Aaron's place

[turnkey4099]

Gonna be interesting - going after this one in the morning.

I have only seen it from the picture taking location so have no idea of the size - they alway's surprise me how they 'grow' as one gets closer - what looks like a 16" stem turns out to be aat least 24 up close.

I've been waiting since last spring but the farmer wouldn't let me in there until the fire danger was over. We got right at 1" moisture over the weekend, all fire restrictions by the state were pulled yesterday. He said he would call when I could but didn't. I called him tonight.

Seemed a bit reluctant at first but finally allowed it, planning on two days to clean it up to his satisfaction.

The "intersting" part? He said he was bv there 2 days ago and someone had been cutting on it and "it wouild make my job easier" - i wonder what he saw. I was there yesterday and didn't see anything from the road. I hope it is still there.

Got my 361 back yesterday - the one with the busted chain "break" (blush). Put the 25" bar on it, serviced all three saws and unless we have high wind or rain in the morning I'll be out there.

Harry K

 

[Steve NW WI]

Harry, knowing you, you'll be there at first light, just in case you need to beat the competition to it!

It'll be neat to see what someone's been doing...

 

[Whitespider]

Harry, I’ve never been to the state of Washington… but your pictures of it always amaze me. My subconscious impression (probably from the TV, what little I watch) is of a damp, thick wooded chunk of land. I’m sure it’s a regional thing, but your pictures show this open, rolling land with just a few trees plunked next to old farmsteads. Many, and especially this one, look as though they were taken in western Iowa, eastern Nebraska or eastern South Dakota (ain’t flat enough for a comparison to western ends of Nebraska and that horrible place, Kansas :msp_tongue: ).

Oh… and good luck, have fun and stay safe collecting that firewood.

 

[turnkey4099]

Harry, I’ve never been to the state of Washington… but your pictures of it always amaze me. My subconscious impression (probably from the TV, what little I watch) is of a damp, thick wooded chunk of land. I’m sure it’s a regional thing, but your pictures show this open, rolling land with just a few trees plunked next to old farmsteads. Many, and especially this one, look as though they were taken in western Iowa, eastern Nebraska or eastern South Dakota (ain’t flat enough for a comparison to western ends of Nebraska and that horrible place, Kansas :msp_tongue: ).

Oh… and good luck, have fun and stay safe collecting that firewood.

Washington is split aobut in half at the Columbia river - west is the wet side you picture, east is all semi arid and what was mostly open prarie with trees only on the bottoms, mostly willow, cottonwood and the like with some spruce and pine. Hardwoods in this arae are only found around homesteads or where someone planted an area. anual rainfall is about 16" and that all comes Nov-april with only occasional t-storms in the summer time.

Where I am is the middle of the "Palouse" rolling hills sloping up to steep drop offs on the North and East sides Picture sand dunes but made up of Loess blown in after the ice ages. Some of the richest land in the US.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

I got sandbagged!! Drove up to that thing and the close I got the bigger it got - it is a monster for a Black Locust:

That's my 36" maul leanign up against it.

Did a bit of clean-up around it, breeze blowing, freezing my goodies off, decided it ain't coming down today. I do NOT want all of that on the ground at one time!!! It is basically a two stemmer joined for the first about 8'. Right side will go to the right for sure - way heavy weighted that way. Left side wants to come toward tha camera. Kinda ticklish taking it down one shot not knowing if the seam will stay together.

First thought was undercut on right side, bore cut and take that half of the tree down. Consideration: Will it sepearate at the join? It should but should and will are dangerous considerations.

2nd thought, same thing but rip down the join first. That will probably be what I do. Anyone wanna bet someone left iron of some kind in that crotch?

Any suggestions?

Complication is that there are wire scars, at least a 3 wire fence at some time and most likely old fences that were on it and long buried in wood in the past.

Came home, sharped the 210 and checked to be sure I had two more sharp chains in the box. Checked for sharp 25 and 20" spare chains - good to go For sure it isn't going to be any 2 day job!

Try it again in the morning if it isn't raining. Now if I can keep from wimping out because my hands are cold I might make some progess. I for sure wasn't counting on it being that big and such a problem fall.

