what holds your wood while bucking?

+1 on using your log splitter for limbs you can lift up. This works great. No unbalanced pieces falling off the sawbuck.

tuco1963 in the great ohio valley said:

hi all
i was wondering what others use to hold theyre skinny logs (ie) limbs while cutting them to length .
my wife useually holds one end over a saw horse but complains about the wood chips getting in her shoes any ideas on what i can use to make this a one man operation?

Click to expand...

Get higher shoes for her or some gaiters. My wife complains when I simply happen to turn the saw while cutting and throw a bunch of sawdust on her. "Oh, I'm sorry honey...."


If I cut the limbs off, then I like to use a sawbuck and the wife holds. Usually though I'll cut the limbs as they are attached to the tree.

blel said:

No unbalanced pieces falling off the sawbuck.

Click to expand...

I work both ends toward the middle so it stays balanced.

tuco1963 in the great ohio valley said:

my wife useually holds one end over a saw horse...

Click to expand...

Backwoods Savage said:

If I cut the limbs off, then I like to use a sawbuck and the wife holds.

Click to expand...

Nobody should be within 20 feet of you when operating a saw and especially not so close as to get sawdust in the shoes.

Here you go, I have posted this a few times and if you want to cut branches you cannot beat an H style sawbuck.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/67227/

I like that woodchuck thing. I made it my wife's screensaver/background (a not-so subtle xmas gift hint!) I could see a use for that with all the smaller saplings I cut down.

Bigger trees I start at the top and work backwards towards the trunk.

woodmiser said:

tuco1963 in the great ohio valley said:

any ideas on what i can use to make this a one man operation?

Click to expand...

http://woodchucktool.com/

Click to expand...

Cool.

southbound said:

smokinjay said:

I just grab anything I can find....

Click to expand...

Show off...

Click to expand...

lol, yea I just let the tree hold it and work toward the trunk. I am getting to old for this game.

WoodNStuff said:

I like using a cross buck. Right now, I set the limb on another log, hold it in place with my boot, and cut it. I've also used a tree crotch and another round to essentially make something that works like a cross buck. At the end, I cut and split it up for firewood.

Click to expand...

Using a cross buck assumes you can, and are willing to, actually lift the log up to be cut.
I just do it where it falls on the ground but often use a logjack to lift the log up off the ground a bit. Not too useful for really huge, heavy logs.

btuser said:

I like that woodchuck thing. I made it my wife's screensaver/background (a not-so subtle xmas gift hint!) I could see a use for that with all the smaller saplings I cut down.

Bigger trees I start at the top and work backwards towards the trunk.

Click to expand...

Probably the best part of the woodchuck is it's the best cant hook out there. It can grab huge logs, much larger than the standard wooden handled cants. It's also got the double feet that really do a good job of stabilizing the log once you've rolled it up onto them. I have a wood handled cant hook that I only use when I need two people rolling a log but that is rare.

CTYank said:

No way am I going to cut "skinny logs" to length in the woods. I cut them down to 6-7 feet so they fit on the p/u, and haul them home.
At home, cheapie HF 10" table saw cuts them to length really quickly, turning min amount of wood into dust/chips. Effective buzz-saw for small stuff.
Chainsawing small stuff can get a bit "sporty."

Click to expand...

I hear ya. Anything that's 2" -5" and worth bringing in I just leave them 3' to 7' lengths,haul them in cart or p/u & cut them on 20 yr old Delta miter saw (my old one for rough work) Quit cutting small stuff to length with the chainsaw in the field years ago.So much better for my back.I use a 6 ft rip of scrap 3/4 plyform as a table,either spanning the empty cart or a pair of metal sawhorses.Miter saw is only 1/8" kerf,its way faster than chainsaw with less work.

