Work Done In 2020

[Nate R]

Wood stove will get installed in my cabin next year, been trying to get more wood CSS for the future.

Dropped a red oak yesterday that was snapped in a 2019 windstorm. Left some rounds in the woods (off the ground) to retrieve later, took a carload back to my cabin and split them. Even though this was dead for 17 months, 47-48% moisture in the trunk. Bark was falling off rounds, and they split VERY easily with my Fiskars. MUCH easier than dead, drier oak that I've salvaged before that seems to harden.

Brought some of those splits home to try an experiment over the next year. My home's walk up attic stays VERY warm and dry in the summer, so want to see if putting it up there for a year will act like a bit of a kiln. If it doesn't work to speed it up, oh well, wood for 2022. Weighed 4 splits, and I'll track the weights over time as they dry in the attic.

 

[kennyp2339]

@Nate R - seasoning wood in the attic, that a first time hear for me lol, I get what your doing though, good idea for that test

 

[Nate R]

@kennyp2339 , Yeah, the attic is regularly in the 90s or low 100s on hot sunny days, holds that heat into the evening, and has a fair amount of ventilation. Doing some extra work carting wood home and back to the cabin later, but if it allows me to "cheat" the first year it'll be worth it!
We'll see, I'll report back either way.

 

[thewoodlands]

I did some splitting on 12/11 and brought that over to the outside fireplace, it was all White Pine. Today I removed two smaller White Pine (one pictured) by removing the first made the trail wider which will make it easier when plowing in the winter, the second Pine I removed will allow me to work in that area with the tractor so I can get at both piles of pine.

The first two pictures are from yesterday and the last three are from today.

 

[stoveliker]

So, drove past a big trunk of a red oak many times since that tropical storm we had this summer. Thought the folks were trying to sell it to a lumber company. Been eyeing it for months...

But today a tree company was cutting it up. Had gone down by pulling the roots out of the lawn; the trunk was in perfect condition. No bugs.

And look what they brought me. Unfortunately the rounds are too short (maybe I can put in two splits behind each other), but it's good quality. And free. And easy to split (by hand).

Asked me when I wanted my next load. Seems no more scrounging for me, just a call and I am good to go . They were very eager to bring more.

 

[stoveliker]

So, drove past a big trunk of a red oak many times since that tropical storm we had this summer. Thought the folks were trying to sell it to a lumber company. Been eyeing it for months...

But today a tree company was cutting it up. Had gone down by pulling the roots out of the lawn; the trunk was in perfect condition. No bugs.

And look what they brought me. Unfortunately the rounds are too short (maybe I can put in two splits behind each other), but it's good quality. And free. And easy to split (by hand).

Asked me when I wanted my next load. Seems no more scrounging for me, just a call and I am good to go . They were very eager to bring more.

So during an unseasonbly warm Sunday, I made good (manual) work of that load. No gym membership for me.
(The white oak in the back is from a previous scrounge.)

Later I'll post some pics of all that I have now - some maple left that's 3 yrs old (half a face cord), half a face cord of sassafras, and the rest red oak. 1.5 cord that was standing dead. Rest fresh. (and a bit of cedar, dogwood, etc).

Starting with that half face cord of maple, I got myself about 4 cords this year. Estimating I will burn about 1-1.5 per year, I got ahead 3 years in 2020

Oh, and I brought three wheelbarrows of small splits of the thinnest rounds to the elderly neighbors - telling them to season it for at least two years. Little pieces of 3"x5" or so for their little stove.

Too small to stack with the rest, and someone happy. Good day overall.

 

[thewoodlands]

The day started out bringing the boss into town so she could ship out a package at the UPS store, since we were in town, I filled up a five gallon diesel can.

Once we came home, I decided that the chimney pipe would get cleaned before our first cold snap, that new brush pushed real hard or I'm just getting old. I already posted this but the oil was changed in the new Honda motor on the 20 ton splitter after the cleaning of the chimney and a sandwich.

The last thing I did was buck up some downed pine logs with the 390, I'm going to drop the rakers more. I also bought a rubber mat for the back of the RTV so the saws and stuff won't slide around.

Pictures 1305 & 1306 is a meal the wife cooked the other day, 1306 thru 1309 are the first log I bucked up, 1310 is the mat and the last two pictures are the last pine I bucked up. The area in the last two pictures will need to be cleaned up real good before the first big snowstorm.

 

[MoDoug]

I have been fortunate to be able to help clear trees from a federal campground they're getting ready to run water lines through. I've managed to score a lot of hickory and oak, mostly white oak, some red and post oak as well. I've gotten about 5 cords so far and counting. I won't be able to touch it for a couple/few years, but thats ok. I also got to finally cut down a double red oak from the back yard that's been dead for about 7 years. I had to expand my wood racks to keep the wood in. I still need to go back and gather dead wood for next season. Pictures are from the campground, the wood stored in the metal carport, and the newly expanded wood racks. This means very little scrounging will be needed. This is a windfall of wood for me, and I am counting my blessings!

Edited to say, I started on a 2 year plan, I find myself now passing a 4 year plan and heading for a 5 year. My wife keeps looking outside and saying that's a lot of wood. LOL

 

[Gearhead660]

My wife keeps looking outside and saying that's a lot of wood. LOL

View attachment 269359 View attachment 269360 View attachment 269361 View attachment 269362 View attachment 269363 View attachment 269364

Tell her, that's not wood, its heat!

