I turned away free wood today.

[wendell]

I still can't quite believe it but my arborist friend wanted to drop off some elm tomorrow. But I've already got 20 cords on my lot including 1 that still needs to be split on my driveway and I don't have any more room until I burn some (and if it doesn't cool down soon I'm not sure how soon that is going to be. :cheese: )

Please don't hate me. ;-P

 

[Jeff S]

Isn't nice to be far enough ahead on your wood supply that you have the option of turning some away ?I too have plenty of wood but was offered 2 osage trees today and just couldn't resist especially knowing how rot resistant this stuff is and that it will keep for years.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I'm at the 20+ cord mark now, but not quite to the point of turning wood away. I think I can get about 40+ cords in my wood storage area so I'm going to keep going...

I live on .39 acres.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I think I can get about 40+ cords in my wood storage area so I'm going to keep going...

I live on .39 acres.

I have 35 in about 2500 sq ft. It can be done but its going to get tight.

 

[Wood Duck]

I am crying for you Wendell, from a combination of joy, shame, and sadness for the elm that will never reach its destiny in your woodstove.

 

[gzecc]

Have you guys heard of hoarding? ex. 20 cords on <1/2 acre?

 

[thewoodlands]

I still can't quite believe it but my arborist friend wanted to drop off some elm tomorrow. But I've already got 20 cords on my lot including 1 that still needs to be split on my driveway and I don't have any more room until I burn some (and if it doesn't cool down soon I'm not sure how soon that is going to be. :cheese: )

Please don't hate me. ;-P

I grabbed some free wood (except for the gas & work) Saturday in the form of a Cherry tree that my neighbor wanted off his property that was up rooted, we have just over 17 cord looking for your 20.

zap

 

[eujamfh]

You're killing me...what would be the parcel to VA?

 

[PapaDave]

In the words of "The Donald"......."you're fired".
Man, and you call yourself a woodburner. tsk, tsk, tsk.
Absolutely NO place else to put it? Hide some under the bed. Clean out the closets.
You better start burning a little faster, so this doesn't happen again.

 

[wendell]

I have already brought home a cord of standing dead elm this past week and at the moment have access to all the wood I could ever want. Granted, not dropped off in my driveway though. :cheese:

It is kind of weird stacking wood for 3-4 years from now that is already well below 20%.

 

[3fordasho]

Have you guys heard of hoarding? ex. 20 cords on <1/2 acre?

You may have too much wood when....

Your mother looks over your wood stacks/processing area and says "You'll never live long enough to burn all that wood!"

Your wife surveys the backyard, shakes her head in disbelief, says "no more" and walks back into the house.

Your neighbors just shake their head when you pull into your driveway with another load of rounds.

You start to get creative in the stacking process... holtzhauzens, stacks shaped to look like a house, etc...

You call the cops because the free loader neighbor is stealing your firewood, the cop takes one look at the stacks and says, "why don't you just give it to them to keep the peace?"

 

[Jags]

You do realize that refusing a delivery of free firewood is STRICTLY forbidden, according to the wood burners handbook? This will be noted at our next meeting and a fine may be assessed. (it pays for the beer and jerky during the meeting).

 

[jeff_t]

It definitely feels good when you can turn down wood. However, I would never turn it down delivered to my driveway, and I would never, ever mention it here.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Wendell, you are a true wood burner. It is sweet when you can get to the point where you are. Congratulations.

 

[schortie]

I'm at the 20+ cord mark now, but not quite to the point of turning wood away. I think I can get about 40+ cords in my wood storage area so I'm going to keep going...

I live on .39 acres.

I think we're going to need pictures of that. A lot of pictures.

 

[Nic36]

I awoke to the sound of chainsaws this weekend. Apparently, my neighbor, had hired a tree service to cut down a pretty large willow oak by his house. Lightening had struck it earlier this year and it was going to die probably next year. They did not haul it off, but left it. He piled all the wood by the road for the city to pick up. I have about 10 cords already, which is years of heating for my little house. But dang I hate to see it go to a landfill. It will be chipped and turned into mulch there though. I'm still debating picking some up. Hopefully someone else needs it.

I feel your pain.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Elm is no fun to split, I would do the same. I am sitting at roughly 20 cords, I think even at 5 cords I would pass on elm.

 

[wendell]

If I had to hand split I may agree but I love elm (at least I better since it is 80% of what I burn), especially standing dead. I was splitting up the old, dead red elm I brought home this week and it is already so dry, there would be a little puff of dust when it split. I think I have almost enough to finish off 2013/14 and them move on to 2014/15.

At one of the places I cut there is an old oak with 2/3rds of the trunk rotted away but it is still standing and still living. Based on the lean, the wood that is left is where the hinge needs to go so I think it is actually a pretty safe drop but it is a little unnerving seeing that much of the trunk gone. Anyway, there is enough wood in that tree to at least fill half of 2014/15. Maybe I'll make that an all oak year!

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Wendell, I have a Huge Oak like that, it is more than twice the width of my 20 inch bar(so I might need to buy a larger bar just to cut it) and what really scares me is that there are some dead branches high up. I am afraid of a widow maker dropping, so even though it is an ugly tree, it keeps on standing. I now do have over 8 cords of Oak, most of it was lieing dead for 15 years or more. So it is really pretty dry, but I am holding off as much as I can this winter to save it for next year and the next. I do occassionally put in a split and it burns really nice but most is reading about 26 on my MM.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Also Wendell, Is a 22 ton strong enough for most elm? I eventually will buy one of those at Tractor Supply, I just was not sure about Elm.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Golf, a 22 ton is strong enough for most anything. Ours is a 20 ton and in 20 years or so of splitting we've had one piece that I did not split. Perhaps could have but wasn't worth it to me as it was knotty and crappy. Still, only one piece in 20 years that would not split is pretty fair, I'd say. Not sure how much wood we've split in that time but it is a lot! Triple digits.

So I say, that 22 ton should do well for you. Good luck.

 

[certified106]

Also Wendell, Is a 22 ton strong enough for most elm? I eventually will buy one of those at Tractor Supply, I just was not sure about Elm.

I have been splitting through a huge pile of oak knots that I couldn't get split by hand and it doesn't have a problem! We are talking about knots that are almost impossible to split by hand and the splitter is actually just shearing through them. I wish I had bought my splitter years ago.

 

[Flatbedford]

If I had zero cords on hand I would turn away free Elm. The stuff is un-hand-splittable.

 

[wendell]

Also Wendell, Is a 22 ton strong enough for most elm? I eventually will buy one of those at Tractor Supply, I just was not sure about Elm.

What Dennis said, is as always, correct. ;-)

The good thing about this oak is it has enough lean that none of the branches are overhead so no worries about widowmakers. I'm going to take a closer look at it next week and make a plan and make sure I feel comfortable dropping it. Because of the lean, I think just a small notch and then start back cutting until it goes. I do want to get in and out quick and I don't think the 28" is long enough so will be able to put that 42" bar to use.

 

[Got Wood]

Golf, a 22 ton is strong enough for most anything. Ours is a 20 ton and in 20 years or so of splitting we've had one piece that I did not split. Perhaps could have but wasn't worth it to me as it was knotty and crappy. Still, only one piece in 20 years that would not split is pretty fair, I'd say. Not sure how much wood we've split in that time but it is a lot! Triple digits.

So I say, that 22 ton should do well for you. Good luck.

+1

I have the Huskee 22 ton. Last November I split up a freshly cut 24" DBH elm that was really wet with it. Got a bunch of "stringy" pieces but got through all of it. this tree was by far the toughest test I put through the splitter and it passed with flying colors.