Frost again this morning. The zoysia will be going to sleep and the Carolina Jasmine will start to bloom!
Maggie’s The Woodchuck and Firewood Hoarders Thread
- Thread starter bogeybrown
- Start date
Making ice now, should be able to utilize the waterways soon with snow machines. 
I never spent time up in Tok.
Was busy fishing and seeing the deeper wilds on my little free time when I was up there.
Either way, love AK and a bit of me wishes I had moved there before I got married.
Lots of firewood to be cut n stacked up there. Felled a few for the place I worked for in Talkeetna.
Just piled the wood per the boss.
One of the other guys paid me to haul it to his place and stack it. Always a dollar to be made if willing to work.
Was busy fishing and seeing the deeper wilds on my little free time when I was up there.
Either way, love AK and a bit of me wishes I had moved there before I got married.
Lots of firewood to be cut n stacked up there. Felled a few for the place I worked for in Talkeetna.
Just piled the wood per the boss.
One of the other guys paid me to haul it to his place and stack it. Always a dollar to be made if willing to work.
It's probably too late, but the very first thing that comes to my mind with regards to "White Oak" is barrels. You'd said that because of how this grew, it is no good for 'sawn lumber' (or something like that). But my question is for the 'smaller oak barrels'. You know, the ones that 'private people' and 'hobbyists' and whatnot look to get for "their own purposes."
It all starts with 'white oak' and then gets built from there. Insane prices are charged on said barrels, too. Just askin'.
That for sure, I have to keeps the brakes on for my 11y/o or he would run his mom and I ragged taking him to the next job. He and 3 other boys have a yard handyman business. If mom will let him start riding the wheeler everywhere I would turn him loose. His little brother is going to be a money maker, @9 he has already started his truck fund.
Kids who learn to work have about 50 hands up on kids who do not.
@tnichols does a fine job with that. His boy runs a sub 18 minute 5k and is cutting and stacking pretty darn good.
And I know Mike @oneshot86 keeps his on the go too.
Mine are just coming of age to spend more time working. Scooping snow will be good for them this winter!
@tnichols does a fine job with that. His boy runs a sub 18 minute 5k and is cutting and stacking pretty darn good.
And I know Mike @oneshot86 keeps his on the go too.
Mine are just coming of age to spend more time working. Scooping snow will be good for them this winter!
Mine are doing well with the work. My 9y/o is a good equipment operator, has more understanding and understands the big picture, listens when you give instructions. I always test him, when he's operating something. He may have read a OSHA manual at some point. When someone gets close to a work zone, he gives a @#$ chewing, he's respectful but your getting it. Tractor, skid steer, tele handler, splitter he's your man. He wants to drive the 518 grapple skidder, but its to jenky for him right now. He has exceptional hand to eye coordination (hockey probably helps) has a soft touch with hydraulics, doesn't get in a hurry, and when he doesn't like something stops the operation, secures things and comes looking for guidance. And can explain what he doesn't like and how he would like to proceed. Takes criticism with a smile on his face and wants to learn. And my daughter 7 y/o she is a good had at carrying and stacking, and will make a good hand as she gets older.
So I panicked and got a cord of scrub oak logs. I'm glad I did cause our second child was born on Sunday. I burned it for the first time last night and I've got a few questions...
It's obviously dense but how dry does it need to be to burn well? It doesnt seem green but I've never used it so I'm not sure of what signs it shows. It lasted the night last night so I was pretty happy but I dont want to waist it of it could be burning longer. If I do need to let it dry about how long does it take? I dont see any cracks in it yet but its dry enough to burn ok-ish.
It's obviously dense but how dry does it need to be to burn well? It doesnt seem green but I've never used it so I'm not sure of what signs it shows. It lasted the night last night so I was pretty happy but I dont want to waist it of it could be burning longer. If I do need to let it dry about how long does it take? I dont see any cracks in it yet but its dry enough to burn ok-ish.
Propper seasoning applies to all wood regardless of species. I run a 2-year seasoning plan, as do alot of guys on AS, especially for harder woods like oak. Do you know where it came from or how long its been split/stacked?
I know where it came from but I dont know when ot was cut, I split it just a couple days ago. Its definitely not seasoned but it's starting to show a few cracks in some of the rounds. I definitely dont have a schedule because I'd have no yard but I may start one for a cord of hardwood every year.
The question is if I should just stack this back up for next year...
Pile 1, you can see the wood missing from the face. Just from a small cold snap
I would stack it. Not split=not seasoned. Rounds will stay wet on the inside for a long time
I would probably stack it as well. If you can scrounge some dryer stuff, you can blend it sparingly with dry stuff for cold nights. My stash is in our barn, so it doesn't get sun or air movement. With that being said, I try to stay 4-5 years ahead, and, 80% is cut dead standing unless is storm damaged or blow down.
Unseasoned wood is not the best for your stove and worse for your chimney. Plus, unseasoned wood takes more BTU's to dry in the stove so it's somewhat counter productive.
Top covered outdoors with sun and wind is ideal. Just my opinion, I'm wrong alot.
You and those boys are fricken' studs processing in those conditions (heat). My hats off to you all.
I tried top covered the first year I burned. Ended badly. The top layers were covered in mold. Now I dry one year outside uncovered then the 2nd year in the shed under roof. I modified my shed a little for good airflow.
