Santa Came Early!
- Thread starter Caw
- Start date
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I did say I was messing around and joking. I was clearly participating in it....🧐Not to be pedantic or anything (much), but @Caw started the thread hijack. See post #37.
Mine are only 8 and 6 there's no hope!
My son was out splitting wood today while I was at work with his grandmother. Nice of him to help out and he made some nice splits. Problem is he left them on the driveway and it's pouring rain. I appreciated the effort and we used it as a learning opportunity....after I lost my mind because I thought it was the good 3 year old stuff from the shed he left out while making kindling lol. 😉
Kids are great, teenagers not so much. I remember those years.
I was chasing skirt back in the 70s. I don't know what they do now for a hobby.
I was chasing skirt back in the 70s. I don't know what they do now for a hobby.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Gotta be careful these days...just because they're wearing a skirt doesn't mean...well, you know...
Chase places were anyone still wears skirts? That isn't Scotland or the set for a Henry James movie??
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I just spent 20 minutes outside in the monsoon fixing my top covering on 2 stacks that blew off. Totally soaked and have to get to work! I didn't realize it was going to be THIS windy or Id have prepared better. That wood hasn't seen water in 2 years and just got rained on all night 😡. It's going to be sunny for the next 6 days so I plan to remove the cover and give it a few days to dry off then recover for the winter.
Once I get my stove fixed, I know what I'll be doing for a while. Santa came every day last week. Or at least a tree service did, no doubt prompted by Santa. Lost track of the number of deliveries. 10? 15? Each delivery was a 128 cu ft truck of rounds. No coal (but a lot of pine).
Hoping that Santa doesn't forget to deliver the woodsheds, too...
I'm not practiced yet at relating cords of rounds to cords of splits, but I've only got room at the moment for two more cords of splits. Not that I'm complaining.
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/320/320991-a96f97e49f330c856b9849c631e08a69.jpg?hash=-zcbvVNLcR "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/320/320992-78d2d8923295719efeeb0a1988d6eb60.jpg?hash=IA0Hoe2CWx "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/320/320993-f4716bb28b56ddb7851a18aeb9e541e6.jpg?hash=pwUOftmQoh "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/320/320994-26000734020f88c105d48a3a8854ed0e.jpg?hash=lMiW0gvntE "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/320/320995-ee1f7db7b1549ddde1f67ea3ec06cbfb.jpg?hash=VJn77bwLDS "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
Hoping that Santa doesn't forget to deliver the woodsheds, too...
I'm not practiced yet at relating cords of rounds to cords of splits, but I've only got room at the moment for two more cords of splits. Not that I'm complaining.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
A cord usually averages around 85 cubic feet of solid wood, or at least that's the number the gub'ment uses in their cord density calculations. So, if you know the length to which you're bucking, it's a simple matter of counting the rounds, measuring average diameter, and then a little 7th grade math to calculate total volume in cubic feet. Divide that total by 85 ft3/cord to get rough cordage.
This is how I track my cordage in logs, when you see me posting that I have 20 or 30 cords (varies by date) of logs stacked ready for processing.
Works out to around 6 to 7 cords. Mostly pine, with a bit of hemlock. Maybe a cord-and-a-half of BTUs by East Coast standards, assuming that pine is actually burnable.
I can do the math; I was just too lazy. I figure I'll get better over time at rough estimating from the area covered by the pile.
It's going to take a while to split, and I need to set up more stacking/drying space. I've got a load of around 20 to 25 pallets arriving tomorrow, and another load next month.
Plus another 1/4 to 1/3 of the pile that I was already working on yet to go (below), and some trees that came down in the recent storms. And several cords of reasonably clean, dry slab wood that a nearby mill is encouraging me to come collect. These kinds of problems I don't mind so much.
So far, wood has been easy to find (knock on...er...). I was concerned about that. I don't yet have everything set up to be as efficient as I'd like. Maybe by the summer I'll have time to improve the processing flow.
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/320/320996-a28e619a5b01f240ef81841e48096acf.jpg?hash=XEeSz5m-Gd "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
I can do the math; I was just too lazy. I figure I'll get better over time at rough estimating from the area covered by the pile.
It's going to take a while to split, and I need to set up more stacking/drying space. I've got a load of around 20 to 25 pallets arriving tomorrow, and another load next month.
Plus another 1/4 to 1/3 of the pile that I was already working on yet to go (below), and some trees that came down in the recent storms. And several cords of reasonably clean, dry slab wood that a nearby mill is encouraging me to come collect. These kinds of problems I don't mind so much.
So far, wood has been easy to find (knock on...er...). I was concerned about that. I don't yet have everything set up to be as efficient as I'd like. Maybe by the summer I'll have time to improve the processing flow.
That's a very interesting delivery(s). Lots of odds and ends, various sizes and length rounds, branches, but also some regular looking logs. That is certainly going to interesting to process but the price is right!
