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General Forestry => Ask The Forester => Topic started by: Aidan Elerick on January 10, 2017, 10:58:55 AM

Title: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Aidan Elerick on January 10, 2017, 10:58:55 AM
I have about 6 and a half acres of oak, poplar, birch, beach, and occasional willows and I'm going through and cutting down dead trees to allow sufficient sunlight to reach the saplings and I would like to buy a one man crosscut to do so and I'm lost on what type of teeth I should get tuttle or champion and what is the best place I can get a good quality one from I found this website crosscut saw co and I don't know if there worth the money they want on their crosscuts does anyone have some good information that can assist me with my search?  :P
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: DeerMeadowFarm on January 10, 2017, 11:59:26 AM
I prefer Husqvarna XP saws myself.....  ;)
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Czech_Made on January 10, 2017, 12:50:43 PM
n/a
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Czech_Made on January 10, 2017, 12:55:58 PM
Check these out:

https://www.bahcostore.com/bow-saws (https://www.bahcostore.com/bow-saws)

The saw blade is thin and the saw is light, for logs up to 16" or so they are much easier to use.
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Ron Scott on January 10, 2017, 01:05:20 PM
If you plan to do much tree falling and then bucking up any of the wood for clean up, firewood use etc. I wood certainly go with a small-medium size chain saw as previously mentioned though a lot of wood has been cut with the mentioned crosscut saws before chain saws made the wood cutting task much easier and more productive. ;)
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Jeff on January 10, 2017, 01:47:16 PM
I Have a few choices hanging around if I ever need one.

 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/20170110_134452.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1484074005)
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: warren46 on January 10, 2017, 04:44:59 PM
No matter what saw you get you will need to learn to file the saw.  Keeping the teeth sharp is probably more important than the shape and style of teeth.
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: thecfarm on January 10, 2017, 07:29:13 PM
I know of a guy that has heart trouble. Doctor wanted him to go to a gym. He tried it,but he's kinda a loner. Brought a store buck saw and gets his wood in 4 foot length and he uses that to buck his wood to length. Does not have to go to a gym now.
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Aidan Elerick on January 10, 2017, 09:27:54 PM
Quote from: warren46 on January 10, 2017, 04:44:59 PM
No matter what saw you get you will need to learn to file the saw.  Keeping the teeth sharp is probably more important than the shape and style of teeth.

by chance do you have any information or sites i could use to learn how to sharpen a crosscut because i have vises and lots of files and i have sharpend my bow saw, axe, and knife but i know the teeth on a crosscut are much larger which make it more difficult to sharpen
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Jeff on January 10, 2017, 09:35:19 PM
The Crosscut Saw Manual (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/publications/fs_publications/pdf/pdf77712508lo.pdf)
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Aidan Elerick on January 11, 2017, 08:50:07 PM
 ::) thanks for the help i'm about to purchase my crosscut when i purchase it i'm going to test it and drop the information on this page for someone newer to read over and help get a good understanding of its kind and i found this informational video from a while back that i think someone might find useful ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_addUBt2sc ) :) thanks agian
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: AT sawyer on February 22, 2017, 07:37:10 AM
Jim Thode has a great video on one man felling and bucking with a crosscut saw. Note his choice of blade -- stiff and short to prevent fishtailing. Shortened "topper" saws can be found on Ebay from time to time, always in the Pacific NW. Need to be properly filed though. The Crosscut Saw Company is famous for selling poorly-designed filing tools. Get your gauges on Ebay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0uv7ZnCC6o (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0uv7ZnCC6o)
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: livemusic on February 22, 2017, 09:53:15 AM
Interesting post. I actually have heart disease and discussed doing weight bearing exercise (such as weight lifting) with my doctor recently. I have read quite a bit about many cutting edge researchers saying that weight bearing exercise is better for us than aerobic exercise, counter to what the mainstream has latched onto for the past few decades. Thanks to Jim Fixx. Who, most ironically, died at age 52 while jogging.

So, I told me doc I was hand splitting firewood and that is certainly a workout. This post makes me think of a 'problem' I have on the property I recently bought -- numerous dead standing hardwoods that died from the terrible drought a few years ago. Some are pretty rotten. I have intended to cut them down with a chainsaw because they could fall on me or fall on other trees that I want to survive. (I had a friend die from a freak accident when a dead tree fell on him; he never knew what hit him.) I have so many dead trees, it will take a long while to cut them.

Lol, I wonder if there is any benefit other than getting some exercise. I guess it's quiet, that's always good.

It would be cool to find a good saw for this. Does anyone have an opinion about what would be best for rotten trees? Heck, even an axe might be good. Now, that is a workout!
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: DMcCoy on February 22, 2017, 10:28:39 AM
AT That looks like 1/2 of a crosscut saw.  Very common thing to do. I have one or two that way.

I was going to say good luck finding a jointer but I did a quick look on e-bay and found 1 for $295.00.  Very few spider gauges.  Some of my set gauges claim to act as a jointer by bending a file.  Never tried it.

You can build you own spider gauge.  Set setters are readily available.

A really sharp cross cut saw should be protected, unless you like to give blood.  I use split fire hose laced on with shoe laces.  There are probably better methods.  I carry one in my PU behind the front seat, hardly takes any room, hard to beat in an emergency, no gas/oil.
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Ox on February 22, 2017, 10:48:33 AM
I understand the draw to cutting this way.  Ancestors' way, peace and quiet, exercise, time to let your mind wander for a bit, etc.  I would be interested in doing it this way, too.  No possible way now, though, so I'll watch others do it and live vicariously through them. 
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Aidan Elerick on February 22, 2017, 02:05:48 PM
Quote from: livemusic on February 22, 2017, 09:53:15 AM
Interesting post. I actually have heart disease and discussed doing weight bearing exercise (such as weight lifting) with my doctor recently. I have read quite a bit about many cutting edge researchers saying that weight bearing exercise is better for us than aerobic exercise, counter to what the mainstream has latched onto for the past few decades. Thanks to Jim Fixx. Who, most ironically, died at age 52 while jogging.

So, I told me doc I was hand splitting firewood and that is certainly a workout. This post makes me think of a 'problem' I have on the property I recently bought -- numerous dead standing hardwoods that died from the terrible drought a few years ago. Some are pretty rotten. I have intended to cut them down with a chainsaw because they could fall on me or fall on other trees that I want to survive. (I had a friend die from a freak accident when a dead tree fell on him; he never knew what hit him.) I have so many dead trees, it will take a long while to cut them.

Lol, I wonder if there is any benefit other than getting some exercise. I guess it's quiet, that's always good.

It would be cool to find a good saw for this. Does anyone have an opinion about what would be best for rotten trees? Heck, even an axe might be good. Now, that is a workout!

to answer your question when it comes to cutting dead stuff the straight tooth and American lance tooth works rather well
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: AT sawyer on February 22, 2017, 09:47:36 PM
Small diameter (less than about 16" DBH) dead, dry, wood can be a challenge with lance-tooth saws, as the large sawdust gullets can catch on your stroke. Crosscut saws with smaller Champion or Tuttle teeth chatter less.

Many small jointers are combination gauges that can be used as jointers and raker gauges.

Firehose is ok for a sheath, but channel lattice is tougher and readily available at any big box home center:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSQTDEuwurE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSQTDEuwurE)
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: sawguy21 on February 22, 2017, 11:06:10 PM
I have a couple you can practice with. ;D I have no desire to pull them off the wall, my gas axes will do just fine.
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: livemusic on February 24, 2017, 11:04:17 AM
Back to felling standing, dead (and some are rotten) hardwoods. Some of these trees are pretty big. Most are 16"-24" DBH. In this thread, old-timey crosscut topper saws are mentioned. I see them for sale on Ebay but they are pretty pricey. What about a saw like this -- https://www.bahcostore.com/item/10-30-51 -- do you think it would be as good? Or better? Are modern saws like that superior or inferior? This might be a dumb question but one thing I don't understand is... if you are felling a large DBH tree, it seems like the frame tubing would be in the way to continue cutting once you got deep enough into the tree to hit the frame... what am I missing, lol. I've used bow saws like that before but never to cut anything big; the ones I have cut always fit within the area between the blade and the frame.

I see that on these bow saws, they sell blades for "green" trees and "dry" trees. I guess I would need dry, not sure of the difference in the blades, I don't see much difference.

These bow saws would certainly be light, and they are not expensive.

https://www.bahcostore.com/images/xlarge/9-36-23-KP.jpg
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: AT sawyer on February 25, 2017, 08:46:49 PM
The bow saw frame would get in the way for larger trees, whereas a large one-man saw could be pulled back through the kerf to clear any chips. To keep the saw from fishtailing, you could also nail a 2x4 to the tree and use it to guide and balance a one-man saw until you get it started. Use your axe to chop out the face cut, then apply the 2x4 trick for the back cut. You can find decent cc saws at antiques shops and craigslist, but you'll still have to get it filed and set.

Teeth and rakers should look something like this:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/24317/P1010373.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1488073517)
Title: Re: finding the right one man crosscut saw
Post by: Aidan Elerick on March 06, 2017, 08:50:49 PM
Quote from: livemusic on February 24, 2017, 11:04:17 AM
Back to felling standing, dead (and some are rotten) hardwoods. Some of these trees are pretty big. Most are 16"-24" DBH. In this thread, old-timey crosscut topper saws are mentioned. I see them for sale on Ebay but they are pretty pricey. What about a saw like this -- https://www.bahcostore.com/item/10-30-51 -- do you think it would be as good? Or better? Are modern saws like that superior or inferior? This might be a dumb question but one thing I don't understand is... if you are felling a large DBH tree, it seems like the frame tubing would be in the way to continue cutting once you got deep enough into the tree to hit the frame... what am I missing, lol. I've used bow saws like that before but never to cut anything big; the ones I have cut always fit within the area between the blade and the frame.

I see that on these bow saws, they sell blades for "green" trees and "dry" trees. I guess I would need dry, not sure of the difference in the blades, I don't see much difference.

These bow saws would certainly be light, and they are not expensive.

https://www.bahcostore.com/images/xlarge/9-36-23-KP.jpg

well out of all the teeth the best and i mean thee best possible way to get a good efficient cut is to be sure your ripper teeth are razer sharp and allined correctly and that the rakers are at the right height only then will you be sawing through trees like a true sawyer :o :laugh: :D :) ;)