A real confidence killer

[SawdustSA]

So just when I thought I was done cutting for the next few years, I found some free wood less than a mile away. Lets just call it 'Bluegum from hell'.

It is a fairly old and twisted bluegum which the municipality is cutting down. I have taken 1/3 of the tree so far. I was extremely impressed with my Stihl maul up till now. This stuff doesn't look like much, but simply impossible to split by hand. Even noodling it is taking some time. I will end up using lots of fuel and time to get this down to size.

I even phoned around to try and rent a splitter but no-one has one in my area. There is one shop in my area that sell splitters. They have a 32T for around $1600 if I use the current exchange rate. Not really an option either since after this ordeal I will become more selective, hopefully , with my scrounging.

 

[blades]

Careful seaching of the online ads could deliver one to your door for that amount. Granted a lesser tonnage, 15-20 is all you really need to get the job done.

 

[Applesister]

Are those pictures from Africa? Did I talk to you before about the Boabab trees? Im like Bluegum...? bluegum? never heard of it. Cutting something to size with a chainsaw is an absolute last resort. But I have a cousin who told me about a saw blade chain called PICO. I have no clue if this narrow kerf blade would be better for ripping or noodling. Im not a saw expert but I do not like the way a chainsaw feels when you are rip cutting. If you have to cut all those rounds down you are gonna have ALOT of shavings. I would look into a PICO chain and I think you might have to purchase a new bar. I want to do this because my cousin told me it was safer for cutting small brush which is mostly what I cut. That wood looks impossible for some reason. Good luck.

 

[Applesister]

Nice looking house by the way, is wood your only heat?

 

[Applesister]

The tree was Baobab, sorry I always misspell it.

 

[Applesister]

Oh..the guys did mention a rip chain on here. The saw teeth are angled differently. Since the woodgrain in gum travels every which way it probably is a technicality. But it might help you get that wood done. Maybe post this question in the Gear forum where all the chainsaw people hang out.

 

[Applesister]

Ah Bluegum is a Eucalyptus. I looked it up, 51lbs ft3. On par with Hickory. If its being considered for commercial fuelwood in Australia there must be a way to get it apart. Interesting. I cant imagine Pignut hickory with interlocking grain. But apparently it excels as a fuelwood.

 

[Jags]

Build it and they will succumb.

Got any metal working/fab type buddies? I had fun building a few splitters in my time.

 

[clemsonfor]

Time to buy a REAL saw and start noodelling. get a minimum mid 70cc saw and a 20-25" bar and go to town!! You will have it down faster than you could even if you could use a maul. I just pull out the ms650 now when I can't get a log to split.

 

[Woody Stover]

Sounds like you're gonna need a splitter; Noodling all that would be a pain. My 22-ton will handle about anything I come across, Sweetgum and Blackgum included, but this Bluegum might be a different story...

I have a cousin who told me about a saw blade chain called PICO. I have no clue if this narrow kerf blade would be better for ripping or noodling. Im not a saw expert but I do not like the way a chainsaw feels when you are rip cutting.

The Stihl Picco is a safety chain with the humped tie strap. Yeah, they are on the small saws so the kerf is narrow. Noodling and ripping are different; Ripping is when you cut down into the end grain. Regular chain seems to work OK for noodling. I don't like to noodle but sometimes you have to.

 

[SawdustSA]

Are those pictures from Africa? Did I talk to you before about the Boabab trees? Im like Bluegum...? bluegum? never heard of it. Cutting something to size with a chainsaw is an absolute last resort. But I have a cousin who told me about a saw blade chain called PICO. I have no clue if this narrow kerf blade would be better for ripping or noodling. Im not a saw expert but I do not like the way a chainsaw feels when you are rip cutting. If you have to cut all those rounds down you are gonna have ALOT of shavings. I would look into a PICO chain and I think you might have to purchase a new bar. I want to do this because my cousin told me it was safer for cutting small brush which is mostly what I cut. That wood looks impossible for some reason. Good luck.

Yep I'm in South Africa. We have various types of Eucalyptus here. I have learned, slowly, to avoid this specific one. Over here splitters are very scares. In fact I don't know anyone who owns one.

Wood is my only heat, but we don't need much where I live. The winters are very mild compared to yours.

Some of these rounds are rock hard. If you do get a piece to come off, it is in a half moon disc shape, still not useable. Others have a slightly softer core, so the maul simply gets stuck and none of the energy is used to split the round. Very frustrating.

