In the middle of a pile of branches and limbs I've been working on, there's a good size white oak that splits off into a double branch. I've been eyeballing it since I started on this pile. I tried once before to pull it out, but I only had my chains, and the white oak wasn't giving. So earlier this week, I took my strap and chains with me. The ground was wet, and not wanting to tear up my friends ground, I just wanted the weight of the truck to do the heavy lifting, I was in 4x4. You can't beat a good run, or 3, at something like this.
couldnt figure out WTH you were talking about til i scrolled back. Dont know why it did that Deleted the second one!
But wait, there's more, I mentioned in the post with the previous video, the white oak that splits off into a double branch. I cut the two branches in two before I pulled that first branch out, that was key to getting it out. For the 2nd half of the branch, I left the first one in place for the strap to pull up on it, and used a good size walnut plank as a ramp, for the 2nd branch to slide up on, and out. At the end of this video I give a thumbs up.... I believe in jinxes, I think I jinxed myself.
About the jinx mentioned in my previous comment. Once I got the oaks where I could work on them, my chain saw wouldn't start... this led to my post in the Chainsaws and Power Equipment thread titled "After 30 years, my chain saw quit"..... After 30 years, my chain saw quit.. When I cut wood, I try to leave everything neat, twigs and branches piled up out of the way. Especially on my friends property. About this time, my friend idles up on his tractor, I explain what happened and apologize for leaving a mess. I believe this from my heart, God works in mysterious ways. I've been wanting to help him out in some way to express my gratitude for the wood he's letting me have. He was on his way to clear branches out of his pasture, so I was able to help him with that, at least that was a start. In reality, instead of jinxing myself, God was giving me an opportunity!
I finally made it back to get the white oak in the videos above. It's a lot more work dealing with tree tops, and I got a lot of small rounds which is ok, because they have their use also, they will be evenly distributed in 2 cord. This wood is on the 3 year plan.
Lots of smalls in those trees. Good wood but can be pita to process. What is that thing with the handle grip on it?
After those tree tops, I'm moving onto bigger tops, and not taking the ends.. It looks like it's mostly Shingle (red) oak from here. That tool is my Timberjack, made by Woodchuck Tool, it's really handy to get logs up off the ground. I wanted to include my new saw in that last pic, but it was on the ground, and I wasn't..
Now i see the red "hook" Didnt make that out to be part of the tool. Dont have my "eyes" on. I have the regular cant hook and a "T" bar i can bolt on for that purpose. Great the saw is being put to work! Used my top handle today. First time since accident.
An injury like that seems to take forever, at least you should be mostly functional by summer. I was thinking of your accident while splitting today.... not a lesson anyone wants to be part of, but it's a lesson for all of us to keep in mind.
Yesterday my friend, with all the tree tops that started this post, called to tell me he had a hickory in front of the house, all trimmed up and wanted to know if I wanted it. And around the barn was the top from a good size white oak. He's watched me tear out walnut to get at white oak, then put the walnut back. I'd say he's come to realize I'm a wood snob. I had about a 2 hour window before the rain hit, so I went a hoarding. I got the hickory, and a good start on the oak. There's a lot of clean up with the tops of tree tops.
Thanks, I hope people enjoy it, and it's a project, so this thread serves as a record for myself as well.
I have empty space in my wood racks, which drives me crazy, so I've been cutting at my friends place lately. He has me cutting in a new area, so now I'm getting a lot of hickory. I was met by his horse as soon as I pulled up to the gate, he was more interested in what I had in the back of my truck, and was disappointed I didn't have any food for him. After I cleaned that area up, I moved to a different area, that I call hickory heaven. I forgot how stringy hickory is to split. It's a lot of work cutting up just tree tops, fortunately my friend helped pull some out to make it easier. I've also been helping to pile up and burn the branch ends. Probably one more truck load, then I'm done till winter. Maybe...
I asked my friends if I should bring apples or something to bribe the horse. Carrots are a good idea, I know next to nothing about horses. They're beautiful animals. They said it was ok to, they don't feed them anything, they just graze. They have 2 horses, and a mule. The horse in the pic is registered, it's official name is something long, it's nickname is Shortwood. A curious name, sounds like it could be a FHC profile name. LOL
