markign logs

[steeltowninwv]

whats the best way to mark logs for length?...im not buying that 50 dollar roller to do it..i have a can of the inverted paint...but will the paint be ok to burn?...any ideas?...i dont really wanna guage by the bar either...cause history tells me im not that good at that

 

[thewoodlands]

whats the best way to mark logs for length?...im not buying that 50 dollar roller to do it..i have a can of the inverted paint...but will the paint be ok to burn?...any ideas?...i dont really wanna guage by the bar either...cause history tells me im not that good at that

steeltowninwv; I use a small piece of lumber cut to the length you want with the small stihl saw to mark the trees.


zap

 

[rdust]

I use a marking stick just like zap and a piece of chalk(sidewalk chalk I think).

If you use paint I don't think that small amount will hurt anything.

 

[jeff_t]

Yup, somebody keeps buying my kids sidewalk chalk. There are literally buckets of it in my garage. They'll never miss it.

 

[olsonbri]

That's brilliant. Going after my daughter's pile of chalk, too! Thanks!

 

[PapaDave]

I pull a tape and cut, pull tape, cut..........

 

[billb3]

the bar on my saw works pretty good.
good for +/- 1/2 "



or so

 

[woodchip]

I always cut to allow for forks and never worry too much about perfectly equal lengths......

Anything between 8 inches and 12 inches is fine by me.

I think more about splitting the wood after it's cut.... ;-)

 

[velvetfoot]

I use the inverted can too. The yellow I got this time is quite bright.

 

[CountryBoy19]

the bar on my saw works pretty good.
good for +/- 1/2 "



or so

This ^^^

Measure the length of wood you want, now measure from the nose of your bar up to that measurement. Is there any visual indicator on the side of the saw that is near that measurement? Examples would be, on my short saw the mark I shoot for is the back of the sprocket cover, on my bigger saw it is right where the bucking dawgs meet the sprocket cover.

If there isn't a good visual indicator like that then make one, take a sharpie and draw a line. Now, you can measure logs with the tool that is already in your hands. Turn the saw sideways with the nose of the bar and your last cut and see where the "mark" falls. Now, mark that spot visually in your head (focus on a certain piece of bark etc) and turn the saw back and make the cut right on that visual indicator you're focusing on.

Voila, you just used a single tool to do that job of many tools.

 

[Jack Straw]

Tape measue and small ax, paint costs too much. I do want to try the bar trick though.

 

[kbrown]

I've used many variations as described above, but what I normally do now is just carry a 20' tape measure and lumber crayons in my saw case. I will then take 10 minutes to mark as many logs as possible; it's very quick using the 16" marks already on the tape. I love the idea of the sidewalk chaulk! Tons of it here too!

 

[velvetfoot]

I didn't have much luck with the lumber crayons - not too visible and they crack. Might try some flourescent sidewalk chalk, though I have no idea where to get any!

 

[ewdudley]

Been using tire marking crayon, much greasier than the waxy lumber crayon, but I'm going to try the chalk, sounds like it could be better.

 

[firefighterjake]

Chainsaw bar . . . 18 inch bar and that's the length I like for my firewood . . . some end up a bit shorter, some end up a bit longer . . . as long as they fit in the stove I am happy . . . I'm not trying to win any beauty contest with my wood . . . only making future heat.

 

[velvetfoot]

Stacks nicer.

 

[Thistle]

Chainsaw bar . . . 18 inch bar and that's the length I like for my firewood . . . some end up a bit shorter, some end up a bit longer . . . as long as they fit in the stove I am happy . . . I'm not trying to win any beauty contest with my wood . . . only making future heat.

Yup.I keep them between 15 & 17 inches as a general rule.Dont measure anything,just eyeball it.I check some at random occasionally & very few are more than 1/2" off either way.Larger stump pieces,crooked,knotty or gnarly logs will rarely be more than 14 inches,being tougher to split.

 

[smokinj]

Chainsaw bar . . . 18 inch bar and that's the length I like for my firewood . . . some end up a bit shorter, some end up a bit longer . . . as long as they fit in the stove I am happy . . . I'm not trying to win any beauty contest with my wood . . . only making future heat.

Yup.I keep them between 15 & 17 inches as a general rule.Dont measure anything,just eyeball it.I check some at random occasionally & very few are more than 1/2" off either way.Larger stump pieces,crooked,knotty or gnarly logs will rarely be more than 14 inches,being tougher to split.

I use my bar to! ;-)

 

[jimbom]

the bar on my saw works pretty good.
good for +/- 1/2 "



or so

This ^^^

Measure the length of wood you want, now measure from the nose of your bar up to that measurement. Is there any visual indicator on the side of the saw that is near that measurement? Examples would be, on my short saw the mark I shoot for is the back of the sprocket cover, on my bigger saw it is right where the bucking dawgs meet the sprocket cover.

If there isn't a good visual indicator like that then make one, take a sharpie and draw a line. Now, you can measure logs with the tool that is already in your hands. Turn the saw sideways with the nose of the bar and your last cut and see where the "mark" falls. Now, mark that spot visually in your head (focus on a certain piece of bark etc) and turn the saw back and make the cut right on that visual indicator you're focusing on.

Voila, you just used a single tool to do that job of many tools.

This method works great for me.

 

[wood-fan-atic]

I guess Im just a copycat.... every tree guy ive ever seen uses the bar to measure - so thats what ive always done.

 

[steeltowninwv]

What I'm shooting for is nicer stacks like velvetfoot said..not for cosmetic reasons...but for being able to stuff more in the shed..and sturdier stacks

 

[gpcollen1]

Chainsaw bar . . . 18 inch bar and that's the length I like for my firewood . . . some end up a bit shorter, some end up a bit longer . . . as long as they fit in the stove I am happy . . . I'm not trying to win any beauty contest with my wood . . . only making future heat.

Yup.I keep them between 15 & 17 inches as a general rule.Dont measure anything,just eyeball it.I check some at random occasionally & very few are more than 1/2" off either way.Larger stump pieces,crooked,knotty or gnarly logs will rarely be more than 14 inches,being tougher to split.

Yep, cannot imagine dragging something else around to measure exactly. I tend to do it by sight but use my bar to 'measure' the first 1 or 2 just to get me in tune. The loads of Ash I brought home the last 2 nights were pretty spot on for 16-18". After splitting tonight, I bet they stack pretty darn well.

As for stacking well someone mentioned, as long as longer splits are centered on shorter splits, they all stack just fine. I have never had a stack fall over or have an issue in the 8 years in this house.

If i got a load of log length, I may be interested in marking the logs, many at a time.

 

[velvetfoot]

I'm doing that - they roll and then you can't see the mark.

 

[onetracker]

first thing i do is find my current location with a GPS.
then i cut a precise round off the log to ensure its square.
then, using a framing square and a chalk line, i encircle the entire log, rolling it with a peavy and double-checking the length.
depending on which saw i'm using, i add either 3/8 or .325 to each round to compensate for wood loss due to the width of the chain.
then, cut the round and repeat.
any rounds that deviate from the 16.75" are either recut (if they are too long) or thrown away. why keep a log that is too short?..how will i stack it properly?...how many btu's will i lose in efficiency?

seriously?
eyeball it or use the bar.
i wish i had the time to worry about getting my firewood to a perfect length.

one man's humble opinion

OT

 

[Flatbedford]

I carry a stick of lumber cut to the correct length. I mark all the logs or the tree with an axe before I start cutting. It adds a few minutes to the process, but more uniform length makes loading and stacking easier. Measuring also makes me look over the tree or log before I cut so I can work around knots and crotches or adjust the round lengths to avoid short left overs at the end.