It's not been a yuge problem for me so far. I ain't getting any younger. Wanted a second 60cc saw. Price difference between a standard and a heated was negligible to me at the sale price I got...may as well have it. I bet I can guess which saw will get favored during winter now.
Took off work this morning to try to get some logs. Dirt was semi-cooperative. Made a field edit on this first log. Yoink. This section of trail was nice and frozen. How far's it gunna roll? About that far. Was counting on the old stump to catch it. Almost yanked the stump trying to get the log situated so I could get attached facing right direction. They're pretty good lookin saws. 3 whole cuts today! lol Road went to poo fast. This hill leaks some water I think. Went back after log #2 to clean up and call it. It's not worth the damage to get more out. Current log pile.
Mostly a bust this weekend. Went and got the feeder filled as the snow was starting. Once it got going it wasn't anything I wanted to be out in. Blustery. Couldn't even make out the highway on other side of river. With 4-5" of snow on everything yesterday and the wind I decided to just be lazy. -3 this morning according to truck thermo. The Makita looks like it weighs a ton more. Not really. Just big boned? Duo I been taking to woods lately.
Got a couple more logs out today. Ground was meh but cooperative enough. I think I will start working up the logs now and get to stacking. Can maybe grab some more if opportunity arises. That big bih may not come off the hill, debating if I can work it on site instead noodling as I go. I split off the few rounds I had up at the other yard also today. So back to the muffler dent on the Echo. I noticed my carrier on the tractor brush guard had broken allowing the saw to rest on its muffler instead of it's spike. That's how the mystery dent appeared. I'm going to rework and or rebuild the unit over the holidays.
Did some bucking after moving 4 buggy trailer loads of splits. May start busting them tomorrow. Need some rain to wash off the newer logs.
Version 2.0 underway. Slightly larger and more robust. Needed a band mill to cut, old one in shop got sold off. Ended up using a hand wood saw after trying various methods that were melting the material. If I could properly hold it while cutting it would have been easier. Possible that a high tooth blade on a table saw would work ok but that wasn't handy.
Almost there. Going to wait until I have it hung before I locate the bottom clamp for better fit. I ordered some more of the clamps so I will probably add a fourth on this version. The bottom clamp is more or less to keep it from flapping to and fro. Bar channel is a 1/2" slot about 5" long and bolts are not exposed to channel. V1, V2
Did a little scrounging Saturday on a different site. Some red oak and mapo. Had a helper and got three good loads added to the round pile. Also went and grabbed a few rounds that had been tossed aside last summer. Most wood came from this former twisted mess from a red oak breaking off about ten feet up. Still more to get.
Wanted to dump feed some corn for the deers today so went to tractor Walmart and got a couple of bags of smelly on sale berry flavoured. lol. Went snooping as usual and found that the broken oak finally gave up the ghost. I'm relieved. Much easier to deal with now. I would say the pressure we let off the top other day was helpful. Patience pays off sometimes. I counted 19 turkey in a photo from last week. They had all been through there after the snow.
19 degrees today. Wind wasn't really though so not terrible. Hard ground and a willing tractor. Got a little wood to the yard. This little red oak has been crowding one of my main trails for years. Today was finally it's day. Went to the broken off oak to get a log. Strong vinegar smeller here. I had to push this out of my way yesterday to avoid having to double back. Vine ripened oak. There are a few more pieces of it not worth the chains.
Bucked all the logs I brought out at the upper yard today. A friend helped out. Hunger makes them brave. Sheesh. This happened cutting a punky log off a trail. Never been jammed this badly. Started splitting the rounds at lower yard. Also made some firewood bags and filled the stand.
Your pics really make me want get out and hoard. All the time I usually would be this year has been spent with our new grandson (he's almost 1). The only times I've had oak smell nasty was when there was decay present. Sure is some fine lookin' firewood.
It's been a sort of slow year for me for wood. There's stuff to be made, but I just haven't had enough motivation to overcome the weather I've been dealt lately. I don't mind the cold until it's under 20. Have to put on too many clothes to be able to do much then. Much of what I have available to get right now is blocked by a muddy trail when it's warm enough or I have the time. We had some fun yesterday. Compared the two 60cc saws that I had out and discussed. Had a minor flub with the splitter that had to be overcome. Saw some wildlife. Enjoyed the surroundings. Made some Buckin Billy jokes. Always seems more enjoyable if you have a like mind with you. I do enjoy it solo also. The little red oak had was all Goldilocks rounds. The 'ripe' oak has a little sapwood mess but is more or less ready to toss in a stove. The smelly log had some knots that got cut out. I finally thought I had found some straight grained beech and I was wrong. Nice looking rounds but the splits come off like wedges. Part of the reason the usually are left alone. My buddy even commented on it without promotion. 'Beech splits like crap!".
Beech can be a "beech" to split. I've had it nice and straight splitting clean with some on the wavy side and stringy. I was just mixing some into bundles and was splitting them smaller and it was on the stringy side despite a year drying. On the flip side the elm yesterday was splitting very clean like red oak when I did the same. Great firewood regardless and I'll take it over oak anyway.
Ive described fresh split pin oak like manure. Ive had mounds of fresh split red oak and the neighbor complained about the "aroma". Fresh split white oak, especially chestnut oak one of my favorites.
