help out a new guy

[Soundchasm]

And cut your rounds all the exact same length. Don't care if it looks foolish using a tape measure and can of spray paint, take my word for it, when it comes time to stack, consistency is best! Stacks are easy and look beautiful.

I settled on 16" rounds since that worked out for "pallet math" and will fit into practically anything. But I lose capacity in a single row stacking scenario. See the trade-offs?

What we all wouldn't give to have those telephone poles IN OUR YARDS right now. What an opportunity to get everything right.

 

[moresnow]

All great advice here. I would add that I have somebody taking the splits away and stacking them as I split. I am fortunate my wife likes to help. It goes sooo much smoother/easier. Also. If anything cut your rounds on the short side before splitting. Opens up your stove options. Re-cutting splits to fit a stove sucks. Have fun!

 

[Dobish]

All great advice here. I would add that I have somebody taking the splits away and stacking them as I split. I am fortunate my wife likes to help. It goes sooo much smoother/easier. Also. If anything cut your rounds on the short side before splitting. Opens up your stove options. Re-cutting splits to fit a stove sucks. Have fun!

My wife and I had a deal that everything I split, she stacked... then I bought a splitter and that deal was null and void! having someone help stack right away is a big help.

I can fit a 22" piece in my stove, but most of my wood is right around 20".

 

[gotboostido]

ok it seems i have to figure out where i am going to store all this wood. we just moved in to this house in august. althought i have all the avg home owner equiment. i am limited to a 18" chainsaw. we came from a smaller house of 15 years.. and this was the upgrade. also the log pile is going to double in size in the next couple of weeks. and thats just the front yard. i have to spend this weekend on a wood storage location somewhat close to the house and in the sun. i did plan on 18" splits. and using a tape to mark the logs for length. thanks again.

 

[Soundchasm]

Last winter, I used 1.9 cords upstairs in my insert, and 1.7 cords downstairs in my free stander. So *if* you get a wood stove, think in terms of two cords. Four cords storage. Two to burn, two to season. Others will have lots to say on burn rates, but for a single stove, four cords seems like a fail safe.

But firewood is like money - the more you have, the more you burn.

Look into the tool-less wood rack. Three cinder blocks, two 8' landscape timbers, and two 2"x4"x8's, and no commitment!!

18"/12=1.5, so 1.5x8x4.5=54, and 54/128=.42 cords per rack.

(8) racks would get you reasonably close to two cords to burn and two cords to season. Believe me, once you've burned dry wood, you'll never want to look back.

Pic is from 2013, back from when I thought I had it all figured out!! Hah!

 

[kennyp2339]

Last winter, I used 1.9 cords upstairs in my insert, and 1.7 cords downstairs in my free stander. So *if* you get a wood stove, think in terms of two cords. Four cords storage. Two to burn, two to season. Others will have lots to say on burn rates, but for a single stove, four cords seems like a fail safe.

But firewood is like money - the more you have, the more you burn.

Look into the tool-less wood rack. Three cinder blocks, two 8' landscape timbers, and two 2"x4"x8's, and no commitment!!

18"/12=1.5, so 1.5x8x4.5=54, and 54/128=.42 cords per rack.

(8) racks would get you reasonably close to two cords to burn and two cords to season. Believe me, once you've burned dry wood, you'll never want to look back.

Pic is from 2013, back from when I thought I had it all figured out!! Hah!
View attachment 200708

Last year was an anomaly for most of us in the mid west, mid atlantic and northeast, it wasn't cold for long periods of time, lots of 30's and 40's then periods of 50's.
My rule of thumb is if your heating 1500 to 2200 sq ft at a 2.5 cu ft fire box and live in the northeast figure an average year will be 4 cords minimum at 1 stove, lots of this depends on house type, insulation thickness and if your exposed to lots of wind or not.

 

[Prof]

I'd agree--if you are really making a go of heating your house, you will need 4 cords at a minimum. I usually plan on 5 per season--better to have a bit left over than to run out. If you are just supplementing, then anything short of 4 will probably work. Personally, I turn my furnace on once in the fall and once in the spring just to see if it still works.

 

[Dobish]

i determined if i burned the same amount every day of the burning season, I would go through 4 cord. The last 2 years I have gone through just about 2. Maybe I should just get used to 80º days in February.

