Cutting consistent firewood lengths

[Mac88]

I'm surprised you haven't had an issue with your stacks, being years ahead as you are. I have done the eyeball route, and it seems after 2 yrs the stacks really want to fall. Now that there all the same size, the stacks are nice and solid. No space for the wood to shift. My stacks are typically 5'w 6'h 8'-25'L

Nope, no problem. Since we put our stuff on skids, I usually get 2 rows and a gap in between, which I
fill with the uglies that don't stack well. I keep the rows level when I build them, even though the splits
are different sized. Most everything is 16" +/- an inch or so. Sometimes I have "shorts" and just stack
them end to end, mixed in with the full length stuff. I square both rows on the open end. They're not
the pretties thing to look at, bit I've never had one fall.

 

[REJ2]

If theres any advantage to a 1978 home with a masonry and steel fireplace is the fact i can use splits up to 35" sideways. Now i dont cut them that long, 18" nominal, but i can be off 2,4, or 12, inches and it still fits. A blind man could wood for me! Of course with my minimal efficiency fireplace, i need a lot of wood.

 

[turnkey4099]

What does having them all the exact same length have to do with no space for the wood to shift? My stacks start to lean do to not having a solid ground foundation and settling. Nothing to do with length. If I catch them leaning I straighten them out by tapping the ends with a maul, works good.

Yep, firewood stacks _never_ quite settling and shifting. I have stacks going back over 8 years. I learned long ago to forget about nice straight stacks if you are stockpiling. I start a rick agains a building, fence or some and then make all subsequent ricks lean in against the previous. Yes, I have had stacks blow the ends out after years of being stable. Got one area ready to fall on the end now, cut and stacked that about 2005.

Harry K

 

[Fred Wright]

We've never been good at eyeballing while bucking. For us older guys, bifocals can make eyeballing a cut a bit challenging.

I just lay the guide bar on the log, bring the saw back where the sprocket nose touches and start cutting. It's not a precise measurement but it makes the rounds consistent in length.

 

[turnkey4099]

We've never been good at eyeballing while bucking. For us older guys, bifocals can make eyeballing a cut a bit challenging.

I just lay the guide bar on the log, bring the saw back where the sprocket nose touches and start cutting. It's not a precise measurement but it makes the rounds consistent in length.

I've never been able to eyeball. Small stuff (limbs) I cut long, big stuff I cut short. Eyeball to cut a round from a 20" log it willprobably come out about 12"

Harry K

 

[rottiman]

If your cutting wood 10" or less in diameter, i.e. tops, this rig cuts at 16" EVERYTIME. Have cut about 60 cord with it. Quick and easy, especially when you have a 2nd guy feeding it.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I have a piece of round aluminum tube that I cut with a hacksaw to 18" that I keep in my saw case; I put one end of it up to the log and eyeball the other end, stare at that spot as I place the tube either between my knees or lay it somewhere and cut. It works pretty well for me and is pretty consistent.

 

[Whitespider]

I have a piece of round aluminum tube that I cut with a hacksaw to 18"...

Hmmmmm.........
Guess I'll never quite get the "another piece of gear" thing if you're not actually marking the log, just using a visual reference point, and you already have the saw in your hands. I mean something, or some reference mark on the saw has to measure 18-inches, or close enough... bar tip to bucking spike, bar tip to case, bar tip to bar stud, back of the rear handle to front of the case, something??? Heck, just make a reference mark somewhere on the saw or bar if ya' haf'ta... why take your hand off the saw, then grab another tool, then move that tool, then re-grab the saw?
Just seems like a lot of wasted motion and time to me.
But that's just me...

