Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[LondonNeil]

As a scrounger I'll take most wood, but I try to avoid willow. Glad a load once and learnt why it's used for cricket bats. It's got an elastic property, great for rebounding balls from bats.... Also great for rebounding axes without splitting. It was like swinging at a piece of rubber. I know trees vary and the next willow could be different, but with its low density I'm not incentivised to try again.

 

[djg james]

Never seen any Willow around me. I'd like to get some to make some lumber. Supposedly bends well and I've seen garden trugs(? baskets) made from it.

 

[old CB]

Willow is high on my list of don't-want-it (along with cottonwood, of course).

Interesting tree, though. A guy I used to know was a banker/financial affairs type, and one place he worked for a while was Willow-wood (sp?), a maker of prosthetic body parts. The company name originated from back when artificial limbs were made from willow. I believe because it's light and flexible.

 

[chipper1]

View attachment 971550
First time boiling maple sap for me. Had about 2.5 gallons of sap (I threw the ice out before I started) which boiled to a bit under 1/2 pint. Delicious! I tapped a little early. The sap has just started running well here.

Looks good to me .
Wonder if cherry syrup is any good.
Taking a quick break, then heading back out to split this one, and dice up the next one. The next one is smaller and more branches, I broke the top out of this one when I dropped the elm so that was already cleaned up. Then a smaller one yet will get pushed over, after that a nice sized black locust, that wood will go in the woodshed for next yrs wood.
I've already got a few people wanting to buy wood this spring, folks are wanting to be ready for higher gas/oil prices. These cherry are going on the for sale pile.

 

[chipper1]

And the other cherry.

And the smaller cherry and some mulberry and a couple pieces of black locust.

 

[old CB]

Jeez Chipper. "the other cherry"--you had my heart racing. Then I saw the photo.

 

[Zaedock]

Went out for lunch today. Mine and surrounding towns went on a line clearing rampage. Oak and ash everywhere.
Not bad for an hour including drive time.

 

[JRM]

And the other cherry.
View attachment 971711
And the smaller cherry and some mulberry and a couple pieces of black locust.
View attachment 971714

I have what looks to be an older version of your splitter. Probably 12 or 13 years old now. The only thing I've had to do to it is replace the return hose. It was a terrible set up returning to the top of the tank with just a straight hose barb. The hose kinked after a few years so I welded a jic onto it and added an elbow so it doesn't kink everytime I stand it up which is how I do all my splitting. I see they changed up the plumbing on yours which is a good thing. All in all it's been a great machine.

 

[Zaedock]

These cherry are going on the for sale pile.

Hey, she got the way to move me, Cherry.

 

[REJ2]

When i get out of my robe and put down my bottle of gin i got a pick up load of ash to split

 

[James Miller]

Went back to clean up the locust from the other day. Home owner had moved everything along the drive way for easy access. Good working relationship with these folks. Enough there to fire up the big truck. At$5.25 for diesel it doesn't move as much as it used to.

 

[James Miller]

And the other cherry.
View attachment 971711
And the smaller cherry and some mulberry and a couple pieces of black locust.
View attachment 971714

Mulberry, one of the best firewoods, passed up by lots of folks. Watching it season is neat to. Highlighter yellow to milk chocolate brown and finally brick red when fully seasoned.

 

[H-Ranch]

Wow, sweet - lots of scrounging pics. Good work gentlemen!

Here's a little something for everyone. Cottonwood AND oak.

 

[chipper1]

I have what looks to be an older version of your splitter. Probably 12 or 13 years old now. The only thing I've had to do to it is replace the return hose. It was a terrible set up returning to the top of the tank with just a straight hose barb. The hose kinked after a few years so I welded a jic onto it and added an elbow so it doesn't kink everytime I stand it up which is how I do all my splitting. I see they changed up the plumbing on yours which is a good thing. All in all it's been a great machine.

My return line is about ready to fall off , I should probably tighten it lol.
The problem I have with it is the muffler has a cheesy cage on it and it gets splitter litter(from the back side of the wedge) dropped onto it and trapped between the cage and the muffler, then it burns. Sometimes it smells real nice, others times not so much, but my concern is that I have a nice coal burning and then i refuel it and spill a bit . The other thing is that little pieces fall between the intake and the muffler ot the fuel tank and then the governor will not work properly. That one isn't too major, but I do make sure nothing is smoking and look around to make sure I don't start a fire when I refuel.
Got a bit more done.
Almost forgot to take a picture of this one but remembered right after I started lol.


Then I did forget to take a picture of a bucket, so here's a picture of one of the mulberry rounds I noodles as a substitute.

Here they are ready to split .

 

[djg james]

Mmmm Yellow sawdust!

 

[H-Ranch]

Then I did forget to take a picture of a bucket, so here's a picture of one of the mulberry rounds I noodles as a substitute.

Have to go to @Cowboy254 to get a ruling on whether that substitute picture will be allowed.

 

[old CB]

Here's a little something for everyone. Cottonwood AND oak.

I bet the oak was embarrassed to share wheelbarrow space with that other mess.

 

[chipper1]

Mmmm Yellow sawdust!

Dust?, lots of chips and noodles, nice husky x-cut chain .

Have to go to @Cowboy254 to get a ruling on whether that substitute picture will be allowed.

Okay, I'll wait on the ruling.
But in the meantime...
More mulberry,
and I got the other/last tree i had planned on for the day, one of my vertical woodpile, of black locust .
Both these buckets went right to the woodshed, finished refilling next yrs side, and now I'm starting on 2022/23 season. I have one more nice sized BL in the area that I plan on taking down, may do that tomorrow.

 

[H-Ranch]

One more on my way to check the OWB. This load may be embarrassed to have to share with the oak. Honey locust! I bucked it the other night and split tonight. It doesn't split straight, but it's not that difficult to split.

 

[James Miller]

Mmmm Yellow sawdust!

Wish I could find another mulberry this size. This tree and asking questions about hand filing is how a got to know @farmer steve.
Yellow wood is good wood.