Rant! -Spouse/Wood/Stove

[szmaine]

We are in our first winter with our new Oslo.

The problem is the wood, or rather the mind set of the wood processer, my husband.

Throughout the entire process of researching stoves and wood, I have told him what I have learned if the subject comes up
- not in a preachy pendantic way but just conversationally.

I just can't get him to see how important dry wood is. I can't get him to understand the stove.

We started off break-in fires and the shoulder season using alot of standing dead elm, mostly upper branches.
Stuff was pretty dry, and the stove basically performed as I have read so many times here that it should.
I was mixing this with some of the larger splits of mixed hardwood that I suspected was not totally seasoned -
due to the fact that some of it was sitting around as a mixture of 6ft pieces to tree lenth, until he decided to cut and split mid-summer/early fall. I've mentioned that it doesn't dry much as logs, he insists that it dries as it sits no matter what.

He squalked not to mix the "good wood" with with the "junk wood" since he was saving it for the coldest weather.
Now, for the past month we've been burning the "good wood" and whenever I am tending the stove
(essentially most of the evening and weekends) I have been unable to get the stove higher that 450. I have decent secondaries in the beginning, but they don't last long and the stove top thermometer never increases after I start decreasing the primary air. In fact it imediately starts backing down to chug along at 350-400. I had gotten into frequent reloading to get up a big bed of coals to get the next load to take off better.

Yesterday, I came home and loaded up the stove with what was in the woodbox - some 3-4" rounds. The stove cranked up quickly to 500 when I started backing off so as not to get the room overheated, it continue on up to 550 and eventually settled in at 500. The secondaries kick on best I've ever seen (the proverbial "bowels of hell"), lasted the longest I've ever seen. In a word it burned exactly as I know it can and should.

But he comes in the room, notices that I've loaded the stove and begins to lament that we have used up our best wood and are back to the junk wood again. Why, because it's not big splits from a trunk I guess, it a bunch of small stuff.
I point out the fire, saying that it burning just as it should because the wood is nice and dry. Too dry, he says, burns up fast.
But it was really cranking out the heat. We don't need all that heat, says he. Ugggh! So stop shutting all the rooms that we used to have to keep shut before we got the stove.

I realize that this is actually a rant, I'm frustrated - but I really do want to convince him what "good wood" is?
Otherwise, we'll just have wet wood next year too.
I hope he'll be able to see it for himself as we get deeper into the wood shed - the last couple of rows has been cut and split for three years.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

We just had parent's in laws here for a month - I was happy to get away with just a few smoldering fires and only one small chip in the enamel..

 

[Slow1]

Wow... guess I am lucky as I do all the wood processing as well as most of the loading eh? No conflicts on which wood to burn here :roll:

Perhaps if you get into some nice looking splits that are good and dry he will still consider it to be "good wood" and when it burns well because it is dry you will both agree? Could you be so lucky? Smaller pieces do burn faster, perhaps you will get some nice long and hot burns from larger splits of dry wood.

Ok, I'm an optimist at heart, I admit it.

 

[skytow]

Your post made me chuckle!

That's a tough one for sure... the spouse that is...

Dry wood makes a huge difference in performance. I have an Oslo as well and you can't believe the difference the type and dryness of the wood makes in terms of the fire and heat output. It takes energy (heat) to drive that moisture from your junk wood. You'll capture more heat in you house (not to mention keep you chimney cleaner) with the "good" wood.

Any chance you could purchase a cord or more of dry wood so you could slowly mix in the junk? It would go a long way to keeping you warm, safe (clean chimney) and maybe married!

JD in PA

 

['bert]

Get the stove nice and hot and "wear much less" because the room is so hot. If he is a smart man, he will see the benefit right away. You should have good wood from there on in. If that does not work, try and food and beer to get your point across. That cover the 3 major interests of the male of the species.

 

[SlyFerret]

Once you scrounge/buy enough wood to get a couple years ahead, you won't have to worry about it too much (as long as you stay ahead).

The first year with the stove is the hardest, partly because of learning the stove, and partly because of poorly seasoned wood.

The second year gets a little better.

The third year, you should be off and running pretty well (I hope... I'm only in my second full season)... once you've got the stove operation down, and are using wood that was processed a couple years prior.

-SF

 

[szmaine]

Your post made me chuckle!

That's a tough one for sure... the spouse that is...

Dry wood makes a huge difference in performance. I have an Oslo as well and you can't believe the difference the type and dryness of the wood makes in terms of the fire and heat output. It takes energy (heat) to drive that moisture from your junk wood. You'll capture more heat in you house (not to mention keep you chimney cleaner) with the "good" wood.

Any chance you could purchase a cord or more of dry wood so you could slowly mix in the junk? It would go a long way to keeping you warm, safe (clean chimney) and maybe married!

JD in PA

We have 3 cords now, and I think if we mixed it up we'd be fine. But it a matter of progressing through the stack since it is packed into an attached shed. The dryest stuff left over from last year, instead of moving to the front he simply left and loaded the shed up in front of it. So the most seasoned wood is the last we will reach.
The small rounds he called junk wood are the limbs of the (mostly cherry) so called good wood -naturally being smaller and having been cut to length at the time of felling they dried better than the trunk (left whole until late summer) that they came from. We don't have junk! We have dry and no so dry- and I want him to see the difference.

Normally we buy 8cds tree length every two years, some scrounging. He has the habit of processing only enough for the following year and leaving the rest for later - trying to tell me that it will be seasoned enough. But I know that's not so.

I buy the wood. I'm considering for this years load of getting half green, cut and split and half tree length so that he'll process his usual 4cd this year for two yrs hence. But this cost us more and he has the time to do 8cds, if only he will. Thats why I want him to see that it matters.

 

[szmaine]

Get the stove nice and hot and "wear much less" because the room is so hot. If he is a smart man, he will see the benefit right away. You should have good wood from there on in.

I don't know... he said we don't need all that heat.

If that does not work, try and food and beer to get your point across. That cover the 3 major interests of the male of the species.

Food and beer would work with me...
I suppose I could promise not to complain about his yard sale finds - all of which seem to be some unidentifiable, greasy, metal things weighing at least 50lbs.

 

[Dix]

One of the many reasons I am not married, me thinx

S - I've been trying to educate the SO on "dry" wood. . He's up to restarting the fire on Sunday mornings. Well, that is, he's putting some wood (2 splits) in the stove and opening the air. He can leave the door open if he let's me know it's open (he forgets).

Last Sunday I was putting more wood in the stove, racking coals, etc, and went to add the wood. I picked up 4 splits, and put one back. He asked me why I did this. So I explained. Gave him 2 pieces, one great, one so - so. He felt the difference. I was satisfied.

Take deep breathes, give it a shot, and have a glass of "whine" ;-)

 

[FWWARDEN]

He doesn't understand modern woodburning. Dump him.

 

[Nic36]

No offense SZ, but I thought the post was going to be from a man ranting about his wife.

Forgive me.

 

[begreen]

Ha, good rant. I remember your first days with the stove were an adjustment from the antique stove, especially for dear hubby. Why not invite him on here for a chat with us?

 

[Cire3]

No offense SZ, but I thought the post was going to be from a man ranting about his wife.

Forgive me.

Ummmmm, yea....



Trying to get the son to understand why I need MORE wood. I get free wood "sweet deal" but he doesn't understand getting it covered and a good amount in the garage to fully dry. Just a little snow on it melting is hell with this stove.

SO I try to do the full process myself. However he did spend 1 1/2 hours trying to get a fire going last week as I added "fun setting wet wood on fire huh ?" I hope he gets it now.

 

[szmaine]

No offense SZ, but I thought the post was going to be from a man ranting about his wife.

Forgive me.

Ummmmm, yea....

Trying to get the son to understand why I need MORE wood. I get free wood "sweet deal" but he doesn't understand getting it covered and a good amount in the garage to fully dry. Just a little snow on it melting is hell with this stove.

SO I try to do the full process myself. However he did spend 1 1/2 hours trying to get a fire going last week as I added "fun setting wet wood on fire huh ?" I hope he gets it now.

Non taken, Cire3 - the site does indeed seem to be mostly populated by men. And I suspect that for the majority of families wood burning/getting is also male dominated.

But whever two people are involved, as Nic36 illustrates, there are bound to be differnce of opinion.
Obviously, whoever posts here, man or woman, is interested in learning how to do this the best they can. For me with this post, it's about, yes, burning safe and clean but also not wasting money boiling water out of wood while we get less heat and struggle to get the stove to burn right. I was just agast that after I tried to explain things to him over time that he could stand there, see the stove buring hot and perfect and complain simultaneously about lousy wood and too much heat.

 

[Slow1]

...see the stove buring hot and perfect and complain simultaneously about lousy wood and too much heat.

I just can't read this and not laugh! "That darn wood is just horrible! It burns too hot and is too easy to light." Hmmm....

Do you have poor quality A/C that runs too cold too?

 

[Nic36]

I was just kidding earlier. It's just that this forum is male dominated and women here are in the minority-my attempt at being funny.

My dad is the same way on burning. He recently had several limbs removed from two oaks over his house. When I was visiting during Christmas, he was telling me how well the freshly cut oak burned compared to the older stuff. I attempted to tell him how seasoned wood is better, but eventually gave up because I know how he is.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I'm sorry for you- wet wood is a PITA. Guys don't want to be told anything because they "know better"- LOL

 

[Jags]

Bring him around - we'll whip him into shape for ya! ;-)

 

[Cire3]

Can you get my wife to help pleeeeeeease I'll help whip hubby in return

In fact I think the wife will listen to anyone but me......lol

Good luck with that, deep breaths !