I've always cut to 16 inches and used a reference point on the saw for as long as I can remember...
I had a little Poulan top handle one time that I put a 10 inch bar on, from the tip of the bar to the muffler cover/heat shield measured 15 3/4 inch... close enough, I can allow for the 1/4 inch.
I had couple different 024's with 18 inch bars, from the tip of the bar to the tip of the bucking spike measured 16 1/4 inches... close enough.
A Mac I had measured close enough to 16 inches from the tip of the bar to a casting flaw on the clutch cover.
The 038 wore a 20 inch bar, I painted two marks on it, one 16 inches from the tip, and the other 16 inches from the case... that way I could use it working left to right, or right to left.
Etc., etc., etc.

 

[Chris-PA]

I'm cutting for myself and I don't much care unless it gets over21". I load the bottom end on, which is the longest dimension, and slightly shorter splits go crosswise on the top row. Then we got a smaller stove so now I have something to do with all those small bits. It's all good and I don't have to pay much attention other than to sort a bit.

Last summer I was dropping ash trees and for some reason my judgement was off. They all came out at 22" to 24" - what a pain that was! I have not forgotten that.

 

[Nosmo]

Answering Joe Kidd's Question

For those who are anal about cutting consistent lengths of firewood like myself, what method gives you the most speed? BTW I typically cut everything 16"
I cut a few cords to sell, and my thinking is "take it or leave it".

Joe wanted to know how we who measure our cuts do it. So I'll give him my method which works just fine for me.

After felling a tree and trimming the brush I begin marking my cuts on the limbs beginning at the trunk outward as far as I want to cut up the limb.

I square cut the trunk to get rid of the notch and measure upwards and mark with chalk until I reach a fork. I measure and mark outward from the fork to the end of a limb.

I start my cuts on the ends of the limbs working back to the trunk. After all the limbs are off I cut up the trunk.

Load 'em up and go home.

Nosmo

Cut 'em up , load 'em up and take 'em home.

Nosmo

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I got an eye like a dead fish! So when I'm in the woods, I mark it out if it is over 6" dia. Lumber crayon, paint, Mingo marker, what ever.

 

[turnkey4099]

I have a piece of round aluminum tube that I cut with a hacksaw to 18" that I keep in my saw case; I put one end of it up to the log and eyeball the other end, stare at that spot as I place the tube either between my knees or lay it somewhere and cut. It works pretty well for me and is pretty consistent.

I carry a 16" length of (3/8" or 1/4") white PVC pipe (the stuff used forunder sinks, etc as risers off the valves) Just right to carry in my left hand and still hold the saw properly. That is my latest attempt a finding a good solution between quick, easy, accurate. Never been satisfied with any of them.

Harry K

 

[George G]

This is what I use. 16" long, lay it on log,hit head with hammer, move it up to mark hit head with hammer and so on. It makes a mark about the width of the chainsaw chain.
View attachment 248469

 

[blacklocst]

I use my bar scabbard which I have with the saw and a lumber crayon, red seems to work the best. I just go down the tree make my marks and then cut, not into making 90 degree turns with a running saw in this heat.

 

[Eric Modell]

When I used to be anal I used a tape measure and splitting maul. Now I just cut.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Hmmmmm.........
Guess I'll never quite get the "another piece of gear" thing if you're not actually marking the log, just using a visual reference point, and you already have the saw in your hands. I mean something, or some reference mark on the saw has to measure 18-inches, or close enough... bar tip to bucking spike, bar tip to case, bar tip to bar stud, back of the rear handle to front of the case, something??? Heck, just make a reference mark somewhere on the saw or bar if ya' haf'ta... why take your hand off the saw, then grab another tool, then move that tool, then re-grab the saw?
Just seems like a lot of wasted motion and time to me.
But that's just me...

It really is easy and doesn't take more than a few seconds to do; basically just keep the pipe between my knees, put it up with the left hand, eyeball it, put the pipe back and cut-repeat steps 1 thru 5 repeatedly until finished. I see in post # 33 that Harry Turnkey does something similiar with PVC pipe.

I guess great minds think alike, Harry....but then so do idiots, serial killers, lunatics, etc..!