Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[SteveSS]

Now there's no "you suck" scores but, I got a nice bench grinder.

I need a nice bench grinder, so........You suck!

 

[svk]

Now you can be an old phart too! I don't know how the younger generation will survive without metal coffee cans and glass baby food jars . . . .

Philbert

My grandpa had a 4 tier rack with peanut butter jars. The lids were screwed to the bottom of each layer and every one had different screws/nuts/nails etc. I think each row was 8-10 jars wide.

When we were cleaning the house my aunt got a little goofy. Lots of stuff that was supposed to go to me kept disappearing. Then she took all of those jars and threw them away. THREW THEM AWAY!!! I still have the rack and 12 years later it still makes me mad. Eventually I'll find some mason jars with the same lid and resurrect it.

 

[svk]

I need a nice bench grinder, so........You suck!

Every axe I own is going to be sharp enough to shave with now!

 

[Sawdust inspector]

So I was asked to barter today from a neighbor. He heard I have big saws and a rather large splitter. He stopped in my shop tonight with a case of beer to talk wood trading. He asked me to cut down 10 basswoods no larger than 20" and split it for his fire pit and I can have his oak that is laying on his cow yard. So I hadda go peek. It was dark and it's below -0 so what I seen was a 30-40" oak close to 40 ft of log. I wheeled and dealed and he's gonna have his boys help me make his basswood and I get the oak for free

 

[MustangMike]

Now I know I'm gettin a little older, and it is still +10 here, but I let the dogs out a few minutes ago, put a good hat, jacket & gloves on, but that wind was ripping, went right through my jeans and the legs got cold fast ... it is gettin ugly out there.

I was at my Daughter's house earlier tonight. I asked her how she liked that Chestnut Oak. She pointed to the thermostat and said "it's 79 in here, I love it". By the window, it was a little cooler.

Dan, how good that U were there and did what is right, good on U!!!!

 

[MechanicMatt]

Krystle is lucky to have you UncleMike.

 

[Sawdust inspector]

Mustang Mike I'd recommend a pair of under armor. I wear mine 7 days a week sun up to sundown. They cost about $85 but I think it's well worth it to keep the boys warm while I work outside all day.

 

[MustangMike]

I have em, and even warmer ones, and insulated hunting paints, but I don't generally put them on to let the dogs out, and I'm not wearing them inside!

Seems like properly dressing to be out in the cold gets more important as U age! But as others have said, if U R working, (or active) you don't need to over dress. It is the standing still that gets U (or trying to stay still in the treestand!)

 

[mainewoods]

I noticed that cuttin' wood in the winter isn't as much fun as it used to be. Must be the global warming, cause it can't possibly be age related.

 

[olyman]

Different type of scrounge but a score nonetheless.

My coworker's dad is moving into assisted living. He (my coworker) doesn't do any wrenching/woodworking and only one of the grand kids spouses wanted any tools from grandpa. He asked me to go over and take a look. Now there's no "you suck" scores but tons of good stuff. I got a nice weber gas grill with three 20# cylinders, bench grinder, two work tables, collapsing saw horses, probably 50 pounds of bolts/nuts/screws, a half of a 5# coffee can worth of drill bits and enough stuff to fill a 6.5' box plus the inside of an extended cab truck. I'm invited back to get as much as I can take this week before the cleaners come and trash everything that is left.

This is like adult trick or treat.

smokeys!!! you best rent a trailer for a month or so,, to clean it out,, and get the things you can. then youd have a month to sift thru the goods..........

 

[greendohn]

To me, it is now official polar vortex weather, even if they aren't calling it that yet!

So..I started hitting the official polar vortex stash, ash and oak. It's winter, yaaa! This is my put aside pure good stuff.

And some bonus pics!
Another winter change for me is the lake builds up enough, I have to uncover the overflow pipe. I leave a rock in front of it or the beavers plug it up. Uncovered during the day, rock in place at night. This will last until late spring usually. First "whoosh" was yesterday. It makes a spectacular little series of waterfalls later on when it gets even deeper.

"zogger", I couldn't help but notice the black/white tarp you have covering your woodpile,,looks like the same stuff I get from the local co-op. GOOD stuff, thin, easy to work with/cut to size, and tuff enough to hold staple/nails without tearing. I've got 3 walls of my woodshed wrapped in that stuff, been 3 or 4 years and still good as new!!

 

[JB Weld]

A couple of days ago, I had to go pick up something for Mrs Weld in town. Lo and behold, I found a big Pear Tree cut up on the side of the road just waiting for city pick up. I shoved as much as I could into the back of my Forester and down the road I went. I could not go back until the next day and all of it was gone. My scrounging has slowed down drastically, but I am still a scrounger of opportunity! Once it has a chance to season a bit, I will smoke some meat with it.

 

[zogger]

"zogger", I couldn't help but notice the black/white tarp you have covering your woodpile,,looks like the same stuff I get from the local co-op. GOOD stuff, thin, easy to work with/cut to size, and tuff enough to hold staple/nails without tearing. I've got 3 walls of my woodshed wrapped in that stuff, been 3 or 4 years and still good as new!!

