Clayton 1600 Firing Issues

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Clayton 1600 Firing Issues
Clayton 1600 Firing Issues
Decided to get my trailer built in today. Going to cut tomorrow and have my dad coming with. It was so hot today and this needed done so I don't have to worry about stuff falling out.
 
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Clayton 1600 Firing Issues

I already starting splitting some so there isn't as much in the back.
Clayton 1600 Firing Issues
you can see the new stuff on the right side towards the middle. I say it's close to a half cord or just a bit less. There so many dead ash trees and black locust aswell. I could only get 1 load today. Entirely to hot I started to feel sick and got a headache so I got it all split up and called it a day.
 
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Clayton 1600 Firing Issues
Got another load this morning, it's entirely too hot to be doing this. Almost 2 full cords, if I wouldn't have ran outta water I would cut one more to finish out the stack. I don't know how I'm going to be able to get 4 more full cords put up, I'm exhausted.
 
Just remember that getting ahead is a one time effort. After that you can just restock what you burned one winter. Generally that is doable in late winter and the cooler spring.

Good.job!
 
View attachment 328651Got another load this morning, it's entirely too hot to be doing this. Almost 2 full cords, if I wouldn't have ran outta water I would cut one more to finish out the stack. I don't know how I'm going to be able to get 4 more full cords put up, I'm exhausted.
The same way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time...just work on it a bit here n there, as you have the time/energy, it all adds up after a while! And to be honest, almost nobody would feel like doing much more than that in this weather, and most people wouldn't even do what you did there!
When I decided to get 3 years ahead on my firewood (just so I never have to worry about less than dry wood ever again) it was a daunting task, but the right score came along, and I kept at it on n off all summer, next thing you know, goal met, and now I only have to makeup for what I use each winter (4 cords +/-, since the Kuuma install in 2017) now 10 years later I am at least 5 years ahead and have to sell some off once in a while to make room for what I cut each year, more or less just for fun.
 
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The same way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time...just work on it a bit here n there, as you have the time/energy, it all adds up after a while! And to be honest, almost nobody would feel like doing much more than that in this weather, and most people wouldn't even do what you did there!
When I decided to get 3 years ahead on my firewood (just so I never have to worry about less than dry wood ever again) it was a daunting task, but the right score came along, and I kept at it on n off all summer, next thing you know, goal met, and now I only have to makeup for what I use each winter (4 cords +/-, since the Kuuma install in 2017) now 10 years later I am at least 5 years ahead and have to sell some off once in a while to make room for what I cut each year, more or less just for fun.
For fun!!! What in the heck is a matter with you!!! Na just messin around, I like doing firewood but man it's hard on me. I go load up the trailer and once I get it home I then split and stack. I might just quit trying to do it all the same day. The ash I got was dead proped off the ground for 2 years. The MC was anywhere from 48% to 20%. I think its not right cause ash is suppose to be drier than than. I thinks it's just residual moisture in the wood not in the cells. I had a soaking wet log last year that was so heavy you couldn't even lift it. It measured 68% MC however it was laying on the ground. A few months later it was dry and checked. That's not the first time I've seen that happen. These ash trees were knocked over by a dozer and we're laid over but they were a few feet off the ground. Most of the bark was missing aswell and some of the wood was gray and checked already. I still have to burn it regardless cause it all I got.
 
For fun!!! What in the heck is a matter with you!!!
When you're not under the gun, firewoodin is therapeutic...nothing like a nice September day in the woods, getting good exercise, and "free" heat...
 
When you're not under the gun, firewoodin is therapeutic.

yep!

I like doing firewood but man it's hard on me
That's because you are doing it in the middle of summer and you are feeling you HAVE to. It's a job to you right now.

All my cutting is typically done between December and February and splitting is done in March or April. Although this year I actually cut a fair amount outside of those months because I was playing with a 10-10S I recently got going in spring and then more recently we had some storm damage I needed to deal with. I'd much rather be out cutting in 10° temps vs 80°.
 
yep!


That's because you are doing it in the middle of summer and you are feeling you HAVE to. It's a job to you right now.

