No longer a felling virgin. Now with pics.

[jatoxico]

Last night I brought in a round that was fresh cut to get warmed up to room temp. Today I split it and took a moisture reading. The highest reading I had on that round was 17 percent.

Nice end of the season boost. I am very close to out and unless I break into next years stash that could be all she wrote.

 

[Sinngetreu]

Nice end of the season boost. I am very close to out and unless I break into next years stash that could be all she wrote.

Yeah, this was just the shot in the arm that I needed. I'm so relieved to see the MC.
Is your next years wood anywhere close to dry?

 

[jatoxico]

Yeah, this was just the shot in the arm that I needed. I'm so relieved to see the MC.
Is your next years wood anywhere close to dry?

It's mostly two year oak with a little bit of other hardwoods mixed in. The little tag I put on the stack says it was split Nov 2012 so should be OK to burn. I don't really want to go down that road though unless I have to. If I stick to my guns my 3 year plan will be intact w/o buying wood and won't end up short next year. Not to mention if I did buy it prob will need to season more than a yr anyway. Following next season I will have more 3 yr CSS wood than I can burn in a season. That's my goal.

Hopefully I make it through this next week of serious cold and then hope the weather breaks some. I keep the thermostats at 64 and I burn wood for the comfort of being extra warm so I don't stress if the oil burner comes on. I will try not to get into next years stacks unless we have a power outage or something. See what the future brings.

 

[Sinngetreu]

I just threw a load of the mulberry in the stove...talk about snap, crackle, and pop!

 

[jatoxico]

I just threw a load of the mulberry in the stove...talk about snap, crackle, and pop!

Nice, they say mulberry is first rate. Never burned any myself though I have a monster in my front yard. And while we're all complaining about the long winter and stretching out the stacks how about the folks totally dependent on the petroleum or utility teat? Pay up sucker that's what. Meanwhile my place is 70-72 all day with no oil use. High fives all around!

 

[Sinngetreu]

Nice, they say mulberry is first rate. Never burned any myself though I have a monster in my front yard. And while we're all complaining about the long winter and stretching out the stacks how about the folks totally dependent on the petroleum or utility teat? Pay up sucker that's what. Meanwhile my place is 70-72 all day with no oil use. High fives all around!

No doubt! I just checked how my new yellow gold was doing and found a nice blue flame in the stove. Its hard not to be excited about that.

 

[osagebow]

No doubt! I just checked how my new yellow gold was doing and found a nice blue flame in the stove. Its hard not to be excited about that.

Good deal- burned some mulberry this year I cut early on. Got my saw stuck in that convoluted cross branched bendy sun of a gun 3 times. Burned great, wish I had more.

 

[Sinngetreu]

Good deal- burned some mulberry this year I cut early on. Got my saw stuck in that convoluted cross branched bendy sun of a gun 3 times. Burned great, wish I had more.

You got your saw stuck? What a chump! Do you even know how to...... Actually, I got mine stuck a couple of times too. I just figured it was me. Actually miscalculated the tension on the branch and got the bar of my new saw wedged in there pretty good. It was truly a "oh crap, now what!" moment.

 

[Soundchasm]

You got your saw stuck? What a chump! Do you even know how to...... Actually, I got mine stuck a couple of times too. I just figured it was me. Actually miscalculated the tension on the branch and got the bar of my new saw wedged in there pretty good. It was truly a "oh crap, now what!" moment.

I feel a whole lot less of a stud-muffin when I get the saw pinched in a 3" branch. My first instinct is to check to see if anybody saw it.

 

[TreePointer]

A few years ago some dude got his bar pinched while bucking a big red oak in the forest, and he couldn't free it because he had left his wedges in the barn. It started to rain really hard, so he unbolted the powerhead from the bar, jumped on his tractor, and went back home. He didn't return for almost a week because it kept raining. He later returned with a few wedges and successfully freed the bar. The cool thing was that the bar oil left a dark stain outlining the bar and chain in the round of wood.

Yep, some dude actually did that.

 

[BobUrban]

If you cut firewood - eventually a bar will get stuck and having wedges is mandatory for me. And a backup saw because sometimes ya really goof!(at least I do)

 

[razerface]

If you cut firewood - eventually a bar will get stuck and having wedges is mandatory for me. And a backup saw because sometimes ya really goof!(at least I do)

yep,,, I usually cut mine out with another saw after cussing a little while.