Yep, great stuff! You must have the same thing.

Those are scraps from broiler house curtain walls before they were removed and solid walls put in, or inside drop walls for when the biddies are put in, middle of the house. The stuff just do not rot out with sunlight exposure. Some of the stuff I have is well over ten years old. Don't know what it is made from, but why the heck the regular tarp guys can't use it to make tarps is beyond me.

Oh, I know, planned obsolescence.

The only other stuff like that I have found that lasts is billboard fabric.

I just ain't buying anymore "tarps" from the box stores. Even the expensive ones are pure junk, won't last a season.

 

[greendohn]

Last year the co-op guys started hawking it to a couple of the bigger farmers for a lil' cash money on the side, I don't begrudge 'em, they won't ever get rich working there and as you mentioned,,the stuff just will not deteriorate.
I rolled a piece of it out into the back of the pick up truck last nite before the snow started, I'll just drag into the garage and let it dry out before folding it back up, and I'll have a clean bed to stack wood in!!

 

[Ambull01]

"You can do even better than that. There should be no current draw through the alternator. If you connect a test light in series with the alt it shouldn't glow... not even a little.

Good quality drums and rotors make a big difference in stopping. The parts sold at Advance Auto are ok, but good brands like Bendix, Wagner, and even Centrix can perform much better over time. The quality pads are better, too. We've tried bunches of shoes for the rear of our 1 ton dually buses but we've settled on Delco as the best for the longest. Stop and go driving really heats up shoes and the Delco parts are the only ones that last. You might also look into using parts from a light 3/4 ton van. Sometimes they fit in without too much work. Larger spindles and rotors will make a big difference.

The biggest issue is the design of the front brakes. They're called "quick takeup" brakes and they resist fast brake applications like crazy.Believe it or not, if you switch to a master cylinder from a '95 van then most of the issues will go away."


I was wondering about the current through the alternator. I'm no mechanic by any means but I always thought the battery runs everything when the car is off and the alt takes over with it running. Don't see how the battery current will run through the alt then to whatever is eating up all the charge. I want to figure this out quick so I can take this new battery back and get a refund. May need to enlist the help of my father in-law again as I have very little time on my hands and this weekend is my National Guard weekend.

I'll look into upgrading brake parts. Sorry, totally jacked up the quote feature somehow.

Hey make sure that big red wire you unhook doesn'tfind chassis ground. Oh and good luck with your motortucked in under the cab. Ambull, do you own a multimeter?

What happens if it finds a grounded chassis? Yeah I know, I hate how the engine is so cramped on these vans. I remember my grandfather's old Dodge van used to have a clipped on engine cover in the cab. You could remove the cover and get access to the engine a little easier. I don't think I can do it to this Chevy van. Who the hell designed this stupid engine compartment!? I miss the old trucks where I used to literally sit in the engine compartment and watch my dad wrench on his old Chevy truck.

No I don't own a mm. I web searched how to find a battery drain and looks like I may need one. Seriously need to upgrade my tools

 

[SteveSS]

The only other stuff like that I have found that lasts is billboard fabric.

I just ain't buying anymore "tarps" from the box stores. Even the expensive ones are pure junk, won't last a season.

Billboard fabric is on my "to get" list this summer, when I redo my wood pile area. The box store tarps just don't seem to last more than a couple years, and they're too darn expensive to just keep throwing away.

 

[Ambull01]

Billboard fabric is on my "to get" list this summer, when I redo my wood pile area. The box store tarps just don't seem to last more than a couple years, and they're too darn expensive to just keep throwing away.

I'm kind of disappointed with most of my tarps. Maybe it's just because I only buy the cheap tarps but none of them really seem to keep the rain from seeping through. I'm thinking about buying a pack of plastic sheeting from the dollar store. Seems relatively thick and I could fold up the sides onto the top of my wood pile. I pamper my wood pile. If there's no rain forecasted, I fold up the sides of my tarps to let all the air hit my pile. If it rains, I let the sides cover the pile completely. I'll probably stop this nonsense once the wood burning/firewood processing novelty wears off lol.

I was also thinking about finding wood scraps on CL that I could use as a top cover. Just a sheet of plywood or something. Should be pretty easy to find free wood scraps and at the end of its service life I'll just burn it in my outside fire pit.

 

[svk]

Tarpaper isn't cheap but it does last several years as a cover.

 

[7sleeper]

There was a public event in the city I am from where they had dozens of bilboards hanging around. I was lucky to pass the next day when they were cleaning up and got half a dozen. The guys cleaning up were real nice and would have given me 2 dozen but I couldn't cary anymore on my motorcycle. About 1 yard wide and around 10-15 yards long. Now I really am disappointed that I didn't get everything! Because I haven't ever had a tarp in such a quality, a lot like tarp from sailing equipment.

7

 

[zogger]

I noticed that cuttin' wood in the winter isn't as much fun as it used to be. Must be the global warming, cause it can't possibly be age related.

Wall...ya just need a twenty something tomboy filly to go out cutting with ya..perk ya right up!

I'll let ya I know if I scrounge up any and got one to spare....