The "someone's been cutting on it" - nope - somebody dumped chunks of a tree that had been taken out somewhere else. Looked like they used a big tractor with bucket loader to push to stuff up near the house. Dunno the species but it is full of dirt now.

Harry K

 

[WidowMaker]

Damm Harry wish I was closer, would come over and give you a hand..Between the 2 of us old farts we could probaly get 1/2 as much done....:msp_biggrin:


===

by the way, option #2 is the way I wouuld go at it...but what do I know...

 

[Dale]

I got sandbagged!! Drove up to that thing and the close I got the bigger it got - it is a monster for a Black Locust:

That's my 36" maul leanign up against it.

Did a bit of clean-up around it, breeze blowing, freezing my goodies off, decided it ain't coming down today. I do NOT want all of that on the ground at one time!!! It is basically a two stemmer joined for the first about 8'. Right side will go to the right for sure - way heavy weighted that way. Left side wants to come toward tha camera. Kinda ticklish taking it down one shot not knowing if the seam will stay together.

First thought was undercut on right side, bore cut and take that half of the tree down. Consideration: Will it sepearate at the join? It should but should and will are dangerous considerations.

2nd thought, same thing but rip down the join first. That will probably be what I do. Anyone wanna bet someone left iron of some kind in that crotch?

Any suggestions?

Complication is that there are wire scars, at least a 3 wire fence at some time and most likely old fences that were on it and long buried in wood in the past.

Came home, sharped the 210 and checked to be sure I had two more sharp chains in the box. Checked for sharp 25 and 20" spare chains - good to go For sure it isn't going to be any 2 day job!

Try it again in the morning if it isn't raining. Now if I can keep from wimping out because my hands are cold I might make some progess. I for sure wasn't counting on it being that big and such a problem fall.

The "someone's been cutting on it" - nope - somebody dumped chunks of a tree that had been taken out somewhere else. Looked like they used a big tractor with bucket loader to push to stuff up near the house. Dunno the species but it is full of dirt now.

Harry K

Can sure see the wire scars in that tree. One thing. BE CAREFUL when that sucker starts to tip. By the looks, a good shake can bring some of those larger limbs down before the tree hits the ground. As soon as she starts, get those feets a turnin.

 

[turnkey4099]

It's down...at least 2 thirds of it is.

I hope noone who knows anything at all about felling trees ever looks at that stump! I used 2 saws, 3 bars and 3 chains and didn't hit anything - all chains still cutting. Started with 28" for the ripping cut, 25" for the undercut that I messup so badly I couldn't even make my 'correction' cuts meet up. Bottom line, I whittled itdown and the stump shows it. I'll probably take a slice off it to hide the evidence.

Started at 7, quit at 11 with all of the butt logs cut and loaded

And the right hand limbs cut up and brushed out. Heavy load with rounds on it that I am surpised I was able to get on the truck. I came down to whether it was worse lifting heavy or swinging a sledge/wedge to bust them in half. I opted for lifting after the first 6 rounds. Lasst round cut on the major stem was right at 20" and reasonable to manhandle.

Tomorrow's work, weather permitting. Just a sea of a couple stems to cut up, a few limbs big enough to use and a whale of a lot of shrapnel that each and every bit has to be picked up. I use a 25gal garbage, crawl along pitching stuff into the can, dump, wash rinse repeat. but it is the fastest way I have found to do the clean up. Raking results in mountains of straw with a few chunks of crap.

Left one third of the tree will remain standing until next week unless the wx prediction changes. Supposed to rain for 2 days starting on Monday.

Harry K

 

[oppermancjo]

The tree is on the ground and no one was hurt in the process. That's what counts. Looks like some nice work there!

I can't help but stare at the background in those pics. Everything here in "the valley" is so flat. I would love to have that kind of scenery!

 

[toqua]

Nice bunch of wood that You are going to get out of that tree,Good for You.

