Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[cantoo]

My pile is getting smaller and he sold a couple more in the same park. These are summer campgrounds and the weather has been so nice people are thinking they need the wood. I think the weather is going to get crappy soon so we plan to deliver the wood as soon as we can and they all change their minds. We haven't sold any wood to indoor burners yet. When the pile is gone the pile is gone. I've talked to a few other guys and they are saying the same thing, business is slow so far.

 

[JustJeff]

My pile is getting smaller and he sold a couple more in the same park. These are summer campgrounds and the weather has been so nice people are thinking they need the wood. I think the weather is going to get crappy soon so we plan to deliver the wood as soon as we can and they all change their minds. We haven't sold any wood to indoor burners yet. When the pile is gone the pile is gone. I've talked to a few other guys and they are saying the same thing, business is slow so far.

Same here. I sold as much campfire wood as I did heating wood this year. Too many guys in it and the price is going down around here. I think I'll just scrounge for myself and spend more time fishing next year.

 

[woodchip rookie]

Yea I got enough for 2 years atleast I think. I'll definetly be spending less time next year gathering wood.

 

[MustangMike]

If anyone needs chains, Bailey's has em on sale 10 for $100 in a lot of popular sizes. They also got the jeans made in the USA for $19.99, not bad at all!

 

[svk]

If anyone needs chains, Bailey's has em on sale 10 for $100 in a lot of popular sizes. !

Where are you seeing this? I have the ad email from this morning and am looking at the site and not seeing it.

 

[svk]

Nevermind I see it. Woodland pro brand.

 

[cantoo]

Wood Nazi, I cut and sold about 300 cedar posts this year. Well actually I only sold about 150, the rest sell this weekend at an auction. It's also a lot of work for the dollars. Let's me run the saws though. They also sell firewood at this auction and it seems to go for more than $80 a face cord (16") at every sale. Usually pretty rough looking wood all random lengths too. Commission is 15% so $68 a face and you don't have to deal with any customers? No easy way to make money anymore.

 

[Philbert]

If anyone needs chains, Bailey's has em on sale 10 for $100 in a lot of popular sizes.

Nevermind I see it. Woodland pro brand.

Ask when you order. WoodlandPro used to only be Carlton, now some is TriLink.

Philbert

 

[Cowboy254]

Yea I got enough for 2 years atleast I think. I'll definetly be spending less time next year gathering wood.

Why?

 

[Cowboy254]

A few years ago, my wife said to me that there was a friend of hers (that I really didn't know) who had a farm with plenty of trees on it but her husband had shot through, and though still living locally, refused to cut wood to keep her and their three children warm (wtf?). So, she had lots of trees but no-one to cut them up for her. She was picking up sticks from the side of the road to keep her kids warm. Hint, hint. No worries, I said, happy to put my MS460 to work. Spent a day cutting and swinging the splitter (maul) and I was happy to help out and get the exercise. Then the lady says, "How much of this is for you"? I say "None, it's all yours, happy to help". Then she says, "Well, if you want to cut firewood, you can knock over any tree you like, take as much as you like".

Score!! Not only that, but she dropped around a slab of beer as a bonus which is 24 bottles worth, for you in the northern hemisphere.

So for the last few years, I'd go around in April and knock over a number of dead standing peppermints and split them up for her. She'd then come around and pick them up when she needed them. Peppermint (eucalyptus radiata) is some of my favourite scrounging wood. It produces BTUs similar to red oak and has virtually no ash so it burns down to nothing, makes good coals and looks great in the firebox. Further more, you get one hit splits even from 16 inch rounds (if you're serious) so it's easy stuff to bust up. You just line up the rounds and go bang, bang, bang along the line. Then stand the halves up and walk along it again.

Then, it's game on for me. This pic was from last year. There are three piles, the nearest is narrow leaf peppermint, one of my favourites. In the distance to the right there's candlebark (e. rubida) and to the left above the trailer there's a pile of blue gum which has the highest BTUs of the three. My trailer when filled level (4.5x7ft) is 1 cubic metre and there were more than three in each pile, so about a cord in each. It's a great little spot to spend a quiet day letting rip with a chainsaw too!

