On the effect of white pine on my chainsaw

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NH_Wood

NH_Wood

Minister of Fire
Dec 24, 2009
2,602
southern NH
Hey all!

I have a ~ 60' white pine growing along the side of my shed (workshop). I'll be posting pics soon to get some advice on dropping the beast. It is now growing into the shed and pushing the block foundation - it has to go. Anywho, my question relates to my saw. I've never cut a lot of white pine - just branches that have dropped from property trees. The tree guy is going to drop the tree and buck the largest diameter sections, but I'll work the rest. How badly will the pitch gum up my saw? I'm imagining a ton of pitch spinning from the chain and gunking up the saw badly. Should I rent a saw for this work and keep my saw pitch free? Not sure what a rental would cost for a day. What do you all think? Cheers!
 
Cut it up with no worries. Growing Christmas trees, I can tell you that many are worse that White pine, and it won't hurt a thing. When you're done, and if you want to clean the saw, spray it with some Lestoil and toothbrush it. It'll clean fine.

Good luck,

Bill
 
NCPABill said:
Cut it up with no worries. Growing Christmas trees, I can tell you that many are worse that White pine, and it won't hurt a thing. When you're done, and if you want to clean the saw, spray it with some Lestoil and toothbrush it. It'll clean fine.

Good luck,

Bill
Click to expand...

Thanks Bill! Cheers!
 
My bar will get a bit pitchy and sticky.
I don't bother cleaning it off, just go cut something else.


Gloves seem to get the worst of it. That will transfer to the handle of the saw so sometimes if I have to do a lot of tree/round handling I'll have two pair of gloves - one pair for the saw, another pair for moving rounds and branches.

edit: Two pair of gloves because I don't like the gloves I'm wearing sticking to the handle while I'm cutting. If I want to let go I don't want the gloves impeding that. Just doesn't feel safe.
 
billb3 said:
My bar will get a bit pitchy and sticky.
I don't bother cleaning it off, just go cut something else.


Gloves seem to get the worst of it. That will transfer to the handle of the saw so sometimes if I have to do a lot of tree/round handling I'll have two pair of gloves - one pair for the saw, another pair for moving rounds and branches.

edit: Two pair of gloves because I don't like the gloves I'm wearing sticking to the handle while I'm cutting. If I want to let go I don't want the gloves impeding that. Just doesn't feel safe.
Click to expand...

billb3 - that's a good idea - I'll do that. Thanks! Cheers!
 
60' + White Pine, definitely should be some usable boards in the first 5 logs.
 
mainstation said:
60' + White Pine, definitely should be some usable boards in the first 5 logs.
Click to expand...

It's a funky tree - twists and branches early - likely not much worth milling. I'll be posting some pics soon with some questions for the drop. Cheers!
 
Pine will cut so fast it don't have time to stick to the bar or chain.
If worried, spray the bar every now & then with WD or light oil.
The pitch parts should be ok, just get it cut before the sap stars running, that stuff may be sticky but
wd will keep in off & clean it if it does get some on the bar.
 
Pine does cut very easily. It is quite heavy because of the water content when green. My best bit of advise to you is wear pants, shirt and gloves that you will not have a problem depositing into the garbage can when finished. That sap gets everywhere. My saw has sap from 4 years ago that is just heavy black paint now. Wear rubber boots too!
 
I just got back from a week of carving white pine at a chainsaw carving gathering. That's about all most carvers use because it's cheap, cuts very easily, and dries without cracking as bad as many other soft hardwoods like basswood, willow, and popple. Most of the heavy pitch is in the bark, and the wet wood just seems to wash it off as you cut. Carvers make hundreds of cuts per log compared to the few bucking cuts you will make processing it for firewood. I can assure you that it won't gum up your saw, but wear rain gear. I was getting it covering me and then freezing on my shirt and hat and face. It gots lots of water in it.
 
Just cutting it might burn your house down
 
Wood Fox said:
Just cutting it might burn your house down
Click to expand...

I have about 25 cubic yards of white pine logs out in my yard right now. The side of the house that is facing the wood is already getting dangerously warm, just from being exposed to the creosote death rays emitted from it.
 
mywaynow said:
Pine does cut very easily. It is quite heavy because of the water content when green. My best bit of advise to you is wear pants, shirt and gloves that you will not have a problem depositing into the garbage can when finished. That sap gets everywhere. My saw has sap from 4 years ago that is just heavy black paint now. Wear rubber boots too!
Click to expand...

Your pine in your climate sounds like the Devils spawn.
 
I've cut up several cords in the winter.
Tip: don't cut in the spring, or early summer. Sap is sticky.
I had no problems but I had a good saw with a sharp chain. If splitting by hand, I did it when below 0°f.
Now, hydraulic so much easier.
Was officially white spruce i think, but I call any tree that is green in the Alaska winter, a pine tree & a tough tree.

Battenkiller** How you like the 357xp? Looking at it & the 346 (which is a little lighter)
 
NH_Wood said:
Hey all!

I have a ~ 60' white pine growing along the side of my shed (workshop). I'll be posting pics soon to get some advice on dropping the beast. It is now growing into the shed and pushing the block foundation - it has to go. Anywho, my question relates to my saw. I've never cut a lot of white pine - just branches that have dropped from property trees. The tree guy is going to drop the tree and buck the largest diameter sections, but I'll work the rest. How badly will the pitch gum up my saw? I'm imagining a ton of pitch spinning from the chain and gunking up the saw badly. Should I rent a saw for this work and keep my saw pitch free? Not sure what a rental would cost for a day. What do you all think? Cheers!
Click to expand...