 

[H 2 H]

Harry it's been pouring down rain here (Stanwood) since around 5.00 am I hope it doesn't get over there

 

[ShaneLogs]

Looks like you got a lot of wood to keep you busy for a while. Good job at falling that locuat

 

[Gavman]

Thats an awesome tree, good score

Too bad about leaving evidence of poor felling technique , I wonder would there be a market for a rubber collar that fits over poorly felled trees, top side of collar would be a perfect hinge and wedge cut, it could be turned to face a narrow landing zone to show excellent skills... Could even come with paint to colour match the stump, different sizes and maybe a heat shrunk fit to make it non removable.... and a little warning label for the stump cutter guy that shows up later so he dont clog his machine with latex... Baileys could sell it under stocking stuffers for weekend warriors...:biggrin:

 

[turnkey4099]

Thats an awesome tree, good score

Too bad about leaving evidence of poor felling technique , I wonder would there be a market for a rubber collar that fits over poorly felled trees, top side of collar would be a perfect hinge and wedge cut, it could be turned to face a narrow landing zone to show excellent skills... Could even come with paint to colour match the stump, different sizes and maybe a heat shrunk fit to make it non removable.... and a little warning label for the stump cutter guy that shows up later so he dont clog his machine with latex... Baileys could sell it under stocking stuffers for weekend warriors...:biggrin:

I for one, and I suspect many others, would be in the market for that...all to often.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Harry it's been pouring down rain here (Stanwood) since around 5.00 am I hope it doesn't get over there

I'd take the rain over that *&(* wind. Blowing a gale here again and supposed to do the same tomorrow. I'm going to try to work inthe wind though - gotta get that mess cleaned up.

Sorta OT but we are being targeted for snow on Sunday!!

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Nice bunch of wood that You are going to get out of that tree,Good for You.

The rounds are absolutely beautiful - about the nices looking locust I have cut in a couple years, solid, buckskin mostly and very few bug holes. Saw one adult locust borer crawl out of one today.

Harry K

 

[Whitespider]

I hope noone who knows anything at all about felling trees ever looks at that stump!

Awwww.... forget that, ya' did just fine. Sometimes I fella' has to do what a fella' has to do with what he has to work with. I know with me, an ugly tree usually means an ugly stump... besides, I don't claim to be an expert anyway. I figure if I can get it on the ground reasonably close to where I intended it to fall, no one hurt, no equipment damaged... I can pat myself on the back, no matter what the stump looks like. It-is-what-it-is! I don't even try and hide the "evidence"... if someone wants to criticize I let 'em finish before I look at 'em and ask, "So then, you were there when that tree came down, huh? ........ Oh, you weren't? Well then, what the he!! do you know?"

Not that I ain't willing to learn from someone more experienced... but, trying to tell me what I did wrong by looking at a stump is gonna' teach me nothing (heck, I can look at a stump and know what's wrong with the cut). Without the tree standing on the stump... well, it's just a stump.

 

[ShaneLogs]

Very well put, WhiteSpider

 

[turnkey4099]

Day 2 on it: Crawled out of truck at 7:30 facing this mess:

the area from the first stem to under the truck was all trash yesterday but I cleaned that before leaving

Set can out at the near edge, cut up and loaded the first stem in between crawling along with the can pitching the crap into it and dumping. Wind blowing, chill factor down in the 20s at least but wind wasn't bad when I was on knees picking trash.

361 was a no go. I put on a fresh chain yesterday but it would not cut without 'riding it' today, went to the 310 and cut fine.

I cut some, loaded some, picked up trash for the next 3 1/2 hours. Got it cleaned up except for a patch over to the right. Probably another 1 1/2 hour for next trip. Wanted to stay but it was pushing time for wife to get up and I had to be there to help.

Came home with small but nice load, dumped it and sharped the 361. Hoping to go back tomorrow but the prediction is rain.

Got two medical appointmetns this week and I need a trip to Moscow. Got one of those promotional "scratch and match number to win prize' from a Ford dealer. For a change the number matched and "supposedly" at least one prize starting at $100 cash has been won. Worth checking on it as I have to make a shopping run over there anyhow - won't hurt to stop and see what the scam is this time.

Harry K

 

[ShaneLogs]

Hey, At least your making process there Harry!