firewood length in bucking

[Wileyone27]

Hey guys I need some info/advice. I have been working on a beech tree that has been down for about a year or so. It's on my friends land. When it fell he got a guy to come out and buck it. The tree is roughly 30" at it's base. I have been bucking and splitting by hand the parts of the tree that I can, but I am now getting to where the tree is about 24" thick the guy that bucked it cut each part about three feet apart. What would be a good length to cut it at being that I am splitting it by Hand. What would be the easiest way to buck it into smaller pieces.

Thanks
William

 

[rarefish383]

I'm just a wee bit compulsive about my firewood. Most every thing I have is based on 18" wood. My wood shed holds 3 rows of 18, the sides of my small trailer make 1/2 cord stacked level at 18", my dump railer sides are 1 cord level at 18", my Wood Boss has an 18" bar and my Super 1050 has a 36" bar, 2X18". I cut narly pieces 18" and leave them aside till I get a big pile then noodle them. They come out like 4X4's and I use them for the cribs at the end of my stacks. Gee I wish I was 18 again, Joe.

 

[J1m]

I've used all sorts of ways to mark the length.

• For a long time I had a marking stick and some crayons that I kept with the saw. These worked out as long as the log was nice and dry, but if it was wet, forget it.
• When it was wet, I tried the marking stick and a crappy short hand saw to make the mark. This worked OK as well, but sometimes the marks would get lost.
• I took a rope and started tying knots every 16". Do you know how hard it is to tie knots every 16"? I started using zip ties instead. Then I would take some orange spray paint and leave a mark every 16". This method sucked. The end of the rope kept coming loose, and it was messy coiling up a rope wet with paint.
• Finally I got the Mingo Marker, and this is by far the best method I have found. You can choose different wheels to mark every 14, 16, 18, and ? inches. It only takes me less than a minute to mark an 80' log, and it doesn't matter if it is raining or not.

Is any of this really necessary? I checked out the Mingo, and I'll admit it's a cool invention - but it looks like a waste of $30.

I have a $.99 Sharpie and a tape measure that does the exact same thing. Measure from the tip of your bar back on the saw to 14", 16", 18", 24", or 21.528" - whatever length your stove takes. Make a mark with the Sharpie ON the bar or ON the saw. Shoot, if you need two or three different lengths because you're a firewood vendor...Make two or three marks on the saw!

If you're bucking from the right, the Sharpie mark starts at the end of the log, the tip of the saw is where you cut. If you're bucking from the left, the tip starts at the end of the log and the Sharpie mark is where you cut. Mingo lovers will say that their tool is more accurate because it makes a mark on the log...Well, there's always a sawdust chip, piece of moss or imperfection on the bark that you can use as your cut marker. Simple and inexpensive.

 

[beerman6]

My splitter can split 25" logs.
There is a line on the clutch cover of my MS310 that is 22" from the tip.
With the 24" bar on my Echo from the tip to the dogs is about 22".
I use them as gauges and just keep my eye on the log.
At the end of the log,if it will fit in the splitter it's good enough.

 

[rmount]

Hey guys I need some info/advice. I have been working on a beech tree that has been down for about a year or so. It's on my friends land. When it fell he got a guy to come out and buck it. The tree is roughly 30" at it's base. I have been bucking and splitting by hand the parts of the tree that I can, but I am now getting to where the tree is about 24" thick the guy that bucked it cut each part about three feet apart. What would be a good length to cut it at being that I am splitting it by Hand. What would be the easiest way to buck it into smaller pieces.

Thanks
William

Just keep on doing what you're doing. If your stove will take 18-20" pieces just cut those three foot sections in half, if it will only take smaller lengths I would cut them into 3 pieces one foot long. As long as you have at least a 16" bar you'll have no problem cutting through the 30" butt. Beech splits fairly easily, on the big pieces just split chunks off from the outside and work your way in, don't try to split it in half with your first swing.

 

[branchbuzzer]

Hey guys I need some info/advice. I have been working on a beech tree that has been down for about a year or so. It's on my friends land. When it fell he got a guy to come out and buck it. The tree is roughly 30" at it's base. I have been bucking and splitting by hand the parts of the tree that I can, but I am now getting to where the tree is about 24" thick the guy that bucked it cut each part about three feet apart. What would be a good length to cut it at being that I am splitting it by Hand. What would be the easiest way to buck it into smaller pieces.

Thanks
William

Just cut it at whatever length you need to make the splitting manageable, or else cut to fit your stove. With a 3 foot length you really only have 2 practical choices, 2 at 18" or 3 at 12".

