Chainsaw Repair

Saws in Action - GTG Events Competitions - Janka Wood Hardness Scale - World Records - Firewood BTU Comparison Chart => Saws in Action => Topic started by: Al Smith on January 15, 2012, 01:46:56 pm

Title: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 15, 2012, 01:46:56 pm
I'll start .This was a small dead ash ,a 65 foot double in the back yard of our rental .

I dissembled one side of the double and layed the other side through a 14 foot gate opening .Funny all the onlookers thought it couldn't be done but then they just don't know old Al very well . ;)
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun on January 15, 2012, 02:14:02 pm
I dont usally take pics of tree work I have done for others. For some reason this one is in my PB.

A tree guy had removed all the limbs but left the tree standing. My friend from work ask if I would come finish the job. I just used my 7901 with 32" and 066  for back ups.

Blocking it down while holding 066 head level was not my idea of fun in 100 degree heat that day.  I finally got it down to size and leveled stump up to set things on it for their yard.

I then quartered up the chunks with 32" 7901 to go into a nice bonefire.

(http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g289/doemaster789/CopyofTree002.jpg)

Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 15, 2012, 02:43:33 pm
I don't trip this one but helped buck it after it was down .The largest diameter ash tree I'd ever seen .It was in the area of 60-62 inchs .There were two of them about the same size .Tom the guy in the picture fell them and bucked  away on one with a 660 and a 36" and I the other with a souped 038 Mag with a 32 . I'll bet we chewed away on those things about an hour or so before we got them whittled down to size .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 16, 2012, 06:43:17 pm
Oh  got a ton of them .This big old fat white oak blew over and landed on the roof of a house .Would you believe it never as much as broke a roof shingle .This is Tom running one of my 125 Macs .That danged tree must have had 50 gallons of the nastiest smelling water in it .Smelled like a hog sty .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: w8ye on January 16, 2012, 09:37:23 pm
Had its own internal water tank?
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 17, 2012, 05:03:55 am
This was one of the last ones I took down last fall .100 foot white oak that died for some reason . Although the outside looked nasty the inside is some nice stuff ,clear no limbs . I got  all the logs moved out except the bottom 16 footer which will weight in at nearly 7,000 pounds .Bad weather sit it and there it still lays .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: w8ye on January 17, 2012, 06:20:56 am
Do you mill them yourself?
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun . on January 17, 2012, 01:11:28 pm
Dang Al, you are in the middle of alot of big take downs over your way.   Must be nice.

I used to have the woods ported 084's to quarter up big wood like that for the firewood guys. Then they could buck the quarter sections with their saws. No milling here.



Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 17, 2012, 07:14:06 pm
I had a flock of dead ash plus a sugar maple and that oak which I should have fell 5 years ago .I still have a bunch of ash to put on the ground .--Plus what ever is dead in the 3 acre woods beside me .

I'm saving the good saw logs and the rest is firewood .I'll bet I've got over 10,000 board feet in logs alone and I'm not done yet .I wouldn't be surprised when it's all said and done there will be 20,000 BDF .

Lot of work .At times after hitting it for week or so I'd almost think I was a logger which I'm not .These are the logs out of one tree ,hundred foot ash
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 17, 2012, 07:22:55 pm
Do you mill them yourself? 

I will .I have a good start on a bandmill .Tracks and carriage are done .I have to built the saw and set works yet plus the clamping ,log loader etc .

Rubber tired deal with either a 34 HP wisconsin or an 18 Briggs or a 16 HP Wisconsin .I have all three .Hydraulic feed and log loader .Probabley chain set works .

I'm thinking about a log roller ,haven't got that far yet .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 19, 2012, 09:05:39 pm
This is another tall ash .I had to knock about 20-25 feet out of the top to preserve a walnut so as not to clip it on the fall . View is from about 60 feet up in a bucket truck
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 20, 2012, 10:29:42 am
This thing is the largest shag bark hickory I've ever seen in my life .It was over 100 and  three feet at the cut .

Tom for some reason wanted to put a rope in it and cut some out of the top .He did a pretty good job shooting it through a  6 foot hole .Differences in the way things are done between a ground  feller like me and a tree trimmer .The end results are all that matter though not the methods .

I bucked it and cleaned up the mess in my neighbors yard which took me the best part of a day .Geeze there's enough hickory in those 16 foot logs to make hammer handles for half the state of Ohio .

