THE firewood thread

[microchick]

Same here with us. We have plenty of downed trees and trees that need to be thinned that supply us with our firewood. Mostly Hickory and Oak with a little Elm and Poplar. The hickory goes through the splitter without difficulty and saves our back a lot of abuse. Many times we have a storm roll through in spring that drops an old growth Oak in the timber. We are still harvesting the last one that went down two years ago.It was a twin trunk oak, each trunk over 30 inches diameter. DH had to buy a bigger chain saw just to harvest it.

We have friends who are constantly asking us why we don't just buy our wood from one of the local Amish saw mills. Granted, the cost is good at 15$ a truckload (the last we heard) for wood that is mostly ready to go right into the fireplace is a good price but we get a lot of exercise harvesting our own wood, hauling it to the barn, splitting it and watching the pile grow in the barn.

At the moment we have about 9+ cords ready to go and have burned maybe a half cord so far this fall.

It's just really sweet to look at the stove merrily burning away and know we provided our own fuel to heat our home.

 

[microchick]

Oh, that is TOO cool!

We have a Century EPA stove. Nothing nearly as cool as your outdoor stove is, though. It's not top of the line but it has served us faithfully for 3 years now. We just had to start replacing fire bricks this year. Many times we are having to open windows to help control the heat it puts out, especially in chilly weather when it is hard to regulate heat.

 

[microchick]

Powerfully good genes is the answer!

Between harvesting the wood, working around the farm, and yes, chasing chickens, I get a LOT of exercise. LOL!

 

[lazy gardener]

One of my previous docs used to hound me about exercise. Um... When I am actually bringing home a pay check, it's doing physical therapy. Plenty of exercise in that occupation! And when I'm not bringing home a pay check, I'm cutting and stacking trees, building stone fences, digging, doing building projects... and on and on it goes! She just couldn't get her head wrapped around that. New doc takes it in, and does a check mark, and says, "good!"

 

[lazy gardener]

That is one gorgeous pic!!!! I almost feel I'm there...great photography. Congrats on the deer....good eatin' all winter long.

We have the wood shed stuffed full of oak right now~some left over from last year, some bought, some given to us free for the splitting and hauling...so we split and we hauled~ and some on the porch but are awaiting our last load....paid for, has not arrived and the fellow has been avoiding Mom's calls. I starred 67 this evening and his wife picked up, so we had a conversation...she claimed they had been having family issues, I told her I could understand and was sorry about that and then I just paused. She kind of hem-hawed around some, said she had Mom's number and would tell her husband we called and I said, "Uh, huh.....so, when do you think we can expect that wood?"

She finally said, "When would you like it?" and I replied, "Right now. Any time is fine. We've been waiting on that last load so we can get it on the porch for Mom before snow flies. He said he'd do it before hunting season started, so we figured something had come up, but we didn't hear from you so I thought I'd call....again."

Family issues?

Issues that would prevent picking up the phone and returning a call from messages left, stating you are having some problems but will deliver the wood as soon as possible. Anyone can understand and sympathize with unforeseen circumstances....that's just life and it can roll you over....but to avoid calls for a whole month and a half after you've already been paid for a service tends to make me suspicious. And Mom even paid him $50 more than he asked because she's just that way....likes to give better than she gets.

Needless to say, we won't be using his wood service next year.

Did she pay by check????

 

[jerryse]

The cold weather will make the woodpile shrink . Think I will throw in a chunk of hedge . Behind on my firewood gathering this year . Put on a new steel roof then hunting season started . Now I have a new portable sawmill to assemble . I was hoping to cut some lumber and have some sawmill slabs for the woodpile . Assembly going slow .

 

[Beekissed]

Did she pay by check????

I think so....but it's been so long ago it's too late to cancel payment on it.

 

[jerryse]

Done a more thorough cruise of the 40 acre hunting parcel now that deer season is done and the mosquitos are dead. Good opportunity to educate my already cagey grouse anyway. Haven't quantified timber yet, that will come this winter when my forester friend pays a visit as he has all the tools and simple computer programs, but I can get a feel for what management decisions to make. Think I'll start a new thread on woodlot management. I have a lot of pole sized jack pine and black spruce. Probably about 25 acres of it, 4-6" diameter at the stump. I'm calling this the retirement fund. There is some pole birch mixed in that is being shaded out by the conifers. No-brainer firewood once I get some access trails into it. Also some scattered small stands of aspen/birch. I have a couple of these picked for wildlife clearings/deer hunting foodplot and stands. Of most interest, is about a 10 acre area that has some pretty impressive Red Pine, White pine, Jack pine, Tamarack and black spruce. Diameters on the Red and White are 16-20" and 12-16" on the others. Soil is wet and prone to wind damage. Might be time to think about doing something with these. I have some structures left to build. Planning a woodshed, outhouse and Finnish Sauna. Anybody have any experience with a chainsaw slabbing mill?

I tried the Granberg Alaskian . I did not like it . Maybe the more expensive ones are better . Norwood has one that has a drip system to help cool and lube as you cut . I burnt up a chainsaw and did not have much lumber to show for it .

 

[TwoCrows]

You got it, we get European wasp nests and rodents otherwise. Also more even air circulation means more even drying

 

[CapricornFarm]

Husband is starting to split and collect the wood he has been chopping down for this winter. Sure glad he has the Mule to tote it back to the pile!