A thought on cutting muddy logs

[Ohiowoodguy]

Of course dirt should be avoided with the chain at all costs, but my thought is that it may be less dulling to the chain if the muddy side of the log faces you when cutting. That way the mud and dirt are not neccessarily cut and dragged thru the cut by the teeth, but sort of pushed out and quickly expelled by the teeth. Agree?
It gets tiring using scrapers and wire brushes- especially with frozen mud. I wish I had an extra $50K to get a debarker because I HATE the tedium of sharpening chains.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

could just score a cut line with the axe first....just a thought...or try an adz.

 

[John R]

How about one of the carbide rescue chains the Stihl sells?

 

[logbutcher]

You could skid out only on snow or frozen ground. Hard to do for a year-round operation.

Some have pressure washed before cutting--tough in the field.

If you have to buck, why not buck in place after felling ? No dirt.:thinking:

Forget carbide chains--a PITA.

 

[super3]

Sounds like it is worth a try. I have had good luck with Inject a Sharp chain for the dirty ones.

 

[GeeVee]

A Debarker on the end of a Small top handle or a disposable Big Box Store Special?

Yeah its another saw to use fuel, and maintain, but how much care would it need?

Then again, chains sharpening is inevitable any way. Build a bigger quiver of chains.

 

[AIM]

I do it all the time. I drag a lot of logs from the creek that runs through the woods where I cut. Half of this stuff is actually good even though it's been submerged for who knows how long. If it's real muddy I just will let it sit for a period of time and let mother nature clean it off. (rain etc) Then come back and cut it up later.
Usually I'll just cut clean stuff until the chain gets a bit dull and then go finish the chain off in the dirty stuff.
Other than that I guess I just say to hell with it and cut away. Sharpening a chain takes little time in my opinion versus messing with all the other ways to clean the log off.
I have though at times used my axe to whack away frozen mud from the log before I cut

 

[stihl sawing]

I've used a wire brush before to knock off mud and dirt where i was sawing.

 

[c5rulz]

If it's real bad, I'll mark the log where I am going to make cuts and then chop off the bark with a hand ax. It's quicker than the down time sharpening chains.

 

[zogger]

I like it!

Of course dirt should be avoided with the chain at all costs, but my thought is that it may be less dulling to the chain if the muddy side of the log faces you when cutting. That way the mud and dirt are not neccessarily cut and dragged thru the cut by the teeth, but sort of pushed out and quickly expelled by the teeth. Agree?
It gets tiring using scrapers and wire brushes- especially with frozen mud. I wish I had an extra $50K to get a debarker because I HATE the tedium of sharpening chains.

--not perfect but dang, one of those things I wish I had thought of years ago. I believe it would do exactly as you said, only hit it minimally and shoot the dirt out and away and not drag it back through the cut. The teeth will still hit it, but not near as much as drug through the whole way.

with that said, I stopped whacking on my huge hickory blowdown logs because of this, just way way too dang dirt underneath that dinosaur bark, which is nasty enough. I walk the dogs down there and have been chipping away at it using an old ax, taking as much of the bark off as possible then letting the rain wash it off more. man you get a lot of bark..seems like a dozen layers, all of them frosted with dirt.

Not as good as dropping it in mid spring and really trying to peel the bark off to get it clean, but best I could come up with right now. I was only getting a few cuts from sharp to dust from dull..unacceptable. I have too much other cleaner wood to cut from, if I have to, those logs can just rot. I got all the small branches and mid size stuff of of them so far, tons of them, a buncha tractor loads and I am only half way hauling them back so far, what I have cut.. If I can't get the whopper 300-400 lbs apiece rounds off the main trunks..I don't care. PITA anyway...