Stretching your wood supply

[ngzcaz]

Quote : I estimate that I will have a 2 cord surplus from this year's supply. Also, there's about 3 cords piled outside under a foot of snow. So the 2009-10 supply is on target to be approx 5 cords of the 6 needed for next winter.

So I guess I can give the saw a break this year?



Well.... as Curly ( Jack Palance ) said to Billy Crystal in the movie City Slickers ..... the day ain't over yet..

 

[Dan-o]

wood

This is my first year with my OWB and I went through what I thought was a years supply. Just under 4.5 cords, I just cut a dead oak a few weeks back and i'm burning on that now. I ended up with 4 dump truck loads and a pickup of oak. I already have used almost 2 dump truck loads of that too. I have 2 cords put back for next year of "green stuff" I have been cutting this winter, hopefully I can find some more dead stuff this season, so I don't have to tap into next years supply.

 

[powerstroke73L]

Where do you coal guys get your coal? It's almost impossible to find in these parts.

I'm in New Jersey so coal is just a trip over the river away. It's usually a pretty localized thing so if you don't have any mines within a few hours drive it's not usually worth it.

 

[chainsawaddict]

I'd be pretty nervous if my brothers wouldnt have helped me cut and split two cords of standing dead ash.

Im going to burn about 2 more cords this year than i did last year. should be interesting. Waking up to -21 this morning hasnt been easy on the pile.

 

[danrclem]

I'm burning a lot more than I did last year. I expected to use more because I had planned on not using any propane for heat this year. I did use my furnace for four days right after Christmas when I took a trip. I'm still using more than I had expected because the weather has been a lot colder than usual.

I had a banner woodcutting year last year. I should have over two years of wood supply left after this winter is over. I'm still going to cut more wood this year and let some of my locust sit outside.

 

[Coldfront]

You burn what ever it takes to stay warm, so far this has been a unusually cold winter, maybe next year will be a warm winter it will all even out most likely. One thing up north where I'm at is make sure you start the year with more than enough. I had 10 cords to start, and originally figured on burning 7-8 cord, the last thing I want to be doing in the spring when it is sloppy and muddy is be out trying to cut and gather more wood to make it to summer. I would say if you think you are not going to have enough go cut more now, don't wait till it starts getting sloppy out.

 

[JBinKC]

I'm still in very good shape about half of my stash of firewood for this year was accidently cut by a friend about 1-2" too long. Although, I wasn't overly thrilled at the time about the mistake since I have to rework it at least it has guaranteed me having a sufficient supply of firewood for the season.

 

[johncinco]

I've learned if the girlie gets too warm, she wears less clothes and even some of the frilly ones.

I'll cut more.

 

[turnkey4099]

You guys are making me feel bad....


.....am I the only one here still working on last year's wood supply?



(I live a little north of Atlanta. It's just not fair!)

I'm burning wood I cut at least 3 years ago and eyeballing some that may be even older to stuff into the woodshed to refill it next summer. That should clear out all the old stuff from past years.

15 plus cord willow cut last summer drying for use/sale next year and 8 plus cord locust added to the 10 in the reserve stacks for my old(er) age.

Harry K

Harry K

 

[DonB]

I finally burned what I cut in 2004 and started working on the new stuff. It's nice to live in the south. 73° outside right now.

 

[Techstuf]

Another way of stretching one's supply, if you have the setup for it, is to employ a basement stove and burn hot. By employing the basement's thermal mass and burning the wood more efficiently, one can stretch one's supply considerably. On any day above 10 degrees, I can burn a fire to completion, going hours with the stove off. The increased heat from hot burns is captured by the thermal mass, and distributed long after the burn cycle is complete. The increased time in "off" cycles, is less wood burned.


TS

 

[Gap Goat]

Using small wood

This is my first year with the OWB and I started with zero wood but was able to cut enough this summer to get ahead of the curve and think I have enough for the rest of the season (but there is always next year to think about). :greenchainsaw: One thing I have been doing is taking my ax with me when I walk around the farm and cut up limbs and brush that is too small to mess with, chainsaw wise. I find that I can cut enough to fuel the furnace pretty well in just a few minutes. It would be impossible for someone who has to devote their free time to “real” firewood but it works for me.

 

[Zodiac45]

Where do you coal guys get your coal? It's almost impossible to find in these parts.

I get mine in 50lb bags from a Tool rental place in town that sells coal stoves on the side. It's about $3.59 a bag and a bag lasts me a week or two the way I use it. It's Reading Anthrasite stove coal. They have all sizes (Nut, pea, etc) but I get the big stuff. Do a check in your area for anyone selling coal stoves.

 

[Buckethead]

Hmmm....I was just thinking today that I've actually burned less this year than last year. Not quite sure why. I've burned about 2.5 cords that I had stacked at the house plus another 3/4 cord that I have stacked at a friend's house. I have another 3/4 cord of Elm and Ash in the wood shed and about 1/2 cord of Maple under cover. I'll probably grab another 3/4 cord of Elm and Ash to finish off the season

 

[sesmith]

Another way of stretching one's supply, if you have the setup for it, is to employ a basement stove and burn hot. By employing the basement's thermal mass and burning the wood more efficiently, one can stretch one's supply considerably. On any day above 10 degrees, I can burn a fire to completion, going hours with the stove off. The increased heat from hot burns is captured by the thermal mass, and distributed long after the burn cycle is complete. The increased time in "off" cycles, is less wood burned.


