Marking Logs for Length

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k9brain

Member
Nov 16, 2010
117
Jersey Shore
When bucking logs into length for the stove I usually cut 12" NS and 16" EW lengths. My boot gives me a pretty good 12" and the bar of the chainsaw is ~16". Is there a better way to mark the log when bucking? I can't seem to get anything better than a Crayola crayon to mark the log. What are you using to measure your lengths and mark the log?
 
I used a yellow lumber crayon to mark one time but then it broke in two so now I mostly just use the nose of my bar. Been known to use a hatchet too on rare occasion.
 
Lumber crayon FTW !

Shawn
 
dont mark the cuts but do carry this kinda stuff with me in the fall when in the woods. give the ones that need to be knocked down over winter a quick eye level spray and is very handy..

loon

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k9brain said:
When bucking logs into length for the stove I usually cut 12" NS and 16" EW lengths. My boot gives me a pretty good 12" and the bar of the chainsaw is ~16". Is there a better way to mark the log when bucking? I can't seem to get anything better than a Crayola crayon to mark the log. What are you using to measure your lengths and mark the log?

I use a measuring tape and a can of utility marking paint.
 
I carry one of those blaze orange fiberglass sticks that people use to mark the edges of their driveways for snow plows. I tapped off 20" on the stick & 'mark' with chalk.
 
Chainsaw bar works well for me
 
Buy a "whip" for your saw, or buy 2, one for E-W cutting and one for N-S .
 
These are all things I'm already doing. Thanks for the replies, I'll have to get a lumber crayon.

Mainstation, what do you mean by a whip?
 
My "16 inch" chainsaw actually has about 14.5 inches of bar extending beyond the body of the saw. Lots of short logs in my stacks.
 
I use a folding pruning saw and a broken piece of foot rule.
 
Measuring tape and blackboard chalk
 
I have a bow saw that is marked with different lengths. I measure and then cut a line in the log, then another measure and cut, etc.
 
I use my bars most of the time to measure. On 20" bars and longer, I take a black sharpie and draw a vertical line on the bar at 16" and 18" from the edge of the powerhead.

The Mingo Marker works great on straighter sections.
 
I use my daughters colored chalk for writting on the side walks and concrete. A box of them are cheap and they last a long time. I like yellow and light blue. Then I run a tape measure that has a spike tap on the end and it has red square every 16 in for stud work.
 
k9brain said:
These are all things I'm already doing. Thanks for the replies, I'll have to get a lumber crayon.

Mainstation, what do you mean by a whip?

I believe he means an attachment that fits on the saw and sticks out 90* to the bar. It will give you an "eyeball" for the next cut.
 
I sometimes use a 16" marker and mark that with a lumber crayon or just score the log with an axe. Sometimes I just eyeball it and I have at various times just used the bar.

You can get a lumber crayon at Home Depot and they are cheap. But then, most of us have an axe with us so scoring with the axe works very well and is even cheaper.
 
Cave2k said:
k9brain said:
These are all things I'm already doing. Thanks for the replies, I'll have to get a lumber crayon.

Mainstation, what do you mean by a whip?

I believe he means an attachment that fits on the saw and sticks out 90* to the bar. It will give you an "eyeball" for the next cut.


yes, exactly. You mount it on a 90* and cut it to the length you want. The last ones I saw were fluor. orange heavy duty plastic. Also there is a Youtube video out there where Buddy uses a threaded rod deal that mounts right onto his bar. Years ago when I cutting cutting firewood for a guy under the table, he would always gimme crap about being inconsistent with somoe of my lengths and threaten to put a "whip" on my saw.
Now I just eyeball it for my own use and am usually within an inch. The bar length trick is probably the fastest way and doesn't require putting down the saw.
 
My stove requires a shorter length (12"-13" or so), so when cutting, I've learned that if I set the saw on the log, the entire width of the saw is an inch or so short. Setting the saw on the log takes the weight offa me for a second and shows me where to put the next cut.
 
I use an 18 inch piece of dowel and cheap sidewalk chalk from the dollar store. It's foolproof, which is very helpful in my case ;-))
 
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