Now THIS is a TREE!

[Woody Stover]

No, I did not drop this Pin Oak. That's a 34" long splitting ax. It's not DBH but this stump is 70" and pretty much round.
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Each of these branches are equivalent to a good-sized tree that I normally cut.
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Some guy got an easy load yesterday morning, but I think it's mainly one other guy and I that are working on this monster. I got a late start yesterday so I just got one load. I figured since it was only one load, I would just walk it over to the trailer, about 60' or so. Well, between the cutting branches, splitting the rounds so I could pick 'em up and then walking them over, my legs and my back are roasted! I'm going back tomorrow for more punishment, but will take the quad this time to haul the wood to the trailer. It's about four miles from the house, not bad at all. I'm debating asking the tree service to buck some of the trunk that's too big for my saw, when they come back Tuesday. You guys know I will...I have the disease.
Here's a pic of the first load. Metered out at 48% MC. Maybe that's why they were so heavy.
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[iskiatomic]

Damn! That is a monster. There will plenty of BTU's in that. Time for a bigger saw. Much bigger!

What size is the trailer?

KC

Poor Doug

 

[Woody Stover]

Damn! That is a monster. There will plenty of BTU's in that. Time for a bigger saw. Much bigger!

What size is the trailer?

I don't know...the guy that lives across the street said the feller's saw had a 48" bar, and he asked him to hold the weight of the saw up while he maneuvered it in the cut.
The trailer is 5x8.

 

[Woody Stover]

I didn't load it too full because of the wet wood but that load pulled pretty light. Probably only 1000 lbs over the towing capacity of the poor old Ciera.

 

[woodsmaster]

Nice tree! With a large saw It will only take two or three hours to cut and quarter that trunk with a helper to turn the rounds. I'm Finishing a tree that size. Still a couple cord to stack. I think it will come in around 8 cord.

 

[NH_Wood]

Yep, that's massive! I'd definitely be asking for help on the trunk - my saw would wet its pants if I walked up to that tree with it. Cheers!

 

[heatwise]

A few years back I had got a call on left overs from one of these, I ended up getting the bottom 12 feet trunk. It was cut into massive discs so I sliced them down to manageable chunks. I will never forget how heavy this stuff is or the oak smell of freshness. You have a gold mine in that tree good score.

 

[bogydave]

Wouldn't even know where to start with a tree that big.
Just start whittling it down to size I guess.
Nice load of oak, gonna add up fast

 

[osagebow]

w o w. Nice score! Lift with your legs, not your back

 

[tcassavaugh]

Was the tree struck by lightning? for the most part it looks pretty healthy. Why did they take it down. I hate to see a grand old tree brought down for no reason. i have a large oak that is at least that in the front yard. i love that tree and the other smaller oaks it has spawned. plenty others i can cut for wood if i need them.

cass

 

[Redlegs]

Lots of wood there - congrats on the score!

 

[Gark]

Man alive, that is a huge beastie! The yellow handled maul looks puny. Just wondering, did anyone count the rings to see how old it was? There is no rush on counting 'em - that stump will be there for years. We got a 112 year old oak at 50 inches dia so my guess is 158 years old for that monster.

 

[ScotO]

looks like a job tor the 051 or 075 (eh Zap?) Nice score woody, keep the pics coming!

 

[ScotO]

Here's a pic of the first load. Metered out at 48% MC. Maybe that's why they were so heavy.
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Oak, especially in the early sring, is FULL of water. Thats why they preach the "3 year rule" when it comes to C/S/S your green oak. And one further note, I can honestly say I've never seen an Oldsmobile towing a trailerload of firewood.......you'd fit right in with me and my crew, Woody!!

 

[Blue Vomit]

No, I did not drop this Pin Oak. That's a 34" long splitting ax. It's not DBH but this stump is 70" and pretty much round.
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I helped cut a big oak a few years ago. It had some very cool blue/grey coloring near the stump looking similar to your first pic. My friend cut it into pieces, finished it, and made a chess board out of it. The blue coloring came out very nice. He said it had something to do with iron or something?
Something to think about if you are interested.

 

[ScotO]

The blue coloring came out very nice. He said it had something to do with iron or something?
So.

Yep iron or steel inside wood for many years will do that to the wood. The minerals and moisture in the sap slowly eat away at that iron, and it leaves a telltale blue streaking in the wood...

 

[Blue Vomit]

Yep iron or steel inside wood for many years will do that to the wood. The minerals and moisture in the sap slowly eat away at that iron, and it leaves a telltale blue streaking in the wood...

