New guy in Maine

[trukn2004]

Awesome Pictures!!!!

Great documention of your work!!!!

Thank you. I really love pictures so I usually post too many. It is a nice way to go back every once and a while to see my progress.

Anyway, I got those pictures to show you the debacle.

so here is the overall, you can see the tree that started it all up front. Beautiful red oak with a less desirable crown then the one next to it.


My 18" bar didn't reach thru, and my husky was bogging when the bar was buried. On top of that, I think the chain was dull or the rakers are too high.


I think you can see where the bar was pinched. . Luckily, it seems straight and cuts fine still.


For reference, that is a size 12 flip flop. It went about halfway across.


The hickory that was holding it up that I had to cut under pressure.


Fun little side fact: That nail right there, I didn't see it until much later. missed it by inches. Brand new chain on too.


the mini-chair. It was quite controlled for the situation. I cut off the top piece once it was on the ground.


This was the twin sticked dead birch. also a pain to cut. ended up hopping off the stump and staying vertical. Took some weird cutting to get it onto the ground. Luckily, it was small.


The maple that was holding the tops up. here you can see what I left. Going to clean up the base before I work on this so I have some room.


Lots of logs!



On a more positive note, I got to use a new tool yesterday! Had a load of 3/4 crushed delivered so I could top my section of the road. the 1.5" was nice, but bumpy. Used my new to me York rake to spread and smooth it out. Still need to free up a guide wheel, but man is that thing awesome!













Not bad for my first try, a stuck guide wheel, and eyeballing it.

That is it for now, hope you guys enjoyed!

 

[trukn2004]

Been quite a bit. I lost some time to work and dealing with some health problems, but I finally got back into it. ill try to capture it all.

Picked up a timberjack! not the biggest, or most expensive, but its proven its worth already.


I only tested it to see how big a log it would pick up, and it did not disappoint. I believe that is around 18" in diameter.


I decided to get out and tackle the mess from before. I started out sharpening and filing my oldest chain, working the rakers and getting it all squared away. then I packed up and headed out.


I figured I would start at the end closest to the tractor and clear as I went. The old chain made 4 cuts in that oak, very well, and on the beginning of the fifth started to throw little slivers. I don't know if the chain is toast, of if I hit the ground, but it came off, looked dull, and the semi-chisel went on. That chain made the rest of the cuts, something like 14 or so, and was still throwing chips.

Perception is very tough here. These rounds were massive compared to what I normally cut.




I contemplated noodling, but my rancher isn't the happiest doing that, so I broke out the fiskars to see what I could do. The first round, from the base, gave me some trouble but I got it. After that and as I moved along they got easier and easier. by the time I got to 18" diameter, I was quartering them in less then 6 hits.







Still a good amount to go.


Looking back. I basically cut until dry. Got around 3 extremely full buckets out, and I have another 8-10 rounds 90% cut, but I ran out of gas before I rolled the log to finish them off.



Decided to split some too. did I ever tell you how much I love red oak?


That is a 18" tire for reference


Where I stopped. Basically half of the wood is split.


The stuff is so beautiful.



Earlier this week, I also did some cleaning up down the road. had a big oak top come out and land on the lines. power company ended up cleaning it up, and left a mess. I went down, cleaned the brush and then fished out the rounds the cut and split it all. lengths are quite varied, but it yielded a good amount of oak. I picked up the stuff in the woods and it was a full bucket plus some. I will get the road stuff later on as well.





You can see the tree it came off of with the pink ribbon. It was poorly trimmed a long time ago and has died standing. the base is hollow and now it has no top. I am trying to get a quote to take it down, since the power company wont do it unless it falls on the lines..

 

[trukn2004]

First fire of the year. This is two year seasoned ash and maple, what a difference!



Only took 5 minutes to get up to temp.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ronaldo]

First fire of the year. This is two year seasoned ash and maple, what a difference!



Only took 5 minutes to get up to temp.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice fire! Can we see a bigger pic of your hearth?

 

[trukn2004]

Nice fire! Can we see a bigger pic of your hearth?

Here you go.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ronaldo]

Thanks, I really like that!

 

[Deleted member 135597]

this is a great thread, thanks

 

[benp]

this is a great thread, thanks

I thoroughly agree.

@trukn2004 ,

You have made a lot of progress since your first post. I really like how you document everything with the pictures.

Keep up the good work!!!

 

[trukn2004]

I thoroughly agree.

@trukn2004 ,

You have made a lot of progress since your first post. I really like how you document everything with the pictures.

Keep up the good work!!!

Thanks for the kind words! I am really enjoying the home heating with wood. It's quite fun to see how I have improved. Wood I'm burning now was cut and split two years ago. Split size and shape is very erratic, while wood im processing now is much more even. Definitely all burns, but in two more years I'll be burning stuff that is a lot prettier.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trukn2004]

Hello loyal followers!

Been pretty lazy with wood. Doing a decent amount of burning, heating the whole place on some less then desirable stuff. With all of the rain, i havent really been out in the woods, but i took a hour the other day to do some more cutting from the big oak tree from before. i am working my way through the limbs of that tree, the hickory, and suprisingly the birch that i thought was rotted to hell.

fruits of one tank of fuel. still a good amount of wood out here.


