Work Done In 2020

[thewoodlands]

I get plenty of breaks between cuts from adjusting the log beds or whatever. I wasn't worrying about speed today and could have turned the saw off while making adjustments and stuff. The reason for having one end higher than the other is because you get a lot of waste otherwise, at least that's what I discovered. They really weren't that sharp to start with, so anything is an improvement. I wish I had known a 25" bar would fit the bar nose steering a little better, I wouldn't have gotten the 24" if I had known better. I do have a 28" bar and cross cutting chain, but I might get a few extra 28" loops to convert to ripping chains for 24" diameter logs (mfg listed max log size).

I have a Alaskan Chainsaw Mill (36 inch) with the auxiliary oiler that runs down near the end of the bar, I use veggie oil for that.

This isn't my setup but the auxiliary oiler is the same.

 

[SpaceBus]

Several of the posts I have read about milling say they are just using standard chain to mill with. Those using it say the surface texture is just as good as milling chain, some of them change the top plate to 25* instead of 30* some don’t.

My milling chains are set at 10° on the X and Y axis for the cutters. I think a cross cut chain would be worse.

 

[Country Living in VA]

Ok folks, gotta start somewhere. I'm a newbie and have been enjoying reading your posts. I don't do to many forums, but it is very interesting to me to read posts about people who are like me in that I need to cut and collect firewood year round for use in my outdoor furnace. I am very envious of some of your extremely organized and perfectly cut and stacked wood. I can't say I have gotten to the point of even getting very well organized with my wood cutting to this point.

My story is that I moved way out in the country last August and inherited an outdoor wood furnace. I really didn't know much about them, but definitely liked the concept and truly needed to use this thing since the house is a remodeled 1890's farm house with only a heat pump as alternative heat. Electricity prices are steep in my area and really couldn't afford a $300-$400 a month electricity bill. Even though the house has been remodeled somewhat, it never was insulated worth a darn and there are many drafts that come through.

I didn't have a truck to haul wood with when we moved in, so I purchased numerous loads of wood from local sources and got a few loads from family for Christmas. That darn outdoor furnace really eats some wood. I was able to get a truck in November and have been trying to find places to cut. Even though I have five acres of land, very little of it is wooded. There is National Forest land several miles up the road and I got a permit and was able to find some downed trees, but all of it was green. Most of the easy to get to wood had already been gotten as many of the farms/houses in my area have outdoor stoves for heat.

I made it through my first winter with some wood left over some how, but I am planning on trying to average cutting a pickup load every 10 days and hopefully have enough wood to get me through next winter.

 

[thewoodlands]

Ok folks, gotta start somewhere. I'm a newbie and have been enjoying reading your posts. I don't do to many forums, but it is very interesting to me to read posts about people who are like me in that I need to cut and collect firewood year round for use in my outdoor furnace. I am very envious of some of your extremely organized and perfectly cut and stacked wood. I can't say I have gotten to the point of even getting very well organized with my wood cutting to this point.

My story is that I moved way out in the country last August and inherited an outdoor wood furnace. I really didn't know much about them, but definitely liked the concept and truly needed to use this thing since the house is a remodeled 1890's farm house with only a heat pump as alternative heat. Electricity prices are steep in my area and really couldn't afford a $300-$400 a month electricity bill. Even though the house has been remodeled somewhat, it never was insulated worth a darn and there are many drafts that come through.

I didn't have a truck to haul wood with when we moved in, so I purchased numerous loads of wood from local sources and got a few loads from family for Christmas. That darn outdoor furnace really eats some wood. I was able to get a truck in November and have been trying to find places to cut. Even though I have five acres of land, very little of it is wooded. There is National Forest land several miles up the road and I got a permit and was able to find some downed trees, but all of it was green. Most of the easy to get to wood had already been gotten as many of the farms/houses in my area have outdoor stoves for heat.

I made it through my first winter with some wood left over some how, but I am planning on trying to average cutting a pickup load every 10 days and hopefully have enough wood to get me through next winter.

