steven carter
03-03-2008, 2:21 PM
The highway department is widening U.S. 27 between Liberty Indiana, and Oxford Ohio. I have been watching their progress, and the trees they have reduced to chips. I had tried several times to catch then when they were working to see if I could salvage some turning wood, but by the time I got off work and drove there, they were gone. A couple of weeks ago, my wife was passing by where they were working, and noticed that they were leaving for the day and a couple of big sycamore trees were left on the ground. I have been wanting to get some sycamore for some time, and had seen several go the way of the chipper, so when I got home I got my chain saw and headed there. As it turned out, the trees were in the front yard where a high school friend of mine used to live. I went and talked to the current owner who felt very bad about losing her trees. She said to get all I wanted that night because by the next night they would be gone. I cut for a couple of hours, and promised the owner a bowl from her biggest tree. For any history buffs, the house was once the home of General Ambrose Burnside. Burnside was once the head of the Union forces during the civil war, and his home was used a part of the underground railroad. One of the pictures shows the house. As it turns out the next day the trees were gone except for the trunks too large for the chipping machine. Now I only have an 18" poulan chainsaw, but I have been going there and nibbling off turning blanks as best I can. While cutting one day a construction truck pulled up and I thought I might be in trouble. Actually the guy said that these big trunks would be there for a while, and then would be buried, and he didn't have any problem with me getting all I wanted. I sure wish I had a real chainsaw, but am buying a new lathe instead. That gloat will be my next post. The one picture shows the 6 bowl blanks I got from one slice of the end, I left the saw to show the size of the log. This is the smallest log of the three. Having worked my way through college as a lawnmower and chainsaw mechanic, I would never say that Poulan is the saw to buy, but I have really abused this saw since I got a lathe and it has performed beyond expectations (I bought the saw at Lowe's to use for light trimming). After seeing hundreds of saws in the shop, I would say if you can afford it buy a Stihl.
Anyone in the area with a big saw, (or as in my case who has more determination than saw) come to US 27 about one to two miles south of Liberty, Indiana on the right side of the road if headed north.
Anyone in the area with a big saw, (or as in my case who has more determination than saw) come to US 27 about one to two miles south of Liberty, Indiana on the right side of the road if headed north.