Best bucking practices and method?
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SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
I like to have plenty of wood under the logs I'm bucking so I don't have to worry about hidden rocks or dirt. Some folks achieve this with a wooden device that holds the logs in the air or maybe with a tractor. My preference is to pile the logs on top of runners made of tree tops, rotten logs, or otherwise low quality wood.
Edit: Another tip I picked up from a member here is to buck the logs in the winter with plenty of ice under the logs.
Edit: Another tip I picked up from a member here is to buck the logs in the winter with plenty of ice under the logs.
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johneh
Minister of Fire
Montanalocal
Minister of Fire
The BC Feller training standard #17, bucking, has a lot of good info, although it is oriented toward cutting saw logs rather than short firewood pieces. All of the series is good.
One thing I do differently that works well for me is on a top bind cut, or a length that is supported at both ends. Rather than finishing the cut from underneath, I cut down from the top part way, then insert a wedge or two in the top of the cut and continue on down the cut and out the bottom. The wedges keep the top of the cut from closing and pinching the saw. Cutting up from the bottom is a bit hard on my arms.
One thing I do differently that works well for me is on a top bind cut, or a length that is supported at both ends. Rather than finishing the cut from underneath, I cut down from the top part way, then insert a wedge or two in the top of the cut and continue on down the cut and out the bottom. The wedges keep the top of the cut from closing and pinching the saw. Cutting up from the bottom is a bit hard on my arms.
I have wife drag them out of the wood with tractor and use Timber Jack under them after delimbing. If too big I have her lift it up with tractor. But timber jack is the real back saver. https://www.northerntool.com/shop/t...MIwtTd4P_g6gIV9x6tBh3TsAYMEAQYASABEgKOiPD_BwE
EODMSgt
Feeling the Heat
So many different methods and techniques out there and much of it depends on where your logs are (i.e., still in the woods and attached to a root ball, in your yard on the ground, etc.). Most of the logs I buck are still in the woods. I never seem to have an issue with hitting items underneath however I've been doing this for a long time. I mark the log and then proceed to cut the rounds leaving about 2" uncut (keep the saw bar parallel with the ground, don't use crazy rocking motions or you can hit the ground with the chain). Once all the pieces have been cut, I use a cant hook to roll the log over and then just walk down and 'unzip' the rounds. Never hit the ground with the chain and it's quick and easy. If I get logs back to the house, I sometimes use the tractor but usually just use the same procedure as when I'm out in the woods.
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
I agree with all of the above. When I was cutting in state forest lands up here we weren't allowed to use power equipment other than chain saw, truck and trailer. No dragging. I talked to a forester off the record, he agreed the reason was to not tear up the topsoil so the Dep of Forestry could replant without having to do a lot of dirt work. So I bucked mine where they fell and brought my truck as close in as I could for loading.
Around here it is a given any felled birch is going to be weight bearing at only a couple or three points and then sagging between those points. I marked up first. Chalk line where the base of the log straightened out, then marks at 16" down to the felling cut, and 16" marks up to the first major fork. I have I think blue, orange and yellow chalk in my saw box, one of those three is usually high vis on a felled tree.
Now is a good time to stop, have some hydration and look at the log to see where it is actually supported.
Next, if the base end is off the ground take those off 16" at a time as freebies, cut about 1/3 of the way through at the chalk marks up to the first fork, and then harvest the crown. I will take everything out of a birch crown down to about 3" in diameter, because I can zip open the bark while it is still attached to the tree and then lop off eyeballed 16" lengths. This is also a good time to make any needed rip cuts in forked pieces that would be impossible to split. While they are attached to the log you can do about anything to them. Just rip down the crotch of the split to the next chalk line, then cut two pieces off the limb, already halved, with one crosscut.
The last piece is to then look over the main log again to see where the stresses are in it and then cut it into shorter and shorter pieces, always on the chalk marks.
Peavey very handy. There were a few times I wanted a timber jack in the field, but a timber jack is a pain to use as a Peavey. I personally don't like a cant hook for round logs.
With spruces I mark the trunk while the tree is still standing. We were supposed to leave stumps less than 3" tall, so mark that cut, then 16" up, then another 16" up, usually 32" above the abandoned stump would be my felling cut with two rounds to cut off the stump before I was done. Once the tree is down mark the free trunk and cut the rounds off it, then limb a little, mark a little, buck a little, repeat until all you have left is a Charlie Brown Christmas tree at the top. You want as much wood off the log end as possible before cutting the limb supporting the free end. Once or twice in every tree the thing to do is cut the 16" round that has the supporting limb sticking out of it, and then limb the round on the ground, but most of the time I could limb and then buck my way up the tree.
Around here it is a given any felled birch is going to be weight bearing at only a couple or three points and then sagging between those points. I marked up first. Chalk line where the base of the log straightened out, then marks at 16" down to the felling cut, and 16" marks up to the first major fork. I have I think blue, orange and yellow chalk in my saw box, one of those three is usually high vis on a felled tree.
Now is a good time to stop, have some hydration and look at the log to see where it is actually supported.
Next, if the base end is off the ground take those off 16" at a time as freebies, cut about 1/3 of the way through at the chalk marks up to the first fork, and then harvest the crown. I will take everything out of a birch crown down to about 3" in diameter, because I can zip open the bark while it is still attached to the tree and then lop off eyeballed 16" lengths. This is also a good time to make any needed rip cuts in forked pieces that would be impossible to split. While they are attached to the log you can do about anything to them. Just rip down the crotch of the split to the next chalk line, then cut two pieces off the limb, already halved, with one crosscut.
The last piece is to then look over the main log again to see where the stresses are in it and then cut it into shorter and shorter pieces, always on the chalk marks.
Peavey very handy. There were a few times I wanted a timber jack in the field, but a timber jack is a pain to use as a Peavey. I personally don't like a cant hook for round logs.
With spruces I mark the trunk while the tree is still standing. We were supposed to leave stumps less than 3" tall, so mark that cut, then 16" up, then another 16" up, usually 32" above the abandoned stump would be my felling cut with two rounds to cut off the stump before I was done. Once the tree is down mark the free trunk and cut the rounds off it, then limb a little, mark a little, buck a little, repeat until all you have left is a Charlie Brown Christmas tree at the top. You want as much wood off the log end as possible before cutting the limb supporting the free end. Once or twice in every tree the thing to do is cut the 16" round that has the supporting limb sticking out of it, and then limb the round on the ground, but most of the time I could limb and then buck my way up the tree.
Simonkenton
Minister of Fire
I wouldn't even put gas in the saw if I didn't have my cant hook along. That timber jack is also a good tool, a cant hook with a device to lift the log into the air.
Once the logs are in a manageable length (around 10-15') I cut 2/3 of the way through every 16". I then roll the log over with my peavey and finish the cuts in an upward direction with the top side of the chainsaw bar. I save the dirty logs for last since they will dull the chain.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
I am with the guys that cut 2/3 through each cut, roll the log, and then finish the cuts. Easy on your back, easy on the chain. The only trouble is when the log is too big to roll. Then you need to cut one of your bucking cuts all the way through.
On Big Stuff I can't get my Timber Jack on I do this way. If too big too roll around I have Wife do it with Bucket on Tractor. Switch to Pellets 2 years ago. Still did 1.5 pickup loads of Wood (8ft Bed). Trees that nature brings down. Next year I plan on just putting them in big bon fire. Hard to get people to come get them even bucked up and all in pile.
Montanalocal
Minister of Fire
On thinking over what I have done with big pinned logs, I would do the following. Go all along the top of the log and make your cuts down about 3/4 of the way down. Just be sure to put wedges in the top of each cut as soon as you can, to prevent you going too far down and getting pinched, which is easy to do. To cut the portions larger than your saw, tip your saw forward after you have started your cut so that you are cutting more or less vertically down the back of the log. Then come back and cut down as normal.
Once you have made all your cuts, wrap a chain around the middle of the log, with the chain hooked to itself on the backside of the log. Then hook on to it with a vehicle and give it a good tug. This should unpin the log and roll it over to expose the uncut underside of the log, where you can then finish cutting each round off. It sounds like this would be too big and pined to roll with a peavy. You might want to put smaller rounds in front of the log before you roll it so that it rolls just far enough to expose the underside, but no further.
Once you have made all your cuts, wrap a chain around the middle of the log, with the chain hooked to itself on the backside of the log. Then hook on to it with a vehicle and give it a good tug. This should unpin the log and roll it over to expose the uncut underside of the log, where you can then finish cutting each round off. It sounds like this would be too big and pined to roll with a peavy. You might want to put smaller rounds in front of the log before you roll it so that it rolls just far enough to expose the underside, but no further.
