Maintaining a consistent log length

[hydestone]

How do you guys cut all of your firewood to a consistent length? Do you just eyeball it or notch the tree every x" then go back a cut the logs?

 

[Eric Johnson]

I measure back from the tip of the bar and make a mark on the side of the saw body for the length I'm trying to get to. In my case that's 24 inches, so I have a mark on my saw 2 feet back from the tip of my 18-inch bar on a Husky Model 55. You might find that some other feature on the say, say one of the nuts that holds the bar cover on, more or less equals the length you're trying to reach, meaning you don't have to break out the paint or sharpie.

I'm never all that close, however. My blocks range from 22 to 26 inches, generally speaking. Since I'm not selling it, I really don't care.

 

[joshuaviktor]

On the other hand, Eric's throwing this stuff into a freaking HUGE furnace, heating his whole house, hot water, the local hot spring, 4 bathing pools, and the local partridge at 1 pear tree lane has all his Domestic hot water off an illegal tap into Eric's lines.

Seriously though, his furnace is probably a lot more forgiving of different lengths than most stoves out there. But his idea is really cool, and now I will have to try to do it without cutting my legs off. Or arms, or for that matter, ANY appendage.

"I'll cut you off at the knees!"

"What are you going to do, bleed on me?"

Joshua

 

[Corey]

I use Eric's trick, too. Turns out, there is a dimple on the saw at just the right length for me ~22". I highlighted the area with a sharpie marker, then just hold the saw up to the log sideways, eyeball where the mark lands and start cutting. I usually only do this for the monster big logs because I want to get the most wood for the fewest amount of cuts - which means the longest logs possible. When I get down to the thinner limbs, I just whack them at what looks to be the appropriate length. If I have to make a few extra cuts on a 5" diameter limb, no big deal.

Corey

 

[stoz]

I have a small stove and have a hard time with anything much over 16" fitting with any ease so what I did is take a folding rule and cut it off at the 16" mark, I also have the other end which is cut off at 48" in case I'm going to take logs out, I mark it with either the saw all at once or I also have a folding saw that I can score with if I don't have the saw started. If I have extra to sell they are all ready at 16".

Scott

 

[Eric Johnson]

This being Monday morning, my descriptive skills are not as sharp as my chain. Using the method I was attempting to describe, you can mark where to cut the log and then come back later and make the cut. This comes in handy when you have a tree lying flat on the ground and you want to cut it further up the stem where you can get under the log, then go back and whack some blocks. Just hold the saw so the mark lines up with the last cut (or the stump), gun the saw and make your mark with the tip of the bar. This also works if you hang up a tree and want to take it down one block at a time. Sometimes it's easier if you do it in longer sections. But be careful if you try that--it's pretty dangerous and I don't recommend it.

 

[roac]

This also works if you hang up a tree and want to take it down one block at a time. Sometimes it's easier if you do it in longer sections. But be careful if you try that--it's pretty dangerous and I don't recommend it.

I guess I'm too chicken to work anywhere near a snagged tree. I just try and fell another onto it from a distance and knock it down. I like your idea for marking with the saw. I've seen these pre-measured lengths that you somehow attach to the saw but that seems kind of cumbersome.

This is it...

http://tinyurl.com/8h9qb

 

[Eric Johnson]

It's kind of like fishing lures, roac: Most are designed to attract would-be fishermen rather than fish.

Most of those chainsaw gimmicks don't last very long under actual battlefield conditions.

 

[Rick]

I use a pre-measured stick and a big piece of chalk. I just move up the log, mark, and go back and start sawing. I don't really cut all that much wood, so I can take the time. Measuring is the easy part for me, the hard part is cutting straight down (darn wind!).

Rick

 

[roac]

It's kind of like fishing lures, roac: Most are designed to attract would-be fishermen rather than fish.

Ain't that the truth. I don't care what your hobbies are but it seems there are 100 companies willing to sell you something to make them better and or easier. About the only thing easier is lifting your wallet.

 

[Sandor]

I use the chainsaw bar-length as a guide.

Hold saw sideways, eyeball the length, and buck away.

Small Hijack:

Eric, how do you like that Husky 55. I'm dying for one to augment my Stihl 025 and little Echo. Can it pull a .325 chain with a 20" bar? Sorry!

 

[Eric Johnson]

Yes, the '55 is a great saw. I have no trouble pulling .325 chain around an 18-inch bar, and I see no reason why it wouldn't handle an extra two inches.

The bar length is a very good guide, especially if you have a 16-inch bar and want to cut 16-inch wood. I tried to make a living cutting 100-inch pulpwood in central Wisconsin right after I got out of college. That didn't work out, but I was able to get pretty close to 100 inches using a Stihl 031 with a 16-inch bar to measure out the pulpsticks. As I recall, it took 3 saw-lengths to get to the right length, so the saw must have been about 32 inches long. Measuring that way became second nature to me, and now I do it with firewood without even really thinking about it.