To top it all, I picked up tick bite fever this week, so the weekend will not be very productive either. Noodling is the only way at this stage. I use the shavings in the compost heap.

As far as I know, my saw, the 064, is a 85cc. The bar is a bit short but at least it allows the motor to cope with this difficult wood.

 

[SawdustSA]

Build it and they will succumb.

Got any metal working/fab type buddies? I had fun building a few splitters in my time.

I do a fair amount of metal working myself so I have thought of doing it myself. I have looked at various designs on the net. I need to see where I can source the various parts around here. Doing it myself might be more acceptable to the wife. She thinks I'm loosing it with the wood fetish

 

[clemsonfor]

Well 064 is close to the 650 better saw actually and yes its 84cc

 

[CombatChris]

Sledge and wedge!

 

[danimal1968]

Ah Bluegum is a Eucalyptus. I looked it up, 51lbs ft3. On par with Hickory. If its being considered for commercial fuelwood in Australia there must be a way to get it apart. Interesting. I cant imagine Pignut hickory with interlocking grain. But apparently it excels as a fuelwood.

I lived in the Oakland Hills in California when they caught on fire in 1991 and the Eucalyptus trees literally exploded when they caught fire.

 

[bluedogz]

I do a fair amount of metal working myself so I have thought of doing it myself. I have looked at various designs on the net. I need to see where I can source the various parts around here. Doing it myself might be more acceptable to the wife. She thinks I'm loosing it with the wood fetish

Well, a splitter is little more than a hydraulic cylinder attached to a small engine... chances are you can find those lying about.

 

[wahoowad]

become more selective

^---- Bingo! Like you I learned to become more selective, if not highly selective.

Have you tried a wedge? For me a wedge can make it through tough splits that I can't get a maul to work.

 

[SawdustSA]

I have never worked with wedges before. Might have to look into that.

 

[SawdustSA]

I finally got around to work on the log pile again last night after I began to recover from the tick bite fever. I put on a newly profiled chain and gave it a quick file to remove any burrs. I removed all burrs on the bar too.

Man, I have forgotten how well a properly sharpened chain can cut. I really bites well and I can feel there is a bigger risk of kickback, so I was more careful.
All I can think is that the rakers/depth guages must be lower than what I am used to. Didn't have time to check it since it was getting dark and I was making progress. Noodling has never gone this fast before with bluegum.

 

[Applesister]

I would think in terms of trying to process this wood for the long haul. If its like our version of hickory, only more impossible. What about a bandsaw approach? But designing a machine to cut a specific type of wood would only benefit you if you planned on residing in this place for decades instead of a couple years. And if the wood was very abundant to almost exclusive to your area.
And if using a chainsaw appears the only solution, I would reclaim the shavings and burn that as well. Effort vs return on effort. A byproduct of sorts. Firestarters.

 

[Applesister]

I lived in the Oakland Hills in California when they caught on fire in 1991 and the Eucalyptus trees literally exploded when they caught fire.

I read Bluegum is native to Australia, it was brought to California and used as windbreaks in Orange grove plantations. Where it exceled at being extremely wind resistant. Tazmania, Austalia.

 

[SawdustSA]

Well at least I'm making progress. I only cut for around 1 hour after work. It gets dark real early and I don't want to annoy the neighbours too much. At this rate I should be done by Saturday morning. At least I am bonding with the chainsaw and have improved my chain sharpening skills.

I found a quicker way to get the wood to size. I noodle with one cut to around 98% through and then cut the round in half the original length. Some pieces are odd sizes and might make stacking more difficult, but I am low on patience.

I have a few wheelbarrows full of shavings too. This will go to the compost heap.

 

[SawdustSA]

Well slowly does it. I spent every evening last week cutting for around an hour each. Finally got done. Only a few pieces left which is still too large. Will get to them this evening after work. I managed to add just over one row and my ugly stack also increased in size.

 

[Charles1981]

I never pass up an ugly. Always gives me warmth in the morning or late at night. So what if they have to hang out together in a separate pile. They all get treated the same when I allow them into my house.

 

[SawdustSA]

I am actually looking forward to using the ugly stack next year. I must just cover them before next winter which is around April next year for us in the southern hemisphere. Lots of various sizes in there, making starting a fire easier too.