Weekend Report

[Dalmatian90]

Got three loads, figuring 1/4 cord per load, in today.

Most of the first two were already blocked up though there was a little bit of cutting. Third load needed to be blocked up.

Mix of green red oak (2 broken tops from Irene, with the bottom of one of the oaks too) and 2 well seasoned red maples that I snagged a couple years ago. Had my neighbor with the backhoe pull the the tops and snags down for me so I didn't have to screw with them.

The new to me 372XP is a firewood creating machine Gonna take me a while to build up muscle memory that when using the saw with the wrong shade of orange the stop is right, not up.

Four loads, my Fiskars, and my firewood cart. I forget were I ordered it, it took me a long time to find exactly what I wanted from a company in I believe Ohio. Not well advertised or high on google hits. Should be about a cord there once split, there is another pile of small stuff behind the two rows you see.

I figure I need 16 loads per year, I'm on 6-1/2, and my goal is 24 for this year to build up a two cord reserve towards next year when I'll get a more efficient stove but can no longer get away with burning green wood.

Also learned my current Advil needed is three loads. My fat ass could do 1/2 cord day in, day out right now no problem, that next quarter did me in. Also also learned I'm out of Advil. *sigh*

 

[Buckethead]

I spent Saturday helping my buddy collect firewood. He has an OWB but only about a 2 cord supply on hand. He got sidelined with knee surgery this summer so wood was not a priority.

He has an old friend that is clearing a bunch of old fields and has piles of trees he cut down last Spring. We spent 6 hours limbing them up and cutting to 15' lengths (fit great on the 16' trailer). We hauled about 2.5 cords to his house. It was a good (6 Advil) day.

 

[zogger]

Nice stacks you got going there. I've never run a 372, the largest is a 74cc 245a poulan I have now. I think I ran some bigger saws back in the day but can't remember the model numbers, a much bigger poulan from my hazy memory and some jonsered.

Good you got more in before deep snow or mud hit. I didn't get to cut this weekend like I was gonna and wanted too, nope, the *%$^&* honey do list caught me! Man does that suck...I hate the honey do list.... I was wrangling our busted TV antenna that got smashed in the tornado last year, the same time we got a new half a living room skylight and new six door wide front porch entrance.... GF finally bugged me enough to take it down and fix it. I rebent it sorta straight, cut out the actual fold bend and re spliced it, took off all the connecting wires (which I had cobbed before with a combo of flat wire and lamp cord and spliced together coax...man am I cheap..) and cleaned and reattached them, and then got it back up and tuned. Dang took longer than I thought. Didn't have to buy a new one though, saved me over a benjamin and more. Looks kinda squirrelly but it works, get ten stations clean now....of which I will watch *none*...heh

Anyway, that's a cool cart! You don't get flats with it though? With the big wheels you could walk a little stack right inside, right up steps! A friend of mine was showing me someplace online they have a "no flat" bicycle tube thing that looks like a buncha small tennis balls in the tube.

 

[Dalmatian90]

Good you got more in before deep snow or mud hit.

Mud I don't have to worry about where I cutting right now.

But I did get snowed out for two months last year, so I've changed the plan "bring wood down as fast as I can." Lost a week that my truck was waiting for me to install the new alternator. My work schedule now it's easy for me to find 20 minutes at lunch or end of the most day to go and split some wood for exercise.

Heck, I'm so worried about snow I even put up flag sticks on my driveway today in case I decide to get plowed out this year

Did have trouble with the tires with slow leaks. I put in Green Slime or whatever they call that tire gunk this year, been using on my yard equipment. That seems to have fixed the problem.

I wouldn't want to haul it *fully* loaded like that up a staircase...bet I get it up to 250# regularly, 300# if I'm bring in oak. I do go up two stairs to get on my deck, then down one step on the way into the house. Going up I just lean back and put my weight into hauling it up...beats up the tires as they go flat at the spot they're running over the edge of the steps. If was hauling a lot of loads in a day I'd set up my truck ramps to avoid the lugging up the steps.

One day last year deck was slick from rain, when I leaned back on the handle to lift the front up...cart stayed, my feet moved and I slid down like a cartoon character.

 

[zogger]

Cartoon

Mud I don't have to worry about where I cutting right now.

But I did get snowed out for two months last year, so I've changed the plan "bring wood down as fast as I can." Lost a week that my truck was waiting for me to install the new alternator. My work schedule now it's easy for me to find 20 minutes at lunch or end of the most day to go and split some wood for exercise.

Heck, I'm so worried about snow I even put up flag sticks on my driveway today in case I decide to get plowed out this year

Did have trouble with the tires with slow leaks. I put in Green Slime or whatever they call that tire gunk this year, been using on my yard equipment. That seems to have fixed the problem.

