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Maggie’s The Woodchuck and Firewood Hoarders Thread

Bigfatcock said:
I had a lady contact me about 10 years back about getting a blown down maple removed. Said I could have it for firewood if I removed it. I went out there and started debarking it, and could tell off the bat it was going to be a highly figured with tons of curl.

I’ll travel within a 5 state area in the southeast to pick up good logs. I don’t take the trees down often, but have before.

A good place to get good logs for dirt cheap or free is after a large storm blows through an area and takes down a lot of residential trees. I have so much 100+ year old live oak, red oak and other species milled that I got for free in storm areas. Trees look great in the yard until a storm knocks it over, lol.

My favorite trees to come across are old pine trees. Beautiful stuff to work with and a whole different creature than the baby trees the hardware stores sell as lumber.
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I had a friend turn 3 bowls for me 3 years ago from some nice spalted maple blanks. The blanks he ordered were over $100 each. I will keep my eye open when cutting, I have some maple here.

I didn’t realize you were in NC, I’m in the NW up close to the VA line.
 
a buddy of mine felled a bunch of mahogany and gave me a boatload of rough cut. as a thank you, i made him this. its about 4.5"x 11". so much good wood finds the burn pile
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Holy smokes. I’ve left 10s of thousands of $ worth of “spalted” maple to rot in the woods…

Is there any interest in spalted ash?

I need to buy a mill.
 
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Mr. Z said:
Holy smokes. I’ve left 10s of thousands of $ worth of “spalted” maple to rot in the woods…

Is there any interest in spalted ash?

I need to buy a mill.
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yes, and look at the current prices of walnut. bonkers is an understatement
 
I’ve pulled some very nice pieces from firewood piles over the years. You’d be amazed at the amount of high dollar wood that gets burned every year.

I’ve owned a mill for quite a while and it has made me a lot of money on boards sold over the years, and people pay me to mill their wood for them.

I’ve got boards big enough to make a 12 foot single piece table top 48 inches wide, lol.

Everyone who has access to a good amount of timber should own a mill.

What stops most people is not being able to get the wood from the spot it’s at, to the mill.

A 12 foot long 48” diameter log weighs a lot, lol.

When I get back down to the mothership, I’ll get some pictures up. Converted a giant chicken house to store and dry lumber. Good ventilation.

Took down and milled 75 walnut trees back in 2015. Just started using that lumber not to long ago to build shit. Milled the boards for my brother’s house from free trees.
 
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Another firewood save. I was driving down the road and saw this tree cut up in someone’s yard. Stopped, asked to look at it, and bought the logs.

This pine was 73-is years old. Wonderful growth rings in it.

Old pine is a favorite of mine. For those only used to working with shitty young hardware store pine, or that garbage hobby wood from Finland, then you don’t know what you’re missing.

Older pine north of 100 years old I treat like a hardwood due to the closeness of the latewood. Takes on a very nice tone with oil based finishes.

This piece I’m currently scrubbing out the cup in the board. It’s the last of 4. I’ll join them and it will become a dining table top.

The frame is made from the same tree, and built with drawbore mortise and tenon. Will be a really nice table when done and will amber with age and use of the table.

Customer is debating if they want it mounted with figure 8 fasteners or nailed to the frame with cut nails.

Will be the last piece of furniture I make for awhile as I’ll be focusing on revolver and 1911 grips this year.


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Safety and strategy question for you all…

If you had a ~36” diameter tree slightly leaned towards the top of a slope, where the stem would act as a lever near the center of the mass of the tree when it falls, how would you fell it without being tossed or crushed?

I’ve got a dying green ash that’s probably 90’ tall to take down in the morning that’s keeping me awake tonight.

I’m going to cut the bottom of my wedge at an angle that it should pop holding wood just as it hits the ground on top of the hill and cut flat towards the pocket. And run like hell down the hill on a path through a foot of snow I’ll shovel before cutting.

It all has to go just so. Trees to roll off of and over a million dollars worth of house too close for comfort…
 
Mr. Z said:
Safety and strategy question for you all…

If you had a ~36” diameter tree slightly leaned towards the top of a slope, where the stem would act as a lever near the center of the mass of the tree when it falls, how would you fell it without being tossed or crushed?