I cut my logs into multiple log lengths for transport - saves cutting in the field. I save two or so good size lengths that are 8" or so in dia. Place them side by each on the ground to form a cradle of sorts, Throw a third length in the V formed by the two logs. Brace with foot and cut into 18" logs. Kick or toss logs/rounds out of way, place another length into cradle, rinse and repeat until pile is done. Cut up cradle logs at the end by tossing them onto the pile of cuts and brace with foot while cutting. Bucking is back breaking work but this seems to get it done for me with a minimum amount of diddling around.

tuco1963 in the great ohio valley said:

hi all
i was wondering what others use to hold theyre skinny logs (ie) limbs while cutting them to length .
my wife useually holds one end over a saw horse but complains about the wood chips getting in her shoes any ideas on what i can use to make this a one man operation?

Click to expand...

Take the time and make a sawbuck. There are tons of different designs out there but they are just variations on an "X". The one I settled on used a large dowel going through the middle of two "X's" and allowed you to put movable stops between the two ends. This made it very easy to set the stops for 16" cuts. Work from both ends to keep it balanced. The amount of wood that you can cut with one filling is incredible. The nice thing about the design of mine is that when you are done, just fold it up and it stores nicely in small space in the shed.

I have been looking at getting a cant hook, but now wonder just how practical they are when used as a log lifter. Seems that you have to keep moving it after just a couple cuts. I have used a method seen by many tree service guys; they just cut partly through the log all the way down the length at each mark, then just roll it over and complete each cut; seems very fast and with practice, you don't hit the ground and dull the chain.

tuco1963 in the great ohio valley said:

hi all
ok im game anybody ever use the wood chuck tool it does look neat but is it practical :-/

Click to expand...

I was using mine today. I have some pretty big logs and it's better than your standard hook. Basically you hook the log and pull the handle towards you and lay it down. Log ends up in the air, off of the ground. It works and it works well. At first when I got it I thought it was a bit of a contraption and was worried it wouldn't do all of the jobs 100%. The main thing it's designed for is to roll logs and sit them up in the air for bucking. It does that better than any hook out there. I haven't used it in any of it's other configurations yet. I love it. I'm probably gonna sell the other hook I have. It's your standard style with the wooden handle. It doesn't grab nearly as well as the wood chuck.

heatit said:

I have used a method seen by many tree service guys; they just cut partly through the log all the way down the length at each mark, then just roll it over and complete each cut; seems very fast and with practice, you don't hit the ground and dull the chain.

Click to expand...

This is what I do with large logs that I can't pick up. Works well, but still hit the ground every once in a while.

NATE379 said:

The ground and my left foot.

Click to expand...

+1 . . . it's not very fancy, but it is one less tool to drag into the woods.

Most of us cut the rounds where the tree falls, sometimes hard to get the splitter out there.
Other reason, I can’t lift the logs. Getting old I guess.
Heck , I have to roll some of the rounds onto & off the trailer. (well don’t “have to†just want to walk the next day) smile

Click to expand...

Dave I'm talking about the easy to lift small diameter stuff say 4" and smaller, not log logs.

heatit said:

I have used a method seen by many tree service guys; they just cut partly through the log all the way down the length at each mark, then just roll it over and complete each cut; seems very fast and with practice, you don't hit the ground and dull the chain.

Click to expand...

This is the way I've been doing it. After I roll the log, I stab the bar into the existing cut and pull up. Ensures the cuts connect cleanly and you don't ground the bar.

MrWhoopee said:

This is the way I've been doing it. After I roll the log, I stab the bar into the existing cut and pull up. Ensures the cuts connect cleanly and you don't ground the bar.

Click to expand...

I do this with the bigger stuff. Works great.

"what holds your wood while bucking?"

Heidi ;-P




Three pages of responses, do I have to do all the dirty work?

MrWhoopee said:

"what holds your wood while bucking?"

Heidi ;-P




Three pages of responses, do I have to do all the dirty work?

Click to expand...

At least now I know, I'm not the only dirty ol' man. LOL.