I wouldn't want to haul it *fully* loaded like that up a staircase...bet I get it up to 250# regularly, 300# if I'm bring in oak. I do go up two stairs to get on my deck, then down one step on the way into the house. Going up I just lean back and put my weight into hauling it up...beats up the tires as they go flat at the spot they're running over the edge of the steps. If was hauling a lot of loads in a day I'd set up my truck ramps to avoid the lugging up the steps.

One day last year deck was slick from rain, when I leaned back on the handle to lift the front up...cart stayed, my feet moved and I slid down like a cartoon character.

Bwaa! Don't get hurt over a few sticks of wood! Ya, ramps right there sound like a good idea.

I wanted to do a wagon here, just load the wood and drag it in and park it, keep all the junk in the wagon, but this place is just so small it wouldn't fit anyplace inside. I mean I thought about it a lot and was gonna do a permanent ramp instead of steps, but measuring and looking at everything, not worth it.

Ice just changes everything. When it ices here, usually we get some notice it is going to happen and have a few days worth of wood in the house before it hits. Then I can sit back and watch all the bubbas go into the ditch with their 4wds with fat mud tires on them. I know enough to not drive here when it snows or ices. No salt, no chains, no plows, no actual real snowtires around here. Heck, I don't even like walking on ice, let alone driving on it. The smart folks here just stay home when it snows or ices. They close all the schools but too many employers insist their poor employees try to make it to work and it is always a disaster. You see it on the local news, hundreds/thousands of cars in wrecks or off the road. You would think eventually they would get hip...nope. Same every winter. No telling what that doofus retarded work policy has done to insurance rates over the years. It doesn't last long, a day or two, it would be much nicer if they just gave the whole state time off for it. Just declare an "emergency travel only" day and be done with it.

 

[CWME]

That tree leaning over your shed or garage there would be in the firewood pile if at my house:msp_scared:

Looks like your having fun with the 372!

 

[Dalmatian90]

Yeah, I keep debating how to take that one down.

It would do some damage, but it's not as bad as it looks in the photo -- it bends not only over the garage but also forward. But it also bends so severely you can't just cable and use a tractor to pull.

It's really not so much of a technical challenge as a GIANT pain-in-the-butt factor that will eventually have me up on the roof with a polesaw to trim the limbs and cut off the trunk clear of and in front of the garage, put a piece of plywood down to protect the roof and drop the section of trunk over the roof (might make thick cookies / short blocks to reduce their size). Finally the bottom can be handled tow straps, come-a-long, and a real careful and good hinge so I can make sure I pull it clear of the garage.

 

[zogger]

I forget what the technique is called

Yeah, I keep debating how to take that one down.

It would do some damage, but it's not as bad as it looks in the photo -- it bends not only over the garage but also forward. But it also bends so severely you can't just cable and use a tractor to pull.

It's really not so much of a technical challenge as a GIANT pain-in-the-butt factor that will eventually have me up on the roof with a polesaw to trim the limbs and cut off the trunk clear of and in front of the garage, put a piece of plywood down to protect the roof and drop the section of trunk over the roof (might make thick cookies / short blocks to reduce their size). Finally the bottom can be handled tow straps, come-a-long, and a real careful and good hinge so I can make sure I pull it clear of the garage.

I was reading some over on the arborist101 forum and watching some vids before, and they tie off overhanging chunks like that, cut it, it drops just like a foot or something, and that chunk goes sliding down another rope off to the side, when they don't want to bomb chunks straight down. In other words, no need to drop pieces or branches on the roof, and works if you don't have a bucket truck or crane, those kind of jobs. The piece you are cutting off is tied off to the next chunk just below with a short rope attached to like a biner or some piece of gear *thing* that slides, that is connected to the slider rope. (which is also tied off to the next lower area to be cut, that's the moving uphill anchor point)), so that is how far it drops, just a foot or something small like that, then the slide action off to the side and out of the way occurs, lather, rinse, repeat as you work your way down.

My description proly isn't very good, but if you can find a video of that, it is clear as day and looks rather easy. Tedious, but safe and easy.

 

[CWME]

If you take some pictures at different angles I bet you would get some good advice on how to get it down. If nothing else some more ideas to add to your own. I hear you on the PITA factor!

Zogger,
Is that technique you menting using a porta wrap?

 

[zogger]

I don't know

If you take some pictures at different angles I bet you would get some good advice on how to get it down. If nothing else some more ideas to add to your own. I hear you on the PITA factor!

Zogger,
Is that technique you menting using a porta wrap?

I don't know the names of all that arborist rigging stuff or techniques. I was just looking how they did it in general terms. I think "zipline" was one of them but don't hold me to it.

OK, just looked at a video of the porta wrap, looks like maybe that was one of the tools used in some of the vids, in others as soon as that piece was cut she went sliding away *fast*, so IDK if that was used then. It certainly would work though, especially with another line on the piece as it was lowered and someone pulling it away from the structure.