Our first session felling in the woods...

[mesuno]

Hi folks,

I thought I'd share after our first session felling in our new woodland. We had hoped to get started earlier in the year but were delayed by paperwork and the need for a felling license so we are starting a bit late - a lot of the trees are already bursting into leaf, and the weather last week was stinking hot.

We've been heating with wood for years, but this is our first season cutting our own.

So far most of it is pretty low grade - mostly sweet chestnut which is slow to season and pretty light when it is - but we have cleared the way to bring down around 8 oaks. Our aim is to thin the canopy and let more light in to the sweet chestnut and hazel.

I've put a few photos up, but we didn't have the camera with us for most of it.

The order of attack was pretty much to fell the sweet chestnut coppice poles - straight sections were put aside for using around the garden at home, everything else was pretty much cut to six foot lengths and stacked by the track side. We are getting a professional in for the next stage to help drop the oaks as we aren't quit ready for that yet!

You can see the photo album here: Elfric Wood on Facebook

I'm planning on keeping a diary of it over the next few years as we work the area.

All the best,

Mike

 

[barkeatr]

looks great! from looking at your stumps you may want to check out some books on proper felling. I did this after years of cutting and found out I was making some errors. Its less of a big deal with small diameter wood but larger trees are more dangerous...and if you learned now you can practice on the small diameter wood. I just read that you are getting a pro in for the big stuff, take a look at his stumps after...enjoy!

 

[Kenster]

After some more practice with small and medium trees you should be ready to have a go at the larger ones. It's not free wood until you do it yourself, but I admire and appreciate a man being aware of his limitations. It's all about safety!

Do you own this property? And you have to have a permit to cut wood on your own land? Where do you live? California?

You are right about having a box ready to go with all of your tools and accessories in one place. I have found that a typical milk crate works great.
In mine I keep a one gallon gas can, funnel, jug of chain oil, two splitting wedges, a four pound hand sledge hammer, Stihl earmuff type ear protection, safety goggles, chain sharpening kit, small brush to clean chain and saw body, and several shop towels.

When I'm ready to cut I just grab milk crate, my saw case, maul, and Fiskars SS and I'm ready to roll.

 

[mesuno]

looks great! from looking at your stumps you may want to check out some books on proper felling. I did this after years of cutting and found out I was making some errors. Its less of a big deal with small diameter wood but larger trees are more dangerous...and if you learned now you can practice on the small diameter wood. I just read that you are getting a pro in for the big stuff, take a look at his stumps after...enjoy!

Thanks for that - I just ordered "To Fell A Tree" which should help for next time. I think there is only one stump there that you can actually see the felling cut on, the rest have been trimmed down to ground level.

Kenster - my family bought the woods between us around 12 months ago. We have pretty strict planning laws here in the UK which is why we haven't been able to get started sooner. I would have obviously preferred to have been felling all winter but it didn't work out that way. The process of getting a felling license takes around 3 months and we were delayed in applying. Fortunately it has come now and we can cut for the next 5 years provided we follow the rules (protecting regrowth, maintaining maximum canopy spacings etc...).

Our next problem is getting it all home again - we live about 12 miles away and none of our cars are suitable for off road between the trees.

Mike

 

[Wood Duck]

As Barkeatr wrote, your stumps don't look like mine after I cut a tree. I don' t have a lot of experience, but I try to leave more of a hinge when I fell a tree, and I make the back cut (the second cut, on the side away from the direction of fall) more horizontal and higher than the face cut (the first cut which removes a wedge of wood on the side where the tree is intended to fall). The hinge is meant to control the direction of fall so it is important.

Even though it may be lightweight Chestnut, that is a nice pile of wood and should heat the home for a while.

 

[Mt Ski Bum]

As Barkeatr wrote, your stumps don't look like mine after I cut a tree. I don' t have a lot of experience, but I try to leave more of a hinge when I fell a tree, and I make the back cut (the second cut, on the side away from the direction of fall) more horizontal and higher than the face cut (the first cut which removes a wedge of wood on the side where the tree is intended to fall). The hinge is meant to control the direction of fall so it is important.

I cut a wedge also, but I cut my back cut more slanted in from above- I feel it helps guide the tree to fall towards the wedge cut side & "discourages" it from falling the opposite way.