Brush pile


overall view. Not much left to cut, mostly small stuff.



I need to find time to come and get this before the loader comes off and the snowblower goes on. I also need to get off my butt and stack the splits from the main trunk. Been working on cars and working at work in my free time mostly. Either way, colder weather is coming and the heating season has begun!

 

[trukn2004]

Relaxing and enjoying the heat. My two rugrats love it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trukn2004]

Might as well post for the new year. Unfortunately, no photos

This winter I have been pretty much just burning. No real cutting going on and only some splitting. Got into my 2 year old hickory and i have to say i have mixed feelings. Once it is going, it will put some heat out and burn a while, but to try to get dried splits to start is a chore and man does i coal like crazy. If i had to choose, i would stick with my red oak and leave the hickory for other things.


Got into a couple scary moments with the stove. had it get decently out of control twice that ended with a sopping wet towel being thrown in to calm things. One time was at 2 am, the other earlier. Both times i got home from work and loaded on what i normally consider too hot a stove to reload, or too much of a certain species. Since those two screw ups, i have been fine and i actually have started to run the stove better then before. I was always burning on the side of caution, not really winding the stove out to its full potential. Now that ive had it get away from me, I run it a lot more efficiently, and in turn get better burns and more productive heat into the house.

Other then that, saw has been run, but only a little bit. I've also upgraded the truck to a 2016 2500 cummins! Ill have to go through photos and videos tonight and get some stuff to upload for you guys.

 

[trukn2004]

A photo and video to tide you over. I thought I uploaded a second video, but that doesnt seem to be the case!

The new truck, putting in work to load the rack on the porch


Just a little fire video, a cold restart to warm you guys.

 

[Ronaldo]

I'm liking that truck!!!!

 

[trukn2004]

I'm liking that truck!!!!

Thanks, me too. she is getting new tires and wheels tomorrow to replace the shot factory tread and the ulgy slt wheels. I got it used, 2016 with 24k miles on it. more truck then i need, but ive always wanted a diesel and the price was pretty good. wife thinks its too tall, but sided with me on some 35" tires since she said the factory ones were too small. . Only downside, i have to install some running boards to assist with getting in and out. Small price to pay i think.

 

[GVS]

Thanks, me too. she is getting new tires and wheels tomorrow to replace the shot factory tread and the ulgy slt wheels. I got it used, 2016 with 24k miles on it. more truck then i need, but ive always wanted a diesel and the price was pretty good. wife thinks its too tall, but sided with me on some 35" tires since she said the factory ones were too small. . Only downside, i have to install some running boards to assist with getting in and out. Small price to pay i think.

What size tires/wheels are on it now?If you go much bigger then whats on it now you may want to think about going with lower gear ratio in the front and rear ends.

 

[trukn2004]

What size tires/wheels are on it now?If you go much bigger then whats on it now you may want to think about going with lower gear ratio in the front and rear ends.

Came with 33" tires from the factory, just upsizing to a 35". Nothing too crazy to call for regearing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trukn2004]

Another rare weekend off, so i did some wood chores. I took pictures this time though!

First chore was re-loading the porch. we have some snow coverage, along with a crapton of ice. Sled pulled well and i had on my ice crampons to keep me upright.


Porch all loaded. This round is dead red oak and some more hickory. I got to say, while hickory is nice, red oak is my favorite.


After that i decided to do some walking in the woods to find some of my next scrounges. This is all that is left on the low side of the house, from now on all my wood will be up near the driveway for easy access.


Found some standing stuff that should come out to help the forest grow. Took the frozen ground to get a better look at some stuff thats fallen into the stream. I think there are two trees worth some salvaging. This will help eliminate the snags and allow the water to flow better.


A shot back to the house from the fallen stuff. all uphill, but not too terrible.


Thats it for now! enjoy.

 

[trukn2004]

Well, I've been burning that hickory for a couple weeks and i have to say, not a big fan. It is extremely tough to get going. The wood is seasoned well, but you have to really drive the air to if and keep it open for a while to get going. Once burning, yea, itll put out the heat, but with the excessive coals and the babysitting needed on each reload, I would rather burn the ash and red oak i have. I think in the future I will shy away from them unless they are dead and down.

 

[Woodyjiw]

Another rare weekend off, so i did some wood chores. I took pictures this time though!

First chore was re-loading the porch. we have some snow coverage, along with a crapton of ice. Sled pulled well and i had on my ice crampons to keep me upright.


Porch all loaded. This round is dead red oak and some more hickory. I got to say, while hickory is nice, red oak is my favorite.


After that i decided to do some walking in the woods to find some of my next scrounges. This is all that is left on the low side of the house, from now on all my wood will be up near the driveway for easy access.


Found some standing stuff that should come out to help the forest grow. Took the frozen ground to get a better look at some stuff thats fallen into the stream. I think there are two trees worth some salvaging. This will help eliminate the snags and allow the water to flow better.


A shot back to the house from the fallen stuff. all uphill, but not too terrible.


Thats it for now! enjoy.

Do you have any problems with mice in your wood stacks on the porch? Or do you rotate enough that they don't get a chance to get comfy?