My one recommendation would be to get the rounds that live on the ground bark side down. The bark is a natural barrier and it will keep the wood more protected.
Where do you get your pallets? I scrounge mine for free from local hardware stores and a lumber yard. They have piles of them and happy to give them away. I just sort through for the best ones and check back in a week or two if I need more. Lots of turnover.
My one recommendation would be to get the rounds that live on the ground bark side down. The bark is a natural barrier and it will keep the wood more protected.
Where do you get your pallets? I scrounge mine for free from local hardware stores and a lumber yard. They have piles of them and happy to give them away. I just sort through for the best ones and check back in a week or two if I need more. Lots of turnover.
Good suggestion. I had also been intending to get the rounds bark-side-down to create pseudo-logs out of them to reduce the space they are taking up.
The pallets come from a flooring dealer/installer that a relative works for. Even better, they will deliver them free as long as I'm not fussy about exactly when. Their truck holds a lot more than my trailer.
The wood pile in post #115 is at the home of a neighbor of mine who had 20 or 30 big hemlocks taken down, mostly for safety reasons. I'm splitting it for them; some of it I keep, some they keep, and some I've giving to other people who need it. I've collected around 3 cords of it for myself so far.
The wood in post #113 came from following up on a Craigslist ad. I picked up a trailer full at a construction site. Turned out the crew clearing the site was having trouble getting rid of it fast enough. I offered to pay them a small amount for each load delivered. They brought a couple of loads a day for six days, and they are likely to bring more in the future from other jobs.
The mill with the slab wood is an unmarked family business that I had passed by a few times. The current 3rd generation owner is looking to retire sometime in the next few years. Interesting talking with him about the history of this area - he's got a number of local stories. They've apparently been supplying free slab wood to people in the area for use as fencing and firewood for something like 80 years.
Another Craigslist ad didn't lead to any wood, but I made a contact with a the owner of a small mill on the same street. He offered to cut up his freshly cut, already debarked, green slab wood into 16" lengths and occasionally deliver it to me for the cost of fuel for his truck.
Not only have I collected a lot of wood, I've got some new friendly acquaintances. There have been more benefits to a wood stove than just heat.
The pallets come from a flooring dealer/installer that a relative works for. Even better, they will deliver them free as long as I'm not fussy about exactly when. Their truck holds a lot more than my trailer.
The wood pile in post #115 is at the home of a neighbor of mine who had 20 or 30 big hemlocks taken down, mostly for safety reasons. I'm splitting it for them; some of it I keep, some they keep, and some I've giving to other people who need it. I've collected around 3 cords of it for myself so far.
The wood in post #113 came from following up on a Craigslist ad. I picked up a trailer full at a construction site. Turned out the crew clearing the site was having trouble getting rid of it fast enough. I offered to pay them a small amount for each load delivered. They brought a couple of loads a day for six days, and they are likely to bring more in the future from other jobs.
The mill with the slab wood is an unmarked family business that I had passed by a few times. The current 3rd generation owner is looking to retire sometime in the next few years. Interesting talking with him about the history of this area - he's got a number of local stories. They've apparently been supplying free slab wood to people in the area for use as fencing and firewood for something like 80 years.
Another Craigslist ad didn't lead to any wood, but I made a contact with a the owner of a small mill on the same street. He offered to cut up his freshly cut, already debarked, green slab wood into 16" lengths and occasionally deliver it to me for the cost of fuel for his truck.
Not only have I collected a lot of wood, I've got some new friendly acquaintances. There have been more benefits to a wood stove than just heat.
I'm basically a wood heat missionary. I will talk wood with anyone who wants to listen. I've converted a few friends and even a customer at my store! Good times.
Power just came back on after I posted. UPS did it's job so I didn't even need the generator. My back is thankful. Love it.
Coffee break. Progress today using my dad's MS 250c while my saw waits for a part:
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1000000818-webp.321152/ "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
This is why I've been out here all day finishing bucking. She wants it back for Xmas. She doesn't mind the rounds on the edge just the mess in the middle. My driveway is also 110' long so we have plenty of room to park.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Got all the bucking done and cleaned up. I'll load up the truck tomorrow and take the sawdust to the dump. No need to push the back any further today and the sun is going down. This load ended up being about 85% red oak, 10% ash, and 5% red maple which is great since I'm 3 years ahead. The oak will get plenty of time to season.
Now it's time to shift the focus to splitting!
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1000000821-webp.321157/ "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1000000822-webp.321158/ "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1000000823-webp.321159/ "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1000000825-webp.321160/ "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
Now it's time to shift the focus to splitting!
And so it begins. Beautiful day out, just me and the money maker!
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1000000831-webp.321212/ "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/1000000832-webp.321214/ "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
![[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/321/321240-db76cd5edbaa3c06706ab5ddabcaa5e7.jpg?hash=bHanmFb5g2 "[Hearth.com] Santa Came Early!")
