Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Sawyer Rob]

My wife is weak. I fear tomorrow morning when she looks at it and realizes that it can't be used for my boiler wood because I cut it all 32" long. She sent me to buy a side x side and I brought this home. I have no time to ride it anyway, my Can Am Renegade just sits in the barn. Her birthday was last week, yup I never got her anything but she did say she didn't want anything. View attachment 729656 View attachment 729657 .

Looks like you bought her something to me!! lol

IF I brought a processor home and told my wife it was her birthday present, she would LOVE it!!

SR

 

[Deleted member 150358]

Keep hoping my son will buy a side by side. Then I could talk him out of his Honda Foreman to plow light snow. Last I looked it had like 70 hrs on the clock. Clearly he doesn't use it enough !

 

[chipper1]

You probably do, but I'm always greedy when it's something I have a hard time getting! lol lol

We just need some warmer weather...

SR

It sure was nice out last week, I got lot cleaned up around here and a few tree jobs taken care of that I been wanting to get done as well.
Works out so I can do a couple more this week, the locust for a neighbor, one Saturday is a large rotten maple, I'll bring the log to you, it has 6-8' of chain hanging out of it and a chunk of 3/8 or 1/2 threaded rod. The good thing is I'm dropping it and walking (other than trimming the top so it's out of the drive).
After the rain gets cleared out next month or so I'll make it up your way with the boy and some logs to hang out.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

today I went on a Scrounging Safari. instead of just scrounging on my street, I cased the entire neighborhood on my bike. 6 mile bike ride. found one oak limb free for the taking, side of road, one oak limb drop, homeowner said, "sure u can have it. thanks for cutting it up. any time is fine". 2 trunks leaned up against their fence, so have to ask them [lol] and one rather nice pile. looks to be oak, and seems it wasn't put there yesterday. nobody home this evening. the plot is thickening...

in between rain showers and rain, sometime a bit too much... I followed up on the Scrounging Safari yesterday. here is what happened:

1) after trying to get the rain to stop, kicked up just as i was loading up... went to get a small oak branch on side of road. headed to the city's trash dump eventually, I was happy enough to repurpose that limb's inevitable destination. house next door had workers and stickers on window. permit. I walked over to look at a stump. then walked back to limb.

2) I noticed someone walking over. had a sense of authority in gait... hmm, maybe a homeowner by looks of things? his greeting - "Hey there! what are you doing!!?" feeling confident in my reason to be there, I walked over and said, "hi, you the resident?" he was. just bought the place. I introduced myself, he was all smiles, we talked trees, etc , the neighborhood and I left with some Bonus Scrounge Stumps. 3. 14" or so x 3-4". not oak, but ok for outdoors. ie, more wood!

3) he showed me his 'new' house and their plans, ideas, etc. lots of 1950's originality to it, large corner lot and a gas and woodburning fireplace, too. I liked it. then next door neighbor shows up. u looking for wood? sure, what kind u got? oak... sure. then he says to burn or turn? huh... wood turning? I say to burn. oh, no... not this... and he left. but, a neighbor even if I did not know him... so when I left I went over to say hi. we hit it off well. a fellow gear head type. and had set off his garage a small engine repair shop. [omg] mostly 2-strokes, weed wackers and saws. side line I asked? [not allowed by HOA] stutters a bit, then says no, just friends and family. I mean how many of family can have saws needing service to warrant a separate shop? lol. but, nbd, we got along and I could tell I had made a new friend.

4) so I was off to get the oak limb drop. that went smooth, no interuptions. had half a trunk of firewood. no doubt a fire or two in there...

5) went over to area park. noticed a healthy oak had a dead limb coming out of it. 3-4" at base. could fall and hurt someone, kid or... so I scrounged it out of tree and took it, leaving the two cuts I made painted out in black spray paint. bugs Rx and no trax...

6) then I went to see another neighbor about the wood pile by back fence, but he wasn't home. saw a bunch a drop from pine tree in front yard, couple houses over. noticed some oak up by house. well, maybe I could get that... so returned and stopped to say hi. inquire. nice neighbor, once I saw his chimney I figured he prob wanted the wood. yep! but it was a swell visit... he had a full-on cabinet shop set up in an earlier addition to the house, all JET tools. killer band saw, too. and he is a professional level artist working in wood and clay. and a very good builder. was building a new shop. if only all builders built like he did. had 2 more fireplaces, masonry... and he made the molds for the bricks. std firebrick etc for the flue. a swell visit. said his friend was a tree service and oft would call him to come scrounge what he was cutting. said he'd call me... to joint venture if I wanted. he had a couple of saws. one stihl. and some huskies... one with 26' bar! could have been 28"... just ur basic homeowner saw, lol -

all that over an afternoon bike ride just for the heck of it yesterday to see if I could scrounge up some more firewood. the small engine guy had a MS 180 he bot some 20 yrs ago... carb tweak and still running strong he said. definitely a one-owner saw... in the cream puff leagues. nary a scratch on it! said it had cut a lot of wood.

scrounged some free wood, and scrounged some new friends. tired from a long day, will post up some pix tomorrow...

like the Norwegian Wood book says, 'some things do grow on trees!' lol

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Yea I could stack like 10yrs worth on my property if I felt like mowing around it. Wait. More wood. Less grass to mow. Hmmm....