 

[saewoody]

My rule of thumb is if your heating 1500 to 2200 sq ft at a 2.5 cu ft fire box and live in the northeast figure an average year will be 4 cords minimum at 1 stove, lots of this depends on house type, insulation thickness and if your exposed to lots of wind or not.

Agreed. I burn close to 5 cords a year and fit the description above. I would burn less, but my wife thinks it is still winter if it is not at least 70* in the house!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wood1Dennis]

And cut your rounds all the exact same length. Don't care if it looks foolish using a tape measure and can of spray paint, take my word for it, when it comes time to stack, consistency is best! Stacks are easy and look beautiful.

I just use the bar on my saw to measure as I cut. Just hold the saw bar next to the piece I am cutting. I know from the front of the saw to the tip of the bar is right around 18". Perfect. Once you get going, you get a pretty good feel for length without 'measuring', but I still use the bar on my saw to keep myself calibrated every 3 cuts or so.

 

[Soundchasm]

I just use the bar on my saw to measure as I cut. Just hold the saw bar next to the piece I am cutting. I know from the front of the saw to the tip of the bar is right around 18". Perfect. Once you get going, you get a pretty good feel for length without 'measuring', but I still use the bar on my saw to keep myself calibrated every 3 cuts or so.

I completely agree ^^. I did use spray paint and a tape measure on a long 30" limb that was down. That allowed me to cut anywhere I thought I could finish a cut to get the weight down so I could try to jockey them around a bit, like an inch, if I was lucky!

I may have started in the middle and worked my way to the ends.

 

[ValleyCottageSplitter]

Nice pile there !! I would estimate prob in the 3 cord range which is a excellent start..

I was thinking more in the 2-2.5 cord range for the current stash. Ten 15"x8' bolts are 1 cord. So if there's about 15 logs, avg about 16in*10ft, that's 2.18 cord. It's certainly a big wild guess at the size of those logs. Probably by the end he will be at 4-6 cords.

I just use the bar on my saw to measure as I cut. Just hold the saw bar next to the piece I am cutting. I know from the front of the saw to the tip of the bar is right around 18". Perfect.

My technique is to use a split that measures 17.5" and hold it against the log with the chain brake on (saw off). I rub the chain back and forth banked on the guide stick to make each mark. If you want to be more precise you can make marks at 2 or 3 points along the diameter.

 

[gotboostido]

Ok, the tree service will be here for 8-10 hours tomorrow. Last time they cut down 12 trees in 5 hours. And 5 were quite large imo. for a city slicker. Lol. I have 30 trees marked. But about twenty are on the small size. So well see how things go. I will have updated log pile soon. Btw the deal is 2900.00 for 4 guys a 150' crane and a bucket truck. Also they take everything with them. And leave me the poles for firewood. This is in the boston, ma area. Seems reasonable to me.

 

[gotboostido]

here is a few pics. just for somthing to look at.

 

[Soundchasm]

Gotboostido, everybody here is salivating over your "on the property" haul. Everyone wants to spare you the agony they went through getting started.

As a guitar player, I did some stupid stuff with my hands processing wood several years ago I wish I could undo. Probably the same story for my back. I have more birthdays than a lot of my heroes, and like them, wish I had taken better care of myself. Here's a photo of a two devices that might save labor under the right circumstances. They came in handy when I had to work with a broken hand. The green thing with hooks comes in different lengths for different sized rounds. If it hooks and I can pick it up, it'll hold it. The pincer thing is great when limbs and splits are wet, nasty or frozen.



The other pics are of the carb adjust tool you must get. The other of the file/guide you must get. I clamp my bar in the table vise using the teeth to keep it from rotating. I mark one chain tooth with a marker and file one side, turn the guide around and do the other side. Ten minutes with about four passes per tooth.

 

[jetsam]

.View attachment 200679

I'm an import!

 

[gotboostido]

Gotboostido, everybody here is salivating over your "on the property" haul. Everyone wants to spare you the agony they went through getting started.

As a guitar player, I did some stupid stuff with my hands processing wood several years ago I wish I could undo. Probably the same story for my back. I have more birthdays than a lot of my heroes, and like them, wish I had taken better care of myself. Here's a photo of a two devices that might save labor under the right circumstances. They came in handy when I had to work with a broken hand. The green thing with hooks comes in different lengths for different sized rounds. If it hooks and I can pick it up, it'll hold it. The pincer thing is great when limbs and splits are wet, nasty or frozen.

