Ornamental Plum - Is it worth the labor?

[Baconaman]

What Part of Oregon are you in? East of the Cascades, Madras, Terrebonne, Bend areas the wood should dry pretty quickly in that low humidity. Heaven help you if you're a neighbor of mine, in the Brightwood area, I've read that Brightwood is THE Wettest spot in the state, and Unfortunately, I believe it .

I also recommend splitting down to your preferred burn size as soon as possible, it will dry much faster when split.

With any wood, the drier you can keep it the better, also as much air flow as you can will help drying and avoiding rot, that is a balancing act between how much room you have for seasoning wood, and how much wood you have.

One quick, simple cheap way to store firewood is on old pallets, use some metal "T" fence posts for end posts, and a tarp. Stack the wood a bit higher than the fence posts, so they don't tear your tarp. It helps if you use some rope and tent stakes to pull the bottom edges of the tarp out away from the wood, to let it "Breathe" and get good air flow, that will also shed any rain water a bit further away fro the wood pile.

Doug

Hey Doug, I know Brightwood yes I do. Well I'm not sure about Brightwood being the wettest spot in Oregon but what I do know is that we are in the Coast Range about 28 miles NW of Portland and area is classified as a temperate rain forest - and maybe that classification extends to the west slopes of the northern Cascades. Lots of moss, ferns, mushrooms, salamanders, frogs, etc. My weather station is reading the outdoor humidity to be 96% at this time.

I have been using old pallets as well. Instead of metal posts I have been putting additional pallets on 2 sides to lean the wood against tying them together with a 2x4 and then a tarp on top with old double hung window weights zip-tied to the corners and sides. It has been working okay so far. Whenever I have a dry day I try to remember to uncover the wood so it can air out. With the pallets on the sides it seems to help ventilate the wood.

I just picked up a cord of maple that has been sitting in someones yard in Beaverton for the last 2 years and the owner posted it on Craigslist. Aside from the pieces that need to dry out from being at the top of the pile or on the ground at the bottom, I have been burning some of it. I love this Maple! It makes the Alder look like wet leaves. I pretty much have access to all the Alder I want and then Fir but this Maple is so much more than either for burning in my furnace. It burns long and makes great coal beds. If I burn Alder alone, I end up having to relight the fire every couple of cycles because it just doesn't seem to make good coals as well as not burning long. It is the worst "hardwood" I have dealt with so far.

I hadn't thought about the tent stake idea, I might need to try that. We get some serious winds up here at 2000 feet so I have to be careful not to provide a place for the wind to take hold.

Do you know Pete Henniger?

 

[Baconaman]

 

[Husky Man]

Hi Baconaman,

You narrowed it down some, my guess is Banks Vernonia area?

Yep it can get WET around there too, I lived in the Forest Grove area for about 7 years, but we didn't get that much wind, but then I grew up in East Multnomah County where we laugh at Chicago being called "the Windy City"

OOPs, I just noticed the 2,000' elevation, whats that high that close too Portland?

I Wish we would see more Maple around here, got some blow down from along I 205 just north of the I 5 junction a year ago, about a cords worth, but up here on Mt. Hood, we don't see much Maple, forget about Oak , but I will still the 5 cords of Fir and Hemlock that the Forest Circus will let us cut for $10/cord, it's still BTU's .

On the tent stake Idea, if you use Tarp straps/Bungee cords between the tarp and the ropes, it makes covering and uncovering the wood pile MUCH Faster and more convenient

 

[Husky Man]

You posted while I was posting, putting your pallets up on blocks will definitely help with circulation.

I don't know Pete Henninger, Sorry

Doug

 

[Baconaman]

Doug,

Pretty good narrowing skills you have there. If you search for Bacona Oregon you will find it pretty much in between Vernonia, Manning, and Scappoose. Our zip code is attached to Buxton but there used to be a U.S. post office in the back room of this house that operated for the town of Bacona in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The town was toasted by some of the Tillamook Burn related fires and never really rebuilt except for a few homes. The township was finally let go in the early 1970s. Funny you mention the bungee cords because I have begun using those instead of the weights. Here is a link to Bacona. If you zoom in you will be able to see our place in satellite mode.

https://www.google.com/search?clien......0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.0.0....0.rc6rVVw9ZFE

 

[Mad Professor]

Good firewood. Good for smoking meat too.

We lost a couple of our plums to black knot. I cut it up small to use on the grill.

