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Recent posts

#1
Forestry and Logging / Re: Humboldt vs. Conventional
Last post by Nealm66 - Yesterday at 11:43:54 PM
I think it's easier to clean your undercuts out with the humbolt. I will purposely come up short and then clean the Dutchman out for accuracy on large trees. Small trees like around 8", it's whatever but large trees the humbolt is just easier to let the saw do the work most of the time. There are some rare occasions like Skeans says where you might have to bore or back bar the lowercut. I worked with a couple old guys in large old growth who would make the lower cut first so the undercut wouldn't pinch and would slide out. I never could aim good that way. 
#2
Chainsaws / First time chainsaw user equip...
Last post by svanhornjr - Yesterday at 11:35:41 PM
I have to trim some tree limbs and this is my first time so I figured who could give me better advice then you guys so please forgive my ignorance just need some advice.

I bought a Husqvarna 130 Gas Powered Chainsaw, 38-cc 2-HP, 2-Cycle X-Torq Engine, 16 Inch Chainsaw.

I need a couple of recommendations if you guys would be so kind. I know this is subject to personal preference a little also.

Through my own research, from what I have read it may be a good idea to buy a carbide blade because the "stock" blade may not be the best. Any recommended manufacturer? I keep seeing Oregon. Thoughts?

As far as chain oil I've read that Harvest King is supposed to be really good. Thoughts?

Finally, instead of mixing my own, I was thinking of using Trufuel as after I am done with all the tree trimming, I will be draining everything for storage and it's not a big job. Couple of tree limbs probable totaling around 100 feet and I take really good care of my tools and equipment so would like to use quality with my equipment.

Extremely grateful for any and all advice. Thank you again.
#3
Sawmills and Milling / Re: The Opening Face
Last post by rusticretreater - Yesterday at 11:29:46 PM
I'm still a noob compared to you grizzled old veterans, but I have taken to planning cuts to make sure I get the best cuts I can.  I really love quartersawn, but you gotta plain saw to get them wide boards.  I do have projects where I select logs that will give me the best results.  Being a manual mill, every extra turn of the log or cant adds up.

Most crooked logs are just firewood to me unless they have a pretty good diameter.  Then they become building project wood as the wood grain patterns are a bit off.

The times I level the pith is on the straight logs and I am going for quartersawn and/or a post with the pith centered.  I do like Ianab's methods and to always be on the lookout for a cut that can make stickers.
#4
Sawmills and Milling / Re: Ain't Normal
Last post by WV Sawmiller - Yesterday at 11:27:33 PM
  My wife will periodically ask me how I handle the value of a tree I harvest and saw and sell off our place. I keep telling her that tree has no value till it is sold. I could cut it and sell the log to myself but then I'd have to report the income on one hand and the cost as an expense on another so basically I'd be taking money out of one pocket and putting it in another. Bigger business with partners and such do things like that but in my case it is not necessary or worth the hassle.

   I doubt the famers had their trees insured and can't collect reimbursement from any insurance company or such. The big pulp, paper and timber companies might have such policies but I bet most small farmers don't and as I understand they can't harvest and sell them to the timber buyers. Some years back it was like that with hogs around here. People were shooting them in the fields as at market they would not sell for enough to pay to transport them and it was just costing money to keep feeding them.

   The big question now just seems to be how to salvage what they can and minimize the loss.
#5
Forestry and Logging / Re: Humboldt vs. Conventional
Last post by Skeans1 - Yesterday at 11:06:20 PM
Quote from: WhitePineJunky on Yesterday at 07:21:27 AMSorry I should have also added I'm considering these cuts on flat land
Humbolt definitely wins the slopes

I just found it strange how I've never seen a dispute toward that humbolt claiming more wood than conventional

I can't imagine all of them were cutting on slopes


Some places in the world a square butt will be required by the mill otherwise you will see deduction in the log or sometimes it becomes a no pay log in this scenario you will see a lot of either style of Humboldt stump. I've seen in contracts the requirement for all stump to be done with a Humboldt face so all the waste is left in the brush without having to long butt the log to clean up the face. Most time when doing a modified Humboldt the face will be in the dirt on a large fir or cedar to the point you're digging around to clear enough area to swing the saw to far side of the face to line up the cut.

