Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[mainewoods]

Even dead standing pine, with bark on it, is still dark colored and wet underneath when you peel it off. Any place where the bark has already fallen off is light grey and bone dry. Same is true with any downed tree. Scoring the bark allows it to fall off at a much faster rate, and speeds up the evaporation process, markedly. One tree scored, one not scored, side by side, is all it takes to show what a difference it can make.

 

[NSMaple1]

The reason I score the birch that I'm not splitting is because the bark is waterproof and does not breath like regular bark so the rounds tend to rot before they dry .

I started doing that too last fall. I'll find out this winter how good it worked for me. Yes you really have to be careful with birch or at least white. I had a pile of it that I cut & just heaped up right before the winter snows started. When I split it this spring after the snow all melted, it almost seemed like the stuff on the bottom was already starting to punk up a bit.

 

[svk]

I started doing that too last fall. I'll find out this winter how good it worked for me. Yes you really have to be careful with birch or at least white. I had a pile of it that I cut & just heaped up right before the winter snows started. When I split it this spring after the snow all melted, it almost seemed like the stuff on the bottom was already starting to punk up a bit.

That's the one problem with birch. Even dying standing birch is punky several feet below the highest live limbs.

 

[Poindexter]

That's the one problem with birch. Even dying standing birch is punky several feet below the highest live limbs.

I suppose beggars (and scronugers) can't be choosers. When I get to choose I look for birch with pretty tight bark and that green colored moss tha looks vaguely brd like. I'll put up with on conch on the trunk, maybe two conchs. Three conchs is habitat for smll critters best left standing.

Afterall those tests are passed, whack that thing with a baseball bat, twice.

 

[mainewoods]

A couple of things I've found that make a difference with birch and poplar are to split it them as soon as possible, don't throw them them into a pile, lay down plastic sheeting first, then stack them off the ground loosely, not tight packed, and top cover the stack, only. I lay a long pole, or 2x4 , the length of the stack forming a slight tent when the plastic is laid over it. Condensation under the cover will flow to the outside edge of the plastic and drip away from the wood instead of back down into it. I cut the plastic 2 feet wider than the stack to allow a 1 foot overhang on each side of the stack.

 

[ShaneLogs]

Strange thing is, small town dumps and recycling facilities don't allow picking or scrounging and most charge to dump waste. Transfer stations allow scrounging of everything except recyclables. Many set aside items in an out building for the taking. Any wood and metal scrounging is welcome. I picked up a Husky 353 a while back in the metal pile. All it needed was a new piston and ring. Still can't believe someone threw that saw away. I imagine he was "from away".

Yup I hear ya! At the City of Calais Transfer Station here I dropped off and old busted up grill one day and saw 4 saws sitting their. A Husky 340, Husky 345, Dolmar 110 and a Jonsered 2155. Needless to say...I took them home with me and did some wrenching that night!

 

[svk]

I suppose beggars (and scronugers) can't be choosers. When I get to choose I look for birch with pretty tight bark and that green colored moss tha looks vaguely brd like. I'll put up with on conch on the trunk, maybe two conchs. Three conchs is habitat for smll critters best left standing.

It's too bad as birch is a nice wood to work with. Every so often the bugs kill one stone dead almost overnight (to the point where even the top branches still have buds on them) or if one gets partially uprooted by wind and dries up. These seem to last a little longer before turning punky. I would supposed it's because the top dead ones were rotting while they still green.

 

[audible fart]

Here's the truckload of oak i got an hour ago. Mainly red&black i believe. Note how i maul split a couple rounds into stars for the camera.

 

[audible fart]

Whoops, double posted. Anyhow i should've brought my trailer today because if i'm lucky these will still be there tomorrow morning to assault with my mighty Stihl MS390.
People just threw these logs away as garbage. Solid oak.

 

[JB Weld]

We had a tornado come through earlier this spring (here in Arkansas). I was able to get quite a bit of free wood and there are still acres and acres of trees down (needing to be cut up), but it would make you sick to see all the good wood that is not being collected. On some properties Trackhoes are just stacking the logs and burning it all.

