Swedish Torch - cutting upright or lying down?

[Mike Kunte]

Hey Guys!

For years I've been cutting my Swedish Torches "cross grain", i.e. as you would in a ripping cut, with the log standing upright. I've always found it uncomfortable, in that the saw is not happy cutting directly across the end grain, especially with a "normal" 30 degree top plate angle, as opposed to the 10 degree angle of a ripping chain. Last week I decided to lay the log down and make three "noodling" cuts. This made a huge difference in the ease of the cut, and it went almost twice as fast as the cut in an upright log!. I cut about 90% of the way, and then stand the log up and just cut to the marked depth. As a bonus, I got 2 huge bags of "noodles" to use as kindling to start the torches!

BTW, this is in hard, dry Eucalyptus (gum)...

I'm just curious - which way do you prefer cutting? Upright, or lying down?

Regards,

Mike

 

[farmer steve]

I don't make any of the torches but I prefer the noodling method. Easier on me and the saw. I noodle a lot of big rounds in the woods so I can handle them easier. I lift the logs up and put blocks under them to stay out of the dirt.

 

[grizz55chev]

I don't make any of the torches but I prefer the noodling method. Easier on me and the saw. I noodle a lot of big rounds in the woods so I can handle them easier. I lift the logs up and put blocks under them to stay out of the dirt. View attachment 1060365

I'd slab that and make a nice bar out of it! Live edge is desirable.

 

[buzz sawyer]

I have always cut standing up. You don't have to move the log for the second cut. Never an issue cutting with a 59cc saw or bigger. Logs are about 10" - 12". I may try it laying down next time just to see the difference.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Always cut them lying down, couldn`t imagine trying to cut one out standing up.I use an 044 with chisel chain ,takes about 5 mins to do the 4 side cuts then plunge out the bottom cut to free the core.

 

[NSEric]

I do my noodling on a 30 or 45 degree angle to keep the saw from plugging with long noodles, the saw seams to cut well doing this.
I've been meaning the try the method above with the hollowed out log, I do the simple star cut to the top of the log.

 

[Ronaldo]

I prefer cutting with the grain or lying down. Its much smoother and faster than standing up.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I've never made one.

 

[Mike Kunte]

Thanks for the replies! I've learned something new again!!!

Yesterday I tried both methods again, and I'm convinced that it's much better with the log lying on its side. When cutting across the face (effectively an end-grain cut) the saw produces very fine dust, and does not load up properly.

Now to try NSEric's method of cutting at an angle!

Here's a little video of yesterday's action. You can see the noodles loading up on the face of the log. Note that I had drilled a 2 inch hole down the centre as far as the Forstner bit would go (about 6 inches deep). I've always found the Swedisg torches tricky to light reliably. I'm hoping that putting fire lighters in that hole will help!

Enjoy!!

 

[farmer steve]

Thanks for the replies! I've learned something new again!!!

Yesterday I tried both methods again, and I'm convinced that it's much better with the log lying on its side. When cutting across the face (effectively an end-grain cut) the saw produces very fine dust, and does not load up properly.

Now to try NSEric's method of cutting at an angle!

Here's a little video of yesterday's action. You can see the noodles loading up on the face of the log. Note that I had drilled a 2 inch hole down the centre as far as the Forstner bit would go (about 6 inches deep). I've always found the Swedisg torches tricky to light reliably. I'm hoping that putting fire lighters in that hole will help!

Enjoy!!

261? I've found that keeping the back of the saw higher than the bar tip helps to prevent clogging. I know you don't want to noodle the log in half so my suggestion would be a shorter bar or longer log so you can keep the dawgs tight up against the log. Wish I was tech savvy enough to download vids.

 

[fields_mj]

I don't make torches very often, but I do noodle the rounds that are too heavy for me to lift. I always do them laying on their sides with the tip of the bar angled down. Angling the bar keeps the noodles a little shorter. I start off up where I can watch the tip to keep it out of the dirt. By the time it gets close to the dirt, I'm about 80% of the way through the far end of the wood. At that point, I pull the power head back, level the bar out, let dogs ease up against the face of the round and run WOT as the bar quickly sinks through the wood.

I normally do this to a couple of large pieces of hickory every year. It gives me lots of noodes, and produces a bunch of slabs that are an inch or two thick. Those get split into kindling to feed my home made rocket stove (6" sq steel tube) on camping trips. That's why I don't cut many torches The noodles and kinding get used to start the rocket stove and camp fires. Anything left gets used as a fire starter in the wood furnace over the winter.

Noodles also make pretty good mulch in the garden. I like using it around my onions when they are still pretty small. The noodles don't seem to promote as much fungus or rot as straw or grass clippings. It doesn't take long to make enough noodles to fill a couple of 55 trash bags

 

[pioneerguy600]

On the ones I make I do not cut from the outside in, rather do a plunge cut for each of the 4 sides and another plunge cut through from the outside in to sever off the square piece to remove it for the fire pit, start the fire with the noodles made from making the torch.

 

[Cantdog]

On the ones I make I do not cut from the outside in, rather do a plunge cut for each of the 4 sides and another plunge cut through from the outside in to sever off the square piece to remove it for the fire pit, start the fire with the noodles made from making the torch.

That's the way I always do it too. The bottom plunge cut to remove the square goes completely through the stick providing two drafts, one on each side to provide oxygen for the fire. Real easy to get the fire going quickly using the noodles and some twigs.

Always found the vertical rip type was way more difficult to get lit.

 

[pioneerguy600]

That's the way I always do it too. The bottom plunge cut to remove the square goes completely through the stick providing two drafts, one on each side to provide oxygen for the fire. Real easy to get the fire going quickly using the noodles and some twigs.

Always found the vertical rip type was way more difficult to get lit.

Yeppers.

 

[Mike Kunte]

Thanks for your informative replies, Guys! I really have to try the "square" inside. I've always had a hard time lighting my torches.

Good tip also on the mulch! My wife always "steals" the noodles for her garden.

BTW, that's a 462 I'm running there, Farmer Steve!