 

[TreePointer]

Good work and thanks for the pictures, Mesuno!

There are a few sawyers that defend the angled backcut, but in my area it's not acceptable practice. An horizontal backcut (with plastic wedges if necessary) is our standard.

Here are the Stihl videos if you want to watch them:
Stihl Video Library - Chapter 5: Operating Your Chain Saw

 

[mesuno]

Thanks Treepointer,

That was a pretty good video - if quite long!

I see what you mean about that cut now - I've been sloping that last cut in towards the hinge instead of having it horizontal. I guess it just felt right that way. I haven't been using wedges at all, mostly because the things I've been felling have been too narrow for them to be of use. I'd better get hold of some before working on any of the oaks!

I'm considering going out again this weekend and will take some photos of my next set of stumps if I do. Unfortunately it looks like real work might get in the way.

Mike

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Wow, not only do you need a felling license to cut on property you own, but it takes 3 months worth of red tape to get it?!?

I guess, what you do on your land can and does affect your neighbor. But there's also a cost to 3 months worth of red tape.

I hope that you regard it as worthwhile, I'm sure the satisfaction of the self-sufficiency will be worth it. Here in the states, if you buy wood cut-and-split it runs neck and neck compared to other fossile fuel heating costs. However if you order wood by the pulp cord and do the bucking and splitting yourself your cost runs about half of fossil fuels. And if you scrounge your wood it runs about 1/4 the cost or less.

 

[mesuno]

Black - there were some specific issues with our site. An area was recently illegally clearcut nearby and converted to paddocks. The local councils response was to slap a Tree Preservation Order over the whole area (500+ Hectares). Because of that we had to have a site visit before we put the application in, which took a few weeks to schedule. Once the application was submitted it has to spend 28 days on a public register for people to have a chance to object. A few extra days slack time here and there and it all came in just under 1 month.

Fortunately the people we dealt with were excellent, and the site visit was great - expert eyes walking around our woods and a chance to pick their brains over our plans.

Mike

 

[smokinj]

Very dence woods there....Protect your HEAD!

 

[mesuno]

Very dence woods there....Protect your HEAD!

I see what you mean from the photos, but it is a bit deceptive. Most of the density is small diameter coppice - straight poles with no side branches. I do have head protection but I ditched it that day in part because we were only working on small stuff but also because of the heat. It hit 28 degrees centigrade and I had sweat pouring off me already. I drank 4 litres of water in three hours and was still a touch dehydrated by the time we finished.

 

[smokinj]

Very dence woods there....Protect your HEAD!

I see what you mean from the photos, but it is a bit deceptive. Most of the density is small diameter coppice - straight poles with no side branches. I do have head protection but I ditched it that day in part because we were only working on small stuff but also because of the heat. It hit 28 degrees centigrade and I had sweat pouring off me already. I drank 4 litres of water in three hours and was still a touch dehydrated by the time we finished.

Pictures never do justices thats for sure. My helmets look like they have been through a war, so I wear them until its on the ground! Your felling cut with small tree like that isnt a bad cut, that will keep it going in the direction you want it to go. Just dont use it for anything any larger.

 

[woodchip]

[We have pretty strict planning laws here in the UK which is why we haven't been able to get started sooner. I would have obviously preferred to have been felling all winter but it didn't work out that way. The process of getting a felling license takes around 3 months and we were delayed in applying. Fortunately it has come now and we can cut for the next 5 years provided we follow the rules (protecting regrowth, maintaining maximum canopy spacings etc...)

You're not alone in the UK on this site, there are a couple of us here learning from those over the pond who have had wood stoves for many years.........

I was under the impression that you could remove up to 5 cubic metres of wood from your own land here each quarter without needing a licence, as long as less than 2 cubic metres was sold.
If I'm right, you might want to have separate ownership of different segments so each family member could remove their own wood, less messing around with licences.

Just a thought

 

[woodchip]

Just noticed your hornbeam pictures, very nice wood you have there.
If you are seasoning these for firewood, you may want to cut and split them, it's much easier to season wood once cut and split.
I look forward to watching your progress, really good operation you have there.

