best two-man crosscut saw?

[TomG]

What a great bunch of posts, terrific reading. mad murdock, I'v got a logjack and can roll and move most stuff. The ash I mentioned is fairly deep in the ground, which is clay and rocks. It also has a massive root ball. I know I can dig under it, etc. but it's a huge pain in that location. I may use a scissor jack or just go at it with an axe. Was hoping maybe someone had a helicopter I could borrow for the day.

AT sawyer, do you ever just use an axe to get through something like that? I envy you guys who get paid to be in the woods. For me, there is little that is better.

mad murdock, your photos just came online as I was writing this. Thanks for those shots. That looks like a very good way to do it and is clearly illustrated. I guess I had thought the tooth is supposed to be set further down from the tip, but I am just getting info from reading and may even misremember. If you have anything to say about that, I would like to hear it. Did you measure the profile on the steel or just eyeball it? What do you think of the Stanley No. 43 saw setter? (There is a link above.)

[mad murdock]

TomG, a Helicopter could be arranged if a guy was closer.  For my day job, I work on helicopters We do work for forestry, supporting reforestation here in the PNW.  Where are you located? I guess I need to go back and look at your OP, I think you are back in the NorthEast.  I am not sure what a logjack is.  If it is the same as a timberjack, basically a cant hook with a stand on it.  Those do not work to well for me in the woods,  I prefer a peavey. Way more versatile from my experience.  I think a handsetter is fine.  I just learned from an old timer and that is how he did it. 

[TomG]

mad murdock, that was a lucky guess about the helicopter! I'm in upstate NY currently, but used to live in Bend and Enterprise and years ago in Eugene. The logjack is as you describe. It works well enough for my uses and since I already have that I am too cheap to buy anything else. Hope to get to a large antique/old tools place tomorrow to look for saws and other good stuff. Your posts on the CC saws have been very helpful. It's not necessary for me to have one but going into the woods is, so I look for any excuse.

[AT sawyer]

AT Sawyer- Its good to see someone else on the forum who's doing wilderness trail work....

PM sent.

Even when I CAN use power equipment on the AT I prefer crosscuts. I use the chainsaw for extreme weather events where the blowdowns are every 20 feet.

[AT sawyer]

AT sawyer, do you ever just use an axe to get through something like that? I envy you guys who get paid to be in the woods. For me, there is little that is better.

I use an axe frequently, if only to keep in practice, and especially if the blowdowns are softwood. Without a pic I can't comment on your tree, but if dealing with a big rootball, it may sit back on you. Keep people out of the area when you make your finish cut.

A present from hurricane Sandy:

[mad murdock]

OK AT, I will not let you get off without giving some more info on that pic.  Nice looking tree, and a very nice looking axe!  Is it a Tuatahi?  Looks like one of their working axes.   ??? Inquiring minds, you know

[AT sawyer]

Yes, a Tuatahi work axe. Tree was a tulip poplar. If I die and go to axe heaven, all the blowdowns will be tulip poplars. Tree was pretty big though, and I kept barking my knuckles on the apex when reaching for the far wood -- one disadvantage of a racing length handle. Good head speed on the underhand chop though. In the background you'll see my crosscut. Lonely, sheathed, and hungry, hoping I'll break the handle on the axe.

[47sawdust]

I've gone past this post many times.Tonight I saw (pun not intended) that it was going on 6 pages.This was fun and very informative,keep up the good work.

[TomG]

AT sawyer, are you the guy that made this excellent video? How I Sharpen a Crosscut Saw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrYsFlx3OSY

[AT sawyer]

That be me, thanks. I ran it by Dolly Chapman and Alan Boyko before putting it YT. They gave me some good suggestions on what to include. If I ever did another product like that I'd include more details, but at the time YT only allowed me 10 minutes for the video. Lots of stuff to cram into 10 minutes. Anyway, Warren Miller has all that and more covered in his saw filing DVD which is also available online.

[TomG]

That's a very good vid you made and is one of the main reasons I am still pursuing the CC saw thing. You could always do a second one that augments what you may have passed over in the first. I have bookmarked the Miller vids, but have not had time yet. Even if his stuff has all the topics covered, it is still helpful to have more than one source for info like that. I enjoyed yours in part due to its brevity. If/when I find a CC, let's say 4-5' with Tuttle pattern teeth, what is the best way to set it? mad murdock has introduced a tamping block or whatever it's called. Someone else suggested the Stanley No. 43 saw set. On your vid you are using something different. Does it make that much difference? Is one method much better than the others. the No. 43 seems simplest and cheapest to me, but I really do not know. Any insight from you on this would be much appreciated.

That axe looks really good. How does it compare to a Gransfors besides just being bigger? I have one short handled GB axe that I often use, but I prefer a 36" handle for big jobs as it is easier on the hands and helps me keep a safe distance.

[AT sawyer]

Disston #954 in a 4' length is a good heavy saw. The Champion teeth make for easier sawing of smaller (less than 12") logs. The tempering in the steel is also more forgiving when filing and setting. I prefer to hammer set using an anvil. My simple hand anvil is a 3lb drilling hammer head ground flat with a slight bevel cut into one side. A heavy anvil provides a more solid backstop when setting teeth. Saw sets can break teeth if you're unfamiliar with them. Getting the right amount of squeeze has its own learning curve.

The Tuatahi has a much longer blade and hits harder given its weight. You would not want to swing it all day, but on a trail crew you can spend just as much time walking to the next blowdown as you do cutting it. I have a GB felling axe that cuts very nicely, but like all my tools, it's very sharp and profiled for the hardwood I mostly cut.

[TomG]

Thank you for this info. It'll be just a matter of time before I find something. I am still not quite sure how far and from what point the teeth need to be sharpened and bent. This info may be in the vid you made and which I have watched twice, but since it was all sort of new, I did not follow it all.

[mad murdock]

Here is a link to the YT video series of Warren Miller the instructor at the USFS hand saw school in MT.
This 5 video series is excellent on the subject and details the setting process used as described by ATSawyer. It is similar to the way I use my "bar" except it can be done which the saw in the vise. A few tools you need to do the job to his level is a spider gauge a raker gauge and possibly a jointer, if you get a saw that is totally out of whack and needs a complete resharpen done to it. http://youtu.be/kD976NlxrSE
This is the first vid of the 5 8)

[TomG]

Thanks for the vid. I'm going to watch it soon as I can. Right now, I am pretty confident about being able to do it well-enough, though I need more study of course. The info available today is wonderful as we can learn quickly and it keeps these old arts alive. When robots take over all work and are smarter than us in all ways, some people will still be able to enjoy the considerable pleasure of going into the woods and doing something worthwhile.