As to how to buck it, cut the far side of the log first by reaching over and sweeping the cut towards the ground then keep the bar in the kerf and bring it back over to your side and cut down. When you near the ground or the cut begins to pinch, stop and roll the log over then finish the cut with the top of the bar. Watch for kickback as you reinsert the bar.

 

[Wileyone27]

Just keep on doing what you're doing. If your stove will take 18-20" pieces just cut those three foot sections in half, if it will only take smaller lengths I would cut them into 3 pieces one foot long. As long as you have at least a 16" bar you'll have no problem cutting through the 30" butt. Beech splits fairly easily, on the big pieces just split chunks off from the outside and work your way in, don't try to split it in half with your first swing.

Thanks for the info I appreciate the feedback. Start from the outside in that sounds alot easier then from inside out which is what I have been doing thanks again

 

[Wileyone27]

Just cut it at whatever length you need to make the splitting manageable, or else cut to fit your stove. With a 3 foot length you really only have 2 practical choices, 2 at 18" or 3 at 12".

As to how to buck it, cut the far side of the log first by reaching over and sweeping the cut towards the ground then keep the bar in the kerf and bring it back over to your side and cut down. When you near the ground or the cut begins to pinch, stop and roll the log over then finish the cut with the top of the bar. Watch for kickback as you reinsert the bar.

Thanks for the reply the info is greatly appreciated. I will cut some peices in the next day or two with the Infiniti have received from this forum it should make it alot easier thanks guys

 

[BigE]

Is any of this really necessary? I checked out the Mingo, and I'll admit it's a cool invention - but it looks like a waste of $30.

I have a $.99 Sharpie and a tape measure that does the exact same thing. Measure from the tip of your bar back on the saw to 14", 16", 18", 24", or 21.528" - whatever length your stove takes. Make a mark with the Sharpie ON the bar or ON the saw. Shoot, if you need two or three different lengths because you're a firewood vendor...Make two or three marks on the saw!

If you're bucking from the right, the Sharpie mark starts at the end of the log, the tip of the saw is where you cut. If you're bucking from the left, the tip starts at the end of the log and the Sharpie mark is where you cut. Mingo lovers will say that their tool is more accurate because it makes a mark on the log...Well, there's always a sawdust chip, piece of moss or imperfection on the bark that you can use as your cut marker. Simple and inexpensive.

Even easier, my bar on my limbing saw is 16", so I could just use that mark. And I used to do that (still do if it is a short log), but the Mingo is so much faster, easier, and more accurate. Swinging that saw back and forth 90 degrees gets old real fast.

Another bonus is that if I'm not on my property and I'm picking up loads to process, I can use the Mingo to mark off the log lengths. Right now I'm helping out the neighbor clean up some downed trees, so I'm bucking to 64", loading up the logs on the tractor forks, and hauling them out of the woods. So, I just make my cut every 4th mark. Easy as all get out.

My mingo marker has more than paid for itself in time saved. But hey, if the bar length estimation works for you, by all means, go for it.

 

[Mowingman]

All of my wood is cut to sell to customers. I sell it as 18" wood, or 22" wood. The 18" will range from 18" - 20", but most is very close to 18". The 22" will range from 20" - 22". Most of it will be an actual 22".
I save short pieces from 16" - 18" and sell that to folks in apts. with small fireplaces. I usually do not end up with anything shorter than 16", but when I do, it goes into the dumpster at my wood yard.
I buy most of my wood already cut and split to my specs. however, when I do cut my own, I use a couple of marks on my chainsaw as a measuring guide.
Jeff

 

[Wood Doctor]

Cut All To Same Length...

Cut all of your logs to the same length based on yours or your customers' demand. I opt for 18" to 20" lengths. Occasionally, I drop down to 16", but not often.

Save the leftover cookie shorts for BBQ cooking wood, campfires, or just kindling. The idea is to maximize the heat from the stove. Lots of multiple lengths for heating are a PITA to stack and burn.

Not much is worse than a customer receiving a good log that is too long, won't fit into the stove, and no saw to shorten it.

 

[Steve2910]

We heated the shop with wood before we burned wood in the house. The shop stove will handle 26". Never worried too much about length before putting the stove in the house, just eyeballed them to 20-couple" or so. House stove's max log length, per the manual, is 18". It will handle a little longer, but 18" is what I aim for. Primo wood goes in the house, lesser stuff gets burned in the shop. With my smaller saw, w/ 16" bar, it's 18" from the tip to the rear bar nut. My larger firewood saw w/ 20" bar, 18" from tip to dawg points. Customers seem to like 18" just fine.