I have some ash seeds which I'm pre treating with the intention of planting them in a spare space at my mothers nearby once they are ready for germination.
Nothing like thinking for the future, although the only wood I have grown and cut so far is hazel as it coppices easily

 

[mesuno]

You're not alone in the UK on this site, there are a couple of us here learning from those over the pond who have had wood stoves for many years.........

I was under the impression that you could remove up to 5 cubic metres of wood from your own land here each quarter without needing a licence, as long as less than 2 cubic metres was sold.
If I'm right, you might want to have separate ownership of different segments so each family member could remove their own wood, less messing around with licences.

Just a thought

Yes, 5 cubic meters per quarter is the usual rule, except that in our case the TPO over-rides everything. We were unable to cut a single hazel stem until we had the felling licence. Fortunately we now have that sorted and can basically do what we want/need for the next five years without any trouble. We'll be doing pretty much all the work ourselves and I can't imagine that we'll reach the limits of what we can fell (1 HA per year!).

The hornbeam should be pretty nice to burn, but it is pretty thin stuff - not much more than forearm thickness. I've stacked it separately, and we have a fair bit more to cut. All of the wood we have cut so far needs to be transported home and I'm undecided yet whether to cut and split on site or move 5ft lengths. The lengths are less handling but then we end up making sawdust at home and I'd rather leave the mess in the woods.

 

[mesuno]

nb - we were pretty much ready to start felling when the TPO was put in place, this was what really scuppered our plans as the 5m^3 per quarter would have been plenty for our needs.

 

[woodchip]

Don't start me on Tree preservation orders. How are you supposed to work forestry productively and put anything back into it if of you are unable to work it?

Mind you, having done a tree planting exercise here some years ago in the parkland behind our house, then put tpo's on myriad trees in private gardens to stop development near our local MP's house, the council then ripped down several oak trees and shredded them in order to return the parkland from woodland to heathland.

I was fuming, even though I managed to roll a few rounds of oak and ash home before they went off elsewhere ;-)

 

[savageactor7]

You're name is Elfric Wood ? ...well fry my hide! Thanks for the pictures and that's a lot of work with that little saw, excellent effort.

I see in your pics that you piling you brush up. The State use to make us do that here because the stacked piles promoted lower mammal life forms like mice voles etc...they of coarse make life possible for the larger birds of prey. Now they have us lay it all flat on the ground spread all out. It's supposed to rot out totally within 2 years. Why the change ...they don't say. Anyways keep up the good work and take any wood you can get if it's free and you have the space to stack it.

 

[mesuno]

You're name is Elfric Wood ? ...well fry my hide! Thanks for the pictures and that's a lot of work with that little saw, excellent effort.

I see in your pics that you piling you brush up. The State use to make us do that here because the stacked piles promoted lower mammal life forms like mice voles etc...they of coarse make life possible for the larger birds of prey. Now they have us lay it all flat on the ground spread all out. It's supposed to rot out totally within 2 years. Why the change ...they don't say. Anyways keep up the good work and take any wood you can get if it's free and you have the space to stack it.

The subtle difference between a personal profile and a "page" - you can set up a facebook page for any thing from within your fb account. Seems a better option than sharing my personal profile and keeps stuff organised.

Anyway, we have done both piling and stacking over the few days we were out there. The trouble with leaving it where it lies is that the coppice has lots of thin branches which get tangled and make an almighty trip hazard. I would have preferred to let it lie but it just wasn't safe to work.

 

[Intheswamp]

You're not alone in the UK on this site, there are a couple of us here learning from those over the pond who have had wood stoves for many years.........

I was under the impression that you could remove up to 5 cubic metres of wood from your own land here each quarter without needing a licence, as long as less than 2 cubic metres was sold.
If I'm right, you might want to have separate ownership of different segments so each family member could remove their own wood, less messing around with licences.

Just a thought

Yes, 5 cubic meters per quarter is the usual rule, except that in our case the TPO over-rides everything. We were unable to cut a single hazel stem until we had the felling licence. Fortunately we now have that sorted and can basically do what we want/need for the next five years without any trouble. We'll be doing pretty much all the work ourselves and I can't imagine that we'll reach the limits of what we can fell (1 HA per year!).