 

[farmer steve]

I must be doing something wrong again. The maple is my buddy's and is not in the pile.
View attachment 531826 View attachment 531827 View attachment 531828 View attachment 531829 View attachment 531830

Cantoo,do you have much problem with pieces getting stuck/binding in the conveyor ? they had one at the last GTG i was at but it seemed they had problems with pieces getting stuck. i have an old elevator here with a brand new motor on it that i keep thinking of using. thanks.
edit. mine looks just like yours. it a king wyse brand.

 

[woodchip rookie]

Why?

Gives me time to improve the arsenal.

 

[hardpan]

A few years ago, my wife said to me that there was a friend of hers (that I really didn't know) who had a farm with plenty of trees on it but her husband had shot through, and though still living locally, refused to cut wood to keep her and their three children warm (wtf?). So, she had lots of trees but no-one to cut them up for her. She was picking up sticks from the side of the road to keep her kids warm. Hint, hint. No worries, I said, happy to put my MS460 to work. Spent a day cutting and swinging the splitter (maul) and I was happy to help out and get the exercise. Then the lady says, "How much of this is for you"? I say "None, it's all yours, happy to help". Then she says, "Well, if you want to cut firewood, you can knock over any tree you like, take as much as you like".

Score!! Not only that, but she dropped around a slab of beer as a bonus which is 24 bottles worth, for you in the northern hemisphere.

So for the last few years, I'd go around in April and knock over a number of dead standing peppermints and split them up for her. She'd then come around and pick them up when she needed them. Peppermint (eucalyptus radiata) is some of my favourite scrounging wood. It produces BTUs similar to red oak and has virtually no ash so it burns down to nothing, makes good coals and looks great in the firebox. Further more, you get one hit splits even from 16 inch rounds (if you're serious) so it's easy stuff to bust up. You just line up the rounds and go bang, bang, bang along the line. Then stand the halves up and walk along it again.

Then, it's game on for me. This pic was from last year. There are three piles, the nearest is narrow leaf peppermint, one of my favourites. In the distance to the right there's candlebark (e. rubida) and to the left above the trailer there's a pile of blue gum which has the highest BTUs of the three. My trailer when filled level (4.5x7ft) is 1 cubic metre and there were more than three in each pile, so about a cord in each. It's a great little spot to spend a quiet day letting rip with a chainsaw too!

View attachment 532124

A win win situation. She warms her home and you warm your heart, and mine just reading it. Good on you.

 

[jr27236]

A few years ago, my wife said to me that there was a friend of hers (that I really didn't know) who had a farm with plenty of trees on it but her husband had shot through, and though still living locally, refused to cut wood to keep her and their three children warm (wtf?). So, she had lots of trees but no-one to cut them up for her. She was picking up sticks from the side of the road to keep her kids warm. Hint, hint. No worries, I said, happy to put my MS460 to work. Spent a day cutting and swinging the splitter (maul) and I was happy to help out and get the exercise. Then the lady says, "How much of this is for you"? I say "None, it's all yours, happy to help". Then she says, "Well, if you want to cut firewood, you can knock over any tree you like, take as much as you like".

Score!! Not only that, but she dropped around a slab of beer as a bonus which is 24 bottles worth, for you in the northern hemisphere.

So for the last few years, I'd go around in April and knock over a number of dead standing peppermints and split them up for her. She'd then come around and pick them up when she needed them. Peppermint (eucalyptus radiata) is some of my favourite scrounging wood. It produces BTUs similar to red oak and has virtually no ash so it burns down to nothing, makes good coals and looks great in the firebox. Further more, you get one hit splits even from 16 inch rounds (if you're serious) so it's easy stuff to bust up. You just line up the rounds and go bang, bang, bang along the line. Then stand the halves up and walk along it again.

Then, it's game on for me. This pic was from last year. There are three piles, the nearest is narrow leaf peppermint, one of my favourites. In the distance to the right there's candlebark (e. rubida) and to the left above the trailer there's a pile of blue gum which has the highest BTUs of the three. My trailer when filled level (4.5x7ft) is 1 cubic metre and there were more than three in each pile, so about a cord in each. It's a great little spot to spend a quiet day letting rip with a chainsaw too!