The stump over the rootspread was five and a half feet and I counted 270 growth rings .Have no idea what killed it nor many hickorys over the last several years ,just died on the vine
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: w8ye on January 20, 2012, 10:37:58 am
Just think, that three had been there since the early 1700's
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 20, 2012, 10:48:05 am
That oak stump I'm standing on in the avatar  was probabley at least 12 inchs in diameter during the revolutionary war .It exceeded  the big hickory by about 20-30 years judging by the ring count . The average life of a northern red oak exceeds 300 .Some rare ones maybe 400 .Not too many of those eastern giants left standing though .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: super44 on January 20, 2012, 04:24:43 pm
Here is one from this last summer.  Mom had one leaning over the house so I cabled it up and started cutting.  I was using a new to me poor running Mac 10 10 but I guess the tree did not know that. I used my pole saw to take some of the weight off the house side of the tree.

  It's sure not the most exciting video you will ever see.  The password is  "pedrostuff".

(http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/kawiherder/PedrosVideos1/th_DSCN3309_4209DSCN3309.jpg) (http://s266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/kawiherder/PedrosVideos1/?action=view&current=DSCN3309_4209DSCN3309.mp4)

The snowmobile rider is my brother last year and the harp was last summer also.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 20, 2012, 05:01:18 pm
This was one of my screw ups .Damned cotton wood was right over this guys barn with a lean .I knew I could turn the lay at least 90 on the fall and tried for about 110 degrees .

Trying to hit a 20 foot hole which I almost did until I cut the wrong  side of the tapered back cut and put a top limb into a big hickory and there it hung .Had to fence post that SOB until it was about straight and snatch it with a skidloader .Didn't take much except I should have hit it the first shot had I payed attention .Chit happens .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 24, 2012, 04:10:36 pm
More ash,it's endless it seems . A pair of fat ones growing at the side of a woods where they didn't have fight for sunlight .

As a result they only made about 65 feet but fat as a hog and totally unsuited for lumber .However from the pair there was over 6 full cords of wood .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: OhioGregg on March 19, 2012, 09:37:42 am
I see I'm not the only one that has been kept busy with Ash trees the last several years. Dang EAB >:(
Here is a video of my 5200 Poulan, proof I do use them. LOL  And a couple pics from another Ash I took down & bucked up with the 245A. And one I used the 4200 on. Wern't monsters by any means, all 3 were 25" .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADMdSPK7_VM&feature=player_detailpage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADMdSPK7_VM&feature=player_detailpage)

(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f201/Gregg500/4200Ash001.jpg)

(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f201/Gregg500/245A016.jpg)

Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun . on March 19, 2012, 03:52:44 pm
I see I'm not the only one that has been kept busy with Ash trees the last several years. Dang EAB >:(

Seen EAB so bad down the road from you they were scattered in my buddies driveway when I pulled in (shiney little buggers).

The woods behind him has a lot of dead ash and elm.  I reckon a elm disease  ???
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on March 19, 2012, 09:52:17 pm
It's decent firewood .Not as good as oak but still good .It makes wonderfull lumber also if you' re into wood working .If you get creative with stain it's hard to tell from oak especially if quarter  sawn .

Now I'm trying to save the best logs for saw logs because this is it for ash in probabley the forseeable future .Once it's gone it's gone .

I figure we've got 5-7 years at best to get the dead ones while they are still fit for lumber .That 24 incher is a perfect sized saw log .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on March 19, 2012, 10:20:11 pm
Let me iterate on this ash stuff .Last week after it got nice out I tripped an 18 -20 incher that has been graveyard dead for two years .It still retained moisture in the heart wood which leads me to believe they will last at least 5 years standing .Short log  not worth fooling with for lumber .

Now split this spring it will burn come winter although a year to dry would be better .

There's at least a half dozen or more of my own that need taken down .A hundred footer I'm going to send a climber up to top .I can climb but I'm getting a little long in the tooth for that nonsense .

After that is some giants in the woods next to mine .One is a hundred footer about 3 ,3.5 at the base .I'll have for fire up the old Oliver crawler  to pull that one out .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: OhioGregg on March 19, 2012, 10:49:48 pm
I agree that Ash will remain good for several years standing after it dies. Back before the EAB hit this area, I had a real tall one that stood above all the rest of the trees in woods. Was dead standing at least 3 years before I took it down. Was in great condition.

