X mas firewood project

[treeslayer]

I cut my parents a "cord" of wood, and stacked it at their front door.
I had brought home a Beautiful "standing dead" red oak tree from a climbing job, cut to length of course.
My son, Taylor (13) and I split most it old school. Here's an example, I call it splitter racing. 11 splits in 12 seconds. We use axes, Mine is a 4lb Kelly Perfect.

Ain't nobody faster than me.

I even make my hydraulic splitter watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HznJ1c16QxQ

 

[Moss Man]

Well......that slayer video.....were you imagining those chuncks of wood were anyone in particular? :jawdrop:

 

[oldirty]

dave, thats great. lol. i got a buddie who does the same thing, never sets the oak up. he just lays em out like you do and goes to town.....good form. lol


merry christmas mr treeslayer.

 

[treeslayer]

more pics.

I started cutting firewood when I was 12 in Charles City County back in '77,
working for a friend of my dad's. He sold firewood commercially, and I cut a LOT of wood growing up. There were 2 old guys in their 70's, who had been logging all their lives, that schooled me in the art of axe work. limbing, bucking, splitting, and proper care.
I ran my own firewood operation for many years after High School, until I started climbing. $$ changed my focus entirely. but I still can't shake the firewood bug. I have my kids trained to run the lever on my hydraulic splitter, which is fun.

of course Taylor has been taught the lost art of the axe. he's good, and goes for hours.

I have "collected" Kelly Axes for years, and have some nice ones.
here's a rare one, the double bit, with yes, some rust. I restore axes by soaking in lemon juice, wirebrushing and fresh paint.
And a close up of what trees do when I break out my axe.

 

[treeslayer]

We collected heart pine stumps yesterday, a fantastic day in the woods with Taylor.
these old stumps are full of "sap" which smells exactly like turpentine, and burns unbelievably hot.
awesome kindling.

this one stump will make a couple of weeks worth of kindling for my parents fireplace.

 

[cruzer]

Nice video- liked the yelling the best. I love seeing folks spend time with there kids and teaching them usefulnlife lessons. My son is two and loves to help bring wood in to fill up the wood box or help stack wood. Train them early, often, and young.

Stew

 

[maplemeister]

more pics.

I started cutting firewood when I was 12 in Charles City County back in '77,
working for a friend of my dad's. He sold firewood commercially, and I cut a LOT of wood growing up. There were 2 old guys in their 70's, who had been logging all their lives, that schooled me in the art of axe work. limbing, bucking, splitting, and proper care.
I ran my own firewood operation for many years after High School, until I started climbing. $$ changed my focus entirely. but I still can't shake the firewood bug. I have my kids trained to run the lever on my hydraulic splitter, which is fun.

of course Taylor has been taught the lost art of the axe. he's good, and goes for hours.

I have "collected" Kelly Axes for years, and have some nice ones.
here's a rare one, the double bit, with yes, some rust. I restore axes by soaking in lemon juice, wirebrushing and fresh paint.
And a close up of what trees do when I break out my axe.

Hello Treeslayer:

I can relate to your desire to collect and preserve well made tools. I have a collection of old grab hooks that were hand made by blacksmiths back when logging was done mostly with horses up here in the Northeast. Some still have the makers name stamped into the hook and the town where they were made. I have collected them in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire over a period of about 25 years now. When I was quite young there was an old gent that used to let me tag along when he pulled logs from the woods with his draft horse and I guess I got the horse logging bug early from those days. To most people they are probably just junk steel, but to me they are a reminder of the days when good tools were made to do a job well and last a lifetime. I have cleaned, brushed, and oiled each one and they are as good and functional as the day they were made. That old gent is long gone now and eventually I will follow him but those old hooks will still be around to admire for generations.


Maplemeister: :chainsawguy:

 

[treeslayer]

very cool!! I'd like to see some. care to post?

 

[cleanburn]

Awesome video, you really go to town on that wood, don't ya?

:jawdrop:

 

[maplemeister]

very cool!! I'd like to see some. care to post?

I don't think they will photograph very well where they are hanging right now in my garage, but, give me a day or so and I should be able to provide some decent pics.

Maplemeister:

 

[maplemeister]

very cool!! I'd like to see some. care to post?

Ok Treeslayer, Here are the pics you requested. I know a lot of folks probably would think that I'm a little nuts to collect things like this but to me they offer a connection to the past that has value. I would give a pretty penny to sit by a warm fire some evening in the comfort of my home, with a suitable adult beverage of course, and listen to the tales these old hooks could tell, if only I could get them to talk. Hope you enjoy.

Maplemeister: :chainsawguy:

 

[maplemeister]

Heres a few more.



Maplemeister:

 

[Stein]

maplemeister:

My favorite thread hijack of the year! Good stuff! Some rep for ya.

 

[treeslayer]

maplemeister:

My favorite thread hijack of the year! Good stuff! Some rep for ya.

how does answering a request to post pics constitute hijacking my thread?

whatever.

great pics, that is a heck of a collection.

here is a pic of a very old saw, (crappy pic, sorry) any one want to guess what it cuts?
the further north you are, the better your chances.

 

[maplemeister]

TreeSlayer:

Believe ir or not, I've actually used one of those devices. It's an ice saw. My dad worked at a place back in the fifties that still cut their own ice out of a nearby lake.The stuff would keep all summer in an icehouse packed in layers of sawdust. Great memories but tough work. Glad you liked the pics.

Maplemeister:

 

[treeslayer]

I figured you might know. Want it?

 

[maplemeister]

It is an unusual piece and getting pretty hard to find, but regrettably, I have to decline. Last spring I had reached the point where I had to rent a 40 yard dump box and clean out 30 years of junk I had managed to collect as I was just about out of room in the house and the garage. If I get started down that road again my wife will kill me. I do sincerely thank you however for your generosity, and for rekindling some great memories. I'll bet you could get a pretty penny for that if you advertise a little. I rarely see them anymore around here.

Maplemeister: :yourock: