Tell me about summer wood cutting.

[rmihalek]

Watch those muffler modded saws too. I have a Husky 365 with a second exhaust opening on the front of the muffler, and even with a spark screen, I've caught some dry bark on fire with the thing.

I try to let the saw slide down the log when bucking so as to not create a hotspot when like when it's dogged-in and I'm just pivoting the powerhead.

 

[SpiralAcacia]

Bees - I always carry an Epi, now you made me think of carrying a few! I'm allergic as hell but never had problems with them in 15 years working as hiking guide.
Snakes - Yikes!!! Been cutting Olive (Olea europaea) for firewood in the last 2 month. It's a farm that grows grapevines and olive trees, and it was hit by a flashflood on January. So you got there piles of uprooted olive trees among flattened down grapevines. Now the vines have grown thick with leaves and you see nothing under that low canopy. So here and there you catch a glimpse of an escaping reptile, and you get the shivers. Lucky for us them snakes are sensitive to vibrations and me & my firewood buddy we make LOTS of them. But I guess at any given moment we are encircled by an unknown but impressive number of
Field's horned viper

Desert Horned Viper

Black Adder (Not R. Atkinson!! )

painted saw-scaled viper

Palestine viper

NO political views expressed here. :monkey:

And this is to name only a few of the MORE poisonous species.

and oh yeah,

i hate hornets, beers, wasps, etc. just flattened one with a magazine 5 mins ago

Why flattening your beers is seen impolite around these parts, why not givem to someone who'd drink it eh?

SA

 

[BigE]

Thanks for the reminder of just exactly why I live in western Oregon!

 

[Whopper Stopper]

I also have severe reactions to bees. I always carry a couple of Epi pens along with Benadryl. The worst I ever got nailed was a couple of years ago. I was up in the bucket about 45 feet over some primary wires taking a dead elm down. I was in the process of making a butt hitch when all of a sudden it was like handfuls of peas were being thrown at my head. The only problem was the peas had stingers loaded with syrup, and made a terrifying buzzing sound.

The boom on a High-Ranger moves fairly fast. However when you are fighting off a couple of hundred bees it’s as if time stands still. As I was being bit it occurred to me that I would look like a fat soaker hose before I ever made it to the ground. I ended up un-snapping the safety snap ( think about that in a dead panic) on my safety harness and bailed out onto a garage roof about 15 feet down. I hit the roof running and jumped over the edge and onto the ground below. I unbelievably ended up with only six bee stings. Unfortunately this was more than enough to need the use of the Epi and then head to the Hospital. Long story short………Bees suck.

Nonetheless in my case cutting year around isn’t a choice I get to make. Cutting on weekends however is. Other than the super hot days, I seldom pass on the chance to hear the buzz of the chainsaw.

WS

 

[blackdogon57]

Get up early and get ur done before it gets hot. With the early sunrises this time of year you can get a lot of work done in the morning and spend the rest of the day relaxing in the with a few cold ones.

 

[STLfirewood]

Be careful when you take a leak after working. If you touched poison ivy and then you johnson guess what it's going to itch later. Not going to tell you hoe I learned this. Start early if you work hard till 11 or so. Then go split. You should have a couple cords ready for splitting around then.



Scott

 

[gallegosmike]

No poison ivy for me! Just freezing cold in the morning, then hot and sunny in the afternoon with late spring summer firewood cutting. A little tip, take some apples and keep them in a cooler. If your feeling hot and tired, eat one and you'll be back to yourself really quick!

 

[aandabooks]

Thanks for all the great stuff!!!! Other than the fact that getting stung by a bee sucks, it doesn't really bother me otherwise. Didn't even think about headbands. Seems way better than having a soaking wet hat on holding in the heat. I figure a cooler with water in it will have to find a spot on the 4 wheeler's rack.

I'm planning to do a bit of cutting this summer to keep myself sane and out of the house a bit. The wife is a guidance counselor and will also have the summer off along with the 11, 9 and 6 year old kids. There might be a day or two where cutting wood involves nothing more that sitting by the woodpile for a couple hours reading a book.

 

[CWME]

Thanks for all the great stuff!!!! Other than the fact that getting stung by a bee sucks, it doesn't really bother me otherwise. Didn't even think about headbands. Seems way better than having a soaking wet hat on holding in the heat. I figure a cooler with water in it will have to find a spot on the 4 wheeler's rack.

I'm planning to do a bit of cutting this summer to keep myself sane and out of the house a bit. The wife is a guidance counselor and will also have the summer off along with the 11, 9 and 6 year old kids. There might be a day or two where cutting wood involves nothing more that sitting by the woodpile for a couple hours reading a book.

Sign me up for that too please!

 

[brisawyer]

My favorite summer cutting tool is my camelback. You will be surprised at how much more water you drink in a day when its right there at your fingertips all day long. I have filled mine 4x on an August day it holds 2 liters. No more dehydration I feel a lot better during the day and in the evening. My favorite is 50% WATER 50% powerade.

 

[Native87]

Yellowjackets are my nemesis. They make me feel sick so I started carrying an epipen cause I dont know when I might have a bad reaction.

I dont worry so much about snakes but poison ivy can be rough. specially if you have to pee and get that stuff there. Only problem is that the doctor cant take the itch out and leave the swelling in for bragging rights. LOL

I am going to be dropping the trees this spring and summer as this will be my first year selling firewood. I look forward to it.