I been making firewood out of most of them so far, but, like you, I'm going to save some saw logs out of some of the strait ones. Will eventually mill them with the chainsaw. A number of years ago I bought some Ash lumber. Was going to make a table out of it. Never did, used it for other things. It does look alot like oak, just lighter. Excellent wood. I have been heating with Ash for several years now. LOL And several friends & neighbors that I sell it too also. Oak is still my favorite for heating, but I sure am gonna miss the Ash when it is GONE.  :'(
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun . on April 08, 2012, 10:35:07 am
Walking the hills out looking for shed antlers. There is a few big poplars that need to come down and will be taken to the local sawmill friend to be made in to lumber. 

Biggest shed was in my dad's front yard  4 pt side with nice mass and tine length.

Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun . on April 08, 2012, 02:12:08 pm
Not near as big as they looked across the hollow, DBH 67" and 64". My bro had one on his place that my dad told me about and showed me where it was, 82" DBH.

Spotted some smaller ones that need to come down now.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 08, 2012, 02:43:39 pm
Poplar makes some nice trim .While it's a light wood it's pretty stable once it's dried out .Easy to work takes stain well .

It's like a second cousin to cotton wood .I suppose you could frame an outbuilding with it providing you increased the dimensional size of the lumber and bolted the joints and keep the framing dry .It wouldn't be worth two shakes of a lambs tail exposed to the weather though .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun . on April 08, 2012, 02:48:31 pm
I can show you some rough sawn poplar right beside some rough sawn oak. Greying and holding up real good for a few years now, as a poplar addition to the oak barn for holding implements etc.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 08, 2012, 03:01:57 pm
My uncle down in Knox county has several old out buildings that are primarily board and  batton covered .They might be cotton wood but I presumd oak .For years and years they just broomed on crude oil right from the well head of one of several oil wells they had at the time .Good preservative and for all intents free to boot .

They used to make corn cribs for ear corn from cotton wood .The average life was probabley about 20 years .Considering at the time all they had in it was the price for the saw mill and in those days cottonwood wasn't worth much . There is no actual poplar in these parts except the occasional Lombardy which was planted as wind breaks .It dies out after maybe 15 years .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun . on April 08, 2012, 03:18:50 pm
We are all out of oak (that we are willing to cut) and the poplar was there for the taking. So like you say it was free and just for a addition.

We cut up a super nice cherry off the hill last year that came down during a ice storm on the same hill these poplar are on. We cut and hauled to the sawmill guy to cut up for lumber. So we pretty much get everything cut for free now too. Otherwise back awhile ago we used to go 50/50 on the lumber cut.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: 660magnum on April 08, 2012, 04:37:55 pm
You don't want to use red oak outside as it is porous as a straw. Red oak will only last a couple years.

White oak is a completely different wood and will last many years outside. White oak is not porous.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 08, 2012, 04:52:27 pm
Well red oak certainly won't take weather like white oak that's for sure .I made some slats to replace some bad ones on some park benchs but they were painted and seem so far to be holding up .It's been 6-8 years I think .

I've got some slated patio furniture I reslatted about 15-16 years ago with yellow pine and it did okay for maybe 12 .My plans are to replace the slats with red oak simpley because I have no white oak milled as yet .Problem will be they will probabley be so heavy I can't lift them .The only other stuff I have is cherry ,maple ,hickory and ash .None of which would take weather very well .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun . on April 08, 2012, 05:15:36 pm
The oak on the barn is black oak and it is pretty dang porous.  Been there since 94 (built without power tools) and will last longer then my dad will need it I bet.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: 660magnum on April 08, 2012, 06:18:27 pm
Black Oak is of the red oak family with pointed tips on the leaves. See link below . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_velutina

"Of the North American oaks, the Northern red oak is the most prized of the red oak group for lumber, all of which is marketed as red oak regardless of the species of origin. >>> It is not good for outdoor use due to its open capillaries. One can blow air through an end grain piece 10 inches long to make bubbles come out in a glass of water. These openings give fungus easy access when the finish deteriorates.<<<"

The above quote is from . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak

My dad and I built a fishing pier from red oak in the fall of 1957 and three years later we rebuilt it using creosoted yellow pine which stayed there many years.

The oaks in my yard are pin oaks - The pin oak is in the red oak subgenus: pointed lobes  I like them because they don't lean downwind like the maples. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_palustris  I have several small ones around the yard that I have repositioned from seedlings. The original two I bought from a nursery in the southern part of the county close to 40 years ago and they are around 50'. Pin oaks are very common in my community. Took forever for them to take off. I finally put a gallon can of cast iron turning chips around each one and away they went.

