# How do you mark your cut lines?



## Dmitry (Aug 14, 2015)

I'm in a process of cutting several trunks on my property. My stove accomidates 20" logs . I put marks on my 24" bar and use it to measure log length when cutting . I'm wondering what other wood enthusiasts do. May be someone got better idea ?


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## pen (Aug 14, 2015)

Here's one example of a tool to help here http://www.amazon.com/THE-MINGO-Mingo-Firewood-Marker/dp/B0013LGQ3A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439605795&sr=8-1&keywords=log marker

I just do as you do, and know that 16 inch cuts are to a hole in my bar, and 18 inch up to a certain rivet.  When doing this, I always cut starting at the left of the log, working my way to the right, as I find it is fastest.

In the days of doing firewood for a fisher stove that took splits much longer than I'd ever want to deal with, I never paid any attention.  With my "new" stove at home, I do pay attention and just make a habit of working down the log as mentioned and moving the saw to the side to make the measurement.  Some folks have found ways to attach a "stick" to the bar, and use that so they don't have to rotate the saw.

If it works, it works.  I just try and keep it simple.  The few seconds it costs me per log make up for themselves during the burn season when I know everything that's in the house will fit right in to the stove.

On a side note, had a buddy bust my chops for doing that,  I made mention that those few seconds save me from getting a panicked call from the wife on the rare occasion that I'm not home and she's loading the stove,,, like when I actually stop somewhere for a beer, go fishing / hunting, etc.  It's the grease like paying attention to this detail that keeps the wheels turning easily and saves my sanity on those few moments that I take to myself away from home.  During these times, there are lots of other things that can happen to interrupt, I can control the firewood and make it a non-issue, so I do.


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## CincyBurner (Aug 14, 2015)

I too burn 20" length.  I cut with a 16" bar, and using the aiming line on chain sprocket cover of the saw as a reference which produces 20" lengths.  A quick gauge as I'm bucking, moving along the log yields accurate cut log lengths (+/- 1/2").


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## DougA (Aug 14, 2015)

I have a 20" stick the correct length and I painted it yellow that works but I found that using a mark on the saw, as those posted above, is much easier.  If you have a helper (your kids) with you, it is easiest  to have them make the marks for you.  
Once a tree is down, I prefer to cut from the outside branches in. Having marks is a big help so that you don't end up with half a piece when you get to a main 'Y'.


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## Dmitry (Aug 15, 2015)

DougA said:


> If you have a helper (your kids) with you, it is easiest  to have them make the marks for you


When I process my wood the "kid" suddenly has tremendous amount of homework or previous engagements.
The kid is 23 years old .Its to hard to haul the firewood for him to keep our asses warm in a winter , but it's OK to spent 3 hours at the gym pumping iron with no practical help for household. Damn.

I just cut 4 trunks today and was thinking how to catch "the kid" off guard when asking to help me tomorrow.


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## Dmitry (Aug 15, 2015)

I wish I had some kind of  high-tech glasses that would show me marks on a trunk . May be Google glasses can do it.


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## Bigg_Redd (Aug 15, 2015)

Dmitry said:


> I'm in a process of cutting several trunks on my property. My stove accomidates 20" logs . I put marks on my 24" bar and use it to measure log length when cutting . I'm wondering what other wood enthusiasts do. May be someone got better idea ?



I use a tape and a can of spray paint.


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## bodhran (Aug 15, 2015)

Bigg_Redd said:


> I use a tape and a can of spray paint.


I use a telescopic magnet like this and have it taped to the length that I want. Pop it on the side of the bar and off. Easy peasy.


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## TreePointer (Aug 15, 2015)

I never tried one, but I always thought the tap-and-cut chalk system was clever:


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## Hickorynut (Aug 15, 2015)

I use 18 inch splits and use my 18 inch bar on my 353 husky.  Sometimes I buck with the bigger saw that has a 20 inch bar. I use a sprocket rivet close to the end of the bar to get my 18 inches.  Sometimes I get off with it though.  Recently I had a 25 inch black oak trunk to buck up and I had a 24 inch bar on the bigger saw. I fired up the husky saw just to get my 18 inch marks with the bar.  I am pretty particular at trying to get the right lengths, others seem to guess and say that is good enough.  Each to their own....


