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Tricks of the Trade

Getting the Hang of It

Tips & Tricks for Hanging an Axe, Part 2

In the Spring 2022 issue, we tackled the task of removing a broken axe handle from the eye of an axe or maul. Now we’ll begin the process of hanging (or hafting) the axe. 1. Fit the eye.…

How to Remove a Stubborn Axe Handle

Tips & Tricks for Hanging an Axe, Part 1

Sitting on the passenger’s side floor of my pickup are three broken axes/mauls, all succumbed to the same fate by excited friends and neighbors who had “wooded” and snapped…

Building a Bucking Stanchion

Using a bucking stanchion not only keeps the wood off the ground (and your chainsaw out of the dirt) but also allows you to cut multiple logs or slabs at once. The design I use is sized so…

The Boggy Saw Blues

A friend recently showed up at my workshop complaining that his chainsaw was “bogging” and wouldn’t run at full throttle. He assumed the issue was related to fuel delivery…

Tree Marking 101

For foresters in the Northeast, spring means mud season. In addition to making timber harvesting more difficult, operating heavy equipment during mud season can be detrimental to soil and tree…

The Battery-Powered Chainsaw: Toy or Tool?

A decade or so ago I had the opportunity to try out some of the early battery-powered electric chainsaws. I wasn’t impressed. They were heavy, underpowered, and had a pitifully short…

Tricks of the Trade: the Shavehorse

Woodland bodgers were the itinerant greenwood craftsmen of western Europe who moved around the forest in search of good stock for making furniture. Their forest office provided coppice wood…

Tricks of the Trade: The Homemade Skidding Cone

In the last issue we looked at a few handy devices for smallscale, low-impact logging, including the skidding cone. One alternative to the commercially available skidding cone is a homemade…

Tricks of the Trade: Tractor Logging 201

One of my favorite things about writing for Northern Woodlands is that I get to meet so many folks who are incredibly passionate about forestry and equally “woods smart.” Al…

Tricks of the Trade: Tractor Logging 101

Small, maneuverable four-wheel-drive tractors create an opportunity for woodlot owners to do more of their own forest management work. Since these types of tractors are primarily designed for…