Commercial firewood harvesting

[Robert MoonShadow]

Nice scoot… thanks for sharing the photo!

[Carl Russell]

Just for conversation, it can be somewhat cumbersome rigging up shafts on a scoot, so one way to keep the thing from running up on the heels is to use a bridle chain. A chain that can be wrapped around the runner, and easily undone, can add just enough drag so that the sled has to be pulled down hill. Seems somewhat counterproductive, but it is effective, and easy.

Carl

[Jim Ostergard]

Carl is correct in using a chain. On my scoot I have one on each side and it is amazing how only one on a fairly steep grade slows it down. Cheap and easy.

[Robert MoonShadow]

I saw something similar to what you two are referring to, in a copy of Rural Heritage. Sam Moore was identifying it (only part was there), to my eyes, the main part there looked like the “s”-shaped latch hook on snow chains for tires. I didn’t totally understand his description, but it seems that it was designed for exactly what you said – to hold back sleds, etc. on downhill slopes, and the latch was somehow designed to be able to easily unhook, as Carl suggested. How much chain are you referring to, for wrapping the runner? The entire length?

[Jim Ostergard]

On that little scoot of mine I just have a piece of old chocker chain going around once. I put an eye bolt on top of the runner just in front of the bunk. It hangs loose enough so it slides back a foot or so. Don’t know it its on the pictures I posted. I use an out of shape hook to hook it up and when not in use just take a turn around the stake.

[Carl Russell]

This is a picture shows the type of bridle chain that I use. Although this is on a sled with a pole, especially on snow and ice I use this chain to slow the sled down. It is made with a finger and ring on one end, and a large link on the other end. Put the chain under(in front of) the runner, loop it around to the finger, put the finger through the end link, fold it over and slide the ring on to the finger. When the sled stops, take the ring off the finger, which lets go of the end link and the chain can slide out from under the runner.

Carl

[Rick Alger]

Has anyone tried the European style shafts that act as a brake?

[Robert MoonShadow]

Thanks Carl – sounds slick.
Rick; What is this? Sounds interesting… please elaborate.

[Rick Alger]

I’ve only seen pictures. They were posted by a guy from Norway a few years back on RH and the Maine Horselogging site. I think his name was Oysten Lien.

Anyway, here’s what I recall. The shafts are slightly wider than the runners. They are hooked loose to the sled with a chain which is connected at the center of the cross piece at the front of the sled to the center of the crosspiece at the back of the shafts.

The back end of the shafts has a “shoe” on the end of each shaft that rests on the ground when the sled is stopped or going downhill. The sled rides up on the shaft cross piece, the shoes dig in, and the sled stops.

It’s the same concept as hooking long and letting the sled ride up on the whiffletree, but it appears to be more likely to work every time.

In the European arrangement the horse pulls directly on the shafts which hook to something like a D-ring in the harness, but it looks like an American style combination of tugs and shafts would work.

Maybe we’ll hear from somebody who has tried it out.

[Michel Boulay]

From what I’ve read, with both Carl and Jason’s amount of experience and everybody elses input you have a very good idea of what to do. Now it is up to you to take everything in consideration and put it in practice for your specific need. I can see your having a good time. Here in New-Brunswick loggers will buy stumpage from a land owner and clearcut. The wood they market will be pulpwood, studwood, sawlogs and firewood.
Now the firewood they deliver in eight foot lenght. I think the price for eight foot lenght is from $85 to $100 a cord now. Ten year ago I bought mine at $69 and it went up to $75 a couple of year later till my supplier could supply it anymore. So at that time that is when I started to cut my wood on my land and had to buy equipement to do so. A piece of equipment for me that was less expensive but still expensive in a way was a farmi winch to get at trees in the woods and bring them to my trail. Forest is pretty thick here so to get at some nice size trees it always meant to cut a little trail to get at the tree, which to me was doubling the work. You seem to have good access to your trees, so you would skid them out to your trail and then decide whatever lenght you want to scoot them out. I can see the dilemma you have with those big trees, taking them out by rounds. Seems to add some work. I think the simpler and less labor consuming is best for you, and certainly keeping a good measure of the wood your bringing out. Around here loggers that do exclusively firewood will deliver the wood in 16 inch for $275 a cord. That went up from $175 a couple of years ago with oil going up. they will deliver in 8 feet lenght to depending on what the buyer wants.
They only cut hardwood for fuelwood which is the same in the Northeastern states. The kind of wood here is red maple, some sugar maple, white birch, yellow birch, odd oak and beech, some poplar mixed in there to. With oil going up more poeple burn wood, demand is getting higher. Loggers have there clients, so new clients have a hard time finding some wood. When the logger has supplied his clients the new clients will some time be stuck with unseasoned wood to buy. That is a little picture of what is going on here. I don’t think loggers bother going after dead trees either.
Now what I do when it’s time to cut my fuelwood, I start in july and august. Right after the fullmoon. I don’t know if you loggers have heard of this but when you start cutting in those two months, the old guys call it cutting at the good moon in french à la bonne lune. Which means that you cut between the full moon and new moon in a two weeks span. Before or after you are not cutting any fuelwood. They say that at that time less sap is going up the tree. Now that the tree is cut you don’t fell it, you let lay on the ground without the butt touching the ground so no moisture can be suck up the tree. The leaves on the tree will suck all the moisture out and become brown and dry, take a couple of weeks or more depending on temperture and sun exposure. Then it is time to take them out, fell and cut in the lenght that you want. I took them out in 4 feet lenght and brought them home to cut and split but had a lot of mess to pick up, so now I try and do most of that in my trails then pack the wood on my trailer, three rows of 16 inches. The trailer will contain a cord and a half, so that is how I measure the wood that I bring out. Everything is done with tractor and winch. Could do some in the winter time but, we are at the mercy of the amount of snow we get. best time would be in november and december. Now that is why I am looking for my first horse and going to do some logging. Also the skidoo trail is very close, they always groom them so a good bobsled and off I go. Oh and a Robert good luck.

[lancek]

I am doing firewood in centeral indiana no where near as steep as Idaho, but still hilly we are useing one hose with a wagon that I monted a swing boom on! we cut and split the wood in the woods and place on pallets we then use the swing boom to unload the pallets on to a truck that takes it to a kiln for drying. This way we only have to stack it once from the time we cut it to the time we load it on a truck for delivery!

[Robert MoonShadow]

Lancek ~ That’s a pretty good idea for reducing the handling of the firewood!

[lancek]

yea works like a charm but I wish my spelling was better, I just spelled hose insted of horse but what do you expect out of a hunt and peck guy!

[Gabe Ayers]

Hey Lance,

I know it is even more of a technological challenge but can you get us some photos of your system. I am also interested in the kiln drier you are using to get this wood dry. Welcome to DAP.

Thanks,

[lancek]

Hey jason,
In regards to your tec responce sure I can get some pics we will be working this week weather purmitting ! The kiln we use is just two back yard utillity sheds that we insulated and set up with fans so as to cerculate the air! I then built a large wood stove with temperture control to heat the unit!
By the way do have anything to do with sterling acc there in vermount?

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