Weather pending we are going to rent a splitter for Wednesday and bang out the rest of the pile. If anyone is in the Albany NY area and wants to take a ride over, get in touch.
Cutting/Splitting for a Children's Camp
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This makes the sweat worth it. 4 of my 5 kids are in that group.
Splitter is reserved for the morning. Supposed to be an overnight low of 67 and “only” will be 85 at noon with a daily high of 88. I have a couple quarts of Gatorade and a bunch of water ready to go.
Erik B
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Didn’t get started till 9:15. Here’s the start and progress photo at 10:00 water break. Some gnarly stuff.
Making progress now. Only about half of the remaining pile is solid, the other stuff goes in a bonfire. Should have this pile wrapped in another half hour.
Got it all done by 1:45. The main pile is in this pic and we also split smaller piles at 3 other spots on the property. Only a couple cords but the solid pieces of elm, ash, maple, oak, and cherry fought us all the way. It’s a relief to have all of this done as this pile has been more or less the same size for about 4 years.
The first two pics are all of the trash left over that’s going to be burned.
The first two pics are all of the trash left over that’s going to be burned.
@MustangMike remember that last large sugar maple you dropped when you helped me cut, the one up by the teepee that was full of nails? That was the last tree on the list to split but when I started bucking it yesterday it was already punky. I guess it was three years ago when you cut it and it was already standing dead then so not a surprise that it was punky. Oh well, at least we can just roll it down the hill into the ditch. It was well over 20” diameter so would have been a pain to split those rounds anyhow.
Too bad, can't leave em in the shade for that long.
Back at it again. Much prefer the 75 degree temps today!!!
As it ended up the big maple log was only punky on the butt so we turned the rest into rounds to be used as campfire stools and I noodled/split the couple of crotch pieces.
The log was about 25’ long along the bare area on the hillside.
This little guy has done much more than what is expected out of a 35 cc saw! Soon to have a donated big brother though.
May make a cutting board out of this slice.
As it ended up the big maple log was only punky on the butt so we turned the rest into rounds to be used as campfire stools and I noodled/split the couple of crotch pieces.
The log was about 25’ long along the bare area on the hillside.
This little guy has done much more than what is expected out of a 35 cc saw! Soon to have a donated big brother though.
May make a cutting board out of this slice.
Filled up the pit again with trash wood. As soon as the wind lets up I’ll light it up.
According to the volume of 1/2 sphere, there’s about a cord and a half of wood in here. (9’ diameter pit)
According to the volume of 1/2 sphere, there’s about a cord and a half of wood in here. (9’ diameter pit)
Raked several wheelbarrow loads of splitter trash and leaves from the wood shed area. Starting to look presentable. Still have to clean up the log drop area.
Wish I had a hog to roast in here
This is all I have left to burn/rake
This is all I have left to burn/rake
Well this huge project has concluded. Here’s a pic from last Saturday and this evening for comparison.
I figured we split about three cords and burned another 5 cords of punky wood. Lots of time untangling the mess and raking leaves/splitter trash.
I made a list of another two dozen trees that need to be dropped the next time I’m up. Luckily most of them are smaller and only two over 20”.
I figured we split about three cords and burned another 5 cords of punky wood. Lots of time untangling the mess and raking leaves/splitter trash.
I made a list of another two dozen trees that need to be dropped the next time I’m up. Luckily most of them are smaller and only two over 20”.
Doesn't sound like any fun at all!!!
Steve, you did so much great work for them, you should demand they pay you double next year!!!
Did they even buy you lunch???
Steve, you did so much great work for them, you should demand they pay you double next year!!!
Did they even buy you lunch???
No fun? I don't know. I'm happy ambling around doing stuff (for non-commercial operations), as long as it's appreciated. Splitting stuff, cutting stuff, raking stuff and burning stuff is all ok. As long as it's appreciated. Lunch, half a dozen beers and a thank-you and it's worthwhile.
As soon as I sense it is taken for granted, it's over. You've put in some hard yards there, Steve.
He did offer to take me to the diner but I already had my heart set on Five Guys.
We use the cabins several nights a year, rent free. A good trade off IMO
I love putzing around like this. It a bit frustrating when others inadvertently make the project more difficult by dumping other stuff on the log pile but it comes with the territory. Now that the log pile is completely gone, that area will no longer be a “catch all” for junk. You’d laugh if I listed all of the stuff I discovered in that pile besides wood.
When I started volunteering up here 5 years ago the dead tree situation was a nightmare. Dangerous dead trees everywhere around the road and cabins as there was nobody around who knew anything about running a saw. We’ve taken our well over 100 trees so now it’s just a matter of taking trees down as they die.
Didn’t plan to work today but when we went for a walk on the hiking trails I did notice a cherry fallen across the trail as well as a jack pine snag that was precariously leaning over the trail. Took the Jersey pattern axe (which has been featured a couple times in the axe thread) up there right before dark and made short work of the offending logs.
This will more or less be the end of my progress posts until February unless I’m able to do some cutting when I get out this way later this summer.
This will more or less be the end of my progress posts until February unless I’m able to do some cutting when I get out this way later this summer.
