log bucking trailer, & dedicated horizontal splitter with a log lift. Tractor sets logs on the bucking stand, rounds stay on the trailer on the splitter side, then just roll the splits onto the log lift. There is no need for the wood to hit the ground.


Hedgerow & lumberjackchef sending the chips flying!
(When we lifted the aluminum walk board up, there was 6" of packed saw chips under it.)


The last 2 photos are from Hedge's charity cut. In this cut the splits were thrown on the ground & a skid loader scooped them up. At home they go on pallets.

 

[mainewoods]

Fortunate sounds much better than spoiled. And good on you for doing charity cuts!

 

[Deleted member 116684]

i've got some 40 inch rounds outside I'll be splitting tomorrow for next winter. I just cut it a fourth of the way across the round, split ti pirpindicular to the cut to get two quarters, then it's pretty easy to work with. I dont have some badass saw that will noodle fast enough

 

[Oliver1655]

I don't either, I use a Stihl 08s or S10.

 

[mainewoods]

I dont have some badass saw that will noodle fast enough

You keep hanging around here long enough and you will.