 

[stoveliker]

...wife keeps looking outside and saying that's a lot of wood. LOL

Lol, I hear the same, often... I respond by me saying it's not wood but me taking care of her and the kids (by providing heat and being out of the house ).

 

[MoDoug]

Tell her, that's not wood, its heat!

Lol, I hear the same, often... I respond by me saying it's not wood but me taking care of her and the kids (by providing heat and being out of the house ).

There's truth in those comments! I also tell her we need to get it while we can, it won't be this available next year. I also need to justify the multiple 42 mile round trips.

stoveliker, "being out of the house", I told my wife she's become a firewood widow lately. LOL

 

[thewoodlands]

Today I split four loads of pine and then brought it over to the outside fireplace. After I started the fire, I ran around the trails picking up another five loads of dead pine branches that were reduced to ashes.

 

[stoveliker]

Today I split four loads of pine and then brought it over to the outside fireplace. After I started the fire, I ran around the trails picking up another five loads of dead pine branches that were reduced to ashes.

I'm jealous... Every day out there in the woods. How many acres do you have?

 

[thewoodlands]

I'm jealous... Every day out there in the woods. How many acres do you have?

142 acres , the house is on 5.5 and the rest is our wooded lot the brook runs through. The pictures I posted today are from the house lot.

How much snow are they calling for in your area from this storm rolling in.

 

[stoveliker]

142 acres , the house is on 5.5 and the rest is our wooded lot the brook runs through. The pictures I posted today are from the house lot.

How much snow are they calling for in your area from this storm rolling in.

Wow. How good to be able to live like that.
Here the forecast is always finicky, but 6+" is what I expect. Could be wildy off though, in either direction. The high temps (34 or so) and the high wind is a bit of concern though; heavy snow and wind = power outage. And my flue has not yet been lifted so I can't burn... Hopefully Friday...

 

[thewoodlands]

Wow. How good to be able to live like that.
Here the forecast is always finicky, but 6+" is what I expect. Could be wildy off though, in either direction. The high temps (34 or so) and the high wind is a bit of concern though; heavy snow and wind = power outage. And my flue has not yet been lifted so I can't burn... Hopefully Friday...

Just a matter of five miles can mean a big difference on how much snow we receive, one storm we received about five inches and five miles south of us received over two feet. That was a lake effect band off Lake Ontario that shifted north.

 

[heavy hammer]

Our first snow of the year was just like the storm you guys are supposed to get about a foot of heavy snow with some wind. Hope there is little damage and everything and everyone is alright for Christmas.

 

[thewoodlands]

Our first snow of the year was just like the storm you guys are supposed to get about a foot of heavy snow with some wind. Hope there is little damage and everything and everyone is alright for Christmas.

That heavy wet snow always leaves me with tree work but unless this shifts north, any big snow will miss us.

I haven't checked the bigger lot since the last high winds we received so I'll be doing that this week.

 

[thewoodlands]

We had 1.9 this morning so I changed my plans from getting some Yellow Birch to cleaning up the edge of a bunch of trails around the house, I got rid of 8 or 9 loads of dead pine branches and some maple.

 

[thewoodlands]

I limbed up some Pine off a newer trail I made earlier this year and brought over another seven loads to the outside fireplace. All the limbs and a bunch of Pine splits made for a nice fire. I still have some work left on this trail but after the work done today, it's ready for the tractor with the plow.

 

[NickW]

Been helping my brother take down oaks in NE WI the last few days, two days to go. More oak & some pine yet. I'll try to remember to take some pics before we leave Sunday.

 

[thewoodlands]

I pretty much finished cleaning up a new trail I started earlier this year, another five or six loads went over to the fireplace. I also was able to burn a bunch of pine splits.

The other area I worked (not pictured) was limbing up some dead branches off some pine trees, I'll use this area to push snow into from our driveway.

 

[thewoodlands]

Since I've been clearing trails around the house, I thought tomorrow the Rhino would get some work running one of the highest trails we have so I can clear any downed wood across the trails that are on the biggest part of the property.

I haven't been back there since the last windstorm and with a possible storm coming in around Christmas, I want them cleared before any big storm hits.

The two pictures are from my last run back in on that high ridge, hopefully by next spring, the trail on the ridge will be ready for the RTV.

 

[thewoodlands]

I hadn't been back in on our other lot since the last high winds we had so I went to check on the trails, not much was down just a few branches in different areas.

The first four pictures are of some trails, pics 1332,33,39 & 40 are the Brook freezing up early due to our colder weather we've been having, 1336 is an old rotten tree I've been driving around on a turn so I finally took it down, 1337 was a stump I had been driving around just above 1336 which I zipped off and 1338 is in an area we call Hemlock Haven which needs a good two months of trail clearing that's not in the picture.

Since I hadn't used or started the Rhino for what seems like a good week, I ran the hills with it. The battery was fine but it took its time getting to run like it usually does. After letting it warm up, I did around three laps on the house trails before I geared up the back of the Rhino.

 

[NickW]

Didn't get it all done, but here's where we're at on my brothers property. Man am I SORE

Pic 1 are logs for milling - red oak, red pine, white pine & jack pine; pic 2 is firewood - same as above plus Aspen, maple & cherry; pic 3 is my brothers building site...