Any tips on cleaning up a Pine limb before bucking it?

[OldLumberKid]

Believe it or not I've only used my MS 250 for sawing up firewood rounds about 8-to-18 inches across, mostly oak, none of 'em had any thin branches or shooters coming off them.

Saturday I will go and buck up a 15 foot pine limb on the snow, under the snow, in the snow.

I'm told it has a lot of little inch-or-two-thick-or-so pine branches off it.

I've never sawn lots of thinner 'furry' things like that, probably at somewhat of a 45 degree or less angle. Anyone with experience offer any tips, strategies on how to approach the job much appreciated.

I'll have my 28" 1 3/4 bypass lopper available for most of the skinny stuff, but was just wondering if the MS250 might be a better way to deal with a lot of skinny branches in less time?

(And then I'll buck it, chop it and season it for at least a year before it goes anywhere near a flame.)

 

[bigbarf48]

I think you might be over thinking this, just cut em off with the 250. I think that'll probably be faster than the loppers, and you'll be able to get a closer cut with the saw

Cut them at the very base so you dont have pokey rounds when youre all done

 

[OldLumberKid]

I think you might be over thinking this, just cut em off with the 250. I think that'll probably be faster than the loppers, and you'll be able to get a closer cut with the saw

Cut them at the very base so you dont have pokey rounds when youre all done

Appreciate it.

Yep, I do tend to overthink a lot of cuts, just to make sure I don't do something really dumb I didn't think of.
I figured with a lot of things sticking out all over the place there might be potential for trouble.

 

[bigbarf48]

Just be careful on any that are bound up. Though smaller branches like that arent going to pose as much of a safety issue since they dont have the energy storage/load bearing capacity that larger limbs do

Probably the biggest thing with so many little branches is they pose a trip hazard

 

[paul bunion]

Bring an axe.

 

[bigbarf48]

^^^^ Also a good idea. A sharp axe or hatchet will make quick work of them

 

[Paulywalnut]

If you cut a lot of pine you tend to get pitch all over everything, at least I do. You won't run into that much with a branch but be aware messing up your saw, hands, handles of tools etc. good luck.

 

[Sinngetreu]

+1 on the loaded branches. If you have any doubt about the load on a small branch, just shave off small cuts on the tension side of the branch (not the compression side) until you know what the branch is going to do.
Other than that, just do the darn thing!

 

[Dune]

I like a good sharp axe with a long handle. Make the cuts parallel to the trunk, and preferably from the bottom side of the branch (the place that would be lowest if it were a tree standing up in the air. You will quickly learn which branches are small enough to wack off in one swipe, and which to leave for the saw. The axe is fast, with some skill.

 

[OldLumberKid]

Thanks, I would have forgotten the Axe. (duh! again)

And that reminds me better bring a tarp, or the log limo will be the sticky van of pine-o-sol.
Old gloves only.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

You stated this is just a limb. An axe will work well but so will just holding the saw near the main limb and just following the limb to the end. Of course it depends upon what kind of pine it is but most have lots of little limbs and they cut off very quick and easy.

 

[OldLumberKid]

You stated this is just a limb. An axe will work well but so will just holding the saw near the main limb and just following the limb to the end. Of course it depends upon what kind of pine it is but most have lots of little limbs and they cut off very quick and easy.

Yup I got over there, and there are very few twigs and branches off it, very spartan, so an easy job [I was expecting a regular christmas tree...surprised how thinned out the tree is and will want to figure out why it broke ro easily ... it looked healthy at first glance.].

Odd story.
Before I went over to the MIL's house, a black crow cawed from a telephone pole as I got my chit together and took it to the car, or so I thought. Now we don't have too many of them around here and it seemed odd the crow would do that right where I was. Oops forgot some meds I take with me. Not that I'm gonna need them, it's only 16 minutes there and back, but what the heck, bring 'em anyway. Looped around, came back and picked 'em up.

Next I'm driving and dog safety leash is AWOL, and the pooch has chosen to sit in wifey's lap.... so I'm going pretty slow.

Good thing, too, because a black cat shoots out of the bushes on the left side of the road and scoots right across my path. If I'd been going regular speed that's one flat cat, but it got lucky, and I got lucky as I didn't have to break hard (where I hail from a black cat crosses your path is actually good luck).

We get there; it's a snowfreakingpocalypsewonderland, the landscaper didn't do his job well at all, and didn't show the last time ... so it's all foot and a half deep of snow, and all I've got is a ditch digging shovel. me and the wife I dig it out some. I dig out to get the gate open etc., But an asthma attack is coming on; usually mild in my case, but I go clean the branches off the business end of the broken bough anyway, and map out my cuts. Trudge back through the deep snow to get the saw.

I'm about to start 'er up and I realize I've forgotten my chaps.

Asthma meanwhile now getting worse and working into an attack from hell (new health regs forced a change in my meds -- the old one's no longer covered, the new one is taking some getting used to, or is not so good).

I figure I won't push my luck, what with the crow and the cat. not superstitious really, but just aware when nature's critters are behaving oddly ....

and next time I'll remember my freaking chaps. And yes, I did need those meds I didn't think I'd need, but came back for anyway.

Weird day.

 

[TreePointer]

As others have stated, watch out for loaded limbs and for the log rolling.

Other than that, 3, 2, 1, go!

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[razerface]

i have a habit that may be wasted time,,but i like it. I always try to cut off limbs when i am standing on the opposite side of the trunk. The trunk protects me if I do something stupid. It doesn't always work out that way,, but i try.