 

[StihlyinEly]

I have nothing to add, other than this has been an informative and entertaining thread. Hats off to all of you.

I never want to live in poisonous snake country again. Nuff said!

 

[hanniedog]

Picked up a pair of Husky safety pants a while back. Has anyone worn shorts under them, thought it might be cooler than pants and chaps? I too will be doing some warm weather cutting.

 

[Circle B MN]

When felling trees I like to wear my full brim hard hat. It provides protection to my melon, shade from the sun, it has a built in head band to keep the sweat out of my eyes, and the liner keeps your head cooler than a hat would. In the winter you can wear a beanie under it....

 

[stackwood]

Drink lots of Gatorade before and during and after , usually cutting in summer there is no wind its hot and its going to suck .

Mosquitoes suck ,bugs , spiders suck . do your self a favor get a spray bottle and full spectrum insecticide and spray entire area were you are cutting , put on repellent and bring extra towels .

Were a shirt , last summer i cut through some ivy vines and the urushiol from them gave me a break out on my big ass belly and that sucked being all sweaty and stuff.

I use Ortho MAX pretty much kills or deters all bug life from area . spray it on the ground trees bushes , everything. Going commando under your chaps helps keep you cool ahaha

 

[Iska3]

Good stuff so far. I'll just add a couple things. Take your time clearing your escape routes when felling. Summer growth can hide stuff that will trip ya when you least need that.

I cut when I get a chance, but prefer winter. I think the skeeters up here are addicted to DEET!

We were cutting new trails and it seems like the under brush is thicker then ever and those vines are like snakes, they grow around your legs. Summer cutting is a different story. Not much of a breeze in the woods so them skitters are thick. Like Harry said, I like to freeze bottles of water and drink them on the go. The short breaks give the saw a chance to cool down.

Cut in the morning, buck before dark and enjoy a few hotdogs over the fire...

 

[Locust Cutter]

Be careful when you take a leak after working. If you touched poison ivy and then you johnson guess what it's going to itch later. Not going to tell you hoe I learned this. Start early if you work hard till 11 or so. Then go split. You should have a couple cords ready for splitting around then.



Scott

:agree2: X2- I'm very allergic to poison Oak, Ivy and Sumac,so cutting in KS is fun. Even cutting in the winter you have to be careful, as even when the plant is dormant, the surface oil is in effect and as potent as ever,... Worst time I ever had was the result of going pee in the woods,... 2 weeks, head-to-toe coverage, 2x Hydro-cortisone shots and 8 oatmeal baths later:jawdrop::censored::censored:

I also had the problem with my saws overheating,... I richend up the carbs a bit and started running av gas (tetra ethyl is awesome) and don't have nearly as much trouble now. Also agree always take a buddy (or someone who can drive if you're incapacitated) w/you. You may never need it, but another set of hands is always helpful and the one time you have the MAJOR OH :censored:, it could be the difference between you getting home and living to cut again or not,... My .02 (bird shot in a revolver for prairie rattlers is a must for me as well,...)

 

[RAMROD48]

When felling trees I like to wear my full brim hard hat. It provides protection to my melon, shade from the sun, it has a built in head band to keep the sweat out of my eyes, and the liner keeps your head cooler than a hat would. In the winter you can wear a beanie under it....

If thats what you like its fine, just hope your also wearing safety glasses and hearing protection....

Cant tell you how many times my Forestry helmet (w/sheild and muffs) has saved my noggin....and sometimes MINUTES after the tree I was cutting was on the ground....when your in the real thick stuff you would be amazed at how much stuff hangs up....

 

[Gologit]

Watch those muffler modded saws too. I have a Husky 365 with a second exhaust opening on the front of the muffler, and even with a spark screen, I've caught some dry bark on fire with the thing.

Yup...and I'm surprised that this hasn't been mentioned more. Summer cutting means special precautions about fire. Be careful where you set your saw down. Clear a spot free of duff down to bare ground and fuel your saws there if you can. If you're able, give your saw a few minutes to cool down before fueling. Carrying a good fire extinguisher and a shovel is a must.

Another tip is to always park your pickup pointed out and not block your road with down timber. You might have to get out of the woods quick...make sure you can.

And remember, sweating is healthy. Keep telling yourself that.

 

[RAMROD48]

Another tip is to always park your pickup pointed out and not block your road with down timber. You might have to get out of the woods quick...make sure you can.

I am embarrassed to tell this story....

2 years ago, I drove up to the wood lot to buck up a small 2 cord pile of oak, ash, and birch logs....I am about half through the pile, and get my saw stuck...go to the shed and get the owners saw...pull it out of the case....chain is very dull...so i sit down on the tractor bucket and get to sharpening....(with my gloves in my back pocket)....get through 1 side and turn the saw around...I get all but 2 teeth sharp and on a file stroke I turn my hand just slightly and the saw tips and my finger runs across one on the just sharpened teeth...so i realise this is a bad one and gonna need stitches....I put the saws off in the weeds and head for the car...get in the car, start her up and look ahead...yup you guessed it....tractor is in the only drive way out...now I gotta get back out of the car, move tractor, and then get back in the car...I didn't die...but I lost a good bit of blood...and was worried for a while...

Morals of the story...

1. your saw does not need to be running to get you hurt
2. ALWAYS wear your gloves to sharpen
3. Always have a cell phone near
4. Always make sure your saw is stable when sharpening
5. Always pay attention to what your doing!
6. Never block the driveway
7. Injury can happen at any second