My buddy has about 6 acres of timber that was just flattened (hardwoods and pine). He finally found a guy who will come get the timber for free and he is pleased as punch to have the place cleaned up! On the side of a ridge near our house, there is about 15 acres of timber on the ground (this is land actually owned by a timber company). It looks like the hand of God came down and just knocked the timber over. From what I have heard, it will be left on the ground (it is mostly pine). It would be very difficult to safely get any of that wood.

Another neighbor had many trees down, and it is all bucked and ready to split. He estimates that it is about 16 chord. He told me to bring my splitter over and we would have a splitting party! That is a good neighbor!
Mrs. Weld will have plenty of wood to feed that wood stove this winter.

 

[MustangMike]

About 15-20 years ago my upstate 50 acres (in the Catskills) got hit by a Tornado, hit about 40% of my property, and nothing was left standing where it it. The fallen trees were so thick you could not walk through it. If you tried to climb though the damage zone, you would get worn out and turn back before you got in too far.

Luckily, the a son of the property owner next door was a logger. He brought his skidder up and salvaged some of the Cherry and Ash. I actually got a royalty check and he cleared enough for us to get through. It would have taken me a long time to clear it by myself, I was very thankful for his help. That is why even today he is the only one allowed to log my property. Of course, that portion of my property will not have any harvestable timber for a long time.

 

[svk]

This coming weekend will likely be my last scrounging for some time as other duties will gobble up most of the summertime weekends. I've got about 5 cords split and covered so far this spring and only can fit max of two more cords in the pile. I've got an easy cord and a half standing dying on my property which I can cut at my leisure over the summer and as long as I get the softwood split and stacked by late July it will be ready to burn this winter-if needed.

I've got 4 more "mirror buster" trees on my hunting cabin access trail that will probably be the lucky contestants as well as the load I couldn't haul last weekend due to my receiver hitch breaking.

 

[MustangMike]

I think most of us do this between other things we have to do, time with the Grandsons, time with the Wife & dog (hiking, etc), parties for friends & relatives, etc, etc. But it is nice when we get out there.

 

[nomad_archer]

I think most of us do this between other things we have to do, time with the Grandsons, time with the Wife & dog (hiking, etc), parties for friends & relatives, etc, etc. But it is nice when we get out there.

Yep. Looks like I will get rained out this week. To much rain and not enough dry days to firm up the ground. Oh well the wife and I got two new bicycles this past weekend that need to get broken in. I think I have enough but I will try again next week.

 

[MustangMike]

Enjoy the bikes, it is good exercise and you can see a lot of nice scenery. I do a lot of it. Discovered a lot of back roads not too far from my house that I never knew were out there. Some of these high end beach clubs on the CT side of the LI Sound let bikes in for free! You can bike out there, go for a swim, take an outdoor shower to get the salt off, refill you bottles at the refreshment stand, and bike home again. Makes for a nice day!

 

[nomad_archer]

Enjoy the bikes, it is good exercise and you can see a lot of nice scenery. I do a lot of it. Discovered a lot of back roads not too far from my house that I never knew were out there. Some of these high end beach clubs on the CT side of the LI Sound let bikes in for free! You can bike out there, go for a swim, take an outdoor shower to get the salt off, refill you bottles at the refreshment stand, and bike home again. Makes for a nice day!

Sounds like a great time. We have rails to trails around here which are huge expanses of old railroad beds converted to hiking/biking/walking trails. Nice and relaxing not major hills and no cars to worry about. It is a great place for the wife and I to start and get our feet back under us since these bikes are the first ones we have had in about 15 years. She got a hybrid cruiser and I got a mountain bike. Already we have had lots of fun and only had them out twice. I really enjoy the exercise and I cannot wait to get the child seat of the back of the bike so we can take our 2 year old daughter along so we don't need to have my wife's mom watch her while we are out.

 

[audible fart]

Just Got those oak logs i posted a few posts ago:

 

[audible fart]

Drizzling the whole time, but it's free oak so who cares

 

[JB Weld]

You need to pile a little more on that trailer AF! When those wheels are at about a 15 degree angle....that will be enough.

 

[bluesportster02]

You need to pile a little more on that trailer When those wheels are at about a 15 degree angle....that will be enough.

those trailers have a solid axle. they will rub thru the fenders mine did