Good point, softwoods are generaly much more forgiving than hardwood. Softwoods can be put thru a much smaller window in the canopy and are a about 1/3 the weight and are less likely to barber chair if an unintensional dutchman is placed. But every tree has it's inherant dangers.
I haven't cut a lot of large trees because we just don't have them in our area. However it seems that around here 6-12" diameter birch and maple are the most dangerous trees to fell because the butt can bounce excessively once the crown contacts the ground. Several feet to either side and up to 8' above the stump. I always take a few extra steps back. OTOH you can drop an 18" aspen and it if bounces at all its a surprise.
There are plenty of trees with fire damage, scars, pipes & internal punk, they are left as mentioned to make up the 10 per hectare have to be retained for environmental reasons, nobody knowingly will take a quota sawlog with rot in it, so they aren't knowingly cut.
Obviously a job for mythbusters then. LOL
That stump looks to be several years old as did the log laying on the ground. You have any recent stumps? There are entire jobs I cut, high ground too, where I have to butt off every tree. They show no physical signs from the outside.
That would be an awesome show! Those two goofballs probably don't have much experience with a saw though. They'd have to hire somebody.
Curious. Is something like red oak more difficult to turn because the fibers separate so easily? Or is it easier than something that holds together like elm?
Yes I did cut it some years back, it's only 150 meters up the hill from my home so it's slowly being cut up for firewood from the downhill end. When our trees get older & bigger that's when they get pipes in them, the outside tension of the tree is so great it disintegrates & crushes the timber in the centre of the log from the pressure, then the termites & punk can get a hold. Young trees normally don't have this problem, but some species like red iron bark are prone to it at a smaller size.
To borrow from a much earlier MustangMike post "if I'm turning a sweet-gum, I am frequently mistaken for a professional. If it is a beech, not so much"
I'm wondering how much you could twist a rubber tree?
I have sent you a scale saw in the post, it's an Armstrong brand, don't forget to burp & fart before starting it to decompress the power unit.I tell you what, Bwildered. Send me a to scale ported midget chainsaw with a sharp chain and I'll attempt to enlist our resident surgeon, Jon, to fall the 1" sapling stem of his choice. A 32 to 1 scale should be about right. Don't forget to include a decompression valve on the saw and proper mix instructions. Maybe throw in an extra chain or two so he can practice.
Better yet if Jon will agree to go down your way, you can pick the stem so we won't be arguing over its balance. That will also save you some shipping costs.
Ron