View attachment 532124

OK I'm a little slow today, are you saying the husband took off (not living with them)? If that's the case, that's a really good setup you know have. But if he was sitting at home on his lazy ass while I was swinging a maul to heat his family, his head would be on one of those rounds.

 

[MustangMike]

Ask when you order. WoodlandPro used to only be Carlton, now some is TriLink.

Philbert

Was not aware of that switch. How is TriLink (I'm afraid to ask)? I know the Carlton was good stuff.

 

[Philbert]

Was not aware of that switch. How is TriLink (I'm afraid to ask)? I know the Carlton was good stuff.

Apparently, they could no longer get some Carton chains that were not low-kickback, so they had to find a new vendor for some. That is why I suggest asking when placing an order.

Philbert

 

[Cowboy254]

OK I'm a little slow today, are you saying the husband took off (not living with them)? If that's the case, that's a really good setup you know have. But if he was sitting at home on his lazy ass while I was swinging a maul to heat his family, his head would be on one of those rounds.

Funny you mention that. Before I went around that first day, I assumed he had left permanently. However, at the time he still had legal access to the farm/house/kids and would lob up some weekends. I can't imagine that it would have been an overly happy household when he was there. When I went around and met the lady farmer outside the house, he was there and came out to see who had arrived. Far from impressed, I didn't bother trekking the 5 metres to introduce myself and shake his hand. Perhaps I should have just to see if he had any shame at all at having a stranger come around to cut wood for his family when he was perfectly capable himself. So he was in fact sitting at home on his lazy ass while I was swinging a maul to heat his family.

But it gets worse. The neighbouring farmer also came around cutting some wood for the lady farmer a bit later in that winter. He's in his 60s and his wife was dying of cancer at the time. This deadbeat was at the house again and when he realised, the neighbour wasn't backward in coming forward. "My wife is at home dying of cancer so tell me why am I here f$&*ing wasting my f$&*ing time cutting f$&*ing wood for you and your family, you lazy f$&*".

Unbelievable. I suppose for the lady farmer, there is an upside in that with the continuing legal wrangles over the divorce and custody etc, the husband has demonstrated that he is not responsible enough to have custody and she will come out best and he is now legally barred from the farm but it is an unholy mess. At least she doesn't need to worry about the house and kids getting cold now (and I get to use my saws and keep my family warm too).

 

[jr27236]

Wow, the story did get worse. I just don't know how someone can look at themselves in the mirror knowing there a deadbeat to their kids. One thing not doing for the future ex, but the kids should never be a victim of it. Unfortunately today, there's been a lot worse outcomes of custody disputes and such happening.

 

[svk]

Got through trail #3 with the saw and brush saw. Still need to throw brush off this section but the heavy lifting is done. Nearly two tanks of gas through the saw and one and a half in the brush saw. Both chain and blade are in need of sharpening but my other two blades should be ready soon and of course I have plenty of chains.

A guy could cut for a month back there if you had a Ronco wood trailer to pull behind an ATV or small tractor.

Jack pine rarely top 14" but this one is one of the biggest I've seen.


Beast of an aspen. They seem to be largest at a transition of gravel to clay or swamp like this one is.

 

[benp]

I think you might be right as there are Ironwoods in this little area. I found some smaller trees this afternoon that looked the same and took a picture of the dried leaves. They look exactly like Ironwood leaves that I googled.

The good part, I lost count around 40 trees in this little island where I cut that tree. It's funny how woods have these little microcosms. In this same island is where the sugar maples are.

The neighbor dumped an Ironwood the other night when we expanded the concrete slab for the new boiler. I have that to cut up.

Man I just love cutting in a woods with a clean floor like that, however I seldom find it. But all the briars, snags, and tangles I work in are an incentive to wear the chaps. Actually I was in heavy brush the day I hurt my back and cut my leg, didn't do enough clean-up before swinging the saw, a learning experience. LOL.

Yeah we don't have much for briars or scrub brush. It's primarily saplings and blown down rotted trees.

I totally understand about heavy brush as I dealt with that a lot when I lived out east.