Marking wood for where to cut

[Simonkenton]

I use 16 inch wood and I have a 20 inch bar. I made a mark with Majic marker 16 inches from the tip of the bar, a big black mark right across the bar. I just lay the bar on the log, at the mark, and I see where the end of the bar is and start sawing. I don't actually mark the log. I wind up with pieces from 15 1/2 to 16 1/2. It doesn't have to be exact.

 

[StihlKicking]

That truck here would just be called a tandem.

'A tandem load'.

Down here we call them 10 wheelers.

 

[ben94122]

I have a zip tie on the chainsaw handle, cut to length. I line up the end of the zip tie with the end of the log being bucked, and it puts the bar in the right spot for the next cut. When I'm not bucking, the zip tie folds out of the way. Only downside is you can only work one direction down the log.

 

[ColdNorCal]

These markers sounds good and are tempting to try. However,

Lots of different methods out there. Hatchet & tape measure, Mingo firewood marker, measuring stick, etc.

Tried just about all of them. I'm currently using something similar to this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H12YL6K/?tag=hearthamazon-20

Looks simple enough, for me the more basic the better, and easy to use. Just read this review and it made me laugh:

"Installed as shown in picture, popped off very first cut and ended up in chain. Absolute waste of money."

Update:

Just saw this. Seems like buying the correct size coupler would work Then need a plastic rod the right size. This seems good because its always away from the chain and bar and out of the way.

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[EODMSgt]

These markers sounds good and are tempting to try. However,


Looks simple enough, for me the more basic the better, and easy to use. Just read this review and it made me laugh:

"Installed as shown in picture, popped off very first cut and ended up in chain. Absolute waste of money."

Update:

Just saw this. Seems like buying the correct size coupler would work Then need a plastic rod the right size. This seems good because its always away from the chain and bar and out of the way.

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I agree, keep it simple. I used the Mingo Marker primarily last year and I still have it for a back up, however I prefer this magnetic stick for the time being. I've never had it come off and get caught in the chain. If that happens to someone, I don't think I would want to be around that person when they're using a chainsaw as they obviously aren't paying attention. Pop it on, walk down the log and mark the cuts, take it off and start cutting.

I looked at the other one you mentioned and passed. Due to where a lot of the timber I cut is situated, I'm often switching sides to have access so I like the flexibility of the magnetic rod to be able to be used on either side of the bar.

 

[SpaceBus]

I agree, keep it simple. I used the Mingo Marker primarily last year and I still have it for a back up, however I prefer this magnetic stick for the time being. I've never had it come off and get caught in the chain. If that happens to someone, I don't think I would want to be around that person when they're using a chainsaw as they obviously aren't paying attention. Pop it on, walk down the log and mark the cuts, take it off and start cutting.

I looked at the other one you mentioned and passed. Due to where a lot of the timber I cut is situated, I'm often switching sides to have access so I like the flexibility of the magnetic rod to be able to be used on either side of the bar.

What did you dislike about the Mingo? My wife and I dislike the idea of paint, but it looks pretty convenient. I like the idea of your magnetic stick as well.

 

[EODMSgt]

What did you dislike about the Mingo? My wife and I dislike the idea of paint, but it looks pretty convenient. I like the idea of your magnetic stick as well.

Just kind of quirky to me when using it out in the woods. You have to be careful handling the thing or it will inadvertently spray paint on the ground, on you, in the truck, etc....(doesn't take much pressure from the wheel to fire off the spray nozzle), lost the wing nut once, PITA using it on anything that isn't relatively flat and straight, one more bulky thing to carry into the woods. I used mine a lot and still like the overall concept however for something to carry into the woods, I much prefer the ease and simplicity of the magnetic stick.

 

[SpaceBus]

Just kind of quirky to me when using it out in the woods. You have to be careful handling the thing or it will inadvertently spray paint on the ground, on you, in the truck, etc....(doesn't take much pressure from the wheel to fire off the spray nozzle), lost the wing nut once, PITA using it on anything that isn't relatively flat and straight, one more bulky thing to carry into the woods. I used mine a lot and still like the overall concept however for something to carry into the woods, I much prefer the ease and simplicity of the magnetic stick.

Yeah, I'm clumsy enough with all of my PPE on, much less adding any more to that.

 

[TreePointer]

Just kind of quirky to me when using it out in the woods. You have to be careful handling the thing or it will inadvertently spray paint on the ground, on you, in the truck, etc....(doesn't take much pressure from the wheel to fire off the spray nozzle), lost the wing nut once, PITA using it on anything that isn't relatively flat and straight, one more bulky thing to carry into the woods. I used mine a lot and still like the overall concept however for something to carry into the woods, I much prefer the ease and simplicity of the magnetic stick.

I totally agree. It's just about a perfect device for marking, say, a truckload of straighter logs.

I acquired one years ago for working on hardwood treetops left from a timber harvest. It worked well on the straighter sections, but it was more difficult to use on smaller branching sections

 

[TreePointer]

TAP-AND-CUT = my favorite log marker that I've never tried, lol!

I've actually been holding onto the parts to make one but just never made the time to construct one.

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[SpaceBus]

TAP-AND-CUT = my favorite log marker that I've never tried, lol!

I've actually been holding onto the parts to make one but just never made the time to construct one.