I’ve got a dying green ash that’s probably 90’ tall to take down in the morning that’s keeping me awake tonight.

I’m going to cut the bottom of my wedge at an angle that it should pop holding wood just as it hits the ground on top of the hill and cut flat towards the pocket. And run like hell down the hill on a path through a foot of snow I’ll shovel before cutting.

It all has to go just so. Trees to roll off of and over a million dollars worth of house too close for comfort…
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I’ve read this 3 times using my hand to picture the fall. My only advice is, if YOU are not comfortable and confident, either pass on the job or figure out a different/better plan. Get a rope in it to help maybe. I have pondered risky take downs over the years that have kept me awake at night. It’s just a tree and life is short.
 
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I’ll spend enough time walking around it to be sure before I start the saw.

I’m not to proud to admit when things are above my skill set.

I think it will end up with the cut end about 8’ off the ground when the tree falls.
 
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Mr. Z said:
Safety and strategy question for you all…

If you had a ~36” diameter tree slightly leaned towards the top of a slope, where the stem would act as a lever near the center of the mass of the tree when it falls, how would you fell it without being tossed or crushed?

I’ve got a dying green ash that’s probably 90’ tall to take down in the morning that’s keeping me awake tonight.

I’m going to cut the bottom of my wedge at an angle that it should pop holding wood just as it hits the ground on top of the hill and cut flat towards the pocket. And run like hell down the hill on a path through a foot of snow I’ll shovel before cutting.

It all has to go just so. Trees to roll off of and over a million dollars worth of house too close for comfort…
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I’m certainly not a professional feller but could it be cut to leave the hinge intact or intact longer once it falls to slow the inevitable popping up of the big end?

Cut the notch wide enough that it doesn’t pop when it falls?
 
I’d ball park where I’d need to cut it to have the trunk that lands on the point break. Maybe plunge cut out the middle 50-70% of the tree. Leaving 15-25% of the trees diameter to hold it tight. I’d wedge that plunge to kee it rigid. Head down and cut the base quick. Fell the tree into the hill and have it break where it’ll be more manageable

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You’d end up with pieces like this if you did it right. I’d only do that if I felt comfortable with that specific tree and I had no other options. I’ve cut / seen my fair share or 20”+ diameter trees that were completely hollow inside. So I don’t think plunge cutting would be too bad for the trees stability while you cut the rest


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Visiting/staying with my inlaws this week and seeing my extended family at a couple of get togethers back down east NC for Christmas and New Year.

My FIL has a huge Stihl saw collection of over 50 saws (used to have over 100) and told me to go pick a few to take home. He’s in his early 80s so not gonna be cutting too much these days but he did come up here last year to help me cut up a bunch of oak I had dragged out of the woods.

I don’t “need” more saws but I was pretty excited to get them 😆 so I picked a very nice MS440 Magnum and an excellent MS250. Pics when it warms up later today.
 
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pmclaine said:
Its a fantastic looking place and she has little desire to live on it.

Me and @jbell would be close to neighbors.
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My friend here is the biggest retailer and wholesaler of trees in this area.
Only reason I do not is there is a big highschool on our road that does. But w the sick prices of trees, next year I may.
Go for top quality large trees and bring them down by and retail them yourself.
YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
Moreover, you may be flabbergasted.
I'll help anyway I can, hell, maybe retail them here, I have cold storage as well.

I take in old trees this time of year and a bud is bringing his large tree, like now, for me to burn later, I'll photo it and get the price, he usually spends 3 to 400
 
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For he's a jolly good feller which nobody can deny.

I once dropped a tree between two houses that was on the property line with 5-6 foot of clearance on each side.

I studied it and cut slowly making adjustments as it leaned. It dropped dead center with a few small branches just brushing both houses.

Once we started clearing and hauling the gravity of my stupidity hit me. I had grossly underestimated the weight of that tree. It would have crushed either house.

The neighbors thought I was a stud but I came to the conclusion that I was a foolish SOB .

I gained a respect for the guys that climb and cut. Expensive but much safer.
 
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I got the Husky 359 back together. The new metering diaphragm and drilling a hole in the cover worked like a charm. The saw runs perfectly and actually idles 😀 I mean idles great like it should have in the first place.

