Struck gold- 32" diameter osage log to split- how to handle?

[majsnuff]

I agree with Tom Sawyer, cutting in a pile is risky business. Better to tie on, back off, and pull peices out till you can get to your log.

[Minuteman]

They are right , do be careful. If you can pull it out then do so. If not be real careful , cut the log longer than you want and watch the kerf as you are cutting. If it closes up behind the bar then the weight is going down under the saw if it opens then then its falling on one end or the other, Its the ones that are bent inside the pile that'll whack the time out of ya.

[TRACY]

Definitely be safe when working on it. I would line up several sharp chains that you swap out as they dull while ripping the length. I've dealt with some larger osage and most of the time you will run into wind shake and rot that will reduce stave numbers. Lot of good advice already. You should get plenty of choices for staves. Good luck.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,3879.msg54263.html#msg54263

Tracy

[DCM]

When cutting wood from a pile, or anything a dozer has been pushing around, it's the dirt that dulls your chain not the wood.  Try to get the dirt and mud off, or avoid it, where you run your cut.  1/2 second running through dirt equals 2 hours of running thru wood.  I usually have a cheap machette around for such chores.

[Sidewinder]

I'm thinking before I tackle one that size I want to make sure that it does'nt have tooo much twist. I would pull it out of the pile and give the bark pattern a good look to make sure its worth the effort. If it is then by all means go at it but all of the above adivse sounds good to me. Good advise on the extra chains too.  Danny

[richpierce]

I was afraid of twist already looking at the bark.  Will get at it this weekend and take some opix too and let you guys know how it goes.  The advice here is superb and much appreciated.  There's a lot of experience and it's shared freely.

[richpierce]

I think I struck fools gold.  Advice is easier to take with some personal experience thrown in.
So far I have 4 hours of sawing and splitting and have zero staves from the huge osage logs I found.  I cut and split one log in half and it is too boxed in with other logs to roll it.  I am trying to split out a quarter but it's not going well.  So I tried to pop off a stave from the quarter that was not yet released and it's not piggybacking well- it's running out.  lesson: huge osage logs are trouble.  I am fixin to get one stave out of it or develop some big muscles, or both.

[cowboy]

Too bad it's stuck in the pile and you can't get at it . A log like that, you have to be able to roll around and work from all angles. Hopefully you'll get a couple stave's. Post some pic's, I still want to see that monster .

[radius]

can't you lever it free?  take a couple 8 foot 2x4s and you should be able to work it loose, man