Welcome to rural living

[Northwoods]

Spent a few hours yesterday cutting some logs into firewood size sections.  Spent several hours today splitting and stacking that wood.  I'm only about halfway through the trees that we'd had to cut down or that fell down as of about 3 months ago.  And there's at least that much more that's blown down since.

And I don't even have a wood stove.   

At least we're set for backyard campfires.  Just need some marshmellow for the kids.

[41magsnub]

I see a new career for you in firewood sales!

[charby]

Maybe its time for a woodstove or you could sell the wood.

[Northwoods]

Maybe its time for a woodstove or you could sell the wood.

I'd love to put in a wood stove.  We have 2 propane fireplaces.  If I had it my way we'd pull them both out, move the one in the family room (that has a fan) into the library/living room and put it in there.  Sell the one currently in the library.  Put a wood stove in the spot in the family room.  But SWMBO doesn't want to spend the money on that.

As far as selling the wood, it's not worth my time to deal with that.  However, any APS members in the PNW are welcome to it for free.  All I ask is that you help me cut and split more to replace what you take (you get wood partly if not totally seasoned that way but I still have plenty for campfires).

I've got probably 2/3-3/4 of a cord stacked right now.  Planning to run the chainsaw a bit more before I run out of daylight today.

[Jamisjockey]

Check with a nearby church, or yours if you swing that way, to see if they have anyone in need of the wood....

[Northwoods]

I tried to get SWMBO's uncle (a pastor) to have folks from his church come and get some wood to heat their church or give to members that need it, but no-one ever came.

I don't mind giving wood to poor folks at my church.  Problem is that I'm new enough there that I don't know who's really in need and who'd just put an add on Craigslist after they got home and sell it.  I might talk to the pastor and see what he has to say.

[Perd Hapley]

Spent a few hours yesterday cutting some logs into firewood size sections.  Spent several hours today splitting and stacking that wood.  I'm only about halfway through the trees that we'd had to cut down or that fell down as of about 3 months ago.  And there's at least that much more that's blown down since.

And I don't even have a wood stove.   

Facepalm indeed. My pop's been heating with wood for thirty years now, and he's never had that kind of luck. I'm afraid he's nowhere near you. PNW is Pacific Northwest, right?

[Northwoods]

Yes, PNW is Pacific Northwest.  I live about 10 miles east of Mt Vernon (Glenn Beck's hometown), and 50-60 or so miles north of Seattle.

I've got 4.77 acres, of which maybe 1 acre is cleared.  The rest is covered in a mix of (mostly) Alder, Big Leaf Maple, Birch, and a few Douglas/Grand Firs.  The Alders have a tendancy to break off 10-20' up.  Combine that with some Maples that have died and I've got more wood down than I know what to do with.

[Jamisjockey]

In addition to my suggestion, if you're donating the wood to a family in need, you might be able to get some able bodied help clearing it from said church.  Just a thought.

[Northwoods]

In addition to my suggestion, if you're donating the wood to a family in need, you might be able to get some able bodied help clearing it from said church.  Just a thought.

Although my back is kinda tight and sore right now, I having some fun (and escaping other household chores like laundry) so I don't mind tooooo much right now.  SWMBO is going to take the chain saw to get a new and better chain put on (safety chain was on it when my dad gave it to me), plus when I was cutting some logs into sections a little bit ago the cap that covers the chain oil resevoir somehow broke off so that'll need to be fixed.  I did get 2 rather large logs (~1.25-1.5' diameter, 20' long) cut into sections before calling it quits.  I'll split those probably Friday (have to go to work Tu-Th).

If there's a truly needy family I don't mind donating my labor in addition to the wood itself.  Anyone else is welcome to the wood free of charge with just some labor to help cut enough to replace what they take.

[Bogie]

I'm wondering if a lot of the "needy" folks aren't needy enough to bother...
 
(and I've heated with wood, and if I could afford a stove right now, I'd be putting one in here...)

[Northwoods]

Anyone know of a good source for a firewood shed (either kit or pre-assembled, I don't have much more in woodworking tools than a circular saw anymore)?  My google-fu is apparently weak in that regard.  I'd like something that'll fit at least a cord.

[Jim147]

Rodents like firewood sheds. I leave all mine uncovered until I'm about ready to use it.

You get a lot more rain up your way. I might set some posts and put a metal roof on top and leave the sides open.

jim

[Northwoods]

When we still had 2 dogs (they were litter mates, had to one down 5 years ago due to Valley Fever) and we were still in Tucson, they would work together to flush pack-rats out of our fire-wood pile.  The one we had to put down was particularly good at catching them when the flushed.  Sarah (our remaining dog) is now 8.5 and not nearly as good as she used to be.  I want another dog, but SWMBO says not until Sarah's dead.

Anyway, what I'm thinking of is something that would raise the wood off the ground enough to prevent rot, is usually only loosely enclosed on 3 sides, totally open on the remaining side, with a roof.

[Perd Hapley]

I'm wondering if a lot of the "needy" folks aren't needy enough to bother...
 
(and I've heated with wood, and if I could afford a stove right now, I'd be putting one in here...)

I don't know about sumpnz's part of the world, but I've never known anybody with a woodstove that would be thought of as "needy." The closest would be my grandaddy in his dotage, and he only needed help cutting and splitting. So I'd say you're more likely to encounter the physically unable than the lazy poor.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Save that wood.  It's no use to anyone right now, being freshly cut and green.  No sense donating it right now.  So put it under a loose tarp somewhere out of the way and let it dry for a season or three.  Who knows, maybe by then you'll have a stove to burn it in, and you'll be glad for the wood.  Or, if you still don't want it then, at least then it'll be worthwhile to donate to someone.

