How to Harvest Firewood
Harvesting your own firewood provides an opportunity to get a great outdoor workout while saving money that would otherwise go toward heating your home. Always be careful when harvesting firewood and make sure you treat the tools with proper respect and caution.
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Things You'll Need
- Chain saw
- Gas
- Bar oil
- Warm clothes
- Sledgehammer or ax
- Splitting wedge
- Emergency preparedness kit
Instructions
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Cutting Down the Tree
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1
Find a suitable tree to cut for firewood. Ideally, you will be looking for a dead hardwood tree that is still upright and can be felled without having to remove any other trees. A tree that is larger than nine inches in diameter may be too heavy to easily haul away.
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2
Make sure you have a safe working area prior to cutting down the tree. Remove any obstructions that may cause you to stumble, and trim back any sharp branches that may present a hazard. Also, keep an eye out for any loose branches that may fall once you start cutting.
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3
Use your chain saw to cut down the tree by making a 30-degree cut near its base. The angled cut will dictate the direction in which the tree will fall. Your saw should be going full speed before you initiate the cut and you need to make sure you stay out of the saw's cutting plane. Release the throttle on the chain saw when the tree starts to fall, and move quickly and carefully away from the tree.
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4
Use the chain saw to carefully cut the branches off the tree and to cut the tree trunk into manageable sections that you can haul out of the woods.
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5
Haul the tree-trunk sections out of the woods as soon as possible. Hauling the wood out can be accomplished using any number of effective methods, but it is always hard work.
Splitting the Logs
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6
Place a log on its end in the middle of a flat portion of ground where the surrounding area is free from tree branches or other obstructions.
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7
Position the splitting wedge near the middle of the exposed face of the log. Use a sledgehammer or the back of an ax to tap the wide end of the splitting wedge until the point of the wedge is securely embedded in the wood.
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8
Use heavy strokes of the sledge hammer or ax to drive the wedge deeply into the wood. At some point, the embedded wedge will cause the log to split into sections
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9
Stack the sections of wood in a sheltered area where it will remain dry and ready for use.
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10
Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until you have cut and stored all the wood.
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1
Tips & Warnings
When cutting down the tree, use the teeth near the base of the chain saw to minimize the chance the saw will kick back or jerk in a manner that causes you to lose control of the power tool.
Falling trees can be extremely dangerous. Make sure that any bystanders are situated far from the tree you are cutting. Move away from the tree at a right angle to the direction in which the tree is falling. If the tree hangs up on another tree while falling, the base of the tree trunk may break free from the stump and be propelled in the opposite direction.
References
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Comments
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whalegeek
Nov 18, 2010
By the time you pay for the chainsaw, the gasoline, the goggles,and a truck with which to haul the wood...your firewood has cost a fortune. ...Oh, and not mention if you didn't buy the steel toed boots - then the Dr. bill for the smashed toes. Oh, and since you didn't know how to 'fall' a tree, then the repair bill for when the tree landed on your truck...oh, and if you forgot to get a PERMIT the fine you'll pay...oh, and the time you will lose from your paying job to take care of going to the Dr. for your smashed toes, paying for the loner car while your truck is being fixed and the time away from work while you go to court about your fine for cutting firewood without a permit. Good luck! You're better off depending on a professional who knows what they are doing...then enjoy the heat of your warm home! -
altenergyinc
Nov 18, 2010
This is a not a good article. The directions for felling a tree are incorrect, and dangerous. Only professionals use single cuts, and probably less than half the time. Always use two cuts. Use the two cuts to build a hinge that folds the stem of the tree into your desired path. That is the start of many precautions. That being said, if you are trying to figure out how to cut down an 5000 lb tree on the internet, you should find someone who is proficient, and they can show you how to do it safely in an afternoon. Always wear goggles, boots, leather gloves, heavy pants. (No shorts, tennis shoes, sunglasses).
