Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[MustangMike]

Semi-chisel square next time lol.
What was it about that wood that killed your chains?
Look forward to the pictures.

You can not square file semi chisel, and square mills so much faster than round.

The dead/dry/hard wood was killing my chains. I normally get 4 cuts / chain with Oak, only got 2 passes with each 36" chain with this one, and I had to really push the saws to get them to cut. Toughest wood I've ever milled. Also, FYI, you could see the grain was twisted.

 

[MustangMike]

That does not look like White Oak to me.

 

[Cowboy254]

My parents came up this weekend to say G'day. And also to ask if we had a few bits of wood they could take home since Dad is still a bit wary about going and cutting wood after he blew his back out a couple of months ago (no pain now, just wary). Normally they would be up in tropical Queensland at this time of year and not need to be burning wood but since Viktoriastan is the pariah of Australian states now, they're stuck at home, burning wood. They became a bit partial to the peppermint I took down there 8 weeks ago so we swapped vehicles and they took home the Ranger with a cube of dry peppermint (no pics, ) and I have their Land Rover Defender which rather lacks the creature comforts but I might be able to pull some trees over with it.

Anyway, I was a bit annoyed with the Cowkids who were in the middle of an argument when the Cowparents were heading off today and didn't say goodbye so I gave them the option of sitting in the corner for 4 hours like 5 year olds or stacking some wood.



This is the north (sunward) facing side of the woodshed and Dad took the last of the wood that was stacked there so some semi-dry blue gum got stacked there. They had to wheelbarrow the wood across and this was what they managed in 2 hours. After lunch I did the wheelbarrowing and we got to this about 20 mins later.



We'll see how long it stands up for. It did make a bit of a dint in the blue gum pile. Prolly another cord and a half or more left there.



We have largely avoided winter here. Cold clear nights but then mostly fine sunny days. The wattle are out already, prolly a couple of weeks earlier than usual.



I have never seen this little snow on the mountains at the start of August in my time here (18 years).



And a gratuitous wildlife shot...

 

[KiwiBro]

News tonight said 6 week lockdown there starting about now? Do you trust the people coming in for physio? Ever wonder where the heck they've been or just take what precautions you can and leave it up to Allah?

Nephew broke lockdown to come over to borrow rideon. I don't think has forgiven me yet for the reception he received and I don't give a fig if he never does.

 

[Cowboy254]

We're back onto so-called Stage 3, which means that our practice can stay open. We don't have any Kung-Flu in our area in any case. The Melbourne metro area is stage 4 which means you can't move more than 5km from your house and a whole lot of other things. I'm still pizzed off by the fact that the people that are putting these restrictions on people are the same ones that caused the second wave in the first place.

 

[LondonNeil]

Covid tensions are mounting here too. A few million people around Manchester, our 2nd city, are back in almost full lock down and a couple of other hot spots are too. Chief medical officer saying we're at the limit of open society, to open more we must close something else. We were then offered the choice, keep pubs or close them for September and the school's new year.

 

[djg james]

That does not look like White Oak to me.

Well I'm no expert and I'm not 100% sure either. Just first thing that popped into my head.

 

[U&A]

Fantastic! It' a blessing to open up a log and see what's inside. A bit like prospecting for hidden treasure.
I'm not familiar with drying your timber species but those stacks if here would have stickers/fillets within a few inches of each end, the stickers would run full width, and the stack would be strapped or weighted. Also, is the slab waterproofed? Rising damp, coming through a below grade slab and hitting the bottom face of the bottom board has ruined a few boards for me here in the past.

Yes

I will fix the stickers. I know they are wrong. It is what i had at the moment as I forgot to get some proper pc’s when i was at the store. I lpan to get them today. For now this IS the final stacking place.

And i keep going back and forth between red and white oak.[emoji2373]....[emoji38]. But im at least 1/2 right.... its Oak[emoji1787][emoji1787]


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[U&A]

I noticed that too about the stickers, but you beat me to it. Maybe it's not your final stacking spot. Also, if you haven't thought of it, maybe seal the ends.
And I think it's now White Oak and not Red. WO can look a little reddish when first cut.

Maybe use paint to seal the ends? What do you use?


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[svk]

Morning fellows.

My daughter and I are heading down to see Zogger today. We took off yesterday afternoon and spent the night in central Illinois. Should arrive there mid to late afternoon today and we’ll rendezvous with @muddstopper at zogger’s place.

Just passed brush ape’s old haunts of Mattoon IL and we’ll honk at @unclemoustache when we roll through Metropolis.

Yesterday we attended the funeral of the son of one of our family friends. He died in a motorcycle accident at age 56. I never met him but was close to his parents and two of his siblings. He was a biker and went the way he would have wanted to go but that certainly didn't make it any easier for his family to say goodbye. Definitely one of the most emotional funerals that I’ve been to.

 

[U&A]

Morning fellows.

