Eyeball. Variety is the spice of life mom says. I don't cut thru huge knots or where the tree "y's" plus shorter cuts can go in north/south for a longer burn. I enjoy being in the woods and leave the "techniques" at the office....cheers!
I only cut for myself, I don't sell wood. I eyeball the cut distance. I usually calibrate my eye with the saw bar the fist few cuts. I notice I'm pretty consistent per cutting session, but it varies between sessions.
Yep, I'm with you on this one. I eye it while trying to avoid the knots, crotches, etc. I split by hand and try to think of the splitting as I'm cutting. I'm usually plus or minus an inch or so.
I have a brother-in-law that couldn't cut two rounds the same length if his life depended on it... I like a little more neatness in the wood piles.
I use the bar and notch it with the chain. At times, I go as I cut. Other time, I'll mark the entire log out before I cut.
Mingo marker works for me. I’m good with 16”-18” wood. I mark the log at 16” lengths and it seems to work well. I’ve had it for several years and just started on my second can of paint. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I made one for less than $15 and it is adjustable. Neodymium magnet with a 1/4-20 female stud, piece of all thread, and plastic disk cut with a hole saw. Use a nylock nut on either side of the plastic disk and you can adjust the length. I cut at 18" and prefer an 18" long piece of all thread. I did experiment with a 9" version but making twice as many nicks in the bark gets old fast.
Tape measure and grease pencil at 16" I don't have the energy to turn the saw and set it down on the log only to pick it back up and make a cut. If the log is in an area thats rocky I'll measure a length and cut it and pull it down the the log yard then mark it for bucking.
I just reread your answer, Brad, and that is good because as I have said, I rarely have a long trunk of a tree to mark. Most of my cutting is in tangles and only one to three at one time is possible. I like your folding rule method. And the 16 inches in red, that is totally cool, lol!
On my Dolmar 421, from the end of my saw bar to the sighting line on the case is 20". Easy to rotate the saw before each cut, but it does get tiring. On my 6400, I marked my bar at 20" with a red permanent marker. Same rotation deal but also tiring. If I'm cutting in the woods on a whole tree, I have a 19.5" long piece of 1/2" PVC conduit painted bright blue (can't lose it) and a piece of sidewalk chalk. Mark the whole tree and then cut without hesitation. Lately, though, I've just been eyeballing it, because my OWB can take up to 24" stuff and even longer if I put it in diagonally, and I'm getting less and less concerned about my stacks being all the same length. The log splitter can only take 24" though, so I try to keep them at 20"-ish.
Magnet with plastic rod doohicky. Firewood buddy I believe was the brand? I walk down the log with a limb saw. On the return trip I put on the marker and mark every cut on the way back. Grab the big saw and have at it. works nice.
I just eyeball it. and when I get to the end of a log, I may vary to whatever works out within an inch or two. I am not very picky and kind of like having different lengths because sometimes the wood in the stove keeps me from putting another full length in, and a shorter stick goes in easier to top it off. Of course, I am not cutting wood to sell, just for my own use, so I don't have to please anyone but me. I do have a magnet or two, that I could fix up for a length gauge which might be nice at times. Sometimes I vary my lengths depending on how hard I think a round will be to split. Shorter pieces split easier.
Mingo Marker work great if you are marking logs that are in the open. I have tried using one in the woods where I have to step over stuff and walk thru a bunch of brush next to the log I am trying to mark and I end up with large spots of paint that don't lend itself to knowing where to cut.
Threaded rod bolted through the hole near the bar tip on a small saw, usually the Milwaukee electric. Rod is 24" my length, then 16" & 18" marks for customer firewood. Mark the logs & buck with a bigger saw.
FWIW, a major reason I cut to 16 inches is because when I deal with real big rounds from large diameter oaks, they get seriously heavy for my aging body. Sometimes, it's a chore to even lift one at 16 inches to put it in the truck. In fact, sometimes, I just have to noodle it in half. Another benefit is that three stacks makes a cord. One stack is one third of a cord, a face cord. Makes it easier to sell. And keep track of what's in your stacks. Also easier to haul in an armload of wood to the fireplace, less weight than an armload of longer pieces. Ain't it a shame that age plays such a factor in things, lol.
in the Summer my pockets are the same color as the chalk from sweating. And make sure you take it out of your pocket before washing your pants!
I always mark my wood. I cut to 20”. I’ve used a measuring pipe with markers on it, a magnet on the bar and chalk. I like the chalk the best. I mark several logs at a time.
