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Make Your Own Vacuum Booster
by Carl Demrow | Spring 2012
Vacuum tubing systems have revolutionized maple sugar production, and more and more sugarmakers are getting into the game, drawn by the allure of making an… -
Build a Bat House
by Carl Demrow | Winter 2011
White nose syndrome, a fungus that attacks bats while they’re hibernating, has been devastating to bats in the Northeast. (Editor’s Note: See our story “Bats… -
Bore Cutting Basics
by Carl Demrow | Autumn 2011
To fell trees accurately and safely, you need to know how to do a bore cut, sometimes known as a plunge cut. On trees with… -
Tricks of the Trade: Understanding Low-Kickback Saw Chain
by Carl Demrow | Summer 2011
Some chainsaw chains are designed to minimize the reactive force known as kickback. These chains are found on a wide range of chainsaws made for… -
Corduroy Roads
by Carl Demrow | Spring 2011
It’s not unusual for landowners in this part of the world to find themselves on one side of a wet area with a need to… -
Tricks of the Trade
by Carl Demrow | Winter 2010
So you’re planning on doing a crop tree release or a sugarbush thinning this winter. Or perhaps you want to pull firewood out to a… -
Tricks of the Trade: Basic Chainsaw Maintenance
by Carl Demrow | Autumn 2010
Your modern chainsaw has a precision engine that can be rendered into a worthless chunk of aluminum with just a few careless mistakes, like running… -
Tricks of the Trade
by Carl Demrow | Summer 2010
Did you know that a chunk of green firewood can be over 50 percent water? Of course you did. You’ve tried to burn that wood,… -
Tricks of the Trade
by Carl Demrow | Spring 2010
Sharpening an ax is not difficult, but it does require a basic understanding of how the business end of an ax works. An ax is… -
Tapping Trees
by Carl Demrow | Winter 2009
The act of tapping a maple tree is a fairly simple task, yet it’s one that’s often done incorrectly. Improperly tapping a tree can lead… -
Using a Crosscut Saw
by Carl Demrow | Autumn 2009
Not that long ago, in the days before chainsaws, work in the woods was done with an axe and a crosscut saw. While this era… -
Essential Equipment for Staying Safe
by Carl Demrow | Summer 2009
Cutting wood is inherently hazardous work. Even if you’re using state-of-the-art techniques and practices, stuff still happens, as the saying goes. A quick word on… -
Peeling Logs
by Carl Demrow | Spring 2009
If you’re building a log cabin or some other sort of log structure, your instructions will likely tell you to peel the logs first. Peeling… -
Chainsaw Body Positioning for Less Fatigue
by Carl Demrow | Winter 2008
While chainsaws have evolved over several decades to become safer, there is no mechanical solution to the problem of fatigue. Since fatigue is a major… -
Determining a Tree’s Lean
by Carl Demrow | Autumn 2008
Since only a very few trees grow absolutely vertically, determining and adjusting for the lean of a tree is an important skill for any sawyer… -
Measuring Wood Volumes
by Carl Demrow | Summer 2008
An important skill for any woodland owner who is preparing to sell some wood is understanding how wood volumes are measured. There are ways to… -
Safety by Design
by By Carl Demrow, Illustrations by Joseph Smith | Spring 2008
Modern chainsaws are the product of 40 years of evolution. Manufacturers’ continued focus on safety and productivity has produced saws that have a number of… -
Tending Wild Apple Trees for Wildlife
by Carl Demrow | Winter 2007
We’ve all seen it before: hidden in a thicket is a lone apple tree that hasn’t made more than a bushel of apples in the… -
Start Your Chainsaw Safely
by Carl Demrow, Illustrations by Joseph Smith | Autumn 2006
One of the primary principles of safe chainsaw operation is to have control of the saw at all times, including while starting the saw. Because… -
Chainsaw Guide Bar Maintenance
by Joseph Smith | Summer 2006
One often-overlooked component of the chainsaw is the guide bar. If it is not properly maintained, it will decrease the saw’s efficiency and damage the…