I used a steel CV type clamp for the carb boot/intake that I found the part # for on a saw forum talking about the issue with these saws.

I tuned to a slight burble but may need to tweak it in the cut later.

I sharpened it and put it back where it stays til I need it. Glad it’ll keep on going for me, only saw I ever bought brand new.
 
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Bigfatcock said:
Another firewood save. I was driving down the road and saw this tree cut up in someone’s yard. Stopped, asked to look at it, and bought the logs.

This pine was 73-is years old. Wonderful growth rings in it.

Old pine is a favorite of mine. For those only used to working with shitty young hardware store pine, or that garbage hobby wood from Finland, then you don’t know what you’re missing.

Older pine north of 100 years old I treat like a hardwood due to the closeness of the latewood. Takes on a very nice tone with oil based finishes.

This piece I’m currently scrubbing out the cup in the board. It’s the last of 4. I’ll join them and it will become a dining table top.

The frame is made from the same tree, and built with drawbore mortise and tenon. Will be a really nice table when done and will amber with age and use of the table.

Customer is debating if they want it mounted with figure 8 fasteners or nailed to the frame with cut nails.

Will be the last piece of furniture I make for awhile as I’ll be focusing on revolver and 1911 grips this year.


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I'm with you. whenever I have a tight grain tree fall, it goes to the mill. just trying to think of a project that does this tree justice
 

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Bigfatcock said:
How thick? How long has it been drying? Very pretty stuff and it looks like 2 of the boards in the other picture could be book matched.

What are your plans for it?
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Mikey will be selling it for good money to a rich, crazy horse woman.

She'll pay her man to oil it up for her while the hubby is out of town.
 
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Shit, I didn’t know there was a chainsaw and firewood thread over here on SH.
I jumped all into firewood cutting about 15 years ago. I ended up with all kinds of goodies before I realized I had enough. CAD is real, (chainsaw acquisition disorder) lol
 
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Bigfatcock said:
How thick? How long has it been drying? Very pretty stuff and it looks like 2 of the boards in the other picture could be book matched.

What are your plans for it?
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I'm selling those for the guy who owns the mill.
2 inch's.
The tree was cut down a couple months ago but slabbed 2 days ago.
I don't know what they are worth, but I will keep you posted, I'd love to sell you one at a big discount.
Can you imagine putting two together and making a 4 foot by 1q ft table??? That would be hot
 
oneshot86 said:
I'm selling those for the guy who owns the mill.
2 inch's.
The tree was cut down a couple months ago but slabbed 2 days ago.
I don't know what they are worth, but I will keep you posted, I'd love to sell you one at a big discount.
Can you imagine putting two together and making a 4 foot by 1q ft table??? That would be hot
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The two boards on the right in the first photo would make a close enough book match. Will need to dry for about 2 years after stickering.

Sand it, raise grain, light sand, raise grain, sand again. BLO, followed by an oil based polyurethane build coat. I don't think I'd dye or stain those slabs.

Pro-Tip life hack hash tag: The antique brown color for pine can be done with 1/2 oz Transfast Antique Cherry Brown dye powder dissolved in 1 quart of water. Add 18 drops of Transtint Dark Walnut dye, stir, done. But it'll kill all the colors in that monkey puzzle. That color combo allows me to get the antique color without having to glaze with brown. Saves a step.

Make sure you use a pre-stain conditioner for something like that.
 
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I have an old Echo CS6700 and it has always been a good running saw if not overly powerful. When it was gifted to me a few years ago the brake handle was missing. I just used it anyway…

So I’m using this winter to do maintenance on …. Well everything, so I began looking for the handle. Only one I could find was in England 😂 at an obsolete parts seller. It’s NOS 👍🏻

So it’s on the way…a Japanese saw part from England coming to North Carolina, internet is good sometimes.
 
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won a local auction last night, where I had to buy the whole damn lot just to get the one thing I wanted, a Norlund double bit. It's definitely in 'barn condition' but I'll get it re-hung and at least get it cleaned off. They described it as a 'norland axe' which helped me get it for cheap I think. Picking it up today.

Won't look as good as the axes on @CSGambill 's wall, but good enough for me.
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