Oak scrounge

DeerHunter · Jul 12, 2012

So this tree goes down on the property next to my church, and I've been eyeing it for a while. I go and knock on the people's door a few times, but no answer. I look up the county tax records for the person's name, then do a Google search to find the phone number. I call the man, but there is no answer and no answering machine. I figure, oh well, maybe I'll catch him later. He calls me back 4 days later wanting to know what I wanted (I guess he has caller ID). I explain that this is the first year that I'll be using wood to heat the house, and I'd like to remove the tree from the property (no charge, of course

). He says 'sure, take all that you want'. Score! For reference, the base has a diameter of about 4.5 feet. I offered to c/s/s some for him, but he says he doesn't burn wood. I'll send more picks when I've taken some off of this old man.

bogydave · Jul 12, 2012

Nice score
You & your saw will get a work out cutting up that monster.
Have fun

Backwoods Savage · Jul 12, 2012

Very nice DeerHunter. However, I would not count on burning that wood this coming winter.

ailanthus · Jul 12, 2012

Great score - That should keep you busy for awhile - enjoy!!

DeerHunter · Jul 12, 2012

Backwoods Savage said:
Very nice DeerHunter. However, I would not count on burning that wood this coming winter.

Yes, much to my lament.

Gark · Jul 12, 2012

Very nice score there. What kind of saw do you have to take that beast apart? Oh, there it is - 20" Poulan. Better sharp up those chains.

jwoair23 · Jul 12, 2012

There was a giant Oak like that laying on a friends farm, I took all the branches up to about 20" across, and after that I sadly admitted defeat. I can't imagine the work involved getting all of that processed into firewood, I sincerely commend you if you are able too!

weatherguy · Jul 12, 2012

jwoair23 said:
There was a giant Oak like that laying on a friends farm, I took all the branches up to about 20" across, and after that I sadly admitted defeat. I can't imagine the work involved getting all of that processed into firewood, I sincerely commend you if you are able too!

Yeah, its a nice score but those big ones intimidate me a bit.

clemsonfor · Jul 13, 2012

I took some wood that was really to big for the pulp mill. It was a red oak and white oak one of my logger set aside for me. It took cutting from both sides with my 20" stihl saw. It took a tank of fuel to make about 5-6 cuts, or to cut the logs into rounds. Im about 6'2" and they came up to my mid thingh maybe. I have all but the last 2 rounds split, and the reason they are not split is cause the pile i made was ontop of them. I have to dig them out as i stack the wood ontop of them. After gathering this wood i think i will pass on the big stuff in the future. You get lots of splits out of a round but the work to do it is twice what the stuff up to about 24"s is. You cant lift the rounds and can barely flip them. I ended up noodling the rounds to move them easier onto and around the splitter.

ScotO · Jul 13, 2012

I love cutting that oak! It will take longer to season than the other woods (2 to 3 years if it's green, 1 to 2 if it was dead a while), but it will reward you in the end with some high BTU's and it coals really good! Pics of the cutting process, please!

ScotO · Jul 13, 2012

Here's a couple pics of the 42" red oak I bucked up for my neighbor after the memorial day storm this spring. Yes the big ones are more work, but I love the fact that you get so many interior splits (no bark or sapwood) out of each and every round than you do with smaller rounds. Noodle the ones that are too big, use a cant hook to move the big rounds....

TimJ · Jul 13, 2012

I'm going after a piece tomorrow that is in the 42" to 44" range with my 25" bar. The piece is only about 12 foot long. I hope to buck and split it all up in a couple hours

clemsonfor · Jul 13, 2012

TimJ said:
I'm going after a piece tomorrow that is in the 42" to 44" range with my 25" bar. The piece is only about 12 foot long. I hope to buck and split it all up in a couple hours

NO WAY! Now i do have a 3.9cubic inch saw but like i said i only have a 20" bar so i loose some time that you can probly saw faster than me as your saw is probly bigger and you wont have to match your cuts up like me coming from both sides then still wedging them open the last inch or so of wood. I had close to an hour to 20-24 feet of truck in the 38-40" range. But i have several hours alone in the splitting of it!!

DeerHunter · Jul 13, 2012

Scotty Overkill said:
I love cutting that oak! It will take longer to season than the other woods (2 to 3 years if it's green, 1 to 2 if it was dead a while), but it will reward you in the end with some high BTU's and it coals really good! Pics of the cutting process, please!

Definitely will post some pics. This will be my first big tree to dissect, so I need to post the pics so that you guys can lovingly provide pointers

The great thing about this is that it is on someone else's property only 1/4 mile away. I've bought 2 extra chains just for the challenge! Nice pics, by the way.

Backwoods Savage · Jul 13, 2012

Scotty Overkill said:
Here's a couple pics of the 42" red oak I bucked up for my neighbor after the memorial day storm this spring. Yes the big ones are more work, but I love the fact that you get so many interior splits (no bark or sapwood) out of each and every round than you do with smaller rounds. Noodle the ones that are too big, use a cant hook to move the big rounds....

Scott, that is some excellent wood !!!

Nice that you put the sod back in it's place too.

clemsonfor · Jul 14, 2012

The job will not use more than one chain? I guess if you run your saw into the dirt a lot and need a buch of extras on hand you may want to have all those chains on hand. But including the 4 in your sig you now have 6 chains!! If you dont field sharpen you will change them maybe twice unless your cutting dirt.

onetracker · Jul 14, 2012

Scotty Overkill said:
Here's a couple pics of the 42" red oak I bucked up for my neighbor after the memorial day storm this spring. Yes the big ones are more work, but I love the fact that you get so many interior splits (no bark or sapwood) out of each and every round than you do with smaller rounds. Noodle the ones that are too big, use a cant hook to move the big rounds....

View attachment 70215 View attachment 70216 View attachment 70217 View attachment 70218

same here scotty -

i love the big rounds. sure they're difficult to set up but once you get to splitting them its payoff time. one 36" oak round i got over 60 splits out if it. for me that's probably 4 days worth of wood in the dead of winter.

clemsonfor · Jul 14, 2012

im thinking i got about 55 splits out of one round of the ones i had. give or take. But i can work up 2, 24" ones way faster and easier. Never mind the fact that i had a guy on a loader load them into a dumptruck to haul back to my house, otherwise you have to split all at once on site.

Backwoods Savage · Jul 14, 2012

clemsonfor said:
The job will not use more than one chain? I guess if you run your saw into the dirt a lot and need a buch of extras on hand you may want to have all those chains on hand. But including the 4 in your sig you now have 6 chains!! If you dont field sharpen you will change them maybe twice unless your cutting dirt.

I own exactly one chain. No need to try cutting dirt with it.

Locust Post · Jul 14, 2012

I have rarely ever swapped chains. May dress a little with my file if it isn't thrashing down through the way I want it to.

MarkinNC · Jul 15, 2012

A peavey or cant hook is a game changer in managing wood that size, a major game changer.

Oak scrounge

Member

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Feeling the Heat

Member

Minister of Fire

Feeling the Heat

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

ScotO

Guest

ScotO

Guest

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Member

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Minister of Fire

Similar threads