Most time when doing these cutting techniques most of us are on our knees or bent over on the stump for the sight cut with out sight cut being under a foot from the ground, just enough that wrap side of the saw will clear the ground or the flare on the stump. When it comes to back cuts some will back bar for extremely low stump others will have a step by flipping the powerhead so they're always dawged into the cut with the chain doing the work vs back barring which normally will produce a mix matched back cut with a longer bar. 
#6
Sawmills and Milling / Re: Ain't Normal
Last post by Southside - Yesterday at 10:51:29 PM
And I sympathize and get it.  Three years ago a nasty ice storm rolled through here, pretty much every piece of 20 something year old timber that I had left standing got snapped clean off and turned into junk.  What didn't break bent so much that eventually the root ball came out.  I tried to salvage those, the snapped off stuff I knew better.  Those were a wast of time it turned out.  I watched leave trees that I remembered leaving snap off and die.  Was texting @Wudman while walking some of those areas in complete disgust, so I understand it. 
#7
Sawmills and Milling / Re: Ain't Normal
Last post by Magicman - Yesterday at 10:29:35 PM
The individual landowners have lost 20 years of timber growth and they are my only concern.  It is not normal for landowners to be knee deep in dead trees that they can't sell and have a lumber source that they don't need nor can afford.

This has nothing to do with timber sales nor lumber prices.  I am one of those landowners who planted in 2005, have watched my trees grow for 18 years that now have zero value.   


#8
Chainsaws / Re: Battery chainsaw
Last post by DHansen - Yesterday at 10:23:26 PM
Just my input with my use of my 540iXP and my friends Ryobi.  I also have a 026 Stihl, 338XP and 550XP.  I like my 540iXP because it is quiet and very handy.  It has limitations in speed.  The speed of the cut is noticeable in 10" or more oak.  10" and under and it is a great saw to get jobs done.  The 026 and 550XP are faster and I can get more work completed in the same time frame if there are lots on 10" and larger diameter cuts.  Cutting off limbs and lots of 3"-6" cuts the 540iXP is a great tool.  Today a friend called and needed help with two small live burr Oaks.  14" at the base 30' tall.  He has a 2050 Jonsered and the Ryobi.  He also has a 12-year-old son who really wanted to help and cut.  So, in the end we only used the two battery saws for these two trees.  3.5 hours of cutting.  Neither saw needed a battery change.  Filled both with bar oil twice.  With the young cutter I was able to talk with him and show him as he cut.  This was a big plus for being able to communicate.  I started off with a 30-minute talk about protective gear.  Then about chain safety and common injuries.  How to hold the saw and how to let the saw cut.  After the job was done, here are my thoughts.  There was nothing wrong with that Ryobi.  It cut well; it was strong enough to pull that 3/8" LP chain with the 14" bar buried in the oak.  It does not have a chain brake whereas the 540iXP does.  Made me question the price difference based on performance.  I think the Husqvarna is safer, has steel felling spikes vs plastic molded in on the Ryobi.  I know this doesn't answer the 350i power axe vs 540I XP question, but hopefully my comparison to my 026 helps.
#9
Sawmills and Milling / Re: Ain't Normal
Last post by Southside - Yesterday at 10:04:55 PM
Quote from: Magicman on Yesterday at 07:16:12 PMThis situation ain't normal.
If you think about it outside of just the logs and lumber it's perfectly normal.  Far too many react in this exact same way when faced with such a situation.  Prices get suppressed when supply out paces demand - what happens in the cattle world when milk or beef prices drop?  Guys go out and produce more milk and more cattle because they are getting less per unit, so they figure they can make up the difference when in reality they are only loosing more, faster.  Big mills saw more lumber when commodity prices drop, right up until the day they are broke anyway.  Throwing good money after bad - been there and done that, it's easy to fall into. 
#10
Sawmills and Milling / Re: Ain't Normal
Last post by WV Sawmiller - Yesterday at 09:54:51 PM
@Larry ,

    Where does Habitat for Humanity (Thanks for that - I could not recall the name in my earlier post) come up with the experienced operator for the sponsor donated mill? Does HFH provide the MHE and vehicles to move the logs and lumber?

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