straight grained ash

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firestorm

firestorm

Member
Jan 17, 2012
22
pa laurel highlands
Been waiting all winter for the ground to freeze with little snow cover to start cutting some dead ash along the edge of the lawn. Well, today was worth the wait. Never thought a day like this would come in February. The lawn was dry enough to get the equipment on and what a perfect day it was! The big ash fell with absolute precision, and no witnesses! Both saws started and ran flawlessly, like they were used yesterday. The big rounds were a bit too heavy to lift and there wasn't enough to get out the splitter so I thought of trying the maul to at least half them. I have honestly in all my years of cutting wood, never experienced wood that split as easy as this. I actually quartered a round with 4 hits. Even the pieces with branches split easily. Made me feel 20 years younger, splits flying with every swing. The morning frost turned into the mid 60's. The only downer was the when the dead big ash hit, the branches broke into a million pieces, the raking took longer than the slicing and dicing. But in now way put a damper on it. Feel truly blessed to have had such a great day.
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It's amazing what a day of good weather amidst all the bleak weather days we've been having can really do for you.
 
Great way to spend the day! That ash is beautiful, it should be good to go for next winter.
 
Nice grab! :cool: Ash is always worth the effort (if it's White Ash.) ;)
Look like you stopped after you quartered some of those rounds....some of those splits are hee-yoooge! ==c
 
firestorm said:
Been waiting all winter for the ground to freeze with little snow cover to start cutting some dead ash along the edge of the lawn. Well, today was worth the wait. Never thought a day like this would come in February. The lawn was dry enough to get the equipment on and what a perfect day it was! The big ash fell with absolute precision, and no witnesses! Both saws started and ran flawlessly, like they were used yesterday. The big rounds were a bit too heavy to lift and there wasn't enough to get out the splitter so I thought of trying the maul to at least half them. I have honestly in all my years of cutting wood, never experienced wood that split as easy as this. I actually quartered a round with 4 hits. Even the pieces with branches split easily. Made me feel 20 years younger, splits flying with every swing. The morning frost turned into the mid 60's. The only downer was the when the dead big ash hit, the branches broke into a million pieces, the raking took longer than the slicing and dicing. But in now way put a damper on it. Feel truly blessed to have had such a great day. View attachment 195017 View attachment 195018 View attachment 195019 View attachment 195020
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Amen brother ,great place to live ,white ash supremo looks great.
 
Woody Stover said:
Look like you stopped after you quartered some of those rounds....some of those splits are hee-yoooge! ==c
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Right on that one, took the splits to a pile to be worked up and stacked later. The row these are going in isn't empty yet, and before stacking the rotten wooden pallets need removed. Something I started doing a few years ago is removing the top soil from the where the row is and replace it with earth shale, there is a shale bank on the back of the property. It makes a real nice solid base, don't seem to get the frost heaving. The picture is of the row from last year. The plastic pallets I purchased but since have gotten a free supply to replace the wooden ones.
Like most everyone else, there are a couple years worth of ash that needs to come down around home. These three will really hurt, beautiful trees in a perfect location.
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Nice! Wish I had a bunch of those pallets. I'm still using wood but they are on concrete blocks or dead Sassafras logs so hopefully they will hold up for a while.
I think the borer may be here...several Ash trees not looking too good. They aren't in the yard but that doesn't make it much easier to lose 'em. It's a shame. :(
 
All the ash here are done ....your pic of the 3 trees will stand for at 2-3 more years from what I have experienced. If I see any leaves I have left them alone. 90% have no leaves at all and those are targeted for the woodpile. I have taken down about 25 this year in a 1.5 acre patch. It's a sad thing, but it is easy made fire wood. 3whacks with axe to spit the big rounds, then you get a split every hit after that. I'm sure using a splitter would actually be slower than a axe. I haven't burnt any yet as im getting ready to build a home this spring. I started cutting last year. Almost have 15 bush cord of ash split and stacked. I think I'm being spoiled in my first go around with processing wood. Such a shame about that rotten bug. I feel a bit better that mine are at least going to keep the family warm.
 
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mcdougy said:
All the ash here are done ....your pic of the 3 trees will stand for at 2-3 more years from what I have experienced. If I see any leaves I have left them alone.


The 3 trees pictured last summer had about half of the tree leafed out. Hate cutting them but the sooner they are gone the sooner something else can start growing in their place. But this gives me some hope, have been watching this stump. This tree was cut 2 summers ago. Think there is a chance that once this bug runs its course the ash can regenerate? Once there is a main central branch develop, I'll cut the remaining back a see if it matures.

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EAB is ugly. Those dead trees are so dried out on the inside they just explode as you describe. Have to be careful dropping them because of the branches breaking off. That's a nice load you have there.
 
Not sure what happened in the post with the stump generating new growth, but curious if any have seen this and if this is a possibly way that the ash could make a comeback if the beetle ever runs its course.
 
firestorm said:
Not sure what happened in the post with the stump generating new growth, but curious if any have seen this and if this is a possibly way that the ash could make a comeback if the beetle ever runs its course.
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Anything we have cut has made an attempt to shoot up suckers as in your picture. Nothing that I have seen has amounted to anything, seem to die off for whatever reasons.
 
firestorm said:
Both saws started and ran flawlessly, like they were used yesterday.
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Good story, thanks for sharing. I must admit, I was a little disappointed once I realized the two saws were not wailing in harmony with each other (as I initially imagined) but instead were used one at a time. Nothing sounds better than two perfectly tuned saws, chains sharp, operated by people who love to cut wood, with both saws singing in glorious harmony. Other than that, a perfect story!
 
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Had to chuckle reading your post. For us like minded folks, cutting fire wood it tantalizing to the senses. The spray of wood chips turning the ground white, the smell of burning oil and fresh wood is intoxicating, and the sound of a 2 cycle as it peaks to "sing" is truely a melody. And when you get a couple of saws running together, its 2 part harmony! My father-in-law and I cut often together and we have the same saw, and it was a joy to hear them singing together. The echo returning from the trees made the experience even better.
 
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firestorm said:
Not sure what happened in the post with the stump generating new growth, but curious if any have seen this and if this is a possibly way that the ash could make a comeback if the beetle ever runs its course.
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If the roots are still alive and healthy it will regenerate. And it will grow faster than a new seedling because it has a mature, fully developed root system. It's called coppicing. But the keyword in all of this is IF.
 
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The weather has been very interesting this winter. I love a sixty plus degree day in February. Looks like you had a great day very enjoyable!
 
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