 

[Husky Man]

Doug,

Pretty good narrowing skills you have there. If you search for Bacona Oregon you will find it pretty much in between Vernonia, Manning, and Scappoose. Our zip code is attached to Buxton but there used to be a U.S. post office in the back room of this house that operated for the town of Bacona in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The town was toasted by some of the Tillamook Burn related fires and never really rebuilt except for a few homes. The township was finally let go in the early 1970s. Funny you mention the bungee cords because I have begun using those instead of the weights. Here is a link to Bacona. If you zoom in you will be able to see our place in satellite mode.

https://www.google.com/search?clien......0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.0.0....0.rc6rVVw9ZFE

With a peak population of 70, in 1915, I guess that I shouldn't feel too bad that I had to look up Bacona , I only lived in Forest Grove for about 7 years, there was still a lot of areas that I wasn't familiar with, when we moved to Mt. Hood, but I did like the FG area, and still have a lot of my Wife's Family in that area.

If you have a Boat, I would Highly recommend Deer Island Marine Salvage for service and parts, you probably even know the back way there. They have done Excellent work on our boat, at what I felt was very competitive prices, not CHEAP, but FAIR, and very good workmanship.

That is interesting about your house having had the post office in it, lots of History out that way.

I see you have Good taste in Chainsaws, with 5 Husky's, I suppose that I could Forgive/Overlook a Stihl, and a J Red between Friends


Doug

 

[Baconaman]

Husqvarna is my primary brand but I have come to appreciate other brands as well. The Jonsered was made after the parent company of Husqvarna bought them (Electrolux maybe?) and is more or less a Husqvarna with red clothes on. I also recently picked up a Dolmar 120 - I like it, a Husqvarna 445 (a rig saw for the wife), and a a buddy down the road gave me a Husqvarna 240 x-torque because he was moving into a condo - not very impressive this one. I have to say though that this 445 x-torque that I got from a friend of a friend is fun to use and works well.

 

[Husky Man]

My Wife got a Husky 445 for Christmas, she actually did want a chainsaw, and was Thrilled when she got it. She is getting anxious to try it out, wood cutting season opens in the Mt. Hood National Forest on April 15th, but I don't know if the snow is going to cooperate that early this year.

The Wife really Enjoys going wood cutting, her Birthday was in January, but she decided to have her 50th party in February so she could plan it better, she had a "Lumber Jill" themed party, I posted a thread about her party here on the firewood thread, titled "Rae's Flannel Fest 2018", She and her Friends had a lot of fun with that theme. From what I have read, the 445 got Great Reviews, and I felt that it was a very good Price, Power and Weight balance for my Wife.

I tried to find a 445 with a 16" Bar and Chain for the wife, but all the in stock saws had the 18" bar, and the dealer I got it from didn't have a 16"/.325 pitch bar, just a 3/8" pitch bar that wouldn't work on it.
I got a 13" B&C for her 445, thinking that would be better to get used to visualizing where the tip is, without getting it in the dirt and other things, she was NOT Impressed with the 13" B&C, said it was Embarrassing, so I may still find a 16" B&C for her saw yet.

The 240, is Husky's bottom end, er, uhm, I mean "Entry Level" saw, with an MSRP of just $179.95, sell em one of those and Hope they stick with the brand when they upgrade, is the logic, I guess.

I have heard there were a couple more accidents out near Manning recently, that area has always had problems, people just get in a hurry and get stupid I guess, and pass when the shouldn't, be careful out there,

Doug

 

[Baconaman]

One of my hobbies is amateur radio, (ham radio), and Pete Henniger is a radio guy in Brightwood.

I got the 445 from another radio guy that lives in Prineville. He bought the saw new a couple of years ago and said he more or less only used it one day to take down a few fruit trees and do some yard clean up. Health problems have made him conclude he doesn't need a saw anymore. He said I could have it for $200 and I agreed so he brought it to a mutual friend of ours that lives in Estacada. I went out there, dumped out the old fuel, filled it up with fresh and after a few pulls it was running and sounded good. It looked new enough to be the saw from the story. I thought it was a little humorous that this little saw had a decompression valve where my 181s twice the size did not. This feature however made it even more attractive as a saw for my wife since she is on the petite side and claims to be lacking in strength. It came with the 18" b&c and was .325. On the one test I ran out in Estacada I could tell the chain was dull so I picked up a new one on the way home. Since then I picked up one more. I sharpen my own chains but I like to have at least 2 back-ups per saw. I've used a couple of tanks in it and I'm impressed by it's performance. In the little bit or orientation I've done with my wife, she seems to handle the 18" bar just fine. I don't think she is into wood cutting the way your wife is, but she has been asking me to set her up with a saw because she wants to be able to clear the road if needed on her way to and from work if necessary. We are about 9 miles from highway 26 and 8 of them are on gravel road lined on both sides with forest land, or should I say tree farms. Since Longview Fibre sold to Weyerhaeuser, most of it is Weyerhaeuser. There have been occasions in windy times or heavy snow that one finds themselves blocked by uprooted trees. Normally she would call me but she wants to do it herself if she can.

