Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA
>Well, I have just arrived home after two solid hours of doing battle with this log. It was supposed to be in and out, quick and easy, with a loader and lots of willing hands.

When I arrived at the site of the log, I discovered that as usual, the person giving me the dimensions was off just a little. Instead of it being "about 16 inches" in diameter, it was 26" at the skinny end and 34" at the butt. The wood was a beautiful pinkish red, with the added detail of some bugs that are not ambrosia bugs anymore. ;-)

So I whipped out my 046 Stihl with the 28" bar and commenced to slice through that log like so much butter. I had some admiring groundskeepers watching the saw do its work, right up to the point where it stopped dead in the log. I had hit something. I had four chains that were sharp (well three now), so I switched chains quick as a flash and started in on the log again. Most of the time when I hit something like that, while it ruins the edge of the chain, it also cuts through the offending material. Not this time. This time sparks flew.

I changed the chain again, and attacked from a different angle. Once again I started slicing through the log quickly, until I got to about 6" or so within the original cut. More sparks.

By this time the groundskeepers had all gone home for the day, and it was just me, the supervisor, and his Kubota 3550 with the front end loader and the backhoe. He yanked and pulled and twisted, but he could not get that log to break. So, I started pounding wedges into it. I started making some good progress, but then the log swallowed all my wedges. I could see them, but they may as well have been a million miles away.

I installed my last sharp chain, and attempted to make some more cuts around the infernal object. Sparks again. The guy helping me came at the log again with his tractor while I sharpened a chain with my handy dandy Sharp Boy electric grinder.

By this time we were both starting to wear out, but the log was showing no signs of surrendering. After pounding on it, and attempting to shift the wedges, and a few more chainsaw cuts, we gave up for the day. We agreed to return on Thursday or Friday with reinforcements. I think this is going to require a sledgehammer, wedges and a crowbar. I am determined now. This log is not going to defeat me.

Bill