In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

monster ash from last weekend

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by Scotty Overkill, Sep 30, 2016.

  1. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    We did a hog of an ash tree last weekend, was around 38" diameter at the base, 20' trunk split into three long leaders out over power, phone and cable lines......

    Thankfully, we got three nice saw logs out of this beast, and gave several loads of firewood from it away to a good friend.

    Spent a few busy hours in the bucket.....ended up rigging quite a bit out.
    2016092495082928.jpg

    It's crazy the amount of suckers that the tree pushed out over the past two years...
    20160924_095815.jpg

    Using the one leader as our rigging mast...
    20160924_095812.jpg

    Bird's-eye view of the most troublesome leader.....spent over an hour on this one alone. You can see the proximity of the power line.....
    20160924_104112.jpg

    Piles and piles of suckers....
    20160924_095809.jpg

    Horribly sad how a tiny little bug can devastate an entire species into near-extinction.....
    20160927_170354.jpg

    blacksmith knocking the butt log into sections
    20160927_172051.jpg
     
  2. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    The butt log was approx. 2-3k lbs.....here they are loaded up on my redneck rig.
    20160927_193724.jpg

    Grappling them off at the mill.....
    20160927_193939.jpg

    Tony is going to mill these up to use for his kitchen cabinets!! More pics later once we get them milled......
     
  3. Stinny

    Stinny

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    Wow... that really is a monster ash. Twice the dia of any on our lot. U da man mistah... :tree:
     
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  4. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    I'm still hoping to get up dat way and see dat lot......
     
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  5. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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  6. Chvymn99

    Chvymn99 Moderator

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    That's a biggun'.... nice take down guys!
     
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  7. 003Trikerider

    003Trikerider

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    Those damm ash borers, cut a dead ash up the other day that had 3 of the worms in it
     
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  8. HDRock

    HDRock

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    Nice job Scotty, that was tricky ,almost right on the power line.
    Nice chunks of ash :woodsign: too
     
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  9. 003Trikerider

    003Trikerider

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    Definetly a skilled job
     
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  10. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    It was within 6" of the line.
     
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  11. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    It was a job I never would have attempted just several years ago......
     
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  12. 003Trikerider

    003Trikerider

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    Beautiful work and most impressive, a lot of heat in that tree, the ash borers are providing a lot of firewood but at the expense of diverse woodlands, the game commission will have to release a bird to eat the borers, then a snake to eat the birds, and then a weasel to eat the snake, and then... and then....
     
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  13. NYCountry

    NYCountry

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    It's unbelievable what that little bug has done all over the US. It's good for us wood hoarders supply
     
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  14. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Nice work Scotty.
     
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  15. woodsman416

    woodsman416

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    Quite a bit of skill involved in that job! Well done Scotty!
     
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  16. NortheastAl

    NortheastAl

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    Very nice work, Scotty. You got skilz!
     
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  17. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    Thanks everyone. I learn new stuff everyday, it's an evolving craft.

    I don't show the pics for accolades, I just figure you guys enjoy this stuff as much as I do......
     
  18. Farmboy707

    Farmboy707

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    Sad to see the ash dying off, but seeing your pics making me drool it'll make great cabinets and great firewood!
     
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  19. Woody Stover

    Woody Stover

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    Nice work, Scotty! :yes:
    Seems like I've been seeing similar winding tunnels under the bark of various trees for years...probably wasn't EAB back then, I don't think. I'm trying to remember what species I saw the tunnels on...White Ash and Hickory, maybe?
     
  20. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    Lots of different borers, for different species. What makes the EAB so bad is each grub literally makes a maze, when you combine all those thousands of mazes, it literally divorces the tree canopy from the root. And the tree cannot bounce back.
     
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