Willow oak - too close to pass up

[basod]

I've been watching this oak since last fall when it finally died. My neighbor got a little overzealous with his "controlled" burn and killed a handful of trees on the edge of his yard. I'd already taken 2 loads of oak/walnut/poplar from the first trees to die and fall in spring 2010.
It was standing on Friday and then noticed it laying in the yard with easy access on my Saturday afternoon beer run. Wasn't too wet when I split it so i went ahead and made use of the sideboards and figured the rear leafs were in need of some stretching. The base was getting punky on the side facing woods, and the termites were already up ~3ft so was bit of poison ivy. When I cut the stump round, saw slid through like butter so i kicked those back in the woods.

 

[ScotO]

Nice easy haul there! Gotta love it when you go for beer and come home with a load of good wood!! Hope you didn't forget to get the beer!

 

[etiger2007]

Nice score and as Scotty said " hope you didnt forget the beer".

 

[basod]

I got the wood Sunday morning it was nice humid 70deg took me about 2hrs, but those beers were waiting for me at noon

 

[certified106]

Nice Score! Gotta say I love the truck you are using to haul wood.....Takes me back to when I got my first truck.....

 

[TimJ]

You changed that truck load of wood into that pretty little stack..........how'd ya do that ?

 

[basod]

You changed that truck load of wood into that pretty little stack..........how'd ya do that ?

I know I thought the same thing. It's all ~20-22" 8ft long and ~5.5 tall. Figure close to 2/3cord

 

[bogydave]

Very nice set up ! A real work, P/U truck
Is that a P/U un-loader on the tail gate?
Does it work well for firewood & save jumping in & out of the bed to reach the wood?

Nice CSS picture presentation:
Down tree,
bucked, split & loaded tree
Hauled tree
Stacked tree
Done !

 

[basod]

The loadhandler is a very handy tool - highly recommended if you have a bedliner.
Crank wood towards you, stack, repeat then slide the few stuck behind wheel wells and your done.

I make the wood come to me, and it keeps the bedliner/tailgate crevices from filling up with bark/crud.

 

[bogydave]

The loadhandler is a very handy tool - highly recommended if you have a bedliner.
Crank wood towards you, stack, repeat then slide the few stuck behind wheel wells and your done.

I make the wood come to me, and it keeps the bedliner/tailgate crevices from filling up with bark/crud.

Thanks
Gonna check it out. I like work savers
My bed was a mess from hauling the punky birch the other day, & off loading (Climbing in & out of the bed is a pitb (pain in the back))

 

[weatherguy]

How do you like the PH splitter? cant beat the price.

 

[basod]

How do you like the PH splitter? cant beat the price.

I'm happy with it. It's quicker than many of the larger tonnage rental units I've operated. The only thing thats ever stalled/stuck the wedge were some larger pecan rounds.
The PH engine starts easily and has never given any issues to date.
I split the cost with a fellow woodburner, assembly deffinately requires 2 people. The one thing I've learned is to extend the wedge before loading or moving it by hand, helps to balance the cg over the wheels.
Having the tailgate of my truck to set half of a big round while finishing the other half is a huge plus and my back thanks me.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Nice load of wood. How does that wood dry compared to a red or white oak that we have in the north?

 

[basod]

This tree was standing dead for atleast a year and didn't notice any water squeezing out during the splitting process.
I'd say its more a factor of exposure, this tree saw full westerly sunsets hottest part of day is 2-5pm here, coupled with a modest drought in the early summer.
I've cut dead red oak that bleed water just like it did up north after standing dead 2-3yrs and then falling during a winter storm. Difference down here is you have to get it after it hits the ground or the termites will have their way with it.
We also tend to have dry hot falls near kiln like conditions with 20-30% humidity and 90deg afternoons, just so happens that weather has moved in this week - 60deg this morning 88 for the high

 

[clemsonfor]

Willow oak is a red oak, the fastest grow ing species. Its like wateroak.

 

[clemsonfor]

I like the truck too! See my sig line. I wish i had a 3/4 ton sometimes though to limit the squat. Even the short bed loaded with green oak makes mine squat. I am going to paint mine sometime inthe future as well.

 

[basod]

I like the truck too! See my sig line. I wish i had a 3/4 ton sometimes though to limit the squat. Even the short bed loaded with green oak makes mine squat. I am going to paint mine sometime inthe future as well.

The 1/2 &3/4T were the same frame, just different axels and number/length of springs. Mine has a set of add-a-leafs (or something similar) I think they can be had for less than $50. Depending on if you have the 52 or 56" springs you can buy the 3/4T 56" spring and its a straight up swap. The 56" spring was denoted as the "heavy half" model.

 

[muncybob]

Very nice set up ! A real work, P/U truck
Is that a P/U un-loader on the tail gate?
Does it work well for firewood & save jumping in & out of the bed to reach the wood?

Nice CSS picture presentation:
Down tree,
bucked, split & loaded tree
Hauled tree
Stacked tree
Done !

Don't know how much those loadhandlers run, but that's the reason I picked up a cant hook. Now only 1 trip into the bed for those ones I just could not reach...maybe shooulda gotten a longer handle!

That's a nice 2 hours of exercise...c/s/s and cold ones to celebrate the adventure!