How to pile the trunks up

[Beno]

Hi there,

In the following days we will start the lot clearing for the new house, and the question is what to tell the guys doing the job to do with the trunks of the trees, just to pile them up or to cut them let's say to 4 ft length before, so I could use them easier in the future?

Thanks, and sorry for such a simple question.

 

[begreen]

Heck, have them slice them into 16" rounds and save you the hassle. With a new house going up you are going to be plenty busy.

 

[Beno]

There will be many trees, and first, these guys may not have the time to cut 16" rounds and second, maybe the trunks will be kept better in the rain for the next years (I don't have a wood shed). I thougt that a 4 ft trunk will be easier to handle by me, when it comes the time to cut the 16" rounds.

 

[Jay777]

There will be many trees, and first, these guys may not have the time to cut 16" rounds and second, maybe the trunks will be kept better in the rain for the next years (I don't have a wood shed). I thougt that a 4 ft trunk will be easier to handle by me, when it comes the time to cut the 16" rounds.

They'll do BETTER as 16" rounds, won't they? They'll season at least some that way.

Unless you consider chainsawing to be a fun hobby, have them do 16" rounds even if you have to pay a little extra. Easier to move, and no chainsaw needed in the future... You could split some any time you had 10 minutes to spare.

 

[johnsopi]

If going to be a big pile having them long would be good. I cut a huge pile two year ago log 8-15 ft long. I used my truck and a chain to work the pile.

Paul

 

[BrotherBart]

Just don't have them pile them over four feet high or so. Falling off of a pile of logs with a running chainsaw in your hands, or that used to be in your hands, is the kind of stuff that keeps emergency rooms in business.

 

[Beno]

Thank you for the advice. One more (simple) question: if you have a pile of 8ft long logs, can you cut the 16" rounds from the pile itself or you first need to take a log aside, and work on it there? When/If I'll do the 16" rounds cut in the future I will need to have logs short enough that I can handle alone.

 

[billb3]

I like pulling it off the pile and getting it off the ground to cut.
Handy to have a lever around.

Pile critters are less likely to chew on your leg away from the pile.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Shorter is better. Started using that line in high school... Anyway- make sure you stack those up on poles to get them off the ground. The fewer cuts that you have to make next year the better- that wood will dry some and when it does it will be harder to cut. I would take a day if you have it and cut rounds now.

 

[woodconvert]

One more (simple) question: if you have a pile of 8ft long logs, can you cut the 16" rounds from the pile itself or you first need to take a log aside, and work on it there?

You can do it either way but if you cut it on the pile and can throw it to where you will be splitting it there is less hassle. I just finished cutting a pile of stick wood. I cut as much on the pile as I can.

 

[savageactor7]

Beno as long as you're going to have some heavy equipment there jsut dig all the stumps up and bury them. If you have a low spot in the yard that's the place to bury 'em as long as you don't interfere with any natural drainage.

 

[billb3]

It is illegal to bury stumps (and construction debris) now in many places.

There's something besides methane that leaches (out of or into ground water) from a buried stump that's not close enough to the surface for natural organisms to aid the decomposition process. Don't remember what it is.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If the wood won't be burned for a couple of years, I'd leave longer logs and stack them no higher than 4.'

I would probably not cut on the stack. I'd get myself a good cant hook (everyone who cuts their own wood should own one). Then it is very easy to roll a log from the pile to where you want to cut it up. Best would be to lay poles on the ground and roll a log onto the poles before cutting. That way you can keep from touching the ground with the chain saw. Something about kissing dirt, that chain dulls super fast!

btw, for those who have big rounds that are so hard to handle, such as getting them onto the splitter, a cant hook will work wonders for you. You can get a good one for less than $100 and it will have a 4' handle so you have lots of leverage to make easy work for you.

 

[Wet1]

Beno as long as you're going to have some heavy equipment there jsut dig all the stumps up and bury them. If you have a low spot in the yard that's the place to bury 'em as long as you don't interfere with any natural drainage.

I wouldn't want those stumps buried in my yard! 15 years from now you'll have a bunch of giant sink-holes everywhere...

 

[Beno]

Shall I burn the stumps?

 

[Adios Pantalones]

If I had the land- I'd compost them. I compost everything though. Guests are advised not to sleep too late at my house or they'll find themselves buried in kitchen scraps and shredded leaves.

 

[billb3]

Shall I burn the stumps?

How big is the firebox in your stove ?

 

[Beno]

The plan is to have a Caddy furnace (3.2 cu.ft.) and a Napoleon wood stove model 1400 (2.2 cu.ft.).

 

[Beno]

One more question please: shall I build a wood shed for the logs? Thanks!

 

[the_dude]

We cleared our lot around our home last summer to put in a yard. Most guys running a saw and a skid loader aren't going to work overly cheap. I had them cut the trees into 10 - 12' sections and stacked. I had two stacks. The first I cut and split 8 cord out of this spring. The other pile in the back will wait until next spring. You could certainly build a shed for the wood when you split and stack it, but I would bother doing anything for the logs. They aren't going to dry out much until you split them anyway. A cant hook and a spud bar will be your friends. I pulled most of the logs off the pile to cut, but did do some cutting on the pile. You just have to be very careful.

When we were clearing trees, we got a rather large fire going. When we would clear a tree, all the small branches would go on the fire. If the stumps were small enough to pop out of the ground, they went on the fire. For most stumps that are larger, I would recommend having someone come in and grind the stumps. We removed 25 good sized trees, and another 25+ smaller trees. I found someone to come grind all the stumps that were going to be in the yard for around $500. That was quite cheap, but try to get a stump grinder that will quote the job insead of quoting by the inch. Plus you can probably get the stump grinder to leave what he grinds to use for mulch.