Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[MustangMike]

You will also find there are different trees in different places, or the same tree will go by a different name.

Around here we have both Shag Bark Hickory and Smooth Bark Hickory. Hickory nuts are supposed to be edible, but I have not tried them yet. I think you are supposed to check that they don't float, if they do they are bad. Hickory is very hard and very good BTU wood.

There are numerous kinds of birch, but the best burning one by far is Black Birch ... aka Sweet Birch. If you scrape the bark, it will smell like wintergreen. Most of the other birch is fast burning / low BTU wood.

 

[CTYank]

I have learned more about trees in the last 3 months than maybe the whole of my life so far. And I used to roam our acreage in East Texas with a great field guide with the kids id'ing all types of plants and trees. (Then we'd sit and draw what we saw.)

I was wondering about Hickory. Does it have a another name? How about birch?

i just learned that cottonwood is poplar and bois d'arc / horse apple tree is hedge / Osage!

Tree identification, and all the nuances thereof, is a never-ending study. At least I wouldn't want it to be. "Knowing Your Trees" published by the American Forestry Association has been my "bible" on forest trees for years. 2 full pages of pix & text on each. I still study it.

Hickories are an American story. Lots of species here: Shagbark, Mockernut, Shellbark, Pignut. Pecan is a member of the genus. The ref. above helps me a lot with bark & leaf pix and a geographic distribution map. Great fuelwood, but get it dried quick to minimize powder-post beetles. Fragrance of burning hickory is like incense. Splitting it will make you work.

Ditto birches with many species. As Mike says, black (aka sweet) birch is the pick of the litter. Great fragrance also, can be a SOB to split.

Ditto with the poplars. Cottonwood is A poplar species. Grows around us and in E TX. Huge tree, so-so wood. Loves to invade sewers. Parts of Montana, that's all they've got for logs.

Fair is fair. Now you can share with us about bois d'arc, which I've heard has nasty thorns, exudes sap when green that can mess up a saw something terrible, is really tough stuff, and burns great. Aka Osage Orange.

We're spoiled here. Lots of great ashes, maples and oaks too. Many species of each, of course.

 

[hardpan]

You got it. Hickory doesn't last real long in the stack. Insects love it too.

 

[dancan]

Since birch bark is waterproof it will rot from the inside out all by itself , best split it as soon as you can or at least run the chainsaw down lengthwise to break the bark .

 

[nomad_archer]

As everyone else has said it is a never ending learning curve. I have some stuff I have been splitting that I wasn't sure exactly what it was when I hauled it home. I was cutting tops and whatever else was left around from a land owner that had his property logged. So the only thing I had to go off of was the bark. Turns out I got a lot of read oak. It has a very distinct grain and smell when it is split. Red oak stinks. But I am glad I have it along with the other cherry ash and others in my stack. Some I have not idea what it was but if it was good enough hardwood for the loggers it is good enough for my stove.

 

[CTYank]

As everyone else has said it is a never ending learning curve. I have some stuff I have been splitting that I wasn't sure exactly what it was when I hauled it home. I was cutting tops and whatever else was left around from a land owner that had his property logged. So the only thing I had to go off of was the bark. Turns out I got a lot of read oak. It has a very distinct grain and smell when it is split. Red oak stinks. But I am glad I have it along with the other cherry ash and others in my stack. Some I have not idea what it was but if it was good enough hardwood for the loggers it is good enough for my stove.

A little harsh? I'd say freshly-split red oak "fragrance" brings back fond memories of hot fires on frosty nights past, and promises many more to come. Super easy to split, too. Northern red oak = fastest-growing oak in the NE.

 

[MustangMike]

As I have said before, the pros often refer to it as "piss oak".

But it does have a lot of BTUs, and makes beautiful flooring.

 

[dancan]

Hmmm , piss oak , I've never come across it up here but we have cat spruce , smells like an old male tomcat ..... Wonderful christmas trees for people you don't like LOL .

 

[BillNole]

My first score of the season. Finally! I hurt my back, just as Winter was winding down and that combined with being otherwise occupied has kept me from scrounging this season. I had all of next year's wood put up last year and this will be for year after next, but I was starting to get a little antsy about not having anything curing yet.

I'd forgotten just how heavy freshly downed oak can be!

This was from a CL add and could be just the beginning of an ongoing opportunity, given the number of trees the homeowner still has to take down. Most of this was already bucked at 16" up to about 4 feet. I ended up having to noodle most everything as I'm not as young as I once was, nor am I as stupid, as to try to pick up so many massive pieces.

This proved to be a full Suburban, completely full to the liner from front to back. I've loaded my Suburban many times before, mostly with elm the past few years, but this load of oak had her groanin' on the two mile trip home! There's a few pieces left to get this afternoon, plus a quick raking of the noodles. Splitting this weekend...

 

[MustangMike]

Nice score, not much heavier than Red Oak. Does terrible damage if it falls on a house.

 

[BillNole]

Thanks Mike. Just got back from getting the last few pieces cut up and noodled and raking up. Of course, this had to be done on the two hottest days of the year so far, right during the worst time of the days! I lost 6 lbs yesterday and 4 today, but I'm sure I'll get today's back on as quick as I did yesterday's with a series of arm-bends...

