Felled my first tree with an axe

Col Defender

Col Defender

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Nov 11, 2011
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Hi

I've been cutting my own firewood for more than 25 years - with chainsaws of course; but since I've been bitten by the axe bug I thought I would try this:

Impressions:
It was harder and took longer than I thought it would. (This is a dead, dry and very hard elm - perhaps not the best choice for a first time attempt?
I had a hard time making the notch because my accuracy was so bad; the felling cut actually went a little better.
This tree was so hard and strong that it took a lot of cut to get it to fall.
A satisfying experience - really enjoyed the way the axe bit into the wood with a satisying "thunk".
The axe is a double bit vintage Plumb I rescued from oblivion recently.
Had a good time.:)
 
Brought the axe back to life then felled a tree...Sounds like a great experience.
Makes me want to go scour the flea market for an axe...and then try to find a tree someone won't miss. :D
Thanks for sharing Col.
 
Immensely amusing post! I love how much joy we can get from de-evolving our modern lives just a little bit!

I did the same thing not too long ago. My wife looked at me...laughed and then left me alone to go about having a fun afternoon. I almost took off a foot once or twice but it was a great learning experience.
 
Well done. I swear, every time I manually bring down a tree, it takes much longer than expected.
I hope to rehang a vintage axe some day. Need to check out some antique stores.
 
nice. This is lots of fun for uncomplicated fells. An axe to grind also has a section on felling that is a good read. You can use the double bit as a T-square to check the direction of fall. You can also saw the bottom of the felling cut. not attaching these as textbook just ones I've done.



 
Great way to get the blood pumping. Its a lot more work then modern methods but it is a personal victory when a monster tree is felled by hand.
 
Will you process the tree with an Axe as well or no? I would go back with the chain saw for that and save my back lol.
 
Good on ya! :)
First "real" tree I felled with an axe was a lesson. I had just finished sharpening Grandpa's double Plumb and was nagging him for something I could cut. He finally relented and told me to go to the ridge and pick out a White Oak that I could just get my arms around, drop it and let it lie and season for the Fall firewood. I was 14yr old and did not know what I was in for. I got it, blisters and all. I had split plenty of wood and limbed, but that horizontal swing to eat down a real tree was new to me.

I will soon start working on a Kelly Perfect Jersey pattern I found in excellent condition. Have a House 32" Octagon handle for it. I am excited to tackle something with it.


Bill
 
cchu518 said:
Will you process the tree with an Axe as well or no? I would go back with the chain saw for that and save my back lol.
Click to expand...

Switching to chainsaws for the next steps....and thank you everyone for the kind comments. This tree is about 8-9" in diameter - not exactly a "monster" SideTracked. I'll try something bigger one of these days. Question for those of you with some real experience - is a green tree softer and easier to fell? This thing, though not large was hard as a rock. Took a lot of chopping even with a sharp axe.
 
Green tree will be easier. Standing dead needs to be cut nearly all the way through as well. Not enough weight or flexibility to "give" and come down. Dry Elm is hard stuff.

Not much different than with a chainsaw. Green can be pushed with a wedge and slowly gives. Dead is a more sudden "snap".

Bill
 
That's pretty cool. Felling trees is a lot of fun. And yes, Elm is very hard when it's been dead for awhile. I cut s few down not too long ago on a family member property and it surprised me a bit as well.
 
I haven't chopped a big tree down in quite a while. I have an urge to do it now. On a dead tree there is more danger of a branch or top snapping off.
 
I cut a green Ash a few weeks back that was around 8 or 10 inches, by myself with an axe and crosscut. It took me just a little over 5 minutes.
 
halfaxe said:
I haven't chopped a big tree down in quite a while. I have an urge to do it now. On a dead tree there is more danger of a branch or top snapping off.
Click to expand...

That is a very good point. I remember being young and trying to shove a dead tree over. I gave up and about that time the top 7ft stabbed into the ground beside me. :rolleyes:
 
What fun! There's nothing like the pleasure of sinking an axe into a tree. I bet that old hard elm was tough!
 
When I was 10 and my cousin was 12 we spent a whole summer chopping trees to build a "fort". We had a full sized axe head with a hatchet handle. All that we were chopping was poplar trees and we stuck to 5 or 6 inch trees. They came down pretty easy as we didn't have a clue that an axe could be sharpened.
 
Burns very well if you do so after it dries and before it gets pithy. Most of the elm trees around here seem to be dying. Too bad but easy to get firewood ready to burn right out of the woods.
 
When the elm died around here they stood for years and still made good firewood since the bark would come off soon after death. Some hardwood stands were 50% elm. Now there are only a few mostly smaller elm trees here.
 
Col Defender said:
Burns very well if you do so after it dries and before it gets pithy. Most of the elm trees around here seem to be dying. Too bad but easy to get firewood ready to burn right out of the woods.
Click to expand...
I think you told me about elm's burning qualities before- I'll remember this time.
Our elms died out long ago. Sometimes you'll see a little one but they still don't get old.
 
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