All my cutting is typically done between December and February and splitting is done in March or April. Although this year I actually cut a fair amount outside of those months because I was playing with a 10-10S I recently got going in spring and then more recently we had some storm damage I needed to deal with. I'd much rather be out cutting in 10° temps vs 80°.
Yea I agree it's much easier in the winter. Sucks the place I'm cutting at now is inaccessible in the winter. Plus to be 3 years ahead I would need 18 cords of wood on hand. I will never fit that much on this property unless I stack it in the front yard which I will not do.
 
Clayton 1600 Firing Issues
Got another load today. This was a 50-60ft dead ash tree, 24" across the stump. These pieces are 24" long, there's prob 2 more trailers full. This was only the main part before it forked off into to huge branches. Appears to be dry, center is checked clear to the middle. I will check it with a moisture meter after I split it. I hope my countyline 25ton can handle the behemoths.
 
View attachment 328701Got another load today. This was a 50-60ft dead ash tree, 24" across the stump. These pieces are 24" long, there's prob 2 more trailers full. This was only the main part before it forked off into to huge branches. Appears to be dry, center is checked clear to the middle. I will check it with a moisture meter after I split it. I hope my countyline 25ton can handle the behemoths.
Boy those are real nice!
Your splitter will pop those like a balloon, heck those would even split fine by hand I'm betting...
 
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Boy those are real nice!
Your splitter will pop those like a balloon, heck those would even split fine by hand I'm betting...
I hope your right.... there's still the whole top 2/3 of the tree left too. Plus there's another 1 right behind it also about the same size. Atleast I can officially say my log splitter is paid for after I split this load. I am going back tomorrow for the rest of it. I'll take a pic after I get all the rounds stacked. I want to wait to split until i get the whole tree here.
 
Myself...
I want to handle wood as little as possible, once my firewood truck is full i head home and back up to my splitter table.From the truck the big stuff goes to the table then when the table is full i start to split.
As i am splitting, when the piece splits one will be in my hand already. so i grab the second piece and stack them on the row of wood.My wood never falls off the splitter on to the ground.
If i have a big chunk that has 4 splits in it, the same applys, i split it in half holding one split the other returns to the table and the first half is split and stacked.
Clayton 1600 Firing Issues
 
If your splitter doesnt have the log tables on it, get them, they save a ton of time/work from chasing fallen splits...I kinda think the CL splitters come with them (or at least one) though...
 
Clayton 1600 Firing Issues
There more in there than it looks, it's just the way I took the pic.
Clayton 1600 Firing Issues

Except for some smaller limb wood this is the whole tree. Everything but the big rounds was gathered today. I gotta take a break for a few day.
 
I do have a question aswell. This Clayton has shaker grates if a person wanted to burn coal however I seen most dedicated wood burners just have a flat bottom. With these big shaker grates you can't rake the coals forward like you would in a normal woodstove or furnace. I was thinking about getting a piece of plate steel and drilling holes in it so I would be able to rake the coals to the front for a reload instead of just throwing wood in overtop a full bed of coals, do you think this would work? Even though the manual states to put the wood directly onto the grates and not to use another plates or stands for the wood.
 
I do have a question aswell. This Clayton has shaker grates if a person wanted to burn coal however I seen most dedicated wood burners just have a flat bottom. With these big shaker grates you can't rake the coals forward like you would in a normal woodstove or furnace. I was thinking about getting a piece of plate steel and drilling holes in it so I would be able to rake the coals to the front for a reload instead of just throwing wood in overtop a full bed of coals, do you think this would work? Even though the manual states to put the wood directly onto the grates and not to use another plates or stands for the wood.
You could line the bottom with firebrick too, cheaper than steel (unless you have some already) and won't warp over time like steel will...those coals are HOT! I'd maybe leave a gap at the front for the ash to fall...or you could close it up and just dig ashes out, done that before on old models. Air under fire (grates) doesn't leave much for coals, and tends to burn dirtier too, not that it will improve immensely on a Clayton.
 
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