Found this in my stove

[Stelcom66]

When cleaning out the ashes. The tree must have grown around it. Fortunately, this time the saw didn't come in contact with the metal when I cut the round. But that's not always the case - more than once I've suddenly seen sparks that seem to come out of nowhere when cutting.

 

[qwee]

I learned something recently about metal objects in wood. They can ruin your saw. Most think they just ruin the chain. I guess the force of the chain getting tangled in something like that can destroy the clutch/bearings with the sudden jolt/stoppage. I always thought it was just the chain that gets destroyed. I think I'll be more cautious around yard trees.

 

[all night moe]

Last winter, or the year before, I found a medium sized C-clamp in the ashes of the furnace.
After it cooled, I fiddled with it for a bit. Still fully functional.

 

[Dieselhead]

I’d throw those clamps in my spare bolts bin 👍🏼

 

[Stelcom66]

The only things I found that I could reuse were a couple of good sized lag screws

 

[Montanalocal]

Around here we most usually find barb wire grown over when the trees were used as fencing posts.

 

[stoveliker]

Not in my stove but in one of the logs
I thought I had seen another but couldn't find it when I was bucking them. Maybe when I split. Or my memory is off...

 

[thewoodlands]

I'm not sure what I did with it but years back I found an older maple syrup tap in our stove.

 

[Stelcom66]

I'm not sure what I did with it but years back I found an older maple syrup tap in our stove.

I can see that being a common situation. My son and D.I.L make maple syrup from their trees. It takes so much liquid from the maple trees to make a small amount of syrup, But it sure is good.

 

[SWVA Farmhouse]

Although in most situations, metal objects can appear deep in wood where the tree was close to houses, farms. I had a neighbor who has a very large oak, probably 30+ inches at the base which died way out in the woods. He said he used to use it to put a tree stand in to hunt. After looking at it, there are still metal footsteps going up the tree. With all of the uprooted trees around, that tree will not be on my list to cut any time soon.

 

[stoveliker]

I have a wheelbarrow of blue/black stained red oak laying on my driveway. Cut through 2 nails and ruined a chain.
Found 1/2" lag bolts also.
They were all within 6" from the center on a 32" log...

Given that I don't know exactly what metal (galvanized?) is in there, that cats are okay with steel, but not so much with zinc, I am giving it to my friend who does not have a cat.

 

[punky chunks]

I haven't had much trouble with metal. More often dirt is the issue. Doesn't take much to dull a chain.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I haven't had much trouble with metal. More often dirt is the issue. Doesn't take much to dull a chain.

Yes I remember back in my wood burning days ordering a tandem load of mixed hardwood. Those guys drop the trees and then drag them out to a staging area all the time getting rocks and dirt in the bark. I had many chains at that time, and dropped them off for sharpening. The pile was so big I remember I climbed up to the top and started cutting from there. Probably not a good idea, but I was in my 20's then. After my first chimney fire I switched to a natural gas fireplace (as they has run the line down my street that year). Still burned wood in the sauna though. The guys that drop their own trees or buy proper firewood don't have to deal with all those embedded rocks.

 

[Stelcom66]

Yes, dirt and rocks do a number on chains too. Been there, done that.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Yes, dirt and rocks do a number on chains too. Been there, done that.

That wire rope looks like something they would have used with horses to drag out logs if it was that far embedded

 

[punky chunks]

Never had a chimney fire before, but I have had the stove run away from me. As my wood has been getting steadily drier, it is becoming an easier thing to do. So I've been splitting much bigger now. Less surface area should mean less gases escaping at one time.

 

[Stelcom66]

That wire rope looks like something they would have used with horses to drag out logs if it was that far embedded

Interesting - who knows, it could be quite ancient.