If you were truly talented you could carve a smurf out of that stump!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Woody, that looks like it was right next to the road or a driveway so getting close should be great for you. As for that carrying, I've done a good deal of pin oak and know what you had to deal with. That stuff is heavy! Maybe you can pay them to cut the butt up for you?

 

[tfdchief]

That is a whole bunch of tree for sure. Pin Oak takes forever to dry/season, but good stuff when it is ready. My son has 2 close to that size in his yard. Pin Oaks often die when they get that age. They are a first succession tree in the woods and nature didn't mean for them to live that long.

 

[cptoneleg]

Woody, that looks like it was right next to the road or a driveway so getting close should be great for you. As for that carrying, I've done a good deal of pin oak and know what you had to deal with. That stuff is heavy! Maybe you can pay them to cut the butt up for you?

Do you mean you could't sit and split rounds that size???

 

[Woody Stover]

Was the tree struck by lightning? for the most part it looks pretty healthy. Why did they take it down

If you look at the trunk in the first pic, you can see that it was beginning to rot. I think the county decided it had to come down, but I'll get some more info from the guy across the street when I see him.

Just wondering, did anyone count the rings to see how old it was? There is no rush on counting 'em - that stump will be there for years. We got a 112 year old oak at 50 inches dia so my guess is 158 years old for that monster.

Yeah, my first thought was that it must be really old but now I'm not sure. I didn't look closely at the stump yet but the rings I did see were somewhat widely spaced. It gets a lot of water in that valley and the farmer dumps hog poop on the higher ground behind the tree. maybe it's not all that old, but just had optimal conditions in which to grow? I will try to get a ring count at some point.

I can honestly say I've never seen an Oldsmobile towing a trailerload of firewood.......you'd fit right in with me and my crew, Woody!!

I'm taking it easy on the old girl now...she's got about 220K miles. But back in the day I hauled some HEAVY loads with her. Now the tranny is kind of sluggish to go into gear when it's cool outside... Coincidence?

I helped cut a big oak a few years ago. It had some very cool blue/grey coloring near the stump looking similar to your first pic. My friend cut it into pieces, finished it, and made a chess board out of it. The blue coloring came out very nice. He said it had something to do with iron or something?
Something to think about if you are interested.

Sounds like it would be cool-looking...unique for sure. Yeah, the guy across the street said the faller was hitting metal like crazy...probably old fence wire.

If you were truly talented you could carve a smurf out of that stump!

Alas, I am but a lowly wood-chopper.

Woody, that looks like it was right next to the road or a driveway so getting close should be great for you. As for that carrying, I've done a good deal of pin oak and know what you had to deal with. That stuff is heavy! Maybe you can pay them to cut the butt up for you?

Yep, Dennis, right next to the road. If you look at the second pic, you can just see the nose of the car. I can park right next to the stump. Walking 'em to the trailer about killed me. Didn't make it back over there today. Quad goes with me tomorrow for sure.

Pin Oaks often die when they get that age. They are a first succession tree in the woods and nature didn't mean for them to live that long.

I didn't know that. You learn something new every day in the Wood Shed.

Do you mean you could't sit and split rounds that size???

I do not own a crane...

 

[Woody Stover]

As I mentioned, I didn't make it over there today. Got up kinda late and didn't want to go for just one load. My body needed the rest anyway; Legs and back are still feeling it. But I did get some bonus wood close to home. Wind must have damaged an otherwise-healthy Shingle Oak branch along the drive, and it decided to fall today. No wind or anything, it just went. A neighbor (whose land it's on) and I trimmed the branches and I bucked and loaded up the wood. It's on the closest pallet in this pic. Biggest round rounds are 10", oblongs are 12" so it was a decent haul. Every little bit helps. Behind it on the other pallet are a few of the monster Pin Oak splits. (broken image removed)

 

[maplewood]

That's a Paul Bunyan tree!

 

[Woody Stover]

That's a Paul Bunyan tree!

Unfortunately, I more closely resemble Paul Schaefer.

Well, somebody was hammering on that thing yesterday. Lotta meat still left for me though. One that looks pretty good is the branch closest to the camera, with the smaller branch forking out of it and the broken branch underneath it. Problem is, the tree wants to roll toward the camera and that branch is holding it right now. I was thinking I could wedge a round under that branch, closer to the trunk, and get some of the rest of the branch. Sound good? I've done this type of thing before, just not on this large a scale with this much weight. The broken branch in the middle is still there, too...most of it anyway.
I had the wife jump on my back a few times to loosen up the cramped muscles; I'm ready to go!

 

[jeff_t]

That looks like a good time. I'd come and help if you were closer. I like bucking the big ones. You should be able to whittle away most of it with that 460.

Be careful.