Author Topic: Cutting down cottonwoods (Read 1937 times)

Al_Smith · « **Reply #40 on:** August 12, 2021, 10:04:01 AM »

As the story goes these two bone heads near Spencerville Ohio tried to blow an oak stump with little sticks but all it did was blow out the dirt .Then these two wizards stirred up a batch of of ANFO ,about three or four wash tubs full and set it off with two sticks .The ground shook ,the stump headed for the moon, the windows in the house were long gone .
The stump didn't make it to the moon but did crash through the barn roof, through the mow and come to light on a John Deere 4020 and broke it right into .A partial success I suppose .If nothing else it made for a good story .

WDH · « **Reply #41 on:** August 12, 2021, 10:06:46 AM »

You can take cottonwood twig cuttings, stick them down in moist soil, and they will root. I have seen a cottonwood plantation done that way in a cleared bottomland site in Georgia back in the very 1980’s, done as an experiment.

Real1shepherd · « **Reply #42 on:** August 12, 2021, 10:24:28 AM »

Somehow, in all the yrs of living large, I missed out on dynamite 'fun'. When I was younger, I thought I'd have to prove I was psychologically fit to use/buy it or or some such nonsense. Maybe it's just as well.

Kevin

snobdds · « **Reply #43 on:** August 12, 2021, 10:52:30 AM »

Quote from: thriceor on August 11, 2021, 09:05:40 PM

Quote from: snobdds on August 10, 2021, 10:57:30 AM
I know, there are other and more modern options. I guess at this point I am going to try every big saw I can to see what cuts these the best. So far I just stay on top of the dead trees and fallen branches with an 880 and 461. However I like my 461 at the cabin for those trees, so I'm always taking it back and forth. My dealer has a new 395 and 3120 in stock, might pick those up to try out. Here is my endless supply of wood...

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Beautiful pictures. Is the irrigation system still functional?

The irrigation still works and is used to flood the fields to keep the trees going. I don't run very many cattle on the place anymore, in fact the neighbor is the one that puts about 80 head just to keep the meadows in good shape. He is the one responsible for the fences and irrigation. I don't charge him anything and he gives us a couple of steers to butcher a year. It works.

Real1shepherd · « **Reply #44 on:** August 12, 2021, 11:11:47 AM »

Interesting......here you are responsible for debris and anything that would obstruct your part of the irrigation ditch. But any changes or modifications are the under the auspices of the 'Water Master'.

Kevin

Al_Smith · « **Reply #45 on:** August 12, 2021, 12:01:12 PM »

I know that I don't know enough about explosives to use them .About the closest I ever came was an m-80 in a trash can .It did blow the dents out of it and launched the lid about 20 feet in the air . Rather amusing at the time .

Tacotodd · « **Reply #46 on:** August 12, 2021, 01:41:06 PM »

Since we’re talking about dumb & interesting stuff with explosives, I still remember back when I was about 9, dad made a 55gal drum launch about 30’ in the air. Imagine, a hole for the pipe bomb, empty drum inverted on top of it, and amazed looks from me and 3 buddies that I grew up with! All was safe and well done, but dad said that he was never playing with explosives again! Oh well, back to our bicycle jumps for entertainment.

donbj · « **Reply #47 on:** August 12, 2021, 01:44:14 PM »

I got my Provisional Blasting ticket back in the mid 70's, expired loooong ago, so I had confidence in using the dynamite as did my friend who had his ticket and a licensed powder mag to store it.

snobdds · « **Reply #48 on:** August 12, 2021, 01:56:55 PM »

Quote from: donbj on August 12, 2021, 01:44:14 PM

I got my Provisional Blasting ticket back in the mid 70's, expired loooong ago, so I had confidence in using the dynamite as did my friend who had his ticket and a licensed powder mag to store it.

The guy that runs cattle on my land has his blasting licences. He uses it to make irrigation ditches. I should just let him loose...

donbj · « **Reply #49 on:** August 12, 2021, 02:39:46 PM »

The fuse and blasting caps left over were fun to play with. I had a 300 gallon fuel tank I salvaged from work that a tree had fallen on and caved it in to about half its diameter in the center. I wanted it to make a water tank for fire protection purposes. It had a 2" fill hole and 1" vent. My son and I devised a plan.

Take a liter of gasoline, pour it in and roll the tank all around to disperse the gas as much as possible to create fumes in it. We put a 2 minute fuse and a cap hanging just inside the tank with the holes facing up, lit fuse and took cover. I tell you! When that cap fired the noise was incredible as the ignited gas inside escaped out those small holes. I have no idea why the tank didn't burst but it popped that thing right back to dang near normal with just a few ripples where it was crushed. The noise was intense high pitched jet engine like for about 5 seconds with an extreme high pressure plume about 70' into the air.

Experiment was a total success

WDH · « **Reply #50 on:** August 12, 2021, 04:07:30 PM »

This thread has turned into a blast.

Al_Smith · « **Reply #51 on:** August 12, 2021, 06:48:07 PM »

It's almost as jovial as the great oil debate .

HolmenTree · « **Reply #52 on:** August 20, 2021, 05:28:45 AM »

Speaking of cottonwoods

I removed this northwest poplar (cottonwood/poplar hybrid) a few years back

Not the most difficult or largest poplar I felled in a residential area but this tree I removed for my daughter was a heavy one, ring count less then 40 years old.

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