Spruce take-down

[PapaDave]

So, I've got a grouping of 4 Spruce in the center of the u drive, and I've been thinking of taking down 2 of 'em. They're way too close together.
One lost a part of the trunk from way up high last year and it's got (had) a bit of a lean. My SIL helped with some limbing with her little Homelite, and stacking all that off on the side of the drive.
Not completely happy with the back-cut, but it went almost exactly where I pointed it.
Should give me pretty close to a 1/3 cord for this fall.

 

[ScotO]

Hey as long as the tree came down safely, that's what matters. When doing a risky job (I.E. trees in tight/precarious situations) I will spend lots of time planning the cut.

Looks like some nice shoulder season wood, Dave. I love using that spruce in my maple syrup evaporator. I burned a huge tree in the evaporator last year in one weekend, and it was still half green! When seasoned, that stuff puts out some good heat!

 

[PapaDave]

Been using Spruce for a while Scotty, and yep, it's good for shoulders.
I've been eyeing up the cut/drop path for this thing over a year now. Plenty of room to drop it up the drive going to the back field, and I erred a bit toward the tree line.
I've got about 2/3 cord from last year already drying, and I'll get this out in the field to dry too.
I plan to take down another one right next to this one....when it gets a little less cold out.

 

[ScotO]

Sounds good, bud! If I lived closer to ya, I'd give you a hand........

 

[TimJ]

How you going to remove the stump PapaDave ?

 

[PapaDave]

Well, I was thinking of carving it into a chair.
Seriously.
Just not sure if I want it facing the driveway/polebarn/yard area or the road.

 

[Woody Stover]

I've got some Spruce from a dead tree next door. What's the scoop on this stuff, Dave? Lots of pitch when burned? Doesn't look like it, from the splits I've seen...

 

[thewoodlands]

Should make for some nice shoulder season wood. It reminds me of limbing up the downed Hemlocks, more branches than firewood!

 

[PapaDave]

Once it's dry, you're gooder to go. It's pitchy when fresh though.
The pile of limbs is bigger than the pile of rounds (haven't got it split yet).

 

[bogydave]

Spruce is a good fire wood.
Dries fast, burns down to a fine ash, good heat output & fairly long burns for a lower btu wood.
Tough to split by hand. (but spits good when green at -10°f or colder)

Stumps take about 10 years to rot out here. Carpenter ants helped my stumps break apart.
Chair idea is a good one

 

[Woody Stover]

Neighbor cut and split the Spruce here. I'm getting some that he cut short for me, for kindling. The rest is longer, medium-sized splits that were tossed in a pile a month ago. I took two load to my SIL today for outside fires. I only saw pitch blobs on one split. That stuff smells great...just like Spruce lumber.
Also like the chair idea, although I wouldn't know where to start...