THE firewood thread

[EagleEyes]

These are the stacks that I got cut up, split and stacked this fall.
They make a great windblock from the north for the chicken run.
Little over 5 cords


the stack on the right makes a great fence and windblock

This stack blocks the southwest side of my coop and run

The run looking toward the north

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

So thought I would post a few piccys and ask the perpetual question..."So how's all yer wood stocks holding out?"

Have not touched the 21 walls of wood...probably won't this season, and that is a good thing. Banked gold (may have to find a new commodity to compare firewood stocks to with the price of gold diving!) I figure. So we have only been using up the one last pile of Birch that Rick brought home that we stored in front of the goose and swan houses along one of the interior rail fences.

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This is the pile in June. I have posted this here photo on this thread already, but nice to see a starting point fer a comparison to how much we have used thus far.

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This is today with a cart full sitting to be moved to the Man Porch. So, what? About half or so...not bad heading into December.

Rick wants to see this pile of birch splits gone as he uses this open flat gravelled area to temporarily store the snow he plows up with the tractor...and then takes bucket load after bucket load of it away.

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Not been too terrible a winter by far...only about three bouts of cold weather. A few nights ago it got to -31C/-24F but had lots of warning on this bit of a dip. Warned the usual...get some snow, then it would get cold (always has to warm up to snow here in winter!)...and so it did. But prior to the additional snow coverage, I carted in two loads of birch splits and an extra cart full I left parked there too...so with the two wood boxes FULL in the Man Porch plus the cart full, I am only now looking at the last two splits side beside the full boxes and decided this morn since it was a balmy -14C/7F...to get the cart full again. Got a warm up coming thru and that means it will SNOW again!

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Jest something about having the "larder full" and ready to be used that kinda makes you have a warming feeling all over...or is that the adrenalin wood burner's rush you get after physically moving some firewood...dunno but whatever it is...I am having a sit down coffee and a chat with y'all before I meander off to some other silly distractions.

Scheduled to warm up (hmm...in the above zeroes by Friday--virtual HEAT wave!), thus it means a bit more snow. So grab the firewood NOW and stock up on it while the gettin' is good.

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Old Mother Hubbard went to the wood box and grabbed a split to put another log on the fire...with a nick nack paddy whack...she gave the dog a bone <<...sorry...slab of birch fer her fire>> and this old man <<Rick>>...came rolling home to a nice cheery warm HOME! Home sweet home, eh?

I don't think I can convince Fixins to come off that dog bed by the woodstove in the living room...

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Ah well, nothing beats up on a chilly & whistling winter's day...old man winter is kept at bay--with a nice wood fire.

Stay warm my fellow Firewoodsters and I hope all yer hard work to put this all by well has earned you a nice dandy supply of heat generating luxury. Love it...love that firewood!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[RichnSteph]

Nice update! It's still in the 70's here so I've used a tad less than you have.

RichnSteph

 

[Ole and Lena]

Nice update! It's still in the 70's here so I've used a tad less than you have.

RichnSteph

Wow, you really suck

. Been subzero here several times since we got dumped with snow around Nov 8. Windy too. Used to be, the wind tended to be calm when it got cold. Seems last 2 years that's out the window.

I'm finally starting to dent my serious woodpile. Got an unexpected windfall in October. Big pile of oak pallets and mixed hardwood 4X5 skids got discarded at work. They let me borrow the big dump truck and skid steer to haul them home one night even. Used that wood and some mixed muttwood from the yard before the cold snap hit. Now I'm hitting the big stack of smallish maple and ash splits stacked inside of the barn for early season, mixing in some heavy splits and rounds from the big pile for longer burns. On pace to last through December as planned before I hit the big pile. Propane still holding at 50% right about where I left it in October.

Got to give the new Echo saw another workout. Really impressed. Cut and limbed a big pile (3 cords?) of Elm, Ash and Oak trees into 6 footers. Really tough cutting, trees all jackstrawed together by a bulldozer and diameters up to 32". Saw handled it in stride. Also felled an additional 15 boxelders and aspens at my foreman's new house building site. When he gets done with the building, he's going to help me load and haul the good stuff home and keep the aspen and boxelder for a big bonfire so I've already got half of next year's wood in the bank! (plus some really good brownie points with the boss).