My daughter and I are heading down to see Zogger today. We took off yesterday afternoon and spent the night in central Illinois. Should arrive there mid to late afternoon today and we’ll rendezvous with @muddstopper at zogger’s place.

Just passed brush ape’s old haunts of Mattoon IL and we’ll honk at @unclemoustache when we roll through Metropolis.

Yesterday we attended the funeral of the son of one of our family friends. He died in a motorcycle accident at age 56. I never met him but was close to his parents and two of his siblings. He was a biker and went the way he would have wanted to go but that certainly didn't make it any easier for his family to say goodbye. Definitely one of the most emotional funerals that I’ve been to.

Getting kinda close to Brett and I.

Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[svk]

Getting kinda close to Brett and I.

Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

I thought about that but I’ll need to knock down 14 or so hours tomorrow so swinging up through your area would be tough.

 

[MustangMike]

One of my cousin's kids died on a motorcycle about a decade ago, he was big into Harleys. He went down on the road and the guardrail post took his leg off, and they did not get to him on time to stop the bleeding. There is just no room for error on those things, and sometimes it is someone else's error but they still pay the price.

 

[U&A]

I thought about that but I’ll need to knock down 14 or so hours tomorrow so swinging up through your area would be tough.

Oh no big deal man. Im just being silly. Have fun on your trip and sorry to hear about your friend.


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[chipper1]

Don’t think I’ve had this much fun in a long time. These boards are absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!! The mill worked flawlessly once operator error was removed from the first two cuts.

Ended up having to sharpen the chain every three boards and fueling up every 2 to 3 boards. Went through about 1 1/2 gallons of fuel and bar oil.

I am ecstatic to say the least!!!! May have found a new addiction

Video to come n maybe. Won’t post it here though. Could not get my GoPro to work as I think it is a goner, so my buddy that was helping me videoed it with his phone so I’m waiting on him to send it.

Saved the bottom part to make a bench. Probably 6” thick

Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

Look sweet, did you mill up that piece you were saving for me .
I'd say it's white oak, especially if the pieces and parts on the ground in the first picture are from it.

 

[chipper1]

You can not square file semi chisel, and square mills so much faster than round.

The dead/dry/hard wood was killing my chains. I normally get 4 cuts / chain with Oak, only got 2 passes with each 36" chain with this one, and I had to really push the saws to get them to cut. Toughest wood I've ever milled. Also, FYI, you could see the grain was twisted.

Can't, you're really telling the wrong guy that, unless you mean it won't truly be "square" on the outside because of the shape of semi-chisel. For sure you can, may not be as functional as a full-chisel, but I'm sure it would be faster than a round filed semi-chisel.
Besides, I was joking .

Where did the wood come from.
We went fishing last night and there was a real nice 14"x9-10' ash log in a log jam in the river, that one would probably dull a few chains(I think it came from a mill up the creek a few miles when it flooded). There were some very large trees at this little park, the boy had a sycamore leave that was about 6" wider than his head, and there was a huge oak there. It was a swamp white oak , which I've seen before, just didn't know what it was until I looked it up today. The others were a nice sized walnut and a pair of massive cottonwood(I think), they were very tall reaching for the canopy from the creek bottom.
Edit:
Reading more I need to check the leaves again, they say they only grow to 45', it was taller I'm pretty sure, it was a large double and each stem was over 24".
Pic of the range and leaves of the swamp white oak, we are a one county south of the north line.

 

[djg james]

Maybe use paint to seal the ends? What do you use?


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

In the past, I've used Anchorseal. You have to cut fresh ends, removing any checking that has occurred since sawing. The effectiveness will be reduced if you don't. Then you brush on the end sealer on the ends as well as about an inch all the way around on all the faces/edges.
Anchor seal has gotten too expensive for me, being a small quantity user. So next time I'm going to try either Klingspore's or Rockler's Green wood Sealers.

And not trying to start a war about the tree ID, look at the whitish bark on the ground and the ray flecks on one of the boards. Both look like WO to me. RO does have ray flecks, but they just look different. If you've ever sawn both you could tell by the smell too.

 

[U&A]

In the past, I've used Anchorseal. You have to cut fresh ends, removing any checking that has occurred since sawing. The effectiveness will be reduced if you don't. Then you brush on the end sealer on the ends as well as about an inch all the way around on all the faces/edges.
Anchor seal has gotten too expensive for me, being a small quantity user. So next time I'm going to try either Klingspore's or Rockler's Green wood Sealers.

And not trying to start a war about the tree ID, look at the whitish bark on the ground and the ray flecks on one of the boards. Both look like WO to me. RO does have ray flecks, but they just look different. If you've ever sawn both you could tell by the smell too.

Cool info. Thank you.

And I definitely cut all different kinds of oak. I can also tell the difference in the smell.... but it doesn’t mean I know what I’m smelling[emoji1787]

Do you have a scratch and sniff book by chance[emoji16]


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[Iowawoodguy]

Full house at the rodeo.

 

[MustangMike]

Are those leaves Chestnut Oak, they grow pretty tall.