The giant is down.

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Lockpicker

Member
Aug 3, 2014
70
Pa.
The biggest tree on my property had to be cut down. Huge red oak. Unfortunately it was dying and was very close to the house and had limbs directly above my septic tank. Tree guys used a crane and did a great job
Was also a huge Black birch right next to it that I had them remove at the same time. Good thing too as the birch was pretty eaten out at the bottom. Surprising as the birch tree looked very healthy.

Have my work cut out for me.








Saw this guy while taking the pics. Maybe an omen of a cold winter???
 
The biggest tree on my property had to be cut down. Huge red oak. Unfortunately it was dying and was very close to the house and had limbs directly above my septic tank. Tree guys used a crane and did a great job
Was also a huge Black birch right next to it that I had them remove at the same time. Good thing too as the birch was pretty eaten out at the bottom. Surprising as the birch tree looked very healthy.

Have my work cut out for me.








Saw this guy while taking the pics. Maybe an omen of a cold winter???
The abominable wooly bear!
 
Looks like a lot of hard work is in your future, I would saw everything up into rounds and then start splitting little by little during the winter when everything is frozen, keep the birch off the ground as much as possible, birch tends to rot pretty fast if its on the ground..good luck
 
Gonna be allot of 'Saw Dust' in the air for a while.
 
I hope to have it cut split and stacked within the next couple weeks. There is also a two cord worth huge pile of limbs on the other side of the carport. Those might not get done so fast , not going to let this wood cutting cut into my archery hunting.
 
Hoo boy! I would have asked the tree guys to cut the big pieces into rounds. I recently got a bunch of oak that size and I wasn't prepared for just how much work it was to cut it up. But then, maybe you have a tractor and a BIG saw. I hope you've got a hydraulic splitter too. I don't have any of those and these big logs kicked my butt.
 
This is my second year cutting wood. How do you go about bucking larger rounds like that when it's flat on the ground? Sometimes I think I spend too much time muscling large logs when there has got to be an easier way to keep the saw out of the dirt
 
This is my second year cutting wood. How do you go about bucking larger rounds like that when it's flat on the ground? Sometimes I think I spend too much time muscling large logs when there has got to be an easier way to keep the saw out of the dirt
I had to use a come-along to roll the logs over. I could only cut so far with my 20" saw, then I needed to attack from the other side. Very challenging for a guy with limited equipment.
 
Break out the splitter on that monster and a couple brews( thirsty work and all) gotta love red oak. I use a timber jack on large pieces they are worth the money and will save your chains
 
True, but saying it's fun is better than thinking its work. And I am in the fun is fun demo.
 
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Loads of fun.

Especially when you don't need to drag, load, haul and unload.

Your Left with the mess thou so its 6 & two 3's I guess.
 
It cost extra to have those cut into rounds.
This is my second year cutting wood. How do you go about bucking larger rounds like that when it's flat on the ground? Sometimes I think I spend too much time muscling large logs when there has got to be an easier way to keep the saw out of the dirt

Just plain old hard work. I'll cut those logs on the ground 3/4 way through then use my bar or my winch to roll em over and finish the cut. Have cut a good bit of it into rounds and split and stacked. Now those big trunks are going to be a bit of a challenge with an 18 inch saw. Its all going to be fine till I get to the trunk section where it splits into four. That's going to be a real S.O.B.
 
That red oak will keep you plenty warm... twice! Would definitely love to add some more to my stacks this year. Congrats!
 
It's sort of sad to lose a big beauty like that.
Maybe you can plant another to restart the cycle, and in 100 years some other person can take it down, and start all over.

That'll be some great wood for your stove, for sure.
 
I just picked up as much red oak as the truck and trailer could carry this weekend - I had to split rounds @ pickup to even get them loaded since this was from a 40" DBH tree. Sledge and wedge was super easy compared to the sweet gum I've been splitting off and on. Really looking forward to taking the fiskars to the chunks which are now in the back yard.
 
How do you go about bucking larger rounds like that when it's flat on the ground?

Felling wedges pounded into the cut so it doesn't pinch the bar. Get 9/10th of the way through the cut. Almost always in a succession of a few cuts one of them will be easy to break away from the rest of the trunk. Use a peavy or timber jack to roll those few over to finish the cuts. Repeat.

I love playing with the big ones but there is a fair amount of technique involved that can make "difficult" become "easy".
 
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always saddens me to see a grand old tree like that come to an end. I always wonder what that tree has seen and been thru in its lifetime. Was it a sapling during the revolutionary war? Certainly it was around when the union and confederates clashed.
 
always saddens me to see a grand old tree like that come to an end. I always wonder what that tree has seen and been thru in its lifetime. Was it a sapling during the revolutionary war? Certainly it was around when the union and confederates clashed.
I hated see it go also. Funy you mention the civil war. Not more than 1/4 mile from where that tree stood is the grave of William Howe. Just an old tombstone in obscurity out the n the woods. Not many people know where it is. His is sad tale of decorated soldier that ended up swinging from the hangmens noose.
 
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Two great woods! Enjoy the heat from them muthas!
 
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