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Interesting. So far finding out what is 18" on the saw and flipping it back and forth has been the most accurate for me. The 346 makes this even easier than the 460.

 

[Ashful]

TAP-AND-CUT = my favorite log marker that I've never tried, lol!

I've actually been holding onto the parts to make one but just never made the time to construct one.

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I’m faster with a measuring stick in one hand and my top handle saw in the other. Just gotta keep your hands straight, or your buddies will have to give you a new nickname.

 

[SpaceBus]

I’m faster with a measuring stick in one hand and my top handle saw in the other. Just gotta keep your hands straight, or your buddies will have to give you a new nickname.

I try to resist the urge to use my top handle saw one handed. Your joke about nicknames keeps me in line.

 

[TreePointer]

Interesting. So far finding out what is 18" on the saw and flipping it back and forth has been the most accurate for me. The 346 makes this even easier than the 460.

Heh, I do the same thing!

On my 346XP, from the tip of my 16" bar to the center of the first bar nut is 16".

On a larger saw that wears a 20" bar, there are Sharpie lines at 16" and 18".

 

[vtcamp]

Mingo all day! Thing is genius


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mar13]

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/tap-and-cut-firewood-marker.259758/

Here's a discussion about making a tap and cut.

 

[Slocum]

I use the Mingo. Fast and easy!


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[Kevin Weis]

I'm still going with measuring stick and chalk. Measure up the whole thing first and just cut away.

 

[Bushels20]

Didn’t read the whole thread so may be repeating.

I cut one perfect round. Split it. Then take one split from the perfectly cut 16 inch round, hold it to the rest of my logs and mark them all with orange spray paint. I do this in large enough quantities that I can cut for a couple hours.

I’ve found through the years that if I don’t cut it all, the spray paint stays on and the chalk washes off in the rain.

 

[MTASH]

I use 16 inch wood and I have a 20 inch bar. I made a mark with Majic marker 16 inches from the tip of the bar, a big black mark right across the bar. I just lay the bar on the log, at the mark, and I see where the end of the bar is and start sawing. I don't actually mark the log. I wind up with pieces from 15 1/2 to 16 1/2. It doesn't have to be exact.

I switched to this method this year and now prefer it.

 

[SpaceBus]

Didn’t read the whole thread so may be repeating.

I cut one perfect round. Split it. Then take one split from the perfectly cut 16 inch round, hold it to the rest of my logs and mark them all with orange spray paint. I do this in large enough quantities that I can cut for a couple hours.

I’ve found through the years that if I don’t cut it all, the spray paint stays on and the chalk washes off in the rain.

This sounds like the best one yet.

 

[moresnow]

Magnetic rod in my back pocket. Work down the log with the limb saw. Get to the end and attach the magnetic rod. Make cut marks on the way back down the log. Drop off the limb saw and grab the big saw. Away we go. All limbed and marked. Good to go. Just the routine I've gotten to prefer. The uniformity is amazing. It really shows up when stacking. To each his own

 

[Bushels20]

This sounds like the best one yet.

It works well for me. You will find on here that some people are perfectionist (like myself) and others don’t much care about their wood length being the same on each cut. Either way is completely fine. I just found over the years that I didn’t like the occasional inconvenience of that one piece that didn’t quite fit in the insert.

Also, I find it easier to stack consistently and more sturdy cords with splits that are all the same.

That said, I’m sure there is a margin of error, even in the system I use.

 

[Ashful]

Magnetic rod in my back pocket. Work down the log with the limb saw. Get to the end and attach the magnetic rod. Make cut marks on the way back down the log. Drop off the limb saw and grab the big saw. Away we go. All limbed and marked. Good to go. Just the routine I've gotten to prefer. The uniformity is amazing. It really shows up when stacking. To each his own

This is precisely my method, except I use a bright orange painted stick in place of the magnetic measuring stick. Mark with the little 435T top handle saw, buck with the 85cc Stihl 064.

If you want to talk about improving thruput, we should be talking more about your cutting hardware, than marking. Big horsepower behind a small bar allows one to take the depth gauges down below stock height, and vastly improve cutting speed. The 85cc Stihl 064 I’m running today runs circles around the 50 - 60 cc saws most firewood cutters use today, with any length of bar, by more than enough margin to make up for any differences in the time we take to mark out a log.

 

[SpaceBus]

This is precisely my method, except I use a bright orange painted stick in place of the magnetic measuring stick. Mark with the little 435T top handle saw, buck with the 85cc Stihl 064.

If you want to talk about improving thruput, we should be talking more about your cutting hardware, than marking. Big horsepower behind a small bar allows one to take the depth gauges down below stock height, and vastly improve cutting speed. The 85cc Stihl 064 I’m running today runs circles around the 50 - 60 cc saws most firewood cutters use today, with any length of bar, by more than enough margin to make up for any differences in the time we take to mark out a log.

About a week ago I marked several logs with my Stihl 150-TC (light chainsaw I could find) by using the tip of the bar and a mark on the case as a reference. Once everything was limbed and marked I used the heavy 460 to buck. This is better than a hatchet or flipping the 460 back and forth. A can of spraypaint and my marking rod would probably be even less energy used, but spray paint isn't free, but neither is wear and tear on my chainsaws for marking purposes. I tried using a hatchet but I really wore myself out doing that with several logs. Some day I'm sure I'll find the system that works best for me.