Wood heat is good heat.   We put a stove in last season and it's been divine.  If you're on the fence about getting a stove, go for it.

I don't know about sumpnz's part of the world, but I've never known anybody with a woodstove that would be thought of as "needy." The closest would be my grandaddy in his dotage, and he only needed help cutting and splitting. So I'd say you're more likely to encounter the physically unable than the lazy poor.

There are quite a few folks I know needing good firewood right about now.  It's been unusually cold around here and people are going through their wood supplies much faster than usual.  None of them that I know are particularly "needy" in the usual sense.  These people are all able bodied and reasonably solvent.  Problem is that it's now too late in the year to produce more seasoned firewood.  Whatever you set aside last spring is all you'll have for the year, and this year everyone needs much more than usual.  Everyone is out and looking for more, nobody has any.

[Northwoods]

Save that wood.  It's no use to anyone right now, being freshly cut and green.  No sense donating it right now.  So put it under a loose tarp somewhere out of the way and let it dry for a season or three.  Who knows, maybe by then you'll have a stove to burn it in, and you'll be glad for the wood.  Or, if you still don't want it then, at least then it'll be worthwhile to donate to someone.

It was all standing dead wood, or dead wood blown down by storms.  It's actually fairly dry already.

Wood heat is good heat.   We put a stove in last season and it's been divine.  If you're on the fence about getting a stove, go for it.

I'm not on the fence.  It was only up to me there'd already be a wood stove in the house.  But I am married afterall.

[Tallpine]

Get yourself the proper file and learn to sharpen your own chain.

Keeping it sharp takes most of the work out of cutting, for both you and your saw.

Cutting those two 20' logs should be maybe 15-20 minutes work.

[Boomhauer]

It's no use to anyone right now, being freshly cut and green

You can burn green wood just fine in a fireplace. My family has been doing it for several decades without any issues because our fireplaces are built to draft properly. We do prefer to start a fire with dry wood, but once that fire is nice and hot, it's good to go. Our fire also burns continuously through the winter, we bank it during the day time when we are gone and get it back going at night when we get home. We are going to build a good insert with a big firebox sometime to fit out fireplace (it's a big 'un). Matter of fact, we have to build two, one for each fireplace.

Get yourself the proper file and learn to sharpen your own chain.

Keeping it sharp takes most of the work out of cutting, for both you and your saw.

Cutting those two 20' logs should be maybe 15-20 minutes work.

This. Learn basic maintence on your saw, because all of them need sharpening, throw chains, break parts and so on.

[Northwoods]

Get yourself the proper file and learn to sharpen your own chain.

Keeping it sharp takes most of the work out of cutting, for both you and your saw.

Cutting those two 20' logs should be maybe 15-20 minutes work.

I've got a file.  Whether I'm using it correctly is another matter.

Those logs took about an hour, total.  That included about 10 minutes between them to roll them over after getting ~60% through the diameter at each section.  Plus some short breather breaks (I was tired from the splitting and stacking earlier today - not used to this manual labor stuff, but getting there).

[French G.]

Heh, I have more deadfall than I can cut. Started limbing out the latest,the limbs I was removing were 18" diameter and all bound up. Took an hour to cut one while pulling it with a binder strap and axing away various impediments. This was an oak, the top 60ft or so ended up standing upright but upside down about 50ft downslope from the rest of the tree. Mercifully another storm collapsed it before I got brave. Gets a little breezy here. Speaking of which today was a clear blue sky but it snowed all day. Everything for about 1,000ft AGL was whiteout, blue sky straight up. Either it was snowing in Ohio and blowing in or just blowing from ridge to ridge. 18 degrees with a 20-25mph breeze is a great time to plow your ski slope driveway. I actually skied it last winter, it was fun.

10 degrees out now with the same gusting wind, Burning away in the basement on the locust limb that attacked my garden this spring, wonderful firewood. The fire seems to help the geothermal pump get by better without kicking in the electric coil aux heat which is $$$$

[Northwoods]

Started limbing out the latest,the limbs I was removing were 18" diameter and all bound up. Took an hour to cut one while pulling it with a binder strap and axing away various impediments. This was an oak, the top 60ft or so ended up standing upright but upside down about 50ft downslope from the rest of the tree.

[charby]

Get yourself the proper file and learn to sharpen your own chain.

Keeping it sharp takes most of the work out of cutting, for both you and your saw.

Cutting those two 20' logs should be maybe 15-20 minutes work.

x2 I can usually sharpen a chain in about five minutes or less in the field.

[charby]

Anyone know of a good source for a firewood shed (either kit or pre-assembled, I don't have much more in woodworking tools than a circular saw anymore)?  My google-fu is apparently weak in that regard.  I'd like something that'll fit at least a cord.

Stack it neatly on pallets, cover top with a tarp, lay wood on tarp to keep it from blowing away. You want to keep the sides open to keep air circulating.

[Jim147]

x2 I can usually sharpen a chain in about five minutes or less in the field.

I'm getting lazy. I carry two spares. I can change them out quicker then touching up and readjusting. Then I can go sit in a comfy chair in the warm shop and do my sharpening.

jim