weekend project!!

[Capetownkg]

Now that things are warming up and trees have their leaves. I looked up in my back yard and saw this tree is dead, so down it will come. Still new to identifying trees, i think its an oak the few leaves it has dont look like ash leaves that was my second guess. Anyway here are the pictures and i will be sure to post pics and hopefully a video of it coming down.




close up of bark

 

[Capetownkg]

oh forgot to mention anyone with an android phone should download the virginia tech tree id app. Takes a while to download but you can look up any tree by GPS, zip code, whatever.

 

[Applesister]

Im not good with White Oak IDs...but...thats my guess. You got yourself a project there. I downloaded the Virginia Tech APP. It gives you longitude, lattitude and elevation which is sweet. Plus all species of trees that grow in that area.
I was arguing with a cousin about the GPS coordinates. He said you can get withing 20-40 feet with a general GPS reading but that you have to have a surveyors license or something to pay for really accurate readouts.
Im trying to figure out a corner marker on my north property line. Dont know if it will work.
The tree ID app is worth the long download. I love it.

 

[Applesister]

Oak leaves hang around for a while, look for white oak leaves on the ground.

 

[lukem]

That's not white oak. Looks like black oak to me.

 

[Capetownkg]

Im happy to load up on the oak. Have lots of poplar around the house but have heard they arent the best for heating. There is a massive American beech farther back in the woods and across a stream that I want to use and another oak. If I can get all of that I would guess I would be set for a few years.

 

[bogydave]

Not white oak.
Some type of a red oak, the 3+ years to season type

 

[Capetownkg]

Im at work now but just have the itch to chop and split. Red oak would suit me fine

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Im happy to load up on the oak. Have lots of poplar around the house but have heard they arent the best for heating. There is a massive American beech farther back in the woods and across a stream that I want to use and another oak. If I can get all of that I would guess I would be set for a few years.

Just so long as you are aware that the oaks can take a long time to dry. And don't count on the tree being dead meaning that it is dry; it won't be. Beech is good with a year or two drying time. That popple can dry rather fast and will burn rather fast too but works well in spring or fall when long fires are not needed or desired.

 

[Capetownkg]

Well after putting this off long enough this long holiday weekend is going to be when this oak comes down. Nice cool weekend weather before it turns to summer weather here so I plan on getting after it. How much wood can i expect to get out of an 80ft tree. I would estimate the base circumference to be in the 28-33 inch range.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

You'll find out soon enough how much wood there is in that tree. Not a lot of limbs so that will cut down on the amount but no matter. I'm not sure I've ever tried to figure ahead of time how much wood in a tree. I simply cut it, buck it up, split it and then stack it. If I'm still curious it is easy to figure once it is stacked.

 

[Nick Mystic]

Are you absolutely sure the tree is dead? I don't see any bark coming off and a little moss on a tree is of course normal. I had a couple of oak trees on my property this spring that did not leaf out after several weeks of all the other trees around having full foliage. I was about ready to cut them down, but then we had some very rainy weather and I had to put things on hold. I'm really glad I did because the next thing I knew both oak trees started putting on their leaves! I'm not sure what type of oak they are, but I mentioned it to a friend who has done a lot of logging and he said there are several species of trees that can leaf out even a month after other trees already have their leaves.Unless you plan to take this tree down whether it's dead or not you might want do some double checking before you start cutting.

 

[Capetownkg]

Those pictures were from the end of april. This oak has had more then enough time to get its act together lol. All my other oaks have their leaves so this one is coming down.

 

[Capetownkg]

The big red oak came down fairly easily. Now im cutting it up. The stump is 28inches across, my biggest tree felling to date. Also took down a small standing dead white oak. The only casualty was my poulan pro. The red oak was to much for that small saw, this gives me the excuse to upgrade. Looking at a husqvarna 562xp.

 

[ScotO]

Definitely a red oak, given it's geographic location, IMO. Either way, good stuff. Some pics of it split up and stacked would be enjoyed by all of us here!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

The big red oak came down fairly easily. Now im cutting it up. The stump is 28inches across, my biggest tree felling to date. Also took down a small standing dead white oak. The only casualty was my poulan pro. The red oak was to much for that small saw, this gives me the excuse to upgrade. Looking at a husqvarna 562xp.

Picture just a bit too blurry but here it what it looks like when turned.

 

[Capetownkg]

I have been cleaning up some old trees and am wondering about splitting small limb rounds. What is big enough to split and worth splitting and what should i leave whole. I split a 3 inch round from a tree that dropped in a storm about 2 years ago and it is still at 38% MC. Plan on making it a busy wood weekend and try to get all the wood from the woods to my splitting station and split. Time consuming since i don't have any motorized way to transport it from the woods, but I can use the exercise. Just a pic from some wood I hauled out of the woods this morning. Red oak and some white oak rounds

 

[BobUrban]

Preference and time dictate how small of rounds to split. If you have the time(as in many years ahead) leave em round if you like. I have some up to 6" or more in the stacks and by the time I get to them they have become all nighters! I find my split size gets larger as do the rounds I choose "not" to split as the day grows longer. Translation: tired and lazy.

 

[Capetownkg]

Really might have to invest in a 4x4 or something to load these bad boys up in the woods instead of pushing by hand. I have 12 rounds done and oh maybe 8 more big ones like this then its the smaller stuff. Oh and I talked to my wife and got the ok to order my saw. Husqvarna 562xp here I come!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Capetownkg, an atv can work great for getting wood out. And I see you have some red oak and I'm sure you know that stuff needs about 3 years to dry.