 

[Ole and Lena]

Well, about half way through cutting next winters firewood, and I cannot say enough about the Echo CS590 saw I bought this fall. This thing really powers through the tough wood. Ergonomics are good, power good, this is a great saw for the money. Just got done cutting up some nasty snarly American Elm trees. Great firewood if you can split it. Got a lead on some 2 year standing dead (dutch elm disease) trees just down the road, guy just wanted to get rid of them. All open grown trees, brancy and knotty as heck. Good news, lots of small wood that doesn't need splitting and already dry enough to burn this year. Bad news, lots of big chunks with heavy limb joints that nobody's gonna split. They also are a pain to cut up when felled. Pinched my saw twice today and had to cut out with the backup. The rounds up to 10" will fit in my stove. Already mixing them in as all-nighters. Elm is awesome firewood. Takes a fire, then burns low and slow with good heat right down to clean ash. The big limby ones that I cannot split will be ripped with the chainsaw and they will fit in my syrup cooker this spring. All in all a pretty good score on the elm. Keep the sawdust flying, will payoff next winter. Tip on the elm, cut them at about 12" and split into large blocks just small enough to fit your stove. Easier to split. The elm takes and holds fire very well. Unlike most other woods, blocky pieces will burn well if you have some coals going already.

 

[wyoDreamer]

We got some elm from a guy in Nebraska. Not sure what specific kind it was, but it was elm. I agree with the burn part of it. That was our February deep freeze wood. Put the big chunks in at bedtime and it would burn well into the night. But man, I hate the smell of it burning. As a friend says, it smells like old dog piss when it burns.

 

[Ole and Lena]

We got some elm from a guy in Nebraska. Not sure what specific kind it was, but it was elm. I agree with the burn part of it. That was our February deep freeze wood. Put the big chunks in at bedtime and it would burn well into the night. But man, I hate the smell of it burning. As a friend says, it smells like old dog piss when it burns.

That would be Chinese or Siberian elm. Yeah, burns really well but stinky. Stinky to cut too. Not so bad to split though. Also found in the Eastern half of the US is Red Elm. Splits like seasoned maple. Unfortunately it's practically an endangered species around here. Too bad, beautiful wood with amazing grain and color. I cut down a large dead one and slabbed out all the heavy knots for my cousin to use for taxidermy plaques. Earned myself a couple of free waterfowl mounts.

Both American and Red Elm have a sweet smell when they burn. Chinese is the one with the really small leaves that likes to grow on old construction or mine sites. Usually really ratty in appearance. With the bark off it has hundreds of little "pins" protruding from the wood.

 

[RichnSteph]

Old over seasoned wood burns dirty.....


We've been burning post oak, live oak and blackjack oak here at the house and I can burn for a week without having to clean the ash out of the fireplace. This past week we've been burning a lot of pecan and elm that has been sitting in my grandmothers wood rack for probably 5 years (gram died the Friday before Christmas and we thought it'd be a waste to just throw out 4-5 cords of wood that is already split and seasoned) and I've had to clean the fireplace once a day, sometimes twice a day. That wood puts out so much ash it's just crazy. It does however make our home smell like my grandparents house and it brings back memories.


RichnSteph

 

[Cold Canadian]

Awesome thread , hadn't seen it till now ? But I heat with wood as well and love seeing the split and stacked wood , one day \I will fill my wood shed with split wood instead of just cut to length stuff . I found it interesting about the volume of Birch that some of you are able to cut ? here we are restricted to two cords of Birch firewood a year ? other wise I cut what we call Jack Pine , some refer to it as Black Spruce as the main wood of choice . I will burn properly cured poplar , but the amount of ash is insane so I would mix it in with the jack pine and that seems to somehow leave less ash ? I normally cut twenty cords each year , three cords a trip ( dry dead standing mostly ) and have done as many as three trips in a day ........I cut to 9.5 foot sections as the hardest part is getting it home there I cut and stack at my leisure , we have 5 acres so I have room to store more . I have also burned a lot of Slab material that the saw mills leave after a clear cut ( permit required ) which I always said was for the wife or kid due to the lesser weight factor . Anyways , awesome thread glad I found it

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Great to see you here CC...we share that love of the wood fired warmth, eh?

Weather here warmed up a bit which brought in a bit of snow...so that meant I needed to clear off what is left of the pile before I could fill my cart with splits. Best to do a cart run when it's only -10C/14F than when it's at thirty or lower.

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Might have a load er even two left. Enjoying the winter, always nice to zip back inside and get warm...by the wood burning fires, eh?

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I mentioned to Rick about why he did not like burning Poplar and he mentioned the amount of excessive ash when compared to the Birch.

I have thought about that a bit...both are "hardwoods" but why would say Poplar (quick growing?) produce more ash than Birch (slower growing than Poplar?)...are we burning the wood at too low a temperature in our fires to completely use it up and limit the amount of ash left over? I dunno...maybe someone here does!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada