Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[old CB]

Very kind of you .
No picture attached

This is a weakness of mine. I get so busy doing stuff that I rarely consider taking pics.

 

[old CB]

But here's some pics that I did take last month. My camp in St. Lawrence County, NY where I spent the first two weeks of Oct., and the new stove that I installed inside camp. Bought it at Tractor Supply for $300-something to replace the inefficient Vogelzang stove that sent most of its heat up the flue pipe.

 

[old CB]

And last week my wife and I got back from two weeks in Portugal--a very nice place to visit. Among numerous other highlights, we toured a cork farm and then had dinner inside. The cork farm operator's uncle is/was a trophy hunter and the walls were lined with heads. The first is a deer, during velvet I believe, whose antler tissue on one side had deformed into a grape-cluster-ish growth cascading down his face--a handsome rake, as our host proclaimed. The framed pic of magpies on deer caught my attention, as I see that out my window on occasion, the magpies picking clean the mule deer we have in abundance. And the wild boars are a resident nuisance species at the cork farm.

Cork--cool stuff that they harvest every nine years from any given tree. Cork is a species of oak.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Being as I run 90cc 99% of the time. I would have no Idea about the .325 chain speed on a big saw. .325 simply isn't big enough chain for a 90 and A cutter would be parting chains left and right if he was to run .325 on a 90 in a production setting.
However, on a 50cc. .325 cuts faster than 3/8. I've done the test myself. After switching over and running .325 on my 260 pro. IMOP, I don't see any reason to go back to running 3/8 on a small saw? If I need more power and bar length? Im going to set down the 50 and grab a power saw that has both!

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

My 360 pulls wood faster with.325 than 3/8 as well! Tested it myself. Been there done that!

 

[freeasaburt]

Get a Fiskars Splitting AX. Runsaround $60-70 at Wal Mart. I don't think they have an "X27" any more but the splitting ax is the same ax, different name. First time I used mine I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Thanks for the advice. Everybody who owns one seems to love it, i'm pretty old school though when it comes to handles; nothing like a properly mounted, sanded and oiled wooden handle (we use Ash here often, Hickory gets imported a lot too), with a nice grain...

But never say never. I dislike plastic handles mainly because you sweat on them, and sometimes it just doesn't 'feel' right. But I guess I should just test it.

A lot of stuff is more expensive here than it is in the States, but with the X27, which is apparently still sold here, the price difference isn't big (a quick search showed prices between 75 and 100 euros).

 

[chipper1]

Thanks for the advice. Everybody who owns one seems to love it, i'm pretty old school though when it comes to handles; nothing like a properly mounted, sanded and oiled wooden handle (we use Ash here often, Hickory gets imported a lot too), with a nice grain...

But never say never. I dislike plastic handles mainly because you sweat on them, and sometimes it just doesn't 'feel' right. But I guess I should just test it.

A lot of stuff is more expensive here than it is in the States, but with the X27, which is apparently still sold here, the price difference isn't big (a quick search showed prices between 75 and 100 euros).

I've never used a nice wooden handled splitting axe, but I do like the two fiscars splitting axes I have. I prefer the x27 over the x25 (iirc) even though I'm not real tall (5'7"). They are different than using a large splitting maul as they don't have the weight behind them, it's all about the speed with them. Here in the states they also have a lifetime warranty, which is great. I let a buddies kid try mine out, he swung just past the round and nailed the handle on it, it busted the head right off. Had I not seen it myself I would not have believed it as I had over swung it myself and never had a problem, not sure if I started the fracture and he finished it or if he hit the perfect spot. I contacted fiscars and the said get online and follow the instructions, put my name and address in and sent pics, they sent me a new one free of any extra charges. What's not to like about that .

 

[freeasaburt]

That's pretty cool indeed! I guess it's kinda hard to re-handle a Fiskars axe bit anyway, aren't they epoxied or something?

With the maul, most effort goes into lifting it, indeed. On a lot of (small enough/straight grained) wood I basically just let it fall, paying more attention to my aim than to applying force.

 

[freeasaburt]

I've been looking around for splitting axes and although the price/quality ratio of Fiskars seems hard to beat, some of the models by Granfors, Hultafors, Adler and Ochsenkopf are interesting too...
Quite a chance I 'scrounge' my favorite 2nd hand sites though untill I find something I can restore / re-handle .

Ochsenkopf also has a double bit, btw... Tempting... One side for 'coarse'/potentially damaging work and one finer edge, seems like a cool thing to have, and well, it also looks kinda cool .

 

[MustangMike]

I like some traditional things, but NOT splitting mauls. I swung an 8 lb wood handle maul at a round that was hard to split and the handle broke and the head came back at my face. Good thing I used to box, I just slipped it, and it grazed my cheek as it went by. That was the end of wood handle mauls for me.

Went to the metal handle monster mauls after that, but once I tried the Fiskers, they were through. The Fiskars is so much lighter, I can keep going so much longer.

Like Chipper said, speed and accuracy are key with the splitting maul, but there is NOTHING I could split with a regular maul that I cannot split with the Fiskars (and I split over 15 cord a year by hand for decades).

I've tried all the expensive splitting axes at the Chainsaw GTGs (get togethers), and nothing outperforms the Fiskars. I've got 3 of them (plus a smaller one), I've split lots of wood with them, and I have not broken one yet (even with a few over swings that I was sure would have broken them).

I keep one at my house, one at my upstate cabin, and one in my PU truck. I got the 3rd one, used, for $20 from someone who did not want it. Could not say no!

 

[chipper1]

Yep, it's a lot easier to be more accurate with the fiscars.
Splitting the black locust by hand you better be able to hit the same spot twice, or you could be there a while lol.
When he broke mine I was surprised, I know the kid couldn't have hit it with half the force I had already had over swings, and I thought for sure mine would have broken it too.
All this being said, I like my hydraulic splitters the best, but I still wack a few rounds every now and then just to make sure I don't forget how to do it .

 

[Chilidawg]

"What county? I may be due east as I am in ogemaw county now"

I'm in the very NW corner of Manistee County. Even with both saws out of commission, there's still plenty to be split and stacked. No pics as of yet, I don't need anybody laughing and pointing.

 

[Philbert]

I dislike plastic handles mainly because you sweat on them, and sometimes it just doesn't 'feel' right. But I guess I should just test it.

The hollow, composite, Fiskars handles are light, concentrating all the mass into the splitting head / wedge. That are also low vibration.

You can wrap the handle with some cloth tape (hockey tape works great), to get a less slippery feel.

Somewhere in this forum are some pictures of a Fiskars axe that I glued wood veneer to, for the guys who said ‘it did not look right’!

Philbert

Found them!

 

[JimR]

I would have to a
I wood have to argue that.

3/8 takes a bigger bite and cuts a wider kerf therefore puts more load on the head. Time you cut with both chains. Same bar length, same chain tune, same wood, and same power head. Then see fir your self.

I was talking about the 550Xp with a .325 chain and the 562XP with a 3/8 chain. You are right if I were to compare one saw with the two different chains. If I did that then I would have a bar and chain setup that I would have no use for except as a spare in case of emergencies.

 

[JimR]

Well, I put on my knee brace and a grimace and put up a few loads. Pine that mostly has been halved or quartered will work well this week for the moderate temps. Actually wasn't that bad, but my knee is talking to me a little now. Most wheelbarrow loads I've done in 5 months. View attachment 1030542View attachment 1030543View attachment 1030544View attachment 1030545View attachment 1030546

Life would be so much better for you if you had that knee replaced. I had my left knee done 19 months ago. I was walking bone on bone and it hurt. Now I can climb a woodpile and cut my way down. I can ride a bicycle again and hike. It was the smartest move I ever did healthwise.

 

[turnkey4099]

I've been looking around for splitting axes and although the price/quality ratio of Fiskars seems hard to beat, some of the models by Granfors, Hultafors, Adler and Ochsenkopf are interesting too...
Quite a chance I 'scrounge' my favorite 2nd hand sites though untill I find something I can restore / re-handle .

Ochsenkopf also has a double bit, btw... Tempting... One side for 'coarse'/potentially damaging work and one finer edge, seems like a cool thing to have, and well, it also looks kinda cool .

That's what I grew up with as a kid. Only one we had so it did everything from kindling up to chopping felling notches.

 

[farmer steve]

Forgot the pic with wood in it but I know youse guys like these older 250's. My buddy brought some long firewood and uglies for me to sell as campfire wood.
@Logger nate.

 

[Logger nate]

Forgot the pic with wood in it but I know youse guys like these older 250's. My buddy brought some long firewood and uglies for me to sell as campfire wood.
@Logger nate.
View attachment 1031942

That’s a nice one!

 

[H-Ranch]

Life would be so much better for you if you had that knee replaced. I had my left knee done 19 months ago. I was walking bone on bone and it hurt. Now I can climb a woodpile and cut my way down. I can ride a bicycle again and hike. It was the smartest move I ever did healthwise.

Well... you see, here's the problem: I *DID* get my knee replaced. Not that it was a joy before the surgery, but I was still playing basketball on it up until the week before my total knee replacement. Now, with the new knee I am much worse off going on 6 months. Most of the stories from guys like you talk about how great it is and often say they wish they had done it sooner.

This has been the worst experience of my life. I've had foot surgery and ACL surgery that I've recovered from very well and quickly without complications. In fact, the operation on my foot was the best decision I ever made healthwise (one doctor told me that I'm the only individual that he's ever met where that procedure was successful.) So this is not how *I* typically recover.

I should be the ideal candidate from age, health, weight, activity, history, etc. and it has not turned out that way. I even went with this surgeon based on multiple recommendations including a colleague's wife who works in the hospital - he also had his done by this doctor. I've been to 55 PT sessions and they finally discharged me because it wasn't working - and not for lack of trying different things. 2 doctors and my PT therapist had been telling me that this is normal and it just takes time. I'm done with that BS and they have all finally admitted that something is wrong (as I've said from the beginning.) I had a CT scan on Friday and am waiting to meet with the doctor to review it.

Sorry if I sound short, but a new knee is not a good recommendation to me right now. If I could, I would trade back for the bone on bone in a heartbeat. But I hope they figure it out and I get to be happy with it in the end.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

If you favor an axe over a maul fir splitting by hand. May I suggest a 6lb. Council with a 36" handle.

6lb. Council next to an eighth pound maul.


Fir back country felling, limbing and even recreational or competition throwing? A hand forged Gransfors Bruk is hard to beat! I've never experienced any other axe as sharp or stay sharp as long as a GB! Spendy, but well worth it. When you tap on a GB with a screw driver or bar wrench? You will here a familiar "ting" unlike tapping on any other axe of cheaper steel.


Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!