Detroit GTG - March 15th

[computeruser]

Bowtech takes a turn in the big wood:

Woodie puts the 2153 (aka 346xp New Edition) through its paces. This is a very nice saw, by the way, and feels noticeably lighter than the 5100s, at least in my hands.

Mike takes a turn with the 076. Can you see what’s wrong with the saw in this picture?

This would not have made for a very nice tabletop, sadly. And yes, there were nails in there.

For scale, that’s a 42” bar and a 6’3” saw operator.

One of the disadvantages in working with a group is the concept of diffusion of responsibility. In our case, we all presumed that somebody would bring an ax or sledge with them, so we left ours at home. We were all wrong. So Caseyforrest had to go Flintstones-style on our improvised wedge.

An example of the rare, endangered Straw Tree. Initially leaning over the building in the background and showed signs of cracking running up the trunk that had healed over after one of the main branches broke off; it was climbed and roped down. I’m not sure if that was necessarily the best idea.

The small stuff awaits the chipper, and the larger stuff will become freecycle firewood.

 

[computeruser]

This cherry was another casualty of the Garlon used to kill the Ailanthus trees that were growing along the fence. Ailanthus likes to root graft with everything! We wanted to make sure the cherry jumped clear of the fence on its way down; it did.

Woodie heads over to our final victim of the day: a weeping willow that has seen better days. Notice the stake (and flag) marking one of the many bareroot stick trees we planted last fall. We have 50 more on the way, plus 15 that I hope made it through the winter living in pots in my yard.

One of the things I hate about willow, and particularly when the tree is not in good health, is the variable densities of wood within the trunk. Here, a straight cut has already gone sideways as the tree sucks the bar in on its terms. I have yet to find another species that does this to such an extent. The degree of “pull” that the twisted grain of the backside of the tree exerted when doing the back cut resulted in a backcut that was not worthy of posting here…

Five guys with saws made quick work of the willow once it hit the ground:

Never content to leave a stump more than an inch above ground, Caseyforrest flush-cuts the stump as we finish making fries/noodles out of the bigger chunks of willow. This stuff will be freecycled as firewood, too.

 

[greengoblin]

As always, nice pictures CU. Looks like you guys had fun. :rockn:

 

[RDT]

Good work guys ,and nice pictures.

 

[Farley9n]

Great GTG !!!

Enjoyed the pictures and the putting of the faces....THANKS However.....You can't be serious about the 330 and 540 weighing the same or the solidness of the 330. I have both saws and would gladly trade all three of the 330's and a pile of parts including non working oil pumps for one 540 or even an 8800.
I think I got off a bit... ...Loved the pictures...opcorn: .....Bob

 

[computeruser]

Enjoyed the pictures and the putting of the faces....THANKS However.....You can't be serious about the 330 and 540 weighing the same or the solidness of the 330. I have both saws and would gladly trade all three of the 330's and a pile of parts including non working oil pumps for one 540 or even an 8800.
I think I got off a bit... ...Loved the pictures...opcorn: .....Bob

I know the 330 is a much maligned saw, but in handling it I thought it felt nice. Now I know that it likes to eat intake boots and other annoying things like that, and that it is no screamer, but it seemed like a fun old saw...

 

[AngelofDarkness]

Awesome pics, looks like a good time was had by all. Would have loved to be there and bury the bar on my 575 into that big willow, oh well.

 

[kruege84]

Darn, I'm upset that I missed it. Looks like you all had a good time. Unfortunately, I've been REALLY busy lately and couldn't make it.

I also couldn't come with the gas money to get home for the weekend as the landlord decided to slap me with some hefty fines. Apparently they aren't fond of chainsaws in apartment bedrooms or charcoal grills on 40 sq. ft. wooden balconies....

I'll be sure to make the next one. I'll keep an eye for a thread about the tree planting when the time comes.

 

[dustytools]

Nice pictures. It looks like you guys had a helluva good time.

 

[computeruser]

Well, here's a bit of a follow-up for everyone who came out to the GTG. There were a couple of trees that everybody was oogling and wanting to cut down...well, one of them came down this weekend! The first limb came down Friday and fell perpendicular to the driveway where we were cutting the hollow tree; we had to cut it out of the way to get in to the property for Kris (caseyforrest) and I to do work at the cemetery on Saturday. The second came down yesterday afternoon, in the third consecutive day of heavy storms. Given how much PI is in/on this tree, I think I'll let someone else handle this takedown and cleanup.

The other two big (40"+ DBH) maples along the back side of the property are still standing, and their removal may be the focus of another GTG later in the year when it is MUCH cooler. More details to follow.


On this past Saturday we had the benefit of a donated Bobcat rental from Chet's Rent-All, a local equipment rental company, and the skidsteer was put to good use regrading a portion of the property, digging ailanthus stumps, and moving/smoothing the piles of excess soil that the gravedigger piles up wherever he wants, without regard to logic or aesthetics. We also had the opportunity to right some large stones that had been toppled by vandals (presumably large groups of them, as these buggers were heavy!). And in case anyone wonders, Kris isn't just about dozers and loaders - he has some skills when it comes to running skidsteers, too! The stones that we righted were reset without so much as a scratch on their polished faces.

In addition to making some families happy by getting their stones back upright after years, and in come cases decades, laying in the dirt, we also had a chance to made some new friends: