# so I had this old alder tree...



## blacktail (Jul 18, 2012)

And the top had broken off sometime in the last couple of years, before I bought the house.






It was close to my house and when the wind kicks up, it blows from that direction.





So we hooked it up with ropes, straps, and come-alongs. Then we spent a lot of time looking it over and making sure it couldn't go wrong.













It went just as we planned. It's gone.









There was a lot more rot in it than I thought. But still a lot of good firewood.




I have another dozen or so rounds down the hill behind my house.
Glad I cut it now, not only because it could have fallen on my house, but because the wood is still good enough to make good firewood.


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## jwoair23 (Jul 18, 2012)

Looks like it was the right decision to take it down! You'll still get some great firewood out of that for sure, nice pictures and nice saw choice!


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## Freeheat (Jul 18, 2012)

Thats a nice size tree, the rot dosn't look too bad . How does that wood split?


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## certified106 (Jul 18, 2012)

Nice Job! now you won't have to worry about it.


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## blacktail (Jul 18, 2012)

Alder splits real easy. And this one has nearly zero knots. 90% of it is in good shape. The big branch that grew below the broken spot went right towards my house and I was afraid it was growing out of a weak spot.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 18, 2012)

By the looks of it, you did the right thing by cutting it now.


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## amateur cutter (Jul 18, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> By the looks of it, you did the right thing by cutting it now.


 
+1 & nice job on the felling safely part.
Only bummer is guy's like you aren't near as entertaining on you tube. A C


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## blacktail (Jul 19, 2012)

Thanks guys. I was waiting for someone to call me a dumbass for not hiring a pro with a tree that close to the house. The tree was leaning the right direction but I still roped it and used a wedge to make sure it went that way.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 19, 2012)

There are times when a pro is good but many times one can do for himself just as well and save the dollars.


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## StihlHead (Jul 20, 2012)

Pro? Who needs a pro if you have the tools and smarts to do it the way that you did? I used to be a pro arborist and you did just fine. Rope or cable it off, and fall it with wedges. Tree that small could have been topped and thus avoided the cable system, but whatever works. I have even tipped them over with a tarctor myself. That is becasue alder tends to split when being felled, and they can barber chair on you. I love burning alder, even though it does not have as much heat as a lot of hardwoods. It burns even and smells great. Its also great for cooking BBQ and smoking salmon with. That's red alder by the way.


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## Highbeam (Jul 20, 2012)

Yes, I'm a red alder fanatic. There is nothing else I would rather burn. The bark is thin, no slivers. The grain is straight so it splits and stacks easily. Starts right up and the ashes shield the coals for a long burn.

You can have your doug fir, send me red alder.

The only downside is that your hands end up dyed orange from the sap when working the green trees.


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## StihlHead (Jul 20, 2012)

Well, send me all that doug wood you are turning away. If I have the choice between the two for heating (and I have several times) I take the doug fir. Lots more heat value there than the alder. Mind you, I have both in my racks now and I burn them both, but when I have to buy firewood I buy doug fir. BTU comparison: doug has 26 MBTU/cord, and red Alder has 19 MBTU/cord. That's 37% more heat in the same cord of wood, and at a cheaper price. My best price per 2 year seasoned cord delivered is $190 for alder, $175 for doug.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 20, 2012)

Highbeam said:


> Yes, I'm a red alder fanatic. There is nothing else I would rather burn. The bark is thin, no slivers. The grain is straight so it splits and stacks easily. Starts right up and the ashes shield the coals for a long burn.
> 
> You can have your doug fir, send me red alder.
> 
> The only downside is that your hands end up dyed orange from the sap when working the green trees.


 
I wonder if Miracle Whip would remove that orange like it does with pine sap?


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## bogydave (Jul 20, 2012)

Nice hinge. Went where you wanted it to go. Good job.
Great pics.
Saved yourself some future problems for sure.


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## blacktail (Jul 21, 2012)

Highbeam said:


> The only downside is that your hands end up dyed orange from the sap when working the green trees.


 
I ruined one of my favorite t-shirts helping a buddy cut a couple of alders last month. The front of it is stained that reddish color.
My sister is having a big get-together in two weeks and I offered a bunch of the rounds off this tree to use as chairs around the fire pit. After thinking about it I called her back and said it might not be a great idea unless her guests want orange stains on the seat of their pants.


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## blacktail (Jul 21, 2012)

I like burning alder. It's plentiful, splits easy, and dries fast. And the smoke smells nice too. Really, I burn whatever I have access to. Alder, fir, hemlock, birch, maple, it all goes in my stove. Big leaf maple is probably my favorite.


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## StihlHead (Jul 21, 2012)

The woods I prefer: Madrone, white oak, locust (from the city), chinquapin, BL maple, doug, alder, hemlock, apple/pear, cherry/plum. Madrone is my favorite.

The woods I also burn: pine, red cedar, birch, elm, walnut, ash, larch, boxelder, some other firs.

The woods I pass on: willow, cottonwood, poplar, grand fir, sycamore/london plain, spruce, white cedar, pithy or bug rot wood.


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## Oregon Bigfoot (Jul 21, 2012)

Awesome!  Alder smells so good when you are burning firewood (or smoking salmon)!  Alder planked bbq'd salmon sounds real good right now!


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## Shadow&Flame (Jul 21, 2012)

Hate to see em come down, but it was time for that one.  Love the smell of Alder burning...  I always save alder from the shop
to start fires with, but cant get the smell like I did with the fireplace.


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## PA Fire Bug (Jul 21, 2012)

You either have a new saw or the cleanest one I've ever seen.   I clean my saw after each use but it wouldn't pass for new.  I don't mind as long as it keeps running well and throwing wood chips.  Nice work with the tree.


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## katwillny (Jul 21, 2012)

Nicely done. That looks like it was ready to fall next time an ant farted next to it.


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## woodsmaster (Jul 21, 2012)

Oregon Bigfoot said:


> Awesome! Alder smells so good when you are burning firewood (or smoking salmon)! Alder planked bbq'd salmon sounds real good right now!


 
OK, Your making me hungry.


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## StihlHead (Jul 21, 2012)

I will be smoking salmon with alder tomorrow at my brother's place... it alder be good!


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## bogydave (Jul 22, 2012)

StihlHead said:


> I will be smoking salmon with alder tomorrow at my brother's place... it alder be good!


 
Smoked salmon. AAAAHH, can smell it form here  
Alder is a good smoking wood


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## blacktail (Mar 6, 2013)

In the last couple of days I've picked through this wood and burned some of the splits that felt light. I put the meter on some today. Not even a full 8 months from the stump and the smaller splits are around 20%. I checked a couple bigger ones and they're still in the high 20's.


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