Chainsaws and smoke wood


 
Dustin Flavell

Dustin Flavell

TVWBB Pro
Need a little advice. The beef cattle ranch I work for has some fruit and nut trees that have been taken out to make way for new trees. Last year I got a few cherry trees and I used one of my big saws I use for fire wood cutting with no bar oil. Bad Idea since I slightly wrapped the bar and had to replace it. With these newly aquired trees I was thinking of cutting them up with my saw, but running it with a food grade oil like canola or vegetable oil in leu of bar oil. What do you think? I would think some type of oil should be better than none, but I really don't want to have to buy another bar.
 
I just use my saw as is, my new one seems to use a lot less oil than my old one, and have never had an oil taste. If I smell the rounds after cutting there is no oil smell. Yes I've been known to smell the wood after cutting it. I love the smell of fresh cut sugar maple.
 
I'm with Bob, I haven't noticed an oil smell on my wood. Maybe make the first few cuts on some non-cooking wood.
 
All of my saws, blowers and trimmers are Stihl. I spend a lot of time in the local shop talking to them. If I were you, I'd go in and get their advice. Not sure how big of cuts you're making. I have a DeWalt Reciprocating Saw, battery driven and a couple extra batteries. I've brushed out about 10 acres of oaks, making cuts up to 4 inches or so and maybe something like that might help you on the smaller stuff.
 
I agree with Cliff. A sawzall with a pruning blade cuts anything up to 6" in diameter, or 12" if you know how.

Tim
 
I have a cheap electrical saw that I use for making chips for cold smoking. I've cranked up the flow to max, and test the temperature of the chain from time to time. Usually I need a rest before the saw needs one. I use the cheapest vegetable oil I can find. Peanut, sunflower, whatever..

Now, if you are cutting suitable disks for the WSM, and then use a ace to make suitable pieses, I think that you probably inhale more hydrocarbones when you walk on a sidewalk, or driving behind a car with an engine that needs an overhaul than you will get when eating food from the WSM. Mind, the smoke from wood burned under oxygen deprived conditions are quite unhealthy. That's the part of the picture that you have been scientificiallly studied. I don't care, I like the taste. :)
 
Geir Widar said:
Now, if you are cutting suitable disks for the WSM, and then use a ace to make suitable pieses, I think that you probably inhale more hydrocarbones when you walk on a sidewalk, or driving behind a car with an engine that needs an overhaul than you will get when eating food from the WSM. Mind, the smoke from wood burned under oxygen deprived conditions are quite unhealthy. That's the part of the picture that you have been scientificiallly studied. I don't care, I like the taste. :)
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Geir, in all due respect, that makes no sense to me. Can you please explain that comment?

Tim
 
Cliff Bartlett said:
All of my saws, blowers and trimmers are Stihl. I spend a lot of time in the local shop talking to them. If I were you, I'd go in and get their advice. Not sure how big of cuts you're making. I have a DeWalt Reciprocating Saw, battery driven and a couple extra batteries. I've brushed out about 10 acres of oaks, making cuts up to 4 inches or so and maybe something like that might help you on the smaller stuff.
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Funny all my stuff is stihl too. Took your advice and talk with the old timer at Linda Saw and Mower. His advice was any kind of oil is better than no oil if the saw is running for awhile. He tried to talk me into a smaller bar saw (got a 032 and 044 both with 28" bars), but I have an 009 that I've been trying to get going again just for this project.

I don't know if a sawzall would do the trick though? These are 25 year old mature trees and I have 4 peach, 4 plums, 4 nectarines, 2 apples, 2 apricots and a massive pecan tree to cut. I plan on cutting these like the cherry trees I did before at 4" disks and then split.

Life time supply of fruit and nut wood. :)
 
Cliff Bartlett said:
All of my saws, blowers and trimmers are Stihl. I spend a lot of time in the local shop talking to them.
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Maybe I shouldn't read these things at 5:15am, but when I first quickly read this I thought you were saying you talk to your chainsaws and other tools... :)
 
Dustin, cut to length with your stihl, just as you would for firewood. Split with a wood splitter, again as firewood and then (and I really am not trying to revive a past topic) cut into chunks of your desired size. Some use a hand saw, some a reciprocating saw, some a mitre saw. This method has worked well for me for many years. Just make sure that what ever container you store your newly cut chunks in, has PLENTY of air circulation/ventilation! Green wood will mold if not properly ventilated while drying out.
Good luck,
Tim
 
timothy said:
Geir, in all due respect, that makes no sense to me. Can you please explain that comment?

Tim
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No worries. I agree with you, I'm not sure what is unclear, but let me try to explain my view with other words.
As long as you are making chunks of wood with a chainsaw, the amount of chainsaw oil that you will find on the wooden parts are next to nothing, and not a problem. As far as I know, noone has done tests on this. It's just my personal experience, after cutting down around 10m3 of firewood for over twenty years.
There are several studies that shows that smoked food, smoked over real wood are more dangerous to eat than food that is not treated with natural smoke and/or high heat.
 
Seems like the simple solution is to harvest the wood with the chainsaw and then use a hand saw to cut off the "tainted ends." But I wouldn't bother, I'm with Geir, life's too short to worry about the little things
 
Not worried about the oil's effect on my health when burned. I am sure I am subjected to far worse stuff with my job and lifestyle. Mainly thinking about the flavor that might come off when smoking. Just figured if I'm going to put the effort into cutting into small disks and hand spliting this stuff I would hate to have it effect the smoke...probably wouldn't be a big deal just curious what y'all thought of using a food oil.

Tim, appreciate the thoughts. Cutting and splitting that way would save a lot of time. Never thought about the mold that could form from storing. The cherry wood I cut last spring is in milk crates which ventilate real nice. I just cut one of the apple trees after work today and have it in a half barrel that use to hold molasses for the cattle at the ranch. Might want to rethink the storage once I get that stuff split.

@ TonyUK: that does have a nice ring to it :)
 
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