Welcome, I'm not sure if they have a scrounging thread going but if they do, you could get some nice tips from them. I'm always amazed on how much wood they get without having a place to cut on.

 

[Country Living in VA]

Welcome, I'm not sure if they have a scrounging thread going but if they do, you could get some nice tips from them. I'm always amazed on how much wood they get without having a place to cut on.

Thanks! I have noticed a new scrounging thread and I have been doing some scrounging this spring. I just got an text from a Craiglist free wood listing that I am going to pick up this evening. Already blocked up, just load and go oak-needs splitting though.

 

[heavy hammer]

Once you get the word out that you are looking for wood you will be amazed how often you get a hold of it. Some times it is bug stuff or just a couple branches here or there but you will get a good amount if you keep at it. Most here started with very little and the ones with the impressive setups and areas put in the time and work. It doesn't happen overnight nut you will be amazed in a few years how much you have. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Riff]

Ok folks, gotta start somewhere. I'm a newbie and have been enjoying reading your posts. I don't do to many forums, but it is very interesting to me to read posts about people who are like me in that I need to cut and collect firewood year round for use in my outdoor furnace. I am very envious of some of your extremely organized and perfectly cut and stacked wood. I can't say I have gotten to the point of even getting very well organized with my wood cutting to this point.

My story is that I moved way out in the country last August and inherited an outdoor wood furnace. I really didn't know much about them, but definitely liked the concept and truly needed to use this thing since the house is a remodeled 1890's farm house with only a heat pump as alternative heat. Electricity prices are steep in my area and really couldn't afford a $300-$400 a month electricity bill. Even though the house has been remodeled somewhat, it never was insulated worth a darn and there are many drafts that come through.

I didn't have a truck to haul wood with when we moved in, so I purchased numerous loads of wood from local sources and got a few loads from family for Christmas. That darn outdoor furnace really eats some wood. I was able to get a truck in November and have been trying to find places to cut. Even though I have five acres of land, very little of it is wooded. There is National Forest land several miles up the road and I got a permit and was able to find some downed trees, but all of it was green. Most of the easy to get to wood had already been gotten as many of the farms/houses in my area have outdoor stoves for heat.

I made it through my first winter with some wood left over some how, but I am planning on trying to average cutting a pickup load every 10 days and hopefully have enough wood to get me through next winter.

We used to live a little south of that way. After big storms we generally found some luck scrounging around Roanoke city as people were more than happy just to be rid of it. Sometimes they would even post trees that the city had cut down.

 

[Medic21]

A little change up from the firewood. Pouring New front porch steps Friday morning. Never done steps before.

 

[Country Living in VA]

We used to live a little south of that way. After big storms we generally found some luck scrounging around Roanoke city as people were more than happy just to be rid of it. Sometimes they would even post trees that the city had cut down.

I have had some luck in Salem, Christiansburg & Blacksburg. There is some wood offered in Roanoke, but it is out of the way and one of the reasons for moving to the country was to avoid all the traffic. I actually work in Salem and pass through Christiansburg & Blacksburg on my way home.

 

[Gearhead660]

A little change up from the firewood. Pouring New front porch steps Friday morning. Never done steps before.
View attachment 260860
View attachment 260861View attachment 260862View attachment 260863

I like to do some concrete work every now and then to remind me why I don't do it more often...
Looks like the steps will turn out nice. Adequate bracing is essential. Amazing how much force crete has. Looks like you got it covered.
I too am venturing from firewood for a bit. Replacing the roof on my garage/shop. 3 layers of crumbly shingles, no fun.

 

[Medic21]

I like to do some concrete work every now and then to remind me why I don't do it more often...
Looks like the steps will turn out nice. Adequate bracing is essential. Amazing how much force crete has. Looks like you got it covered.
I too am venturing from firewood for a bit. Replacing the roof on my garage/shop. 3 layers of crumbly shingles, no fun.

That’s my fear lol.

 

[thewoodlands]

The muggy weather has moved in with possible damaging winds coming in later on. When I called my neighbor the other day who has a small fireplace outside, I ask her if she needed any Pine for it and she said yes so today I brought down two loads with the tractor.

