Farwood measuring guide for chainsaws...

[John_Mc]

When you are looking at a 7 cord load, flipping the saw 90 degrees and back again for each cut is just plain idiot work.

that's all I can say about that.

Heck, that gets old when I'm just cutting cord.

 

[jajiu]

I've used the bar or saw body itself as a gauge. But that requires turning the saw at 90 degrees to the work to measure.

There's this if you want to spend money: The Mingo Marker Firewood Marker | Firewood Measuring Devices | Firewood Products | www.baileysonline.com

That's the way I went, the Mingo Marker. I even bought one for my neighbor to thank him for some help he gave me and he commented on how nice it worked. I have tried all kinds of things to mark my firewood for cutting and this works the best. You can get different wheels for different lengths, I go with 18" and my neighbor went with 16". If I am doing short log lengths, I usually use an 18" stick I have with my wood cutting utensils and some orange spray paint (marking paint) to mark the length.

 

[John_Mc]

I've tried carrying measuring sticks or tape, butI'm always setting them down and forgetting where I left them. My current firewood gauge was copied from a commercially made unit which was made many years ago and is no longer sold. It belonged to an old-timer friend of mine. Nothing extra to carry, one trip down the length of the log and you are done. This jig works best working from left to right (line up end of wire with end of log, and cut). It can be used right to left, you just have to glance over as you are finishing one cut to see where the wire is on the log for the next cut, then move to that spot.

In use. Distance from bar to end of wire is 16" (the commercial version had a red plastic slider that you could slide to various lengths)


This is in the almost stowed position. Wire tucks back against the body of the saw, out of the way when felling or making other cuts where measuring is not needed. This is my favorite thing about this gauge, and why I can't stand most other gauges that mount on the saw.


The weak point of my gauges is how it attaches. When it was first made, I had a few zigs and zags bent into the short leg that straps to the handle. These helped the wire "click" into position acting like a detent. Over time, the zip ties stretched, and the detent function no longer works, but the gauge still works OK. At some point, I'll design a better attachment method.

 

[TomSeller]

I'd get one of those super long plastic tie wraps and cut it to length if I were to use a guide like that. Better than the $40? Contraption the guy in the video had.

I cut up about 1/2 cord today off of a small tree and did not realize that I eyeball the length more than I thought. Had never thought much about it before this thread.

 

[Oldpath05]

I'd get one of those super long plastic tie wraps and cut it to length if I were to use a guide like that. Better than the $40? Contraption the guy in the video had.

I cut up about 1/2 cord today off of a small tree and did not realize that I eyeball the length more than I thought. Had never thought much about it before this thread.

I agree that simple wire thing on the chainsaw handle aint bad. I cut up 3 cord this afternoon and my measurement was all over the place, 12-24, that's terrible, I got the tape out several times and recut.

 

[BoylermanCT]

I have a magnetic pickup tool that has an insanely strong magnet. It has an adjustable handle that can go from 12" to 30". I set it at the length I want and attach it to the bar with the magnet and score the tree at each mark. Take the magnetic tool off and cut the rounds. Much faster than something that bolts onto the bar.

 

[Oldpath05]

I hire a surveying company to precisely mark my logs

I'd get one of those super long plastic tie wraps and cut it to length if I were to use a guide like that. Better than the $40? Contraption the guy in the video had.

I cut up about 1/2 cord today off of a small tree and did not realize that I eyeball the length more than I thought. Had never thought much about it before this thread.

What happen to the surveying company, did they up their tree marking rates from $.5-$50.00 per orange tape marker, probably the cost of orange tape went up.......... and now you just realized that your 16" eyeball is off, hate that when that happens............

 

[Oldpath05]

Heck, that gets old when I'm just cutting cord.

The chainsaw hand dance trick..............Heck that got old after two cuts for me yesterday

 

[Oldpath05]

The Original Woodcutters Helper Firewood Measuring Accessory - Chainsaw Guide - YouTube <<<<<<<<<<He's been cutting firewood for 20 years, I've been cutting firewood for 45 years, that magnetic rod on the bar would've been lost in the brush pile 44 years, 364 days, and 8 hrs ago. IMO a Charlie Brown invention, the John_Mc wire on the handlebar is better than that.

 

[John_Mc]

I was out cutting firewood with a friend several years ago. I noticed that all of his wood was coming out almost exactly 16" (well, it was "exactly" at least when compared to mine). I asked him how he did it. He said "I don't know, it just looks right when I cut it". I said "looks right" doesn't work very well for me, I may be OK for a while, then I drift off, or switch to a different diameter log and it "looks different" to me. It took us a while, but I think we eventually figured it out. He's a carpenter and spends a lot of time framing houses and laying things out at 16" on center. There were decades of calibration behind those eyeballs.

 

[rocketfish]

I just eyeball it too and most of the time I'm pretty darn close. I also framed houses growing up for my friends family business. Just like a lot of things the more I do it the better I get. Practice practice practice.

 

[Paul Thornton]

I have been using this for 45 years, now on 3rd saw. Looks like what John_Mc made.

 

[Oldpath05]

I was out cutting firewood with a friend several years ago. I noticed that all of his wood was coming out almost exactly 16" (well, it was "exactly" at least when compared to mine). I asked him how he did it. He said "I don't know, it just looks right when I cut it". I said "looks right" doesn't work very well for me, I may be OK for a while, then I drift off, or switch to a different diameter log and it "looks different" to me. It took us a while, but I think we eventually figured it out. He's a carpenter and spends a lot of time framing houses and laying things out at 16" on center. There were decades of calibration behind those eyeballs.

I have the same problem, going from one size to the next is what really throws me off. I'm thinking when I get a few minutes I'll make me a folding wire thingy like what you have.

 

[Oldpath05]

I have been using this for 45 years, now on 3rd saw. Looks like what John_Mc made.

That must been a long ago far away Stihl chainsaw accessory, never seen one clamped on like that, nice wonder if I can make something like it.

 

[BukitCase]

Might work to start with something like this
Mini Quick Fist Clamp for mounting tools & equipment 5/8" - 1-3/8" diameter (Pack of 2): Mini Quick Fist: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Then add either a wire or a small fiberglass rod along the flat (mount) side, fastened with a couple heavy tie wraps? Seems like you could get just enough tension on the "clamp" part to get a friction fit ...Steve

 

[TomSeller]

What happen to the surveying company, did they up their tree marking rates from $.5-$50.00 per orange tape marker, probably the cost of orange tape went up.......... and now you just realized that your 16" eyeball is off, hate that when that happens............

The surveying company started charging too much so I had to ditch them...

 

[KubotaToy]

I turn the saw as I move up the log. Line my "16 inch place" on the bar with the end of the wood and look where the tip is as I step into final position. Turn the saw on its tip and get after it.

My method also, I go thru 7-10 cords a year, stopping to mark would just take away cut time. Anything hanging off the saw would just get in the way. I am usually around 16-18" using the bar as a guide.

 

[cqaigy2]

I just eyeball it too and most of the time I'm pretty darn close. I also framed houses growing up for my friends family business. Just like a lot of things the more I do it the better I get. Practice practice practice.

Im lucky enough have had a lot of practice bucking wood. :laughing: Eyeball still works good enough for my stove anyway.

 

[John_Mc]

I have been using this for 45 years, now on 3rd saw. Looks like what John_Mc made.

That looks like what my friend had. You haven't seen anything like that for sale recently, have you? I did not get a good look at how it attached, so just made up my own method. I recently communicated with him, and he described a plastic block with a rubber strap. He said the strap was almost like a piece of inner tube, but maybe a bit heavier.

I might be able to make something like the the plastic block on a 3D printer (I'll have to think about what type of material would be tough enough so the little knobs would hold up). I suspect using an inner tube for the rubber strap will not hold up well enough.

Can you describe how the wire is held in to the plastic block? Is it just glued into a drilled hole?

BTW, I hope you don't mind my posting your pics on another site. I have posted on a similar thread there.

 

[John_Mc]

Might work to start with something like this
Mini Quick Fist Clamp for mounting tools & equipment 5/8" - 1-3/8" diameter (Pack of 2): Mini Quick Fist: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Then add either a wire or a small fiberglass rod along the flat (mount) side, fastened with a couple heavy tie wraps? Seems like you could get just enough tension on the "clamp" part to get a friction fit ...Steve

Steve - Thanks for that link. I'm ordering a couple of those to play with. I'm not sure whether some of the corners and parts will be in the way or snag things on the handle of my saw, but this is the closest thing I've seen that is commercially available. If it doesn't work out, I can always use it to hang up tools in my garage or shop

I may try a couple of the larger sizes to carry my Peavey on my tractor's logging winch.