Sawing Poles

Soft maple is OK for some poles….4×6 at the base for example, but ash is much better for smaller dimension poles such as 2x or 3x stock.

I have found many farm-cut poles will have some sweep or twist to them, so I usually saw them full dimension on the mill. For example my pole on my bob-sled is 2×8 at the base, then tapers to 2 1/2 or so, so I cut a full 2×8, cut it to length, the snap chalk lines to center the tip, and cut it out with my skill saw.

Similarly I just fashioned shafts for my Barden cart, cutting 3x3s then snapping lines fro double taper down to 2x2s. This way the sweeps can be minimized.

I usually come out about a few feet from the base before I start my taper, giving reinforced strength to the base.

Because I have a mill, I make poles different for every piece of equipment I use. I customize them based on the demand placed on each. I have used soft maple poles many times as they tend to grow straight, and as a small sapling 4″ dia ish they can be strong, but rarely last more than a few years.

Carl

I had a friend saw some tongues (poles!) out of ash. Adjusting the mill wasn’t too difficult. when we started a 5″ thickness on one end we lowered the other end 2 1/2 ” to make a tapered plank. Put the log up level and make another plank. Once we had I think three or four we set them on edge and did the same thing. Unfortunately most of them didn’t stay very straight. maybe better stickering would have helped. Most only bent in one direction so I could turn the curve down and still use them. I have quite a few small iron wood trees, and really like these for my quick round poles. Funny how some implements just need a quick round pole and other require chamfered edges and maybe a little paint. i can’t explain which is which! Donn

don’t know About you guys, but now that you bring it up, it seems that all the poles that head for the woods are round and rough. sap sled, scoot, wood cart and so on. but any tool headed for the fields (mower, cultivator, plow, forecart spreader and on) is, like carl said, chamfered, planed, sanded, polished, embellished, has to look. curious that.

I work in a woodlot in Grand Isle. Vt that has lots and lots of small to mid size hornbeam. That wood makes superior poles. I have made round poles with bark on as well as squared poles with taper cut in. It lasts better than ash or oak and has a good amount of flex. I have never cut it on a mill, but use a chainsaw and hand tools to shape the pole. I have used ash and oak in the past but I like the hornbeam best.
-Brad

not knowing how to post a new subject on this new forum setup I am posting here

the weather

seems like Irene allover again here

last night storm was so fierce and the lighting strikes so strong my farm is in shambles once again all barns pens and paddocks flooded sawdust being a commodity these days and hard to get makes clean up really hard

last night was like you see in a western movie here
I had what I can only call a stampede
all stock cows ,horses and young stock stampeded with a direct lightening strike they hit the high tensile wires so hard trying to get back to the barns

and in mass ripped three 6by 6 braced post out of the ground and torn down one side of a lane way with bar ways down about a 1/4 mile of fence

still raining here

on a positive note went to Guilford Fair yesterday and watched the ox pull called it right and missed the rain by about an hour was going to go today and watch horse pull
back to mucking out
Bill