oak? maple? electric chainsaw?

[munkyboi]

hi all,

i need some help on id-ing these wood

are photos 1, 2, 3 oak?

are photos 4, 5, 6 maple?

i used a fiskar x27 to split the outer edge of some big rounds and worked my way into the center, but it's taking me too long to process them that way. since i don't plan on using chainsaw to cut often, i am wondering if an electric chainsaw is a viable option to cut up some big rounds and knotty rounds?

thanks a lot,
m

 

[claydogg84]

Yes Oak, and yes, Norway Maple. If you're going to attempt to "noodle" the bigger rounds, make sure you lay them on their side. I've never used an electric saw, but I'll speculate it's going to struggle.

 

[billb3]

When I was splitting wood by hand, I found I could split red oak faster with a wedge and maul/sledge hammer. Especially really big rounds.

 

[blades]

Only real problem with most electrics is they are all plastic - tend to melt the plastic drive shaft gearing if overstressed - seen this many times here at shop. A long run time with short cooling will destroy one in short order. So if purusing an electric I would want to know before hand what the drive system is made of. There very well could be one or two out there that are built decently- the bulk are for short bursts like a small branch or similar not chewing their way through a 20" dia. round, ripping or cross cut.

 

[Jags]

Oak, Oak, Oak - Maple, Maple, Maple.

I don't have very favorable opinions of electric chainsaws, However, I have used them for small jobs while in a tree. I have used 3 different varieties. I would not consider a single one that I have used for noodling a round.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Electric chainsaws are only good for small limbs and pruning. They get destroyed very quickly.

You're better off spending $100 on a homelight 16" bar then screwing around with an electric saw.

Even the cheapo 2 stroke engines run pretty good. They may not last for ever, but if you are only an occasional user, that is the way I'd go.

 

[tsquini]

Use a wedge and split them in half. Once in half they will be easier to split with an axe. make sure to wear ear plugs when using a wedge.
An electric saw will be easier but it will take a long time.

 

[munkyboi]

thank you all for your input.

if i use wedges, what size of a sledge hammer would you recommend?

i don't want to get a sledge that's too heavy that i will get exhausted quickly.

 

[Applesister]

A 10 lb sledge hammer is nasty. The cheapest and easiest investment and solution is a wedge and sledge hammer.

 

[Applesister]

I was kind of excited that you had Black oak in your pictures but because Im looking for it I just think Im projecting my wish to find it. That bright yellow inner bark.
But maybe its just red.
I dont know if they make an 8 lb sledge.
But the electric will bore you. You will die of boredom before you get the round cut up. Zzzz...

 

[munkyboi]

I was kind of excited that you had Black oak in your pictures but because Im looking for it I just think Im projecting my wish to find it. That bright yellow inner bark.
But maybe its just red.
I dont know if they make an 8 lb sledge.
But the electric will bore you. You will die of boredom before you get the round cut up. Zzzz...

what's the significance of black oak?

i found both 8 lb and 10 lb sledge on HD and harbor freight and etc.

i am not big, so perhaps a 8 lb would be a better choice?

 

[Applesister]

When the 10 lb makes contact the vibration is painful. Plus its hard to put a safe swing on it, I dont have arm muscles to control it. IDK.
Black oak has a yellow dye in the inner bark with lots of tannin. They used to use it for tanning leather. And I think I read that they used that dye for the confederate soldier uniforms.
Im trying to find them and document them here.
Black oak is sold and milled as Red oak. Im just farm steading.

 

[Applesister]

Dying sheep's wool. Mustard yellows.

 

[Woody Stover]

perhaps a 8 lb would be a better choice?

That's what I've got. I've never used a 10# but I think it would be tough to swing. It would do some damage, though...
I recently used my BIL's HF electric saw. Slow and noisy.

 

[Applesister]

That's what I've got. I've never used a 10# but I think it would be tough to swing. It would do some damage, though...
I recently used my BIL's HF electric saw. Slow and noisy.

Woody all of those splitting mauls were stamped 6 lbs that I had in that pic. I didnt want to side track that thread. Not to sidetrack this one.
The double bit axe has 3 1/2 lbs stamped on it. Wards.
You were right, if the handle has a round shape vs the oval shape. I have a 5 gal bucket of them that fell off the handles. All round.
I think Sears makes an electric chainsaw. I have an old Milwaukee 16"
They are really handy for climbing ladders and pruning tree limbs that are hard to reach. As soon as your finger is off that trigger the saw stops. Much more control. Alot safer than gas.

 

[Oldman47]

I have had good results with a pair of 4 lb wedges and an 8lb sledge. When my maul is just bouncing off the round I carefully position a wedge and then tap it into the round with my sledge. Even small impacts from that 8 lb sledge will make the wedge bite. Once the wedge is well established in its position is soon enough to actually swing that sledge. Meanwhile don't stress out and try to force the sledge to do its work. A few light taps will make things far easier.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I use a couple of gas chainsaws, also maul, wedges, Fiskars wood axe, etc.
But I do have one of those little Harbor Freight electrics, 14in bar I think.
It has been a pretty decent saw. You can catch it on sale for around 45
bucks. I say have both. The electric is a little slower, true, but mine is
chewing up 8-10-12-14in logs just fine, including some Red Oak. It is
not so wimpy that it needs to be relegated to limbing. You can get way more
out of these things. Mine has already held up for over a year. I do at times
do some extended cutting, not much rest time. So far it is taking it. So if it
dies on me, I will very likely go buy another one. It is just so handy around
the house when a cord is no problem. OTOH when I go out to get some
bigger batches of Oak or whatever, it's the gas saws all the way. Yep, they
are stronger and faster.

Standard disclaimer- I have no financial interest in HF, just like some of
their stuff. The electric saw is one such item.

 

[WES999]

Best bet is to rent a hydraulic splitter. I had some really knotty oak that gave a 27 ton splitter a good workout.
It would have been extremely difficult to split by hand.

 

[Wood Duck]

There is some Black Oak in the pictures, and some wood that is either Norway Maple or Ash.

I have an eight pound maul that is pretty good at busting up tough rounds. The wedge and sledge approach seems like it would be slow, so I prefer repeated strikes with the maul. I have swung a ten pound maul a few times, but it is harder to use over an extended time without a whole lot more results, in my opinion.

I would not buy a chainsaw just to noodle rounds, and if I were going to noodle rounds I'd want a gas saw. Noodling is slow compared to regular cutting, and an electric saw isn't a very powerful saw I'd guess. If you can set aside the pieces that need to be sawed and occasionally borrow a saw from somebody who uses the saw frequently (and thus keeps it in working order) that might be a better solution than an electric saw.