How big is your wood?

flyingsquirrel25 · Oct 2, 2017

I thought there was a thread, but after searching around I couldn't find it. I figure there are so many guys out there using cranes it would be interesting to see photos from the big wood you pick.
Now, photos with some sort of scale would be nice, of course weight and any other pertinent info would be great! Let's see it!
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Today we picked the largest piece we have had a weight on. We have done 11k oak, but this sugar maple dwarfed that by far. Our reasoning behind the pick was mainly the ease of cutting and if concrete was found (we found plenty today) the fight would be at ground level. Lucky no concrete in the main trunk but solid hard wood. We had plenty of crane with the 55 nbt at a close radius for a capacity of 33,000 pounds. The crew poll came in 23-28k to the white mark. The scale read 25,000 after deductions.

That's a 3' x 8' matt laying on the ground!

That's a 5,000 pound piece being cut off in the dump trailer to be hauled off !

monkeylove · Oct 3, 2017

I was goingto ask if you went with the cookie cut plan from Friday but I see you did. How did it work out? How many slices before you could lay it down in the trailer? I see they forgot to move the "Blue ribbon" stone. Nothing like some extra stress, lol.

flyingsquirrel25 · Oct 3, 2017

monkeylove said:
I was goingto ask if you went with the cookie cut plan from Friday but I see you did. How did it work out? How many slices before you could lay it down in the trailer? I see they forgot to move the "Blue ribbon" stone. Nothing like some extra stress, lol.

It was 4 pieces and four loads. First cookie wa 5k, Second around 6k, third @ 9k (due to concrete poking out the side) and right around 6 for the last. Oh and the stump is still 18-24" high. None of the pieces payed down, just set flat in on the floor and were extremely stable.
They went through Saturday and moved stones but only set them back 10' or so, just enough for us to get the tree cut and stump ground out. The stressful part o today was the concrete, it changed th entire plan mid morning and wrecked 3 chains... so far. I still have to break down the wood so a tub grinder will chew it up so... I expect more dull chain!

Tom Dunlap · Oct 3, 2017

Try using a jack hammer to split the trunks

A pavement breaker jack hammernhead on a backhoe makesnshort work ofnuprooted stumps before
They get into
The tub grinder

flyingsquirrel25 · Oct 3, 2017

Tom Dunlap said:
Try using a jack hammer to split the trunks

A pavement breaker jack hammernhead on a backhoe makesnshort work ofnuprooted stumps before
They get into
The tub grinder

I didn't even think of that option. Thanks. I ordered an Atom Splitter, was hoping it would arrive today but no luck. Their selling point is the only 300 ton wood splitter on the market. We will see! If it works I will be happy, if it doesn't... not so much, and will have to try the jackhammer on the mini skid, or mini ex. Thanks

ward · Oct 4, 2017

Great idea for a thread. There's a thick log there, that Maple. Here's last year's Big Doug fir in the fall. 275 ton crane @ 145' Can't remember exactly how much it weighed... maybe 10k? Whole tree must have been 75K or more. That's Ryan Cafferky (contract climber) and Nick Stafford (foreman) at the last of it.

cerviarborist · Oct 4, 2017

I keep hearing the title of this thread, sung by the Bee Gees to the tune of "How Deep is Your Love".

flyingsquirrel25 · Oct 5, 2017

Well I'm not finished breaking it all up yet but I am pretty happy with the atom splitter so far. I broke up three 4'x4' rounds, a 3'x approximately 10' log, an additional large rotted piece and the top section (where the slings are) on the big pick last night. I also couldn't help my self and drilled into the bottom piece to see how well it was going to go. I did get it stuck twice, the first time was my first split. I just didn't know when I needed to stop and reset. A well placed saw cut released tension enough to get it spinning in reverse again. We will probably try and get a video of it running today breaking up the high stump so we can get it cut off.