Old Time Woodcutting

[danrclem]

I haven't been around here lately but I do enjoy reading about different thoughts on cutting firewood. I can remember cutting firewood when I was a young lad back in the early 60's. My dad didn't have a chainsaw but he did have a crosscut saw, tractor and a cutoff saw that ran from a belt hooked up to the tractor. I was really too young to help much but I can tell you from watching that this was a whole lot harder than cutting wood with a chainsaw. My older brothers and my dad would use the crosscut saw to cut the trees down and use an ax to cut the limbs off unless they were too big and then they used the crosscut on that too. They would snake the logs to the cutoff saw and then hook the tractor up. They would then heave the logs up and start cutting them in lengths. After all of this it was time to split and then finally burn. I sometimes think that cutting wood with a chainsaw and then splitting is tough but after remembering doing it the old way I've kinda changed my point of view. I just thought I'd share this with you guys and I'm sure that some you have had similar experiences.


Danny

 

[Gypo Logger]

I also remember the good ole days bustin' up a few sticks of firewood in the back 40.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=X9Co0ieERww
John

 

[turnkey4099]

Just reading about the amount of wood the pilgrims and pioneers used annually makes my toes curl. Reports of 20 to 30 cord/year and all made with no power equipment.

I started on the farm back in the 40s. We did at least have a "drag saw" (wish I still had that). One lunger engine, tickler coil, water tank but no radiator on a frame running a crosscut saw blade. It was moveable by one man but only one end at a time. Rather slow but that worked out as it wouild be cutting while you split/loaded the previous round. Didn't get our first chainsaw until early 50s.

Harry K

 

[buzz sawyer]

Years ago, before we were allowed to use my Dad's Mall GP, my older brother and I decided to drop and buck a 20" cherry with our old 2 man crosscut saw, then split the wood with a mall. We were about 13 and 16 at the time. Luckily it was a nice straight tree.
I recommend everyone try this at least once. We slept well that night!

If nothing else, this site brings back fond memories.

 

[Drive_1305]

My father was raised up on a farm by his grandfather, they cut wood with crosscut saw. I would like to give it a try too. I never knew his grandfather, but I would love to see those old timers get to use a chainsaw. They would probably think they were in heaven.

The crosscut saw is a pretty hard way to go, but I've been thinking about the Native Americans before europeans came over. I think all they had were stone tools. Im sure they just gathered up dead limbs. Wonder if they ever cut and split firewood with stone axes?

I'd like to build a primitive shelter to play around in. Anyone ever build one?

 

[turnkey4099]

My father was raised up on a farm by his grandfather, they cut wood with crosscut saw. I would like to give it a try too. I never knew his grandfather, but I would love to see those old timers get to use a chainsaw. They would probably think they were in heaven.

The crosscut saw is a pretty hard way to go, but I've been thinking about the Native Americans before europeans came over. I think all they had were stone tools. Im sure they just gathered up dead limbs. Wonder if they ever cut and split firewood with stone axes?

I'd like to build a primitive shelter to play around in. Anyone ever build one?

I cut up quite a bit of wood with a one man cross cut back when I was 12-14. It isn't that bad with a sharp saw and is a rather contemplative exercise. I was the second person on the two-man in falling trees with my old man more often than I care to recall. His instructions were "quit riding the saw" repeated every minute.Would I do it again? Not on your life!

Then when I was 22 I got shanghied by my landlord to help cut down a big tree with a two-man crosscut. Wow, was I out of shape.