Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Oliver1655]

God works in mysterious ways!

 

[dwasifar]

Worse than that though was the yellow jackets that decided to wake up after my son and I'd loaded up a bunch of rounds into my suburban, one of which contained a small nest. I'm not allergic to them, but dadgum they hurt when they're pissed off! Not as bad as wasps or hornets, but they still hurt plenty enough for me to smoke the tires stopping and strip to my undies on the side of the road to be sure I got 'em all out!

I discovered a nest of yellowjackets the hard way last year working on my deck. Put my hand down on the decking, started hammering, and the little guys hiding under the railing two inches from my hand didn't like that and came out to voice their displeasure. My wife ran like the wind; she's allergic. Fortunately I am not, and was back at work after a few minutes running my hand under cold water, and a few minutes more with a can of bug spray.

As far as unwanted hitchhikers, thankfully the worst I've had is ants. I picked up some big pieces of elm in Mundelein (I'm pretty sure you know where that is) that turned out to have literally thousands of ants living under the bark when I got home and started splitting them. Ordinary ground ants that had extended their living arrangements up into the bark, fortunately; not carpenter ants. I just wiped them away, pulled off as much loose bark as I could, and tossed the odd stick with ants IN it rather than ON it directly into the firepit instead of stacking it. They were all over the splitting area but not really able to do any harm, except for the wife and I both feeling imaginary ants crawling on us for hours afterward.

 

[svk]

On that note, here was my best infestation to date. Being garbage wood anyhow this went in 4' chunks right on the brush pile fire.



On firewood, upon finding "occupants" I leave the splits in the sun for a while. The bugs usually abandon ship and move elsewhere.

 

[Philbert]

Eviction notice!

I guess that there are differences in acceptability if the wood is for an OWB or an indoor fireplace.

Philbert

 

[svk]

I will burn solid balsam in the boiler but not in the sauna (takes three loads of balsam to get things hot). This stuff was hollow and punky

 

[Axfarmer]

I got two trailer loads on Mother's Day. Had some trouble, atv trailer overturned,two snake sightings,and a flat tire on the atv trailer! Still about 1.5 cords for free!

 

[BillNole]

Sounds to me that your saw broke down at the right time. You found a source of (unlimited, free) wood and didn't need to process hard to split elm when I would guess there are higher btu, easier to split species at his shop. Nice!

Truth of the matter is, Elm has become my favorite wood. Even before I bought a hydraulic splitter last Summer! I like the challenge it can present when it's "spaghetti-elm" and the maul and/or Fiskers just bounces until you find the grain or best angle for each round. When I first started, I'd beat myself to death on just a dozen rounds, but after a short learning cycle, I figured out what works and didn't look back. My son even prefers the 6-lb'er to the X-27 or hydraulic splitter!

In reality, elm is as varied as the sands on the beach and sometimes it pops like oak, while other times it presents it's challenges. I rarely get into any that's pissy/punky smelling as some have found, seemingly regularly, but it burns just the same after a year or two of curing.

I like the way it cuts, splits, cures and burns. I don't like the spits and pops of oak in my open fireplace. Even though it puts of a bit more heat, it's not enough for me to prefer it or maple, or any other common popular species.

Perhaps the best reason is that it's still so dang common around here!

As I've been so fond of saying for so many years, "to each his own!"

 

[cantoo]

Bill, sounds like you need to buy some seeds for a tree from me?
Have you considered building a log arch, very little to go wrong with them and you can move some big logs easily and damage free.

 

[BillNole]

Bill, sounds like you need to buy some seeds for a tree from me?
Have you considered building a log arch, very little to go wrong with them and you can move some big logs easily and damage free.

No need for the arch for me as I don't generally have such a need. I'm just a homeowner with a saw and a truck that enjoys scrounging and burning a couple full cords a year in an open fireplace. Nothing fancy or dramatic about it at all and about as simple as it gets.

That saw tree looks like it would be fun to grow, but I don't know that I have enough time to see the fruits of it all. Do the saws get bigger if you leave them to grow through multiple seasons? How long to get a 60-something CC saw off of it?

 

[cantoo]

I used the 660 today 1st time in a year or 2. The 560 has a skip chain on it to noodle Swedish candles. The huskys are for when people want to borrow a saw. The poulans are to throw when I'm mad. The 440, 360, 260 and 170 are used the most. I have a few more that I have to keep hidden for fear that the keeper of the checkbook finds out. As for getting bigger they sure seem to get heavier.

 

[svk]

Just secured an ATV for memorial weekend. My plan is to get enough quality scrounge wood hauled out to round out this year's pile and next year's as well with a couple cords to spare.

As a bonus I'll also have access to a couple stands of red oak (very rare up here) and any blowdown I find is coming home

(Wringing hands in excitement) Yep I've got FAD!

 

[TeeMan]

A friend and I got 12 cords out of some land over the winter and plan to get 12 more next winter so I don't plan on doing a lot of scrounging. But, when there is red oak already cut up and it just takes 5 minutes to throw in the back of the truck on your way home...who could pass that up?

 

[hardpan]

I removed the wood as quickly and safely as possibly, and always treated the land better than I would my own. I pile all the brush, fill any ruts, and even rake the sawdust piles. Word of mouth has spread to the point that people stop by or call me to see if I'll clean up a tree for them.

Yep, and you will always be busy, respected, and a valued neighbor.

 

[audible fart]

Here's my free firewood scrounge score for the morning. 50/50 mix of red oak and silver maple. Already have most of it halved with the X27 now.

 

[Axfarmer]

Pulled a truck full this afternoon after work, big Beech rounds, Oak, Black birch. Now I need some time on the splitter.

 

[zogger]

Arrg! I can't wait to be done with all this spring work chores nonsense..hahahah!

I did pull over while I was spraying and walk into the woods and stare at my 1.5 cord of oak I have on the ground and haven't finished bucking or hauling out yet. It is "resting" in some dense weeds.

 

[mainewoods]

I will take "resting oak" any day of the week, split and piled or full length.

 

[mainewoods]

Here's a few of the red oak that I have "resting". November snow prevented me from skidding them out to the wood yard . Time to wake 'em up.

 

[zogger]

Here's a few of the red oak that I have "resting". November snow prevented me from skidding them out to the wood yard . Time to wake 'em up.

Ha! Jump on it while the weeds are resting, too! I waited too long, three to eight foot high brambles, sprouted baby trees, etc (stuff grows fast here)

 

[DFK]

Ha! Jump on it while the weeds are resting, too! I waited too long, three to eight foot high brambles, sprouted baby trees, etc (stuff grows fast here)