I think the prettiest trees in my yard are the black ash trees but I know that their days are numbered. I planted them close to 40 years ago and the sprouts came from different places in the county. They each are a little different when you look at them real close but still come out to be black ash. There was a mature ash across the highway on the creek bank that died in the late 70's. The stump is still there about fence high.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: man of stihl on April 08, 2012, 06:36:04 pm
 The ash in my woods is all dead. Ive been cutting red oak and beech. I don't think beech is good for anything but firewood. Then i have a bunch of aspen that is good for absolutely nothing.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun . on April 08, 2012, 09:10:25 pm
No power tools were used building this barn.

1. Frame

2. Black oak siding

3. Pic taken about 3 years ago showing 2 big front poplar doors, entry poplar door, 2nd floor poplar door and black oak siding that was put on at same time almost 20 years ago. Just to show how they aged and colored together. Then the new poplar addition.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: 660magnum on April 08, 2012, 09:32:53 pm
Looks nice
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 09, 2012, 07:05:13 am
Beech oh yeah .If there were no beech there would be no Budweiser .
"our exclusive beech wood aging----"

That stuff dry is hard as a rock .I may be mistaken but I think they used beech in addition to osage orange for decking on equipment  trailers that hauled bull dozers etc .It is tough enough to stand up up to the tracks turning on it .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun on April 09, 2012, 03:39:46 pm
Wife was walking the dog around the hills this morning and found a paw paw tree in bloom. Never seen one down here on the land before.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asimina_triloba
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 09, 2012, 05:38:21 pm
I've never seen one either but they have them in Knox county where I was born .My dad said they resembled a banana in taste .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: 660magnum on April 09, 2012, 08:06:26 pm
I've never seen one and have been in the North Central Ohio woods a good bit and also in East Central Alabama. I occasionally hear some of the Eastern Kentucky guys speak of them. Never been in the woods of Eastern Kentucky or WVA.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 10, 2012, 06:51:57 pm
I think they are what's called an under story tree .Meaning they grow partly shaded at the edge of the woods ,thicket whatever . My dad could tell them even in November after the  leaves were off .I couldn't tell one if I tripped over it .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun . on April 10, 2012, 08:13:00 pm
Al click that link I posted above and it tells you about them being understory and a lot of other neat info
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 12, 2012, 06:30:41 am
Interesting fact that they propigate from the roots much like an aspen or black locust .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: super44 on April 17, 2012, 09:56:58 am
Had a large dead elm next to my shop that had one place to land. A couple cables and chains and some side pull with help from a neighbor and it landed in the right spot.
(http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/kawiherder/PedrosVideos1/th_Production1elmtakedown.jpg) (http://s266.photobucket.com/albums/ii273/kawiherder/PedrosVideos1/?action=view&current=Production1elmtakedown.mp4)
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 17, 2012, 10:36:29 am
Well you got it down and didn't hit anything ,victory . The old Mac though isn't getting enough fuel . Just a tad lean FWIW .Not trying to be a wise guy , it's not lean enough to hurt it but lean enough it isn't running up to it's full potential .

Horizontal cylinder McCullochs by their very design have a relatively  wide torque band but unlike  modern vertical cylinder saws with different type porting require carb settings much richer .I know it sounds nutty but 'tis true . Don't get me wrong because it did okay but it can do better .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: super44 on April 17, 2012, 11:45:07 am
The gas was not very fresh but I will open the hi speed just a tad.  Thanks
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 17, 2012, 12:09:32 pm
 I can only assume from the picture it's either an 850 or some other 82 cc Mac .As such and if in good running trim it's pretty hard to bog one except perhaps a very dull chain .Tweak it a little ,you'll be pleasantly surprised on how good it can do . ;)
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: super44 on April 17, 2012, 12:27:39 pm
It's an Pro Mac 805 with a 34 inch blade.  The tree was a full 30 inches on the stump so I had a lot of chain in the wood. I only use it in the really big stuff as it's pretty easy to run the chain in the dirt on the other side of the log if your not careful.  It's a lot of chain to sharpen if that happens.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 17, 2012, 07:01:10 pm
I have both an open roller nose and a conventional sprocket nose 32" or so Mac 10 series bars .They measure a bit over that so I assume they are 32 " usable .So far I've never used them and only up to 24" or 28" on the 82 cc  Macs .  If it gets any bigger than that it's time for a large saw .

Quite frankly none of the Macs get that much use .Enough of course to keep them exercised .Now last summer I did do a few take downs and some bucking with a 700 and the 805 with 850 engine but not really that much .