The hornbeam should be pretty nice to burn, but it is pretty thin stuff - not much more than forearm thickness. I've stacked it separately, and we have a fair bit more to cut. All of the wood we have cut so far needs to be transported home and I'm undecided yet whether to cut and split on site or move 5ft lengths. The lengths are less handling but then we end up making sawdust at home and I'd rather leave the mess in the woods.

For keeping the saw dust mess to a minimum in the yard what I did was lay down a fair sized tarp under the edge of the logs and spread out in front of them. When I was sawing I was standing on the tarp and the chips were thrown towards me and thus fell onto the tarp. I had to be careful about cutting the tarp, though, and it has it's battle scars now...I'm using it to cover the hydraulic splitter with now and the vent holes are handy.

I was cutting mostly 12-20 inch red oak. For the smaller stuff that you've mentioned I assume you will be using a sawbuck to cut the logs to length. Simply place the sawbuck (or other sawing station) towards one side of the tarp, saw from with your back toward the center of the tarp so that the chips fly towards the center of the tarp.

Simply grab up the corners of the tarp every so often, drag them to a trailer and throw them in, shovel them into garbage cans or bags, etc., and then dispose of them or use them as you see fit. You could actually haul them back to your woodlot and scatter them back out there.

Whatever the case, a tarp can keep from putting a great many chips on the ground...it won't catch them all (especially if you nick the tarp a few times), but they'll save the bulk of them from hitting the ground!

There's a link below of a picture of what I collected on a tarp from bucking up between a cord and maybe a cord and a fourth of red oak.

Best wishes,
Ed

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/73887/P36/#872685

 

[mesuno]

For keeping the saw dust mess to a minimum in the yard what I did was lay down a fair sized tarp under the edge of the logs and spread out in front of them. When I was sawing I was standing on the tarp and the chips were thrown towards me and thus fell onto the tarp. I had to be careful about cutting the tarp, though, and it has it's battle scars now...I'm using it to cover the hydraulic splitter with now and the vent holes are handy.

I was cutting mostly 12-20 inch red oak. For the smaller stuff that you've mentioned I assume you will be using a sawbuck to cut the logs to length. Simply place the sawbuck (or other sawing station) towards one side of the tarp, saw from with your back toward the center of the tarp so that the chips fly towards the center of the tarp.

Simply grab up the corners of the tarp every so often, drag them to a trailer and throw them in, shovel them into garbage cans or bags, etc., and then dispose of them or use them as you see fit. You could actually haul them back to your woodlot and scatter them back out there.

Whatever the case, a tarp can keep from putting a great many chips on the ground...it won't catch them all (especially if you nick the tarp a few times), but they'll save the bulk of them from hitting the ground!

There's a link below of a picture of what I collected on a tarp from bucking up between a cord and maybe a cord and a fourth of red oak.

Best wishes,
Ed

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/73887/P36/#872685

Thanks Ed,

Looks like you gathered quite a bit up! And you are on track for using sawdust as mulch. At home we use sawdust in composting toilets. One you have added some of your own nitrogen and put it through the compost heap (it gets very hot!) it makes great compost for the veggies.

It is amazing how quickly it breaks down in a hot heap once it has had a decent amount of humanure added to sort out the nitrogen balance. It looks, feels and smells ready within about 3 weeks and is totally inoffensive after 24 hours or so. In the past we have picked up 1m^3 bags of sawdust from local lumber yards specifically for this.

I expect that in a few years time we'll have a much better working area setup at home - we are rearranging access and driveways to the side of the house. At the moment log lengths would have to be carried through the front door, out the back and then cut on the back lawn - none of which would go down well with my mother! When we are finished we'll probably have a big workshop built and about an acre of outdoor workspace (bought a slice of field from the farmer next door).

Mike

 

[mesuno]

"To Fell A Tree" arrived yesterday which was interesting reading.

He talks about a sloping backcut vrs a horizontal one. The main reason I could see that horizontal cuts are preferred is that it gives more mechanical advantage when using wedges to control the fell. Effectively the wedge ends up nearer the pivot on a horizontal cut, which makes for greater crown movement with the same wedge.

I'm a person who needs to understand the why of things, so this was very helpful!

Mike