View attachment 201610

The other pics are of the carb adjust tool you must get. The other of the file/guide you must get. I clamp my bar in the table vise using the teeth to keep it from rotating. I mark one chain tooth with a marker and file one side, turn the guide around and do the other side. Ten minutes with about four passes per tooth.

View attachment 201611 View attachment 201612 View attachment 201613

 

[gotboostido]

thanks for the tips. i ended up buying the husky 562 xp. i went in for a 550xp but he had an older model. so i bought the 562. it does have the auto tune. so we will see how that works. i did look for some type of log gaff seems like it might be a good investement. although i was toying with splitting everything by hand. lol my plan is to have everything bucked up by thanksgiving. and go wild on splitting. i will have 5 days off over thanksgiving. might help me burn off some of that pumkin pie. i also bough a few lumber pencils. i plan on cutting 16" rounds. nothing to salivating for over here. cost me 9200.00 to have these trees laid down. thanks again. i will be sure to post an update

 

[jetsam]

cost me 9200.00

No longer jealous! Zoinks.

 

[gotboostido]

No longer jealous! Zoinks.

yep, we moved in in august. and its our forever home. but theres like a 75 trees on 1 acre. so we decided to get it over with quick. while the leaves were still on them. 2900 a day for 5 guys and their equipment. and this is the best deal around for sure. so 3 days later. and we will leave it at that.

 

[Soundchasm]

Wow! Methinks the truism is that a cord of wood magically correlates to 100 gallons of fuel oil. So if oil spikes to $4/gal, then each cord is worth $400 in energy costs. It's around $2.71/gal, so every cord is a $271 discount against that cutting price. You did the right thing. No sense in just nibbling on the barrel when you have to pull the trigger!!

Forever homes are cool! Best of luck tackling all the projects to come down the line.

 

[BenTN]

Get yourself a peavey or cant hook to work that pile safely, you won't regret having one. Get your logs to a safe and stable place before cutting. Your 562 will make short work of that pile with a sharp chain. I use lumber crayons and a 16" piece of plastic wiremold(light weight scrap) to mark my rounds. I can eyeball it but usually tend to drift when the log diameter changes.

 

[maple1]

The recipe is pretty simple.

Cut, split & stack as soon as it is down. Everything (including pine). Unless it is punky rotten.

I am also in the 'if you have to measure it measure it with your bar' camp. Adding more tools & gadgets to lose and/or break, and additional steps, just slows things down & cause me aggravation - you already have a measuring tool in your hand, a gas powered one.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

thanks for the tips. i ended up buying the husky 562 xp. i went in for a 550xp but he had an older model. so i bought the 562. it does have the auto tune. so we will see how that works. i did look for some type of log gaff seems like it might be a good investement. although i was toying with splitting everything by hand. lol my plan is to have everything bucked up by thanksgiving. and go wild on splitting. i will have 5 days off over thanksgiving. might help me burn off some of that pumkin pie. i also bough a few lumber pencils. i plan on cutting 16" rounds. nothing to salivating for over here. cost me 9200.00 to have these trees laid down. thanks again. i will be sure to post an update

Some advice once gIven to my husband when he was tackling a big sawing project was "Stop when you get too tired." It seems so obvious, but it such good advice that I think it bears repeating. Even if you only get halfway through that pile before Thanksgiving, you'll still have plenty to split, and if you run out, you'll have more time to buck more. I hope you're going to have a partner. It makes it much more enjoyable.

 

[gotboostido]

Get yourself a peavey or cant hook to work that pile safely, you won't regret having one. Get your logs to a safe and stable place before cutting. Your 562 will make short work of that pile with a sharp chain. I use lumber crayons and a 16" piece of plastic wiremold(light weight scrap) to mark my rounds. I can eyeball it but usually tend to drift when the log diameter changes.

yes, i picked up a peavey this morning. and proceeded to work the pile for 4 hours. also i have the lumber crayon and a tape measure. the funny thing is i cut atleast 100 rounds today. i can hardly tell i did anything.lol