TS

Not sure if I totally agree with you cause I think we would go thru less wood if I could heat the house well with a stove upstairs, but the house design is such that it doesn't work well that way for me. Our stove is in the cellar. I went one step further than your idea and stacked cinder block walls on each side of the stove about 10 inches from it. The bottom course is laid sideways to allow air circulation under and up the walls. The walls add thermal mass to the stove, sort of a poor man's soap stone, and keep the stove from radiating as much heat out the stone cellar walls. This setup has evened up our heat output well, and helps convert much of the radiant heat from the stove to convection to heat the upstairs. I also leave the forced air furnace blower door open for a cold air return.

As far as stretching wood...I did some mods to my old stove this year that have helped. What works for me best, though, is to cut a couple of years in advance (so next years wood was stacked this fall). I'm currently cutting wood for the winter after next. So, if I use more wood one year, I have plenty of time to make it up and always am burning seasoned wood. I'd do the same thing if I had to buy wood.

 

[husky455rancher]

right now im thinkin im gonna run out of my seasoned wood. reason being i cut to feed my insert and this year i ended up getting a woodstove for the cellar. well i liked how the stove heated the house so much i abandoned the insert in place of the woodstove. the floors area nice and warm, house is evenly heated, the cellar is really nice and warm. but the price to pay is alot more wood used. ive already used a normal years worth of wood. my pile is lookin really skimpy. i might have to get back on a plallet kick to help supplement, if i can find some locally.


it will really chaop my ass if i have to buy wood. if you drove ny my house youd understand why lol. i got a HUGE woodplie all bucked just needs splitting, but its all green. ive been cutting all winter. the splitters gonna work its ass off this spring thats for sure.

 

[husky455rancher]

Another way of stretching one's supply, if you have the setup for it, is to employ a basement stove and burn hot. By employing the basement's thermal mass and burning the wood more efficiently, one can stretch one's supply considerably. On any day above 10 degrees, I can burn a fire to completion, going hours with the stove off. The increased heat from hot burns is captured by the thermal mass, and distributed long after the burn cycle is complete. The increased time in "off" cycles, is less wood burned.


TS

i know exactly what your saying. my cellar is cement and stone foundation so it gets really nice and warm.
heres my findings the wife puts wood in it at about 2:30 before she leaves for work, and i get home at 6. today for example it was 72 when i got home at 6. i havent even looked at it and its 10 here now and its still 70. i know damn well she didnt pack the stove full either she never does. ill get it goin again in a half hour or so depending how late i stay up.

but i definatly see a value in doing this and im gonna push it more as im trying to stretch the pile as of now.

 

[TallElf]

I'm burning wood I cut at least 3 years ago and eyeballing some that may be even older to stuff into the woodshed to refill it next summer. That should clear out all the old stuff from past years.

15 plus cord willow cut last summer drying for use/sale next year and 8 plus cord locust added to the 10 in the reserve stacks for my old(er) age.

Harry K

Harry K[/QUOTE

All kidding aside, (Insert Hot, flames. etc) how does willow burn. My neighbor had a 30 ft long 42 inch diameter willow that I have been hacking up. It is on the back end of the wood pile and has been dead for years. (Not an ounce of bark on it) but it was still squishin out water. It is cracking now. and I was wondering is it like locust.. or are we talking on the lower end of the burn spectrum?

 

[Techstuf]

I hear what you're saying, Husky. The main point behind earth bermed homes relies upon the principle of thermal mass. I researched the amount of wood burned by owners of those $6,000 high efficiency wood furnaces. Turns out I'm burning less wood with a stove that cost me less than $200. Also, since I burn in cycles, rather like a gas furnace, only with much longer off cycles....letting my fires burn out completely, I start alot more fires than most. It's those hours of off time, and efficient heat capture that stretch the burn cycle.

Also, I've found that buying bags of wood pellets on sale in spring for $3.00, nets me between 75-100 fire starts per bag. I dump a small scoop of pellets between two seasoned rounds or splits and then stack a third on top. I use a long cane torch for 20 seconds to start the pellets. The pellets gassify quickly, creating a fire tunnel which will start even stubborn wood. Sounds like a tornado when the pellets get going.


TS

 

[Steve NW WI]

According to a chart I printed out from one of the links in the stickies on this section, willow is at the lower end of the scale, at about 17M BTU/cord, with the "good" firewoods (oak, etc) being 25M+.

That's no reason not to burn it, but it seems to be to be better for a "take the chill off" fire in spring/fall than for winter heating purposes.

I've never burned willow, but it's listed very close to boxelder, with which I am very familiar. The stuff seems to regrow in the fenceline faster than you can cut one down, buck it, split it and stack it. I burn a lot of it early and late in the season, and even in midwinter when I am around all day to feed the stove often, as it will burn up a lot faster than good wood.

HTH

Steve