Does your 262xp have a .325 or 3/8" pitch b&c?

No kidding about the traffic fatalities around here. My wife said there were something like 8 fatalities in a week on on 26. Not all of them were right in Manning but somewhere between there and Timber. I thought that last one involved someone leaving the Dairy Queen parking lot but I guess it was the business next door to the west. It's called Puff and has a green cross outside and signs saying that they also do recreational, whatever that means. Apparently an employee went into traffic but didn't notice the 80 year old man heading east and 55. One of them died but I'm not sure which one. We see the life-flight helicopter pass over often but that's not always a traffic accident.

Enough rambling from me.

Oh, that birthday party sounds like it was a lot of fun.

 

[Husky Man]

I'm not personally familiar with Puffs, but by the name and your description of the signage, it's a pretty safe bet it is a Pot Shop, that an employee was not paying attention leaving work isn't surprising.

We get occasional downed trees here as well, one night my wife and step daughter went to the Thriftway in Welches, and had a tree down on Brightwood loop Rd. they went to turn around and another tree had fallen behind them, and they were in the daughters Ford Focus, needless to say, That wasn't rolling over any trees. Of Course, I had a long day at work, and had fallen asleep on the couch watching TV, and didn't hear my cell phone, I Really heard about that, when they did get home. Another Gal coming the other way had to stop, and with the three of them were able to move the smaller tree and Rae and Emmy were able to turn around.

Fallen trees are why I bought the 460 Rancher, I got it used for $180, it ain't Pretty, but it runs good, and I keep it locked in the canopy of the pick up, there is NO WAY that I would trust leaving my 266XP in there 24/7, that is a Favorite that I have had for about 26-7 years now, and I will never part with that saw. Being a "Truck Saw" was the entire reason for buying the 460R. My 266XP, and 460 both have 24" B&C's and are both 3/8 pitch. My 3120XP is a .404 pitch, and I currently have a 36" B&C on it, but have my eye on some bigger bars for it as I have a 48" Granberg Mill for it, that should be here any day. When I eventually add a 395XP to the Husky Herd, I will put a .404 sprocket on it, so I use the longer bars on both the 3120, and 395.

I'm Glad to hear that you are Happy with your 445, the decomp valve was a plus, for it becoming the wife's saw, my 266, hasn't got a D valve, and I don't have any trouble with it, but boy, it is a WELCOME feature on the 3120

With my 266, I give it a couple pumps on the throttle, set the choke, and it is amazing how often that saw will fire on the first pull, even after a long nap. I tried to start the 3120, the same way when I got it, Damn I tell ya a lot of pulling on a 119cc saw, even with a D Valve will about kill a guy. The manual even said to use the throttle lock when starting cold, NOT MY saw, set the choke and NO THROTTLE LOCK, and she starts much Easier. My first log with the 3120 was a D Fir about 32" at the butt end, at a Friends place in Gales Creek, That is a FUN saw to run in Big wood, but it was on the ground, and when it came time to roll it with the Peavey, and upcut to finish bucking it into rounds, it didn't take long for the New saw Fun to wear off, working UP with a 25# saw, a couple Upcuts with that beast, and I put it down and grabbed the 266, it has been a LOOOOONG time since I was 19 .

Not as Bad as 26 between Manning and the Coast, or even 6, but we lived near 47 and Purdin/Verboort, and that intersection had entirely to many accidents for what it is, again Idiots get impatient waiting at Purdin and Verboort Rd's and take Stupid chances pulling out on to, or crossing 47, Straight, level, good lines of sight, just a lot of Poor judgement, they put a Damn Round about in there now, I HATE those things with a Passion, Thank God, they haven't tried putting those %#@*! things in up here on Mt. Hood yet.

Gotta Go, Stay Safe out there, Especially around Puff's, or their Employees and Customers

Doug