 

[D8Chumley]

I pinched my 170 in a 3" cherry branch yesterday, right as I realized I forgot to put the gas cap back on and dumped all the gas on my pant leg and boot Who does that?? Me, I guess

 

[gzecc]

I just threw a load of the mulberry in the stove...talk about snap, crackle, and pop!

Mulberry is the most lively of any of the woods I've burned.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If you cut firewood - eventually a bar will get stuck and having wedges is mandatory for me. And a backup saw because sometimes ya really goof!(at least I do)

Yup. I pinched one about 3 years ago. Can't remember ever doing that before or since though. And I use wedges only if felling a tree requires it which is very rare.

 

[red oak]

When I first started cutting I would get my bar stuck on every tree, or so it seemed. It's been a couple of years since I've had to use wedges to free the bars, now that I've learned how to figure out which parts are under tension. I still carry wedges with me every time though, because the one time I don't take them is the time I'll need them.

Nice job on the felling Sinngetreu! No matter how many times I do it, it is such a rush, and a bit of a scary feeling, when the tree starts to go!

 

[Sinngetreu]

it is such a rush, and a bit of a scary feeling, when the tree starts to go!

Yes! Thank you! I talked to some non-forum people about it today and everyone looked at me like I was describing the cereal I ate this morning. I can only assume that they don't get it.

 

[WiscWoody]

A quick look towards the top of a tree a few times while your cutting is a good habit to get into in case a dead branch breaks off and comes down. And make sure you have a exit strategy without something that might trip you when the tree comes down wrong.

 

[smokedragon]

If you cut firewood - eventually a bar will get stuck and having wedges is mandatory for me. And a backup saw because sometimes ya really goof!(at least I do)

Love my plastic felling wedges. Those guys, a 4lb hammer, file, scrench, etc......all mandatory when I go snag wood.

 

[_CY_]

There is a little bit of a misunderstanding here. I wasn't showing that as an example of a instructional video, just an entertainment video (and a POV video that I was talking about). Also, you can learn from other peoples mistakes.
Here is the video that I used as an instructional video.

didn't have the patience to watch entire video .. but that's a poor instructional video for green beginners ..
inexperienced fallers should NOT be recommending training aids until they've become competent themselves.

one mistaken could easily end up with tragic results ..

 

[wahoowad]

didn't have the patience to watch entire video .. but that's a poor instructional video for green beginners ..
inexperienced fallers should NOT be recommending training aids until they've become competent themselves.
one mistaken could easily end up with tragic results ..

Some with experience like to share it, some just want you to know they have it

 

[Firewood Bandit]

A quick look towards the top of a tree a few times while your cutting is a good habit to get into in case a dead branch breaks off and comes down. And make sure you have a exit strategy without something that might trip you when the tree comes down wrong.

You beat me to it.

One of the biggest mistakes novices make and seasoned veterans too when felling trees it NOT LOOKING UP.

Everything that will kill or seriously hurt you is above you.

 

[Sinngetreu]

You beat me to it.

One of the biggest mistakes novices make and seasoned veterans too when felling trees it NOT LOOKING UP.

Everything that will kill or seriously hurt you is above you.

Yeah, that’s a good reminder. This one was a dead standing, so I was really aware of that this time. But, I could see how that would happen.

 

[_CY_]

Some with experience like to share it, some just want you to know they have it

apologies if that's how it's coming across .. in my defense I've already posted a good instructional video for beginners.
just wanted to see if anyone else noticed why said video can be dangerous for beginners.

information on keeping folks safe should be shared.

kudos for those warnings about widow makers from above!

 

[smokedragon]

Yep, Im a researcher. I watched a few training videos and also watched a few videos from the cutters point of view. It was helpful to visualize what I needed to do to make a successful fall. It helped a lot.
Here is one of my favorite videos.

This is not educational....I agree.

Of course, I think anyone who brings an axe to pound wedges is with, is just trying to show off. You know you're gonna be hitting wedges, bring a damn hammer.

I may not do this professionally, but I am also not trying to look cool doing it.

But the great thing about the internet is you can watch so many videos.

If I were like that guy and had equipment to support/push the trees, I might have his swagger

Either way, if you don't grow up watching and learning from other cutters, you tube can really be a friend. The video showing a barber chair was kinda neat, because things like that are what tend to hurt people, not standard falls.

Welcome to the club OP. Just be safe, as felling trees big and small is dangerous. The day you go out to cut a live one and don't think it is dangerous, is the day you might not come back.