She has helped out a bunch of neighbor's throughout the years including us so I'm hoping they can enjoy it. The first three pictures are the two loads and what I started with and the last is what I'll be stacking for shoulder season wood for the years 2021 & 2022. This years has been stacked for over a year.

 

[Country Living in VA]

The muggy weather has moved in with possible damaging winds coming in later on. When I called my neighbor the other day who has a small fireplace outside, I ask her if she needed any Pine for it and she said yes so today I brought down two loads with the tractor.

She has helped out a bunch of neighbor's throughout the years including us so I'm hoping they can enjoy it. The first three pictures are the two loads and what I started with and the last is what I'll be stacking for shoulder season wood for the years 2021 & 2022. This years has been stacked for over a year.

Good for you thinking about your neighbor like that. The world needs more people like you and your neighbor who think about looking after each other. Now that I live in a very rural area, I really see this mentality more among people who live out.

 

[thewoodlands]

Good for you thinking about your neighbor like that. The world needs more people like you and your neighbor who think about looking after each other. Now that I live in a very rural area, I really see this mentality more among people who live out.

She has alot on her plate (won't go into it) so I've been helping out in the winter plowing her driveway along with another guy. She always liked the outside work with a chainsaw and splitting.

I did see she just got her firewood for this year so I'll ask if she would let me help stack it.

 

[enduring]

Here is my little pile that DH and I started with our own cut wood, for the future, see the last picture. I used the 2x4 and concrete block stacking technique. Its about 3' high. I'm glad I had the 8' lengths of 2x4 cut in half, so the stack was shorter, for stability. It is filled with a small tree that DH took out of a new fence line on our farm. It was early spring when he took it down, so we couldn't tell what it was. It had alternating buds, so knew it wasn't maple. The bark wasn't quite shaggy enough for Hickory. We live in Central Iowa and there are plenty of Honey Locust. I think that is what this was, but without thorns. When we were splitting it, we would find very small thorns deep inside, as if when young, there were thorns that got surrounded by new growth over time. Weird. The bark is just like Locust, kind of a gray, and slightly shaggy plates. In this area there are plenty of thorned locusts as seen by the pods on the ground in the first picture.

Any comments on this wood?

 

[Gearhead660]

Looks like Locust to me.

 

[JimBear]

Definitely looks like Honey Locust to me, mine seems to take 2 years to get down around 20% moisture. Yes there are plenty of them around, them & Mulberry are a dime a dozen around here.

 

[thewoodlands]

After we had some pretty good winds yesterday, I checked the trails for anything down. I didn't have any across the trails I checked but some tops the wind took out of a Birch and White Ash.

I also split some kindling that had been bucked up for two years (3 loads) so it should be ready for this fall.

 

[Medic21]

I have steps.

 

[JimBear]

I have steps.
View attachment 260965View attachment 260966

Those steps look incomplete, I don’t see any initials, date or hand prints....

 

[Medic21]

Those steps look incomplete, I don’t see any initials, date or hand prints....

Lol, it was hard enough to keep up with them once they I was able to pull the forms. I poured it at a 2” slump, probably should have used a 3-4. 2 hours start to finish.

 

[thewoodlands]

Tomorrow one of my jobs will be splitting this pine I had bucked up after mother nature put it on the ground late October or early November of last year.

After the pine is gone the Birch in the picture will come down, I think three of the four are damaged plus it will open up that area which will make plowing easier in the winter.

 

[thewoodlands]

There is still some cleanup that needs to be done but I did get more loads of Pine over to the fireplace. It looks like we'll continue our dry spell for the next week if the forecast holds so I won't be burning.

 

[SpaceBus]

Here's the current setup for the mill. Still waiting on a few more parts to make it six meters long. The stuff on top of the tarp is what I've milled, stuff under is shingles for the house. I think I've milled five logs, all about 8 -10" DBH, and the rest of the stack has a few of that size and a few larger ones. I think we will begin felling trees again here soon.

 

[Medic21]

Tried planting some trees. How long to maturity for this species?