I could stack close to 40 years worth of firewood on my property! how do I know? I did just that...nearly 40 years ago... in the woodshed and its still there. last night I had a camp campfire going. friend stopped by. and added a couple of healthy stix that are over 15 years old, maybe even over 20. been dry, and wood solid and burned well. and for a long time, too... and hot, I had to push my chair back 6" or so

but wait, I promise... pix. yes, already took them.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

View attachment 728780 Got the rack finished today. Hoping the mulberry on top will keep my FIL from pulling off this rack this year.View attachment 728782 Still deciding if I'm gonna rack the apple for myself or try to sell it. Figure I'll double the size of the pile with the next one and there might be a third when that one is done.

nice wood pile JM!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Haven't had a chance to do much scrounging since December, so when my neighbor asked if I could take down their old blue spruce that sprinkles my car with pitch and needles I was scampering up as fast as my out-of-shape body could manage. Perfect weather, too.

Of course now I'm sore, have pitch stuck to my skin, hair, and beard, it's 36 out, raining, and I'm getting a cold. But for 2 days at least it felt great...plus I smell like spruce.

Note that my 2-year-old wanted me to put the tree back up, so I "planted" one of the tops in the ground to appease him when I was done.

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lol, what a swell dad!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

A few more pics from the weekend. Dad was with me and took this action shot while I wasn't looking.

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half a cube at best of this stuff cut up

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Plus all the sticks for the firepit that night.

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Burned ok in the firepit, will be interest to see how the bigger stuff goes in the heater this week.

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nice view of the valley there, Cowboy! ~

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Dude, how old is that grill?

I think the beer ended up being done first!

one of mine is just like that one... I have some boards lengthwise end to end... no grill... its a mobile workbench follers me around...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Finally scrounged up a log splitter. It’s an old one but the 5 hp briggs runs great. New hydraulic tank, new lines. Not much info out there on the internet. It’s a Bachtold Brothers Mfg. It’s either a 16 or 22 ton. Anyone know how to tell the difference?

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i'd like to know how big it is...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

If it splits your wood, the ton rating doesn't mean Sh**!!!

for sure! MM. no matter how many times I have heard it... each and every time the chunk goes 'split!'... is sweet music! I can hear it over the roar of the engine powering the pump.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I like that.
It's 100% overcast here today and 37 last I checked, there is trace amounts of piles left and that's it. Supposed to get an inch or two tonight and some ice, then rain in the morning. I like winter, and I can deal with summer, but I prefer it make up it's mind as I don't like 30-50 and rain .
Found this the other day scrounging on CL.
Not sure if the head and the intake are included.

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even if it was free, it's a pricey project! mite be a bargain, though... if it had the heads! lol

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

View attachment 729290 Today’s scrounge. Black ants had the first 10’ of core wood eaten, snapped off where the ant infestation ended. Came down in the wind last night 15’ from the guy’s house. 2 truckloads.

great pix, D! I like all the bulbing flowers? daffodils?

 

[Deleted member 149229]

What kind of wood is that?

You are correct if the guess is cherry.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

View attachment 729301 This ash was having nothing to do with with the fiskars. So I broke down and used the splitter for the first time in months. All of it's around 22% according to the meter so on the racks for this year it goes.

you like ash? I have never burned any of it. mostly oak, pecan etc. but the guy I ran into first on my Scrounge Safari has a very large ash tree he might be taking down. real big!

 

[Deleted member 149229]

great pix, D! I like all the bulbing flowers? daffodils?

Yep, all daffodils.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

That is pretty funny, I want to see that tree in real life.

I think its a joke, but it's a good one! doubt it was shopped! lol ~

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Yeah. She will be 14 years old this year.


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and still standing guard! my oldest will be 13 this year... doing well. your boxer looks to be also

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

And then there’s Petey. They both love the wood and hanging out while I cut, split, and stack.

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that's great! mine would be gone in a flash... "gone hunting!"

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

View attachment 729648 View attachment 729649 Maybe shoulder season somewheres........ with the doc on my back and limited mobility gotta burn to keep warm

I have to say after 21 tanks of fuel that little saw has impressed the hell outta me. A little weak on the clutch side but hey its 25cc, have blocked 20" oak with it because i could, and it hurts to pick up my other saws (oaks staying where it is till next year!).

its working for you... like I say about my lil Echo CS-271T.... it's pure hornet!!!!

my lil echo is pure hornet all the way!