 

[Backwoods Savage]

szmaine, I feel for you because, all joking aside, some folks are just so hard headed they refuse to look at things a different way from how they have always looked at them. It has nothing to do with age though as some seem to think because I run into young folks all the time who talk just like grand dad did and nothing seems to change their minds.

Doubling your task in re-learning is the fact that he does the cutting and if he refuses to cut and split ahead of time, you might be in for some long winters. Probably the best you can do is to keep trying but do so in as pleasant of a way as possible so he doesn't think something is being "thrown" at him.

You can teach old dogs new tricks for sure but it does take time with some. Just keep trying off and on but not a steady stream. If you can get him to look at hearth.com then many folks here will do their part in trying to help. We wish you good luck.

 

[daleeper]

I buy the wood. I'm considering for this years load of getting half green, cut and split and half tree length so that he'll process his usual 4cd this year for two yrs hence. But this cost us more and he has the time to do 8cds, if only he will. Thats why I want him to see that it matters.

I would be willing to bet that he will not process his usual 4cd this year, if there is cut and split stuff there. This is a tough problem to break.

He is not yet convinced that dry wood makes a difference. The only way he will be convinced is when he has trouble keeping the stove running properly. Make him run the stove, and let him run it the way he wants, when he gets to the dry stuff in the back, he will see the difference. When it is cold put more clothes on, feed him soup and cold shoulder every night that it is cold in that house. Hopefully he is the one cleaning the chimney and can see the difference when you sweep the chimney. If he is not, make sure he is there when it is cleaned, to see the creosote he is creating. Make sure the chimney is cleaned as often as needed. If he notices that it is being scheduled too often, maybe he will begin to see your point. If that doesn't work by the end of this burning season, then you are going to have a long road ahead of you.

Get an inexpensive moisture tester, and show him the difference in moisture in the different pieces of wood. Get him a new log splitter, that would at least help this year. Us guys like our toys.

I will have to admit, I know that dry seasoned wood burns better, but I can never get ahead on my firewood pile. I really envy those that can. I would really like a new wood stove, so my motivation is that I will not be purchasing that new stove until I have a full year's supply of wood on hand (and have the cash to buy that stove). Hopefully those two conditions will be met someday.

Good luck in your training sessions.

 

[synthnut]

There are a lot of people out of work ....Hire a local to come over and cut and split everything you have in the yard ....Take all the wood that is in the back and that is dry and have him bring it to the front and load the rest of the wood in the shed keeping the dryest wood in an area where you can get at it .... Once the fire is going pretty good , feed some not so dry wood in so your dry wood is not depleted so fast ... At least while you are doing this , you will be warm , and the wood that is all cut and split will be drying out for future use .... To argue with someone who does not realize the benefit of dry wood is senseless , and he will continue to leave the uncut logs laying there year after year until the last minute .....You will be cold and still arguing needlessly .. If you STILL end up arguing about it , at least you will be warm while you are arguing .... Good Luck !!...Jim

Men are from Venus and Women are from Mars !!.....

BTW ...My wife knows that I am not always right......but I am NEVER wrong ....

 

[DBoon]

I agree with a previous poster that he is unlikely to "get ahead" on wood if he is convinced that it won't make a difference in the stove, OR if he is convinced that he needs wet wood to slow the burn down during the coldest times of the year.

He's probably not telling you the real reason he wants to do what he does. If he did tell you, it would be a lot easier to understand his thinking, of course. Maybe some of the real reasons are legitimate, and he just can't find a way to share them with you.

If he is unwilling to learn, you will just have to find some other ways to get what you need out of this stove - you'll have to work around his trying to work around your trying to tell him what to do. I do this wth my father-in-law - I'm not going to change his mind, I've learned, but I can play a few "tricks" to get what I need done to get his wood dry.

Maybe build a bigger rack to store wood inside the house, maybe a week's worth, so it can dry a little more inside. Maybe make sure that the log load is dumped in his favorite work area in early spring so that he has to clear it all out of the way to get his "normal" stuff done. Maybe his chain saw and splitter is an old piece of junk and he needs better tools to make everything work right. Maybe he needs some help from a neighborhood kid to get it stacked in piles since they may be too much work for him.

Worst case - he could just be lazy and unmotivated and unwilling to learn. In which case, there is not much that we can do to help you.

 

[sandie]

YOUR husband is a bonehead Dry wood is the best wood and wet wood causes creosote although I do not understand how water in wood causes that gunk but.....

 

[Cire3]

LOL, not sure starting with the bonehead line will work well. Save that for last resort ?