Everyone would rent their saws around here. :p
From the post of mywaynow it sounds like your question may have reason due to the devils spawn from your southern climate.
Our pine is a different animal here. Quite clean actually.
Cheers
 
Battenkiller said:
Wood Fox said:
Just cutting it might burn your house down
Click to expand...

I have about 25 cubic yards of white pine logs out in my yard right now. The side of the house that is facing the wood is already getting dangerously warm, just from being exposed to the creosote death rays emitted from it.
Click to expand...

Welcome back BK - when are the pics of your carving going to arrive? Cheers!
 
If you do it the same day you cut, a couple paper towels soaked with paint thinner will take any sap off. Let it dry for a few days and its hard to get off. Sappy gloves on the handle is my biggest problem too.
 
north of 60 said:
NH_Wood said:
Hey all!

I have a ~ 60' white pine growing along the side of my shed (workshop). I'll be posting pics soon to get some advice on dropping the beast. It is now growing into the shed and pushing the block foundation - it has to go. Anywho, my question relates to my saw. I've never cut a lot of white pine - just branches that have dropped from property trees. The tree guy is going to drop the tree and buck the largest diameter sections, but I'll work the rest. How badly will the pitch gum up my saw? I'm imagining a ton of pitch spinning from the chain and gunking up the saw badly. Should I rent a saw for this work and keep my saw pitch free? Not sure what a rental would cost for a day. What do you all think? Cheers!
Click to expand...

Everyone would rent their saws around here. :p
From the post of mywaynow it sounds like your question may have reason due to the devils spawn from your southern climate.
Our pine is a different animal here. Quite clean actually.
Cheers
Click to expand...

The White Pine we have in central Jersey is loaded with sap. If you make a cross cut and leave it overnight, the next day the sap is pushing out of the end grain and dripping along the cut face in multiple spots. The limbs are loaded too. Certainly, time of year is a factor in the severity of the sap. The last big one I took down was in the Summer. It took a big backhoe to move a 6 ft section to the dump pile. That was a mess to clean up.
 
Saw will be fine. Gloves will need to go in the trash.
 
billb3 said:
My bar will get a bit pitchy and sticky.
I don't bother cleaning it off, just go cut something else.


Gloves seem to get the worst of it. That will transfer to the handle of the saw so sometimes if I have to do a lot of tree/round handling I'll have two pair of gloves - one pair for the saw, another pair for moving rounds and branches.

edit: Two pair of gloves because I don't like the gloves I'm wearing sticking to the handle while I'm cutting. If I want to let go I don't want the gloves impeding that. Just doesn't feel safe.
Click to expand...

Hand splitting with those gloves on the other hand is as secure as it gets. Guaranteed to not lose your grip.

Did the fresh pine thing about a month ago and was splitting it as I went before it went into the trailer and it IS a gawd awful mess but a little paint thinner and a rag or a can of WD40 does wonders.

Will burn it next year. First time burning pine other than a couple of 2x4's here and there because I bought into the myth for a bunch of years. I still hear it wispering as I walk by: "Don't burn me. Spare me.... creosote, creosote"
 
mywaynow said:
north of 60 said:
NH_Wood said:
Hey all!

I have a ~ 60' white pine growing along the side of my shed (workshop). I'll be posting pics soon to get some advice on dropping the beast. It is now growing into the shed and pushing the block foundation - it has to go. Anywho, my question relates to my saw. I've never cut a lot of white pine - just branches that have dropped from property trees. The tree guy is going to drop the tree and buck the largest diameter sections, but I'll work the rest. How badly will the pitch gum up my saw? I'm imagining a ton of pitch spinning from the chain and gunking up the saw badly. Should I rent a saw for this work and keep my saw pitch free? Not sure what a rental would cost for a day. What do you all think? Cheers!
Click to expand...

Everyone would rent their saws around here. :p
From the post of mywaynow it sounds like your question may have reason due to the devils spawn from your southern climate.
Our pine is a different animal here. Quite clean actually.
Cheers
Click to expand...

The White Pine we have in central Jersey is loaded with sap. If you make a cross cut and leave it overnight, the next day the sap is pushing out of the end grain and dripping along the cut face in multiple spots. The limbs are loaded too. Certainly, time of year is a factor in the severity of the sap. The last big one I took down was in the Summer. It took a big backhoe to move a 6 ft section to the dump pile. That was a mess to clean up.
Click to expand...


Pine:
If to tough for you to cut, Don't.
If it's too messy for you to cut, Don't
If it harms you saw to cut it, Don't
If it's what you have or you don't have a fire, the cut it & burn it or sell the stove.
Many of us cut & burn it. It's what we got. Burns good if seasoned.
 
my saw will never slip out of my hands again i love pine
 
Dieselhead said:
my saw will never slip out of my hands again i love pine
Click to expand...

:) :) :) :)

I think this about sums up my feelings about pine . . .

Pine has its place and is fine for burning . . . but the only real negative (besides the obvious fact that it leads to male baldness, will burn down your house when you're not looking and burns up fast) is the sticky mess from the pitch.
 
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