Beautiful day for cutting some wood today, and the ground isn't too soft yet so I got after it for a little while. Started on the big hollow end of this sugar maple log, and worked my way toward the center, cutting from the ground. Stopped to touch up the chain and fill gas, then finished cuts from on top of the pile. Finishing the center cut allowed the log to "settle" into the pile, making it more stable, so I started my next few cuts from the pile and finished on the ground. The way the log settled, there was no rolling any pieces without getting the big crotch piece off first, so I hooked a chain and strap onto it and gave a yank with the truck. From there I was able to roll the rounds off with the hook. The end crotch piece was a little too wide to cut without getting creative, so I knocked off one side with the big maul, then started the other side's cut, noodled a piece off so I could finish, and rolled it up onto a wedge to make sure I wasn't nosing the bar or contacting the still buried chain. The saw ran well after a couple months' hiatus, and is was nice to get back to work even if just for a little while. The rest of this pile should go pretty smoothly. Hope to get this big mama split up and stacked tomorrow.
Dislike hollow but that one looks like it had a decent amount of meat left to it despite the lost heartwood.
Would have been great if it were solid all the way through! Thankfully the rot stops eight feet up, and this looks to be the only serious rot in the pile. No complaints here. (until I try rolling the crotch piece onto the splitter. Might have to get the wedges out to start with.)
Nice...I'm jealous...the big ones on my place refuse to die or fall over. I finally got to snag a limb that broke off from last springs storms though.
I guess this one was still very much alive, despite its hollow trunk. It dropped a limb on a homeowner's shed or something though, so I became the very grateful beneficiary! This pile I expect to net 6 cord, conservatively. Given the high btu content, that will be most of a year's supply of hardwood for me. I usually run about 7-8 cord each of mixed hardwoods and soft stuff.
BigPapi this is my experience with most of the sugar Maples up here. In my area, Sugar's tend to grow together in clumps. As one of the trees die that's section of the tree dies. It's just part of the sugar, they grow big they make syrup and they make great heat when they die. A little bit of rot is just part of the game. Great score
I agree. Go along many roads here and the hard maples rot and look terrible...except in the fall when the leaves change. But they make good firewood.
Got four rounds split today, all my wrist was interested in doing after getting a light sprain the other day. Heck of a yield for four rounds - it's a pain wrestling then to the splitter, but man it gets productive after getting them down to manageable size. Set up another couple old fence posts to stack on, planning to fill them after dinner and the rugrat's bed time. Hope the moon is bright again tonight, I need a stand up shop light! Before picture included of the destination, cause we all love pictures.
Yes, splitting those like that should not be difficult. Lots of the weight is gone. BigPapi you could help some of us by choosing "thumbnail" or "full image" after uploading the files rather than just leaving them attached. It surely makes it quicker and easier for others to see the pictures.
Well, I guess January 30th was the last day with workable weather around here. Snow and mud be dammed, I got back into the sugar pile a little bit more this afternoon after a productive morning of vehicle maintenance. Only knocked out two rounds, but they yielded 40 splits. Had to scrub some snow off the row I stacked on. Felt great to be in the sun! My driver thought so, too.
Split and stacked a couple more rounds off the big log yesterday, and got the big crotch piece knocked in half with a bit of noodling and a few wedges. Today was tax day, so no further progress.
Yes sir. In this case my contact hooked me up with a buddy of his (also a cutter) who was cutting nearby and needed a place to dump his day's work. Couldn't say yes fast enough!