Now Mc Bob might throw rocks at me but the Macs do just fine ,have enough power ,enough speed etc .It's just the Stihls are a tad more comfortable to operate .Besides I'd rather wear out the Stihls which I can replace rather than a pristene McCulloch that would be difficult to find again  ;)
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: super44 on April 17, 2012, 09:41:55 pm
Now Mc Bob might throw rocks at me but the Macs do just fine ,have enough power ,enough speed etc .It's just the Stihls are a tad more comfortable to operate .Besides I'd rather wear out the Stihls which I can replace rather than a pristene McCulloch that would be difficult to find again

I would agree, I use my 805's enough to keep them exercised.  Most of my cutting is with a 10-10 and a Homelite Super EZ. I really like my Super EZ. Light with good power.  I try to exersize the rest of the herd when I can so most of them get some use.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 18, 2012, 08:00:04 am
The 10-10's always kind of stumped me .Some would run relatively smooth and some shook so bad you couldn't feel your finger tips after 5 minutes . We used to use pipe insulation on the handles to tame them down a tad bit .

For some reason the 7-10's and 700's ran a lot smoother ,same design and ridgid mounted engine .The 82 cc models, 850,SP 81 etc where all shock mounted so if they rattled you really didn't notice  it .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: super44 on April 18, 2012, 10:30:20 am
On the 10 10's vibrating or others for that matter, did they ever "balance" them?
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 18, 2012, 11:46:57 am
I can't really say .Nor could I ever figure why some rattled and some did not .

Now I did throw away a flywheel after it broke 3 or 4 crankshafts on a 70 cc 6-10 .Damn I had just about ran out of right hand start crankshafts before that dawned on me .--slow learner --.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on April 18, 2012, 11:54:30 am
Now on that if I ever break another crank I'll mount the whole mess inside of either a 10-10 or 700 shrouding and be done with that right hand start business once and for all .Those people that came up with right hand start must have had their heads in their behinds ,geeze .

I've tweeked and twiddled with that old Mac so much it's almost a part of me now .I'll not give up on that thing as long as it has one breath of life left in it . ;D
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: super44 on January 07, 2013, 09:56:08 am
How to not drop a tree.

http://www.watchersweb.com/sub_preview.php?sub_no=QFhcg1357318225
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: 660magnum on January 07, 2013, 11:11:05 am
I don't think that guy has ever figured out what makes a tree fall?
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Cut4fun . on January 07, 2013, 02:16:13 pm
I wonder if homeowners insurance would cover you dropping a tree on your own place?
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 07, 2013, 08:26:25 pm
You cannot control the fall by stump jumping them .Some people have the bright idea that a rope will control the fall ,wrong .The fall cut controls the fall .Once you make that back cut and gravity takes over it's too late .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: 660magnum on January 07, 2013, 08:42:08 pm
I've seen a big Cat loader bucket pushing high on the trunk of the tree help some?
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 07, 2013, 09:11:54 pm
Well yeah but if you dan't have some kind of a wedge with a hinge it can still go off on it's own to some degree .That guy in that vid just stumped jumped it and it was evident  by just casual observation by the side lean exactly where that thing was going to go and it did .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: 660magnum on January 07, 2013, 09:28:34 pm
No hinge?
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 08, 2013, 10:13:59 am
I stand corrected as in reviewing that vid there was one but it was at first hard to see .It was tripped incorrectly having sawn sideways into it though .No felling wedges and it just sat back hard and hit the house with a thump .

It makes sense due to cutting in essence half the hold wood it would tend to lay back opposite and spin off axis a tad bit .

I don't know the vid isn't that clear because it looks like on this side of the tree it was beaver cut maybe which certainly would not help things in guiding it down .Then too it didn't show what was up above .Might have been a scad of heavy limbs over the house we couldn't see in the vid clip .
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: super44 on January 08, 2013, 10:22:13 am
If I have any doubt about where it will go and there building neer I have cables, chains and a winch with a snatch block pulling sideways on the cable.  I would have that one sinched up tight and a good hinge.  I might also wait until the wind is right.
Title: Re: Take downs
Post by: Al Smith on January 08, 2013, 12:40:29 pm
I don't usually put a line on them if they are in the woods ,Fact seldom rope them at all . I did a year ago last fall because I pulled an old dead oak rather than wedge in over and take the chance of getting my neck broke from a 500 pound widow maker breaking loose and falling 80 feet onto my poor old noggin .

I shot this one through about a 15 foot gate opening a few years back .