Anyone found a good way to remove a lot of dirt on logs? Trees were pushed over and moved around by an excavator and some of them got real muddy. It varies from enough to worry about to several feet of mud. Now, several feet of mud on a 34" DBH oak is a lot of great wood waiting to be taken, so, I sure don't want to give up on those. For minor spots, I have a hand-size deck scrub brush I use and also a hatchet. Most of this mud or dirt splatter is on the underside, so, it's kind of hard to get to on some of it. I also am aware of plunge cut and then use the top of the bar to throw chips such that the dirt is not pulled into the kerf. Not sure I understand all ways to amend the bucking to worry less about dirt, so, I'm open! This dirt is kind of sandy, which makes it worse on a chain I suppose. I even wondered if anyone had ever taken a portable spray rig, a pressure washer, to a site and washed them! I don't have one or might would do it! The attached pic is about as bad as it gets. All that light area, several feet wide at the butt of the log, that is sandy dirt caked on. Other bad ones just have streaks here and there. I turn some smaller logs so that rain can wash them but I think it will take several rains to wash it really clean, if it ever would and not sure about that! It's real hard to get sandy dirt out of bark with a brush. And a hatchet gets old, lol!
You said it, pressure washer. Or carbide chain. Semi-chisel will help. In my mind, I don't see how one method is going to be safer than the other. You have to make a complete buck cut, up-down-in-out.. you're still cutting through it all.
I see smoke in the background, I assume piles burning..... Does there happen to be an excavator around?
Yes, there is an excavator. Getting him to do anything is another matter. Why do you ask? The excavator is the reason they are dirty in the first place; they just drag them through mud. Well, that's the worst of it. Logs also get dirt on them from when they are pushed over and then it rains, this sandy dirt will splash up all over the underside of the log.
I was just wondering if you could get the operator to scrape off the really bad mud with the bucket. Wouldn't take much for them rake it off. Like you said, getting them to do it might be a different matter, depends on the operator. Just a thought....
I find fire to be the best way to remove dirt take a couple chain files with you to keep the chain Sharp, cut it all up and then throw it in the boiler for 12 to 24 hours depending on the weather and the mud disappears!
For a tool I tried everything in my Arsenal. Hatchets, meat cleavers, machetes, tested all the same day. Best one by far was a Thai styled cleaver like this. Just whack around where the cut is. This does a fast quick better job than anything
Well, I should have explained that it's just to not dull the chain. I don't care so much if the round is dirty otherwise, as it will eventually wash off. I am just trying to buck them. My brand new chains (yep, full chisel) are not lasting near as long as I wish. This sand is nasty, hard for a brush to get it all out of the bark.
Calling Firewood Bandit as he bucks a lot of dirty wood. I think he uses semi chisel for dirty wood. I, like you use full chisel and prefer it. Seldom do i encounter wood and conditions you are working in Bill. Hats off to you as thats a LOT OF WORK!
How about one of these? Worx Hydroshot. Works from a bucket of water or, with an adaptor, a two litre soda bottle. You only need to clean a band around the trunk two inches wide, so you shouldn't need a large volume of water.
You might consider some mechanical ways to remove bark at pre-marked bucking lengths- Here’s one that could attach to a battery powered angle grinder (or use an oscillating saw)- Arbortech Reciprocating Power Chisel » ChippingAway Could also set a small saw up with an attachment like this, and add a bar mounted magnet type measuring rod-
That’s not actually mine. Stolen from the web. Mines on the dashboard of the wood truck since the day of testing. The handle being in line with the cutting edge, the weight above the line of the handle, not below, straight edge and the thinness of the blades just works well for whacking bark off a tree fast. Designed for cutting cane and coconuts I guess. Mine is cheap and crude hammered out of all steel made by a street vendor in Thailand. Sharp as a razor tho, at least the last time I checked
I always use a wire brush to try and remove dirt/mud but if it's too wet it doesn't work well. Way easier when everything is dried. I've also never had to remove nearly as much as you're describing though.
That's a really good idea. A benefit is that I already have Worx batteries. But, since it costs $129 for the tool, I could buy four or five chains for that. Hmmm...
You can't clean your car / truck / bicycle / ATV / deck / windows with a chain. Sometimes they are on sale over here. You might find a deal at one of the big box stores?