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## DodgyNomad (Aug 16, 2015)

I have a mingo, wouldn't buck without it.  FAST, and ACCURATE


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## byQ (Aug 16, 2015)

I cut off an old piece of tie down 17 inches. I stick it in my pocket. I use this and a sharpie. I quickly make my marks before bucking. Unfortunately without marks it is easy to fall prey to the illusion that makes large rounds too long.


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## claydogg84 (Aug 16, 2015)

Bigg_Redd said:


> I use a tape and a can of spray paint.



I used to do this as well. Now I just pretend I'm smart enough to know what 20" looks like and "free-cut" . The end result is 16" - 24" pieces that are unstackable. Tape and spray paint is the best option if you're cutting long logs.


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## xman23 (Aug 16, 2015)

Using marks on the bar is the fastest. I occasionally use the marks to confirm my be eye measurement. I have 18 and 24 inch marks. I just turn the saw sideways, eye up the new cut location and sometimes put a chip in the bark. Once in a while I will mark the whole log.

My stove will take a "25 split. So when i get to the stump end , making one cut that produces two "24 rounds  is a big work saver.


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## TreePointer (Aug 16, 2015)

xman23 said:


> Using marks on the bar is the fastest. I occasionally use the marks to confirm my be eye measurement. I have 18 and 24 inch marks. I just turn the saw sideways, eye up the new cut location and sometimes put a chip in the bark. Once in a while I will mark the whole log.



That's the method I most often use.  I have 16" and 18" marks on a 20" bar.


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## D8Chumley (Aug 16, 2015)

Dmitry said:


> When I process my wood the "kid" suddenly has tremendous amount of homework or previous engagements.
> The kid is 23 years old .Its to hard to haul the firewood for him to keep our asses warm in a winter , but it's OK to spent 3 hours at the gym pumping iron with no practical help for household. Damn.
> 
> I just cut 4 trunks today and was thinking how to catch "the kid" off guard when asking to help me tomorrow.


My son is almost 18 and the same with the gym. He busts my balls about not working out any more. I've invited him to help me with the firewood on numerous occasions and nothing.


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## DougA (Aug 16, 2015)

D8Chumley said:


> I've invited him to help me with the firewood on numerous occasions and nothing.


Turn the heat off in his bedroom on the coldest night  and see if that changes his mind.


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## D8Chumley (Aug 16, 2015)

Problem with that is both kids keep their doors shut and use little electric heaters. I gotta pick my battles also. This time next year hopefully we will be getting ready to drop his arse off at some college. It doesn't bother me too much, when I say I'm gonna cut/split/stack wood, NOBODY bothers me.


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## firefighterjake (Aug 16, 2015)

I use GPSr and a laser . . . 

OK, I'm just a hick, I'll admit it. I eyeball it with the 18 inch bar on the saw since I use 18-20 inch lengths and have never felt compelled to be all that exact . . . as long as it isn't too long for the firebox.


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## Sean McGillicuddy (Aug 16, 2015)

claydogg84 said:


> I used to do this as well. Now I just pretend I'm smart enough to know what 20" looks like and "free-cut" . The end result is 16" - 24" pieces that are unstackable. Tape



Did that too now I use a Stick 20" long and spray paint,
I mark the whole tree.. some times if I get too tired, I can come back anytime and it's already marked!


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## Bocephous (Aug 17, 2015)

I eyeball it, too.  As long as it fits in the stove, it's alright.  Shorties go on top of the stack when I stack it.


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## wildlingabovethebridge (Aug 17, 2015)

Yeah same here, I used to measure with the bar until it got pretty much instinctive. My stove takes a 20" Max log, so I'm happy with a 16"-20" log, which is easy enough to eyeball.


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## Highbeam (Aug 17, 2015)

I got a mingo marker a few years back and love it. It is the fastest way to mark logs accurately. I kid you not. I roll several logs off the stack and set them about two feet apart. Then run the marker down each log. Set the marker down and start cutting like a mad man. After all cuts are made I roll all logs 180 to finish the cuts without hitting the dirt. No fiddle farting around, saw is almost never at idle.

Previously I measured each cut with a stick. Lots of jacking around and time without chips flying.


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## Bigg_Redd (Aug 18, 2015)

claydogg84 said:


> I used to do this as well. Now I just pretend I'm smart enough to know what 20" looks like and "free-cut" . The end result is 16" - 24" pieces that are unstackable. Tape and spray paint is the best option if you're cutting long logs.



Most of my life I cut wood for a huge Kodiak insert - it was nearly impossible to cut too long - so eyeballing worked just fine.  I had to start measuring my cuts when I installed the Spectrum Classic because it didn't have a bottomless pit for a firebox.  Turns out that when all your cuts are the same it makes everything else easier too - hauling, stacking, actually knowing how much wood you have, etc.


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## CountryBoy19 (Aug 18, 2015)

TreePointer said:


> I never tried one, but I always thought the tap-and-cut chalk system was clever:



 Thanks for that! I hadn't seen it, and shamefully, I hadn't even thought of it. It's a good idea and doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how to make it... I think I'll make one


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## Oldman47 (Aug 18, 2015)

Looks like it is just a T made out of PVC with a thin slit cut in one end and filled with chalk line chalk. A tap will leave behind a line.


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## DodgyNomad (Aug 18, 2015)

Highbeam said:


> I got a mingo marker a few years back and love it. It is the fastest way to mark logs accurately. I kid you not. I roll several logs off the stack and set them about two feet apart. Then run the marker down each log. Set the marker down and start cutting like a mad man. After all cuts are made I roll all logs 180 to finish the cuts without hitting the dirt. No fiddle farting around, saw is almost never at idle.
> 
> Previously I measured each cut with a stick. Lots of jacking around and time without chips flying.




Yup, way faster.  Great tool.

Being long or short a couple of inches is not big deal to some, when you stack multiple layers deep, it matters.  I buck about 20-25 cord a year at a minimum, and can tell you the mingo is a time saver, and people appreciate the consistent and beautiful splits.


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## velvetfoot (Aug 18, 2015)

I use a painted stick.  No marking of logs.


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## maple1 (Aug 19, 2015)

I use my bar when I have to, eyeballs the rest of the time. Good to a couple inches.

I think if stacking multiple layers deep, a couple inches +/- might be a good thing - would make for some air spaces in between the layers.


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## velvetfoot (Aug 19, 2015)

Ha.  Those air spaces between stacks develop even with same-size splits, from shrinkage, I guess.  Then they fall over.


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## CountryBoy19 (Aug 19, 2015)

Oldman47 said:


> Looks like it is just a T made out of PVC with a thin slit cut in one end and filled with chalk line chalk. A tap will leave behind a line.


 You probably aren't even a rocket scientist and you figured it out

I would say the handle part probably has a screw-on fitting for easy chalk refills or one of the joints isn't glued (just pressed together) so it can be taken apart.

You could even make it a bit longer than normal and just mark cut lengths out on the end that doesn't have the slit in it...

That being said: how far under max stove length does everybody cut their wood? Under ideal conditions you could cut it ~1/4" under but you would have to load really careful and be sure to cut really straight. I typically cut ~2" under max length. Is anybody cutting their wood closer to max length than that?


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## Highbeam (Aug 19, 2015)

CountryBoy19 said:


> You probably aren't even a rocket scientist and you figured it out
> 
> I would say the handle part probably has a screw-on fitting for easy chalk refills or one of the joints isn't glued (just pressed together) so it can be taken apart.
> 
> ...



It's worse than that. Most stoves don't burn well when you stack wood in tight like hot dogs in the package. You need some air passages. I cut about 2" smaller than the firebox would allow. I cut at exactly 16" which BTW is a standard length so if you need to lend someone some wood, sell it, or give it away, they won't have to fight the overlong pieces.


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## Oldman47 (Aug 19, 2015)

CountryBoy19 said:


> You probably aren't even a rocket scientist and you figured it out
> 
> I would say the handle part probably has a screw-on fitting for easy chalk refills or one of the joints isn't glued (just pressed together) so it can be taken apart.
> 
> ...


My fire box is about 1 inch longer N/S than the stove manufacturer's recommended "best" length. If I mess up and cut a bit too long I can always go E/W another 4 inches.


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## johnpma (Aug 20, 2015)

18" long pc of welding wire soldered to a nut that i thread on to my bar stud.......simple, quick, cheap +/- 1/4"


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## CountryBoy19 (Aug 20, 2015)

Highbeam said:


> I cut at exactly 16" which BTW is a standard length so if you need to lend someone some wood, sell it, or give it away, they won't have to fight the overlong pieces.


 "Standard"? What standard controls the length of firewood?

I could see "most common length"... that being said, I'm just messing around. My way of looking at it is, I don't sell wood. I'll happily help out a friend or family member that finds themselves in a pickle by giving them free wood. And because my wood is most likely too long for their stove they get to burn my punks, chunks, and uglies because that's the only thing that will fit. And I haven't had any of them complain. As a matter of fact, the guy that I gave a bunch to a few years ago came back to me last year and said he might need a little more but he wasn't going to let me give it to him for free. I got rid of my uglies (to a close friend) and I can burn all my long, nice stuff in my own stove...


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## johnpma (Aug 20, 2015)

18" is standard here....my son works for a company that has firewood processing equipment and that's what they consider "standard" as well.......I burn everything and anything that I process. I see guys become so selective in the woods. They want perfect cuts, splits, stacks and leave valuable remnants in the woods.......I take them and burn them........I'm far from proud when it comes to free heat.....there is always a way


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## Kevin* (Aug 20, 2015)

I have the Mingo and it's one of the most important tools in the kit.


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## lindnova (Aug 20, 2015)

claydogg84 said:


> I used to do this as well. Now I just pretend I'm smart enough to know what 20" looks like and "free-cut" . The end result is 16" - 24" pieces that are unstackable. Tape and spray paint is the best option if you're cutting long logs.


I free-cut also.  I am pretty good at guessing 16-18" on logs up to 12".  When they start getting to 24" diameter I start cutting narrower and end up with a lot of 12-14".  I need to start cutting at 16-18".  Stacking and loading would be much better if they were all even.  I like the idea of marking the bar because I am always in too much of a hurry to tape and mark them.


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## BlackGreyhounds (Aug 20, 2015)

Spencer tape and folding saw (Silky Pocketboy).  My Spencer tape has 16" intervals marked for framing and on the back it has 10 cm. markings.  40 cm is almost exactly 16" also.


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## Seanm (Aug 20, 2015)

I use a stick and kids chalk. When I use my bar as a guide I sometimes get a few splits that are 19.5 inches instead of the desired 18. Its only a few per truck load but I still like my chalk.


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## ironpony (Aug 21, 2015)

all the wood I cut I give away, a few cords a year. if you complain about the length, no more free wood.


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## drz1050 (Aug 21, 2015)

Mingo marker. Just wheel it down the log


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## wildlingabovethebridge (Aug 21, 2015)

CountryBoy19 said:


> That being said: how far under max stove length does everybody cut their wood? Under ideal conditions you could cut it ~1/4" under but you would have to load really careful and be sure to cut really straight. I typically cut ~2" under max length. Is anybody cutting their wood closer to max length than that?



With a 20" Max I like my like my logs 18", but I can also load logs <16" transversely which can be useful during a restart with low coals. So I shoot for 18" but anywhere between 15" and 20" is fine with me, which is easily within eyeball range. One of these days when I have my 3 year supply of wood built up I may start selling some, at which point I will probably be a little pickier.


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## Ashful (Aug 22, 2015)

20" stick in left hand, top handle saw in right.  I can mark off a 20' log in seconds, and those marks are indelible kerfs for the big saw to use as a starting point.


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## Fred Wright (Aug 22, 2015)

I also use the guide bar as a gauge when bucking. That's how I was taught years ago. It's easy, fast and ya don't need to fuss with tree markers, rulers, spray paint or gadgets.

Good thing, too ~ with these bifocals, eyeballing cuts ain't even horseshoes and hand grenades anymore. 

When I finish a cut I lay the saw sideways, bar against the log with the bumper dogs at the kerf. Swing the saw around and begin the next cut where the bar nose was. With an 18" bar, we get consistent 16" lengths every time. If you're running a longer bar, make an indelible mark on it.

I prefer consistency in length... have had stacks fall due to uneven split lengths in delivered loads. Dad used to say that there's never enough time to stack it right but there's always time to stack it over.


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## silverram323 (Aug 22, 2015)

I use my bar sideways, I cut them at 24"( splitter opens up to 25 1/4" max). 
After seeing this Mingo, I will be ordering one, slick tool for fast accurate cuts. 

My almost current wood pile. 

About 12 cord.


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## bodhran (Aug 22, 2015)

silverram323 said:


> I use my bar sideways, I cut them at 24"( splitter opens up to 25 1/4" max).
> After seeing this Mingo, I will be ordering one, slick tool for fast accurate cuts.
> 
> My almost current wood pile.
> ...


Must be nice to have a large area to work. I'm on a 50X100 lot including house and shed. Things get a bit tight.


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## 2biker (Aug 22, 2015)

Don't worry, Dmitry, after cutting for over 30 years, you'll just trust your eyes.


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## BrotherBart (Aug 22, 2015)

2biker said:


> Don't worry, Dmitry, after cutting for over 30 years, you'll just trust your eyes.



I wish. Wanna shorten those too long rounds I cut this year?

BB - Who has had to cut the ends off of some for 40 years.


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## Seanm (Aug 22, 2015)

bodhran said:


> Must be nice to have a large area to work. I'm on a 50X100 lot including house and shed. Things get a bit tight.


Yeah me as well. Nice stacks silverram.


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## notshubby (Aug 22, 2015)

I use this little guide thing I bought at my local stihl dealer clamps securely on handle with rubber strap type mount. swings out of way when not needed. it was actually longer and the little rubber pointer slid along it but since I only cut 16 inch I just cut the extra off. most of the time I will start at butt end mark along tree and do the limbing with this small saw then when I get back to where the tree gets bigger set this saw down and grab one of the big boys.

I used to have an old 83 year old neighbor who had the end of an old fishing pole hose clamped to the bottom of his handle worked good for him. I would say worked just as well as mine except he couldn't swing it back out of the way when trimming limbs.


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## BrotherBart (Aug 23, 2015)

I have a tape measure with the 18" inch part totally covered with paint but that is where I know that is where to spritz the mark.


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## Vikestand (Aug 23, 2015)

18" bar. I make a cut, turn the saw parallel to the log tip the bar forward make a little cut then cut at that mark. It works really well for me. Lengths are always within a tight tolerance of each other. May not work well for others. But I can't imagine worrying myself with a tape measure.


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## Grateful11 (Aug 23, 2015)

I just cut a 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" out of a 2x4 about 24" long and drove a couple nails through at 18" center to center and just make nice visible scratches into the bark all down a log, nothing high tech.


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## Mag Craft (Aug 23, 2015)

I use a tape measure and the side walk chalk that kids use to draw with.  It comes in a variety of colors and is nice and large.


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## mikes67 (Aug 27, 2015)

I also use the mingo, I have had it around four years now.  Maybe around fifty cords on it now, money well spent


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## Wooddust (Sep 7, 2015)

The Mingo is awesome.


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## Highbeam (Sep 9, 2015)

Wooddust said:


> The Mingo is awesome.


It is awesome. You do have to buy the more expensive upside down paint can and the tip on those clogs up a lot if you don't use it often.

I recovered my plugged cap last night after a 24 hour soak in Xylene.


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## Mag Craft (Sep 9, 2015)

I looked at those Mingos and I cannot justify the expense of another gadget.   Plus the paint and fussing around with it.

I will just continue with simplicity.   Chalk and tape measure.


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## Oldman47 (Sep 9, 2015)

Mag Craft said:


> I looked at those Mingos and I cannot justify the expense of another gadget.   Plus the paint and fussing around with it.
> 
> I will just continue with simplicity.   Chalk and tape measure.


Ditch the tape. Cut a stick to length at zero cost and not have to worry about your tape.


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## Mag Craft (Sep 9, 2015)

Oldman47 said:


> Ditch the tape. Cut a stick to length at zero cost and not have to worry about your tape.



Yea that would make it even more simple.   I like that.


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## TreePointer (Sep 9, 2015)

I've have a Mingo and, for the most part, I like it.  It excels with straight wood but sometimes isn't worth using on wood with lots of angles or very bumpy bark.


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## Babaganoosh (Sep 9, 2015)

I've just got a piece of wood that's about the same size as a yardstick. I measured 18 on it and drew a line in marker. Then I got a can of line marking paint. Works well for me.

I find it so much faster to mark the logs first. It's a lot faster and probably safer since you aren't worrying about anything but cutting. I like doing everything in stages though. I'll fell a tree or two, then delimb them all, then mark them all, then buck them all. Then I prefer to split out of the trailer unless I have multiple trailer loads.


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## CaddyUser (Sep 9, 2015)

Oldman47 said:


> Looks like it is just a T made out of PVC with a thin slit cut in one end and filled with chalk line chalk. A tap will leave behind a line.



Exactly.  Made one myself awhile ago.  I'll snap a few pics next time I'm up to the woodlot.


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## deranged (Sep 22, 2015)

I have a Fiskars hatchet that is a smidge over 18" overall length, and I take some lumber crayons with me, just work my way down the log and get it all marked, then commence cutting.


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## Little Digger (Sep 22, 2015)

I use a "Firewood Buddy" I picked up off of Amazon which is a nice sized magnet on a fiberglass rod which attaches to your bar. Kind of like a mechanics magnet but not adjustable. Even though it is 16 inches, I trimmed off an inch for the line of sight due to the way I cut. Otherwise I was getting 17 inch rounds instead of 16. Just walk down the log, make a small cut in the bark, and move to the next spot. Then pocket the device and cut my rounds on the way back.


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## maple1 (Sep 23, 2015)

I'm still not getting the need to carry extra tools to the woods or log pile.

Just start at the butt & rest your saw on the top of the log sideways with the end of the bar lined up with the end of the log. Eyeball the 18" mark (or whatever your length) you previously designated or marked on the side of your bar or saw, and start a new cut there. Repeat as you step down the log/tree for the next cut, resting the saw on top as you step. Almost flows with natural stepping down the tree as you go.

I'd be constantly losing the little measuring sticks or tape measures or chalk or markers, or dropping them & having to find & pick them up again. Or breaking them. Or forgetting them.


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## rowerwet (Sep 23, 2015)

One saw has an 18" bar. The other I filed a mark at 18", nothing to loose or forget


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## NoMoreCityForMe (Sep 24, 2015)

I keep a tape measure and sidewalk chalk (and plastic wedges) in a little pouch that hooks to my chaps - for me, trying to use my saw would be too awkward. I also like that as I get to the end I can adjust my last few marks to get some slightly shorter cuts instead of one really short cut. Plus, I bought a large pack of the chalk at the dollar store so it can get lost/stepped on/otherwise destroyed and I won't care! The tape measure is also cheap. Also, I have a terrible sense of scale. I would end up with anything from 10-24" logs if I tried to eyeball it.

I too like to mark my cuts before I start cutting. I lock the tape measure open at my chosen length and hold it with one hand, the chalk in the other, and basically slide down the log marking as I go. The tape collapses, I'd think carrying a stick would be awkward.


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## hoverwheel (Sep 24, 2015)

maple1 said:


> I'm still not getting the need to carry extra tools to the woods or log pile.
> 
> Just start at the butt & rest your saw on the top of the log sideways with the end of the bar lined up with the end of the log. Eyeball the 18" mark (or whatever your length) you previously designated or marked on the side of your bar or saw, and start a new cut there. Repeat as you step down the log/tree for the next cut, resting the saw on top as you step. Almost flows with natural stepping down the tree as you go.
> 
> I'd be constantly losing the little measuring sticks or tape measures or chalk or markers, or dropping them & having to find & pick them up again. Or breaking them. Or forgetting them.


That's pretty much what I do. Not sure how consistent I am but it seems to work


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## nosinjcted (Sep 30, 2015)

Grateful11 said:


> I just cut a 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" out of a 2x4 about 24" long and drove a couple nails through at 18" center to center and just make nice visible scratches into the bark all down a log, nothing high tech.


That's exactly what I did, it even fits in my chainsaw case so I always have it with me.


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## Monaco (Sep 30, 2015)

I measure two quick hand-spans... which is 20"


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