How to keep skidded logs clean for saw

[livemusic]

Regarding harvesting for firewood... If you skid logs, how do you keep them clean enough to buck them with the saw? Not worry about it or is there a method? Lay the end touching the ground into a bonnet or something?

[mike_belben]

pile them for a while and let the rain wash them. bark will fall off in time. then cut it up.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Well for me, I try to keep the front of the log as high as I can, but log shape has an effect on which part drags and no matter who you try, given the variations in ground you skid over, the log can come in in various stages of 'messed up.' :D SO I try to adapt my bucking methods to avoid the dirt or cut so that the saw will be pushing the dirt out of the cut rather than into it. SO cutting down when the dirt is on the near side, or cutting up when the dirt is on the far side or doing a partial of each can work. Sometimes I plunge through the center of the log and cut up then down, or vice versa depending on dirt and compression and tension in the log. I accept that some dirt is 'part of the job' and frankly on 'clean wood' such as I cut this afternoon, I still see a spark fly out now and then for no apparent reason, halfway up the tree on something newly fallen. I don't see a way to eliminate it, so I don't worry about it. I am good at sharpening. OTOH avoiding rocks is still a serious concern and I do look all the time for any rocks that got driven into a skidded log. I bucked up some sugar maple last week that had a 10 penny nail with a ball of nylon twine around it and some aluminum wire to hold it all in place. It was 2" inside the outer sapwood, so maybe 25 years ago? I didn't hit it with the saw, but found the black stain when splitting and investigated (splitting wood, as we all know, can be pretty boring). No damage to anything, but a fun little find inside the tree. If I had hit that nail (missed it by 2") it would have been just as bad as cutting a stone apart.

[BargeMonkey]

Get the butt end as high as you can and drag it out top and all if you can. 

[moodnacreek]

Skid on frozen ground after a snow.  A forwarder in a perfect world.

[upnut]

We usually loosely measure and mark our cuts then chip away any dirty bark with a sharp, light boys axe. 

Scott B.

[kantuckid]

When possible, take a utility trailer or similar into the woods and locate near the work place, cut and toss into trailer after splitting on same site. I've thrown wood as far as my body allowed thus my trailers fenders are banged up from misses. 

[mike_belben]

works good on back window glass too  ;D

[upnut]

Friend of mine killed their pet goat with an errant toss, tanned his hide and still have it, so there's that.... :D

        Just glad my Dad didn't think of that when i hit him square in the back with a mighty heave... 8)

Scott B.

[cutterboy]

Don't skid it. Carry it.


 

 

 

[sublime68charger]

I have a arch on the back of my ATV which able to get the front part  of the log up off the ground.  Also have a cutting deck I pull the logs up  on to with the ATV and then when blocking them I can cut all the way threw with out putting the saw blade in the ground.



 

 

[mike_belben]

now thats a fine idea!

[cutterboy]

Hey 68charger, I love your cutting deck. That is a great idea.

[sublime68charger]

now thats a fine idea!

log cutting deck build is here
pretty simple
ATV Firewood cutting Deck | The Garage Journal

[sublime68charger]

Hey 68charger, I love your cutting deck. That is a great idea.

I have built 2 of them now.  I have 1 next to my wood boiler its had 3 years of weather and abuse now and probaly on its last go around.
2nd one is down in my wood land at a central point that I pull logs to cut them up at.
its quick easy to make and I can pull it around with the ATV to a different spot if needed.
It works keep the saw blade up out of the dirt and able to get blocks cut with out having to roll the log over to finish them off.  also gives you marked off cutting spots for each block makes your block all the same length.  Well cept for the ends where you free hand mark those to cut off.  Though if following the preset marks you sometime end up cutting a knot or limb not quite where you want to but can always cheat it 1 way or the other the 2x4 cross braces due have some saw marks in them !

[sublime68charger]

atv goes right up on the deck most times been a time or 2 that I have spun out trying to pull a bigger log then I should have or its got wedged in the board you just cut that block off and re hook and go again.  can always make the wood log smaller and pull what you can to the deck or up onto the deck. Hook the next section and go again.  

My 2nd ATV cutting deck has a wooded ramp leading up onto it and if its a little wet its slippery but If I have good speed on approach i can make it up the ramp and get front tires on the deck with better grip before the rear end spins out on the ramp.

I'll get a pic next time I'm down in the wood land where that deck is at.

[livemusic]

When you mentioned the cutting deck, I was intrigued and then you showed pics and explained, it's great!

If I were to use a log arch, I would need to widen some turns in my trails! I dunno how much it affects turning radius.

[Ed_K]

 Here's an idea to add to that deck. Find or build a lift like they use for motorcycles to put under it then when the blocks are cut lift the deck to waist height to carry to the splitter  ;) .

[mike_belben]

Skidding onto a motorcycle lift that raises onto a dead or live deck infeeding even a hillbilly manual processor like mine would be great.  It really would take the labor out and make it fun. 

[moodnacreek]

Skidding onto a motorcycle lift that raises onto a dead or live deck infeeding even a hillbilly manual processor like mine would be great.  It really would take the labor out and make it fun.

Build yourself a slasher saw from an old sawmill mandrel and an insert saw that won't run right [on a mill]. You probably got enough junk to do it. If not I do.

[charles mann]

Buck on site, if that is not possible, log arch or just not worry about it and hose it off/let nature wash it off. 

[Hogdaddy]

Hard to do... but lift up high and TRY to keep them out of the mud. Mostly impossible to do in hills and hollers... just keep a file handy.

[mike_belben]

Skidding onto a motorcycle lift that raises onto a dead or live deck infeeding even a hillbilly manual processor like mine would be great.  It really would take the labor out and make it fun.

Build yourself a slasher saw from an old sawmill mandrel and an insert saw that won't run right [on a mill]. You probably got enough junk to do it. If not I do.

People decided circle blades are art-deco fodder at some point and started wanting more for them rusted and bent with no inserts than they cost oiled and new.  Ive not had much luck getting old circles and really have tried!  Ive got some old small blades but they go on a huge hub.  

[moodnacreek]

Mike, most of those old saws are worth little. To have one to use for cut off it must be one of the 4 patterns still made so you can buy teeth. Somebody once made angled teeth to cross cut with a 2 1/2 pattern mill [rip] saw.  You used to see circle saw firewood processors using these as opposed to an expensive, heavy and thick slasher saw blade. The trick is to run them cool.

[mike_belben]

if you got one you wanna do some tradin on you just holler