I'm gonna enjoy working with my 15 year old son, splitting this over the weekend. He's only split elm so far and enjoys the challenge of it as much as I do. This should be a treat for him, although I'm curious to see whether a maul or Fiskers will do better in red oak. The mauls generally were better in elm.

Might fire up the gas splitter just to run it for awhile to keep everything lubed. His call, but he prefers swinging. That's my boy!

 

[Philbert]

If I had a gas splitter, and the site was only 2 miles away, I might think about bringing the splitter to the site instead of noodling all of those pieces.

Philbert

 

[MustangMike]

Splitting is great exercise, I just split another face cord of Chestnut Oak for my daughter today. Just brought the Fiskars, but will have to bring the wedges and a sledge next time, some of the big rounds (30"+) have knots in them and would not go for me today. Seems like it has been brutally hot almost every time I split or cut this year. I don't remember another year when almost every time I get home I have to take off my T shirt and jeans because they are drenched in sweat.

That said, I enjoy it any way.

Gas splitter ... what is that ... the only gas splitters I have say Stihl on them!

 

[marcy-m]

My first score of the season!

This was from a CL add and could be just the beginning

View attachment 360313

High five to you!


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[marcy-m]

I was able to go my local dealer today. I remembered why I didn't go back. When the repair guy came out, he was great. The two guys up front had been trying to convince me that I couldn't sharpen the chain by myself, the machine was better, and there's no way to tell what kind of chain I have...whatever I asked they gave me the wrong answers. Thanks to y'all I knew they were the wrong answers, so thanks again for that. When the repair guy came out, he at least knew what he was talking about. The other two disappeared.

So now I have a file, but none of the guides looked like what I saw here. Anyone have a name for that guide? It's a Stihl dealer

No parts for my saw, though.

I'm thinking about trying to carefully sharpen the saw without it. (Edit: sharpen without the guide)



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[BillNole]

If I had a gas splitter, and the site was only 2 miles away, I might think about bringing the splitter to the site instead of noodling all of those pieces.

Philbert

Not a bad thought Philbert, but the wood was on the other side of a fairly substantial swale that I couldn't have carried the wood across without noodling anyway, nor could I have gotten the splitter to the other side due to a just completed retaining wall along the drive. It was all good though as the wood was just on the other side, so I didn't have to carry it very far and it was a short drive home too! N

 

[MustangMike]

Marcy, if you focus you do not need a guide. Just try and be consistent and maintain the original angle. Stihl chain will have a mark on the back of the top of the tooth that will be parallel to the correct file angle.

 

[Philbert]

So now I have a file, but none of the guides looked like what I saw here. Anyone have a name for that guide? It's a Stihl dealer

Marcy, if you focus you do not need a guide. .

I encourage you to use a guide - especially if you are starting out.

There are many ways that a file can move unintentionally, leading to unsatisfactory filing results. The various guides help to control at least one of these movements/positions:

- file height;



- top plate angle;


- 'down angle';

- all of these;


- file height and depth gauge height;



You do not have to use a STIHL file guide on a STIHL saw or chain - (although, some guides only work on certain sizes or brands of chain).

Again, file guides can help you get a consistent, sharp chain, but they still require some practice and skill. Not hard to learn if you understand what you are trying to achieve: sharp top and side plate edges, and consistent cutter angles and lengths.

Philbert

 

[CRThomas]

I get logs for free because most tree trimmers only have a trailer and can't handle that big stuff. I have a 12 foot roll back with a 10 ton hydro winch on it I either pull the log on the truck or take the truck out of gear and pull the truck under the log.

 

[nomad_archer]

I encourage you to use a guide - especially if you are starting out.

There are many ways that a file can move unintentionally, leading to unsatisfactory filing results. The various guides help to control at least one of these movements/positions:

- file height;
View attachment 360409
View attachment 360410

- top plate angle;
View attachment 360411

- 'down angle';

- all of these;
View attachment 360412

- file height and depth gauge height;
View attachment 360418


You do not have to use a STIHL file guide on a STIHL saw or chain - (although, some guides only work on certain sizes or brands of chain).

Again, file guides can help you get a consistent, sharp chain, but they still require some practice and skill. Not hard to learn if you understand what you are trying to achieve: sharp top and side plate edges, and consistent cutter angles and lengths.

Philbert

What Philbert said. I got the Stihl complete sharpening kit which is the round file with file height guide, flat file, and depth guage. Then I bought the Stihl FF1 since I had the other kit. The FF1 helps set the top plate angle. That combination worked for me an was readily available at the my local stihl dealer. The other brand saw dealers where more like hardware stores that sell saws and didn't have many of the accessories or knowledge to be very helpful. If you cant find what you need locally I would suggest picking up a Granberg online. Stihl only sells through local dealers so if your local dealers stinks then you are out of luck. Husky sells online so if you find a product you like and it ls not available locally then you have a chance finding it online. But I was about 2 seconds from picking up the Granberg when I found the stihl FF1. I already have the stihl sharpening kit so it was a no brainer for me and it works well. Good luck finding what you need. But if the local shop isnt helpful I would go online and find what works for you.