40" Hollow White Oak Felling.

[Nailsbeats]

We have been doing some firewood logging of hazardous, dead, rotten and hollow hardwoods lately. This tree was 40" where I cut it. There was a porkupine in the log that crawled out when my brother removed the chokers. I had one crawl out of the stump on me yesterday too.

This tree had a good size canopy with plenty of hazards present. The drop zone was angled across the logging road we were using to skid. We had to drop a small dead pine that was caught in the top to clear it for the fall. Temps were about 25F and were well below 0F yesterday. The snow is getting up there too.

 

[Nailsbeats]

I have some more pictures here.

 

[clearance]

Looks good, excellent undercut. Couldn't see nothing wrong with anything.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Here's a shot of the stump. The tree had a lean to the lay, but the 2 biggest branches came back over my head. It was well balanced and took a good bit of wedging. There wasn't much hinge left and the quality for hinging and wedging was very poor. The saw I used was my newest 660 with a 32" bar and skip chain. The second pic is my custom felling axe. It was a busted Fiskars splitting axe that I did a little work on.

 

[forestryworks]

nice job on the humboldt

 

[Nailsbeats]

Thanks guys, that was a fun tree to take down. I sure do like the way a tree slides off that Humbolt.

 

[oldirty]

the humboldt is my new felling cut too. i love it.


how come so many wedgies nails? no troline to set a rope? lol


kidding bud. it all looked good.

edit: found one. little below the hinge! but you knew that.

 

[385xp9106]

is that a 440 john deer skidder

 

[johnzski]

always enjoy your pics , nails--keep em coming. Them old Deere's are great little skidders

 

[diesel&coffee]

what kind of axe is that in the pic?? as in brand

 

[clearance]

Nails, how come ya didn't use the bore cut?

 

[Nailsbeats]

is that a 440 john deer skidder

Yeah, that is my bro's machine. When we log he skids with that and I sort at the landing with my Bobcat and grapple.

 

[Nailsbeats]

what kind of axe is that in the pic?? as in brand

The head was a Fiskars splitting axe that we busted the handle off. I added the pipe, handle, and the custom beater on the top of the head.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Nails, how come ya didn't use the bore cut?

I only use the bore on leaners that I don't feel like trying to race. I don't like to use it on trees that aren't sound either, unless I have to. Where I use it a lot is when pushing trees over with the skidder. I can set the whole thing, walk away and let the skidder do the work.

I have a Red Oak to take down in 2 days where it is snapped off and hanging in another tree. There is a lot of tension but who knows how much and where. I plan on choking the skidder on, boring it with a heavy hinge and pulling it over while I'm in the clear.

I did use a few Coos Bay cuts the other day that worked out well. Thing with those, and any other cut that doesn't establish a hinge, is you don't have any side to side control. With these wide canopy tops, they like to spin a bit as they release.

 

[Nailsbeats]

always enjoy your pics , nails--keep em coming. Them old Deere's are great little skidders

Thanks John. Those skidders are awesome. The 440 sure is a handy size around here. You see a lot of 540's too.

 

[Metals406]

Nails... Looks like you were having some fun. My eye immediately caught that cool little ax of yours... And I was going to ask about it before you explained what it was.

What kind of steel did you use for the button on the back? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Nailsbeats]

the humboldt is my new felling cut too. i love it.


how come so many wedgies nails? no troline to set a rope? lol


kidding bud. it all looked good.

edit: found one. little below the hinge! but you knew that.

The humbolt is really nice when cutting a high stump, you don't have to reach up and come down. I also like how the wedge falls right out.

With a lot of these defect trees you end up cutting high because they have a hole in the base or a goosepen.

You know me OD, I use em' all, cut's that is. It all depends on the tree and situation.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Nails... Looks like you were having some fun. My eye immediately caught that cool little ax of yours... And I was going to ask about it before you explained what it was.

What kind of steel did you use for the button on the back? Inquiring minds want to know.

Metals, I wish I had an impressive answer for you, but it's just mild steel. I am usually only hitting plastic with it, so I will see how it holds. I can get fancy later if need be, but I doubt I'll have too.

The center of it (over 50%)is the top of the original axe head. I just cut a piece of pipe 1/2" long, slipped it over the head and filled the gap with weld. Then I ground it to the desired shape and finnish. I have no complaints on performance, but we'll se if I'm still using it when I'm 80, lol.

 

[Metals406]

Metals, I wish I had an impressive answer for you, but it's just mild steel. I am usually only hitting plastic with it, so I will see how it holds. I can get fancy later if need be, but I doubt I'll have too.

The center of it (over 50%)is the top of the original axe head. I just cut a piece of pipe 1/2" long, slipped it over the head and filled the gap with weld. Then I ground it to the desired shape and finnish. I have no complaints on performance, but we'll se if I'm still using it when I'm 80, lol.

I've been tossing around something in my pea-brain for a couple weeks... What would be better to carry for driving wedges?

A nice package like you made with an ax blade?.. Or replace the ax blade with a pickaroon/hookeroon shape? I'm thinking the pickaroon shape might be handier?

I got a few pulaski heads laying around, from my buddy making super-pulaski's for the DNRC, and was thinking of throwing one together.

 

[Nailsbeats]

I've been tossing around something in my pea-brain for a couple weeks... What would be better to carry for driving wedges?

A nice package like you made with an ax blade?.. Or replace the ax blade with a pickaroon/hookeroon shape? I'm thinking the pickaroon shape might be handier?

I got a few pulaski heads laying around, from my buddy making super-pulaski's for the DNRC, and was thinking of throwing one together.

I would have to say the axe blade. Before saw's men used axe's which is why it makes it ideal for chopping yourself out in a pinch, limbing, knocking out notches, and driving wedges. A pickaroon isn't going to do any of them well.