That's pretty well in line with what I've heard. I stack all my wood in the barn but most of it is downed trees from a wind storm too long ago. This year I'd say 80% standing dead Aspen.
Ill split it and stack it in the barn. I've got windows open and it gets quite the breeze, no sun though (dont know if absorbing sun energy is a myth or not). I may have just found another source of oak that is GTG.
Similar situation here. Our climates are about the same, and the wood was always wet with wind driven rain, ice, and snow. Plus, with our wind, I gave up on finding a cover that didn’t end up 3 counties away every time a storm came through.
I came up to my place in the Smokies and found a 20” or so long straight chestnut oak has fallen with the rootball pulled up. I noticed a couple down the road too so we must have had some good wind at some point.
Anyway, more firewood and easy too, at least 50’ of straight trunk before the first limbs.
Anyway, more firewood and easy too, at least 50’ of straight trunk before the first limbs.
Trees out of the natural timber are the best. They grow straight and tall seeking the sun. Straight grained, easy to process and stack. Great score.
Also better for "projects" unless it is something that needs "character", where I have settled I no longer need to cut firewood but I still have a love for timber. I see some live edge furniture appearing in our humble abode in the near future. Just have to complete some of the current work first......
Yeah, once it dries a year, it’ll split easy. Chestnut oak is very similar to regular white oak.
We are selling the shit out of firewood
Not often I have reason to post here.
Noticed a blow down in the backyard conservation land that I didnt want to see go to waste.
If its on the ground it can be taken....and it was within wheelbarrow distance.....
Way too much saw for the 15 minutes every six months I use it but I love the thing. It rips wood.....
Besides if fitting our needed job requirement mattered would so many people really be buying 338 LM and .50 cals?
Time for some new hickory or ash......
The only jackson I needed for some wood.....
Noticed a blow down in the backyard conservation land that I didnt want to see go to waste.
If its on the ground it can be taken....and it was within wheelbarrow distance.....
Way too much saw for the 15 minutes every six months I use it but I love the thing. It rips wood.....
Besides if fitting our needed job requirement mattered would so many people really be buying 338 LM and .50 cals?
Time for some new hickory or ash......
The only jackson I needed for some wood.....
Really digging this knife....
It would be perfect if the cerakote was gone and replaced with parkerizing.
Not the best looking wood pile but it will feed the burn bowl through some Bourbons and cool nights.
It would be perfect if the cerakote was gone and replaced with parkerizing.
Not the best looking wood pile but it will feed the burn bowl through some Bourbons and cool nights.
I super love your knife
Couple shots of pile 1.
With this cold snap, todays
sales are killing the pile. I bet we sold half of it
With this cold snap, todays
Been like this all day.
But I wonder, why climb the pile, not that I care of course.
But I wonder, why climb the pile, not that I care of course.
Is too much saw a thing? I have had 4 of my saws ported, and love cutting wood along side buddies that say my saws are too big or no reason to port one. Add square grind chain....
Yep oak.
The woods behind the house is getting kind of "aged".
Lots of the older oaks are splitting and coming down.
The base that that big "branch" was on is hollow and ant eaten.
We get a big windstorm I can usually get a few months of chimenea wood out of it.
Know my 440 isn't ported but my 660 might be, it came from out west where the big timber is.
My brother had the 440 out on a hunt club work day. The other guys had stuff like an 025 size saw. They started cracking on him when he put the ear plugs in. Then he laid into the throttle and started throwing chips. It sang a little too loud for them. Don't think he's needed to take the 660 with aftermarket air filter yet. It's even louder.
If you think it may be ported, you need to run 32:1. If you want to play around get a works connection tach, then you can see the rpm’s and compare it to the stock rpm’s. That will tell you if it has a unlimited coil, then tune her out. See what the max rpm’s while still 4-strokin.
My ported saws are a 026, 261, 441 and 461.
The 026 has a 044 carb, advanced timing, intake and exhaust ports enlarged and timed and unlimited coil, gasket delete, milled and squish set duel ported muffler, she pulls 16,500 rpm.
The 261 has factory carb that’s been bored out and rejetted, same work as the 026 tuned to 17,200 rpm.
The 441 is a m-tronic, carb bored and jetted all above work. Idon’t have a tach that works with the m-tronic yet, builder said she was a 15,000 and climbing. The motor is not broke in yet so there is room for improvement.
The 461 has card bored to 661 specs, same motor work done. Rpm’s are set at 15,500.
I have a Husky 359 that has been worked on. Wears a 24” bar. I only use it for big stuff of course.
Enjoying the fruits of my labor , well that what I tell myself when I splitting firewood like a jackass. Nothing like a fire though....
I’ve been enjoying this thread for some time now. Dunno why I didn’t contribute until now. Here’s my log stacks after processing what I need for the next couple winters. My bigger Husky is in there too. 
I didn’t realize it was so sunny today!
I didn’t realize it was so sunny today!
how much for the ford camper special you have hiding there, mr i have the best truck in the world
One valley further west, over the divide. Not quite as dry as the Ark Valley but still high sage desert at my elevation (around 8K).
Yeah, the beetle kill is ready to burn when you drop it...if it’s not already rotten, which more and more of it is.
I actually like to stack 4 footers because they might sit there a couple years before I get to them.