Big Oak Question pictues added

[CTBurner]

Hi, I can get delivered for free a 44" diameter oak tree trunk 10 feet long, also some huge limbs from it, the limbs I can handle but I would need to buy a 25" bar and chain for my 361 to cut up the trunk, how do i calculate how much wood i would get from trunk,

Also I would appreciate your opinions as to if I would be pushing the 361 past it,s comfort zone, ~Maybe I should only take the limbs??

 

[burntime]

Take it all, cut as deep as you can then cut straight into the cace and cut a chunk off. Persistance will get it done. I cut a oak log with my 029 and if I remember right my 18 inch bar would not touch from both ends...I cust all arround it and gave a good kick and it would crack. Take it and figure it out. Worse case scenareo you have more in wood then the cost of a 25 inch bar and chain, you are ahead for the next bigun...

 

[stockdoct]

My calculator says 101.76 cu. ft of wood from the trunk. Or after being stacked .... about a full cord. (not counting the limbs)

 

[drdoct]

Is this all the wood you can get? Trunks provide a whole lotta wood, but it's a whole lotta disproportionate work for it. If you can get lots of limbs then I'd just stick to limbs if they are free and easy. If you don't get a whole lot of wood then take what you can get and work the mess out of it. I'm learning down here that I can pass up big wood and now even get my big wood already cut by the city. I don't mind splitting it, but the bucking is hard especially when the wood has lots of limbs coming off like those big trunk trees usually do. It could also be a good time to spring for the big bar just in case. So if you need the tree to get the bar then by all means get it.

 

[BXTF]

If your worrying about pushing your 361 past it's comfort zone, cut as much of the big stuff that your saw will handle then rent a bigger saw for a 1/2 day (about 25 bucks) and finish off the rest. I've done this in the past and it takes away the worrying.
Chris

 

[smokinj]

Take it all, cut as deep as you can then cut straight into the cace and cut a chunk off. Persistance will get it done. I cut a oak log with my 029 and if I remember right my 18 inch bar would not touch from both ends...I cust all arround it and gave a good kick and it would crack. Take it and figure it out. Worse case scenareo you have more in wood then the cost of a 25 inch bar and chain, you are ahead for the next bigun...

i agree 20 in bar and a 361 should do the job maybe not real quick but its only 10 ft (i go over the top with a good platfoarm to stand on then stright down) done a 59 in silver maple that way with a 28 in bar

 

[CTBurner]

thoght you may like to see some pics, thanks for all your help and ideas

some branches

more branches

part of the trunk, this half is 16 ft not 10

 

[JustWood]

Too bad it's so close to the shed. Black powder wood halve that log in less than a second! :gulp: :coolgrin:

 

[rphurley]

Oak is a tremendous amount of work, but I would happily take that trunk for free.

 

[smokinj]

Too bad it's so close to the shed. Black powder wood halve that log in less than a second! :gulp: :coolgrin:

I need you around my place! i dont have a shed!

 

[smokinj]

thoght you may like to see some pics, thanks for all your help and ideas

some branches

more branches

part of the trunk, this half is 16 ft not 10

maybe time for that longer bar?

 

[gzecc]

It looks big enough to make tables (rounds) out of it. If you rent a real big saw maybe you can try it.

 

[LLigetfa]

It looks big enough to make tables (rounds) out of it. If you rent a real big saw maybe you can try it.

Blasphemy!
It's firewood, cut/split/burn it!

When I took delivery of some big logs, the wife had a notion I should make a table and some chairs out of it. Just more obstacles to have to mow around! I bucked it all up real quick to put an end to that idea!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It sometimes does seem that the work goes slow when cutting and splitting large logs however, you will find that in the end the wood piles up faster when you are working with large logs. It just seems slow because it takes so long to saw through that big log. But that saw cuts just as fast on the big logs as it does on the small ones. Therefore, you actually end up cutting faster because you keep the saw cutting for longer periods rather than slowing the saw, moving to the next cut and speeding the saw back up. Just relax while cutting and let the saw do the work.

As for splitting, again, I think you will actually split faster with the big ones even though you may have to hit more than once. With a hydraulic splitter it is a piece of cake.

My neighbor had some massive oak that he could not split (home made splitter) so I took our 20 ton splitter. The logs were big enough that we worked together to get them onto the splitting block. I could have done it alone but slower. Working together made easy work of it.

In short, I certainly would take it all. Excellent firewood. Excellent find.

 

[drdoct]

The hardest part is going to be where those big branches are sticking out from the trunk. It's hard to get close to the trunk to get them cut down. Without getting them close to the trunk you'll have a little problem bucking the trunk. I'd go ahead and buck and split all those branches first. Then if the wife is cooperative... go trade in the 361 for a 660 (or find one on craigslist with a 3ft bar on it ) and go to town. To quote the current administration... "never let a good emergency go to waste". I cringe at even trying to handle those suckers after you get them bucked. You could look at any friends you know with a bobcat or small backhoe that could pick up that trunk and move it for you when you need to cut the backside. I sure wish I had a bobcat at my dad's house where I handle my big wood. At work I just use the forklift to load into my truck which is nice. You could also make noodles and cut it in half or 1/4's.

 

[smokinj]

The hardest part is going to be where those big branches are sticking out from the trunk. It's hard to get close to the trunk to get them cut down. Without getting them close to the trunk you'll have a little problem bucking the trunk. I'd go ahead and buck and split all those branches first. Then if the wife is cooperative... go trade in the 361 for a 660 (or find one on craigslist with a 3ft bar on it ) and go to town. To quote the current administration... "never let a good emergency go to waste". I cringe at even trying to handle those suckers after you get them bucked. You could look at any friends you know with a bobcat or small backhoe that could pick up that trunk and move it for you when you need to cut the backside. I sure wish I had a bobcat at my dad's house where I handle my big wood. At work I just use the forklift to load into my truck which is nice. You could also make noodles and cut it in half or 1/4's.

that 361 will do it!

 

[jeff_t]

This is one of five loads from two trees of similar size as yours. I didn't get it delivered, but my friend had a front end loader with a grapple to load it. Trees were felled with a 20" bar. And a little help from same front end loader.
Free wood is even better when someone does part of the process for you.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Very nice Mr T.

 

[jeff_t]

Thanks. I was quite proud driving that one home.
And all but one rolled off pretty easy. I had to rip the bottom of the trunk up into seven pieces to get it off.
What you don't see is the honeycombs I squeezed almost two pints of honey out of. Mmmmmm.

 

[CTBurner]

very nice load mr. t

 

[CTBurner]

after work today i did some saw mantainance, cleaning, sharpening, tuning. then i put a new 20 " es bar and new semi chiesel chain on the 361 and quartered one of the 44" oak logs. the saw was great, plenty of power, and it did it quick. lotsa noodles. the 361 is a monster for its class,. i think i have found my favorite. someday a 460 or 660 but i really like the 361, weight is nice yet it poweres it way through. i highly recommend the 361.