Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Deleted member 150358]

Last shot at a nice day here. So I cut up that wicked crotch I dragged out. So many different directions of grain it felt like milling the cuts were so tough. Now I get to go back and wrestle with them on the splitter. Feel free to drop by with the fiskars demo.

 

[Bobby Kirbos]

Last shot at a nice day here. So I cut up that wicked crotch I dragged out. So many different directions of grain it felt like milling the cuts were so tough. Now I get to go back and wrestle with them on the splitter. Feel free to drop by with the fiskars demo.

Been there, done that on the silver maple last spring. I don't think there was even a grain to the crotch area. It was just a mass of wood fibers. It burns nicely though.

 

[bigfellascott]

My opinion is I'm not going to use any fans. My electric bills are $22/mo for the house and $30/mo just for the block heater on my truck.

I wish mine was that low it costs me around $7 a day here in Aus and that's keeping power use very very low!


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[Deleted member 150358]

We are in a co-op here. Have rolled over 3 generations of stock and a couple former businesses. So we get about 5-6 months paid from that every January it rolls out. Sad thing is you can't vote or sell your stock. Can only be cashed out when you die.

Sounds good but our bill is generally under $80.

 

[Deleted member 150358]

Its firewood now!

 

[hamish]

My opinion is I'm not going to use any fans. My electric bills are $22/mo for the house and $30/mo just for the block heater on my truck.

$30 a month on your block heater......geesh you leave it plugged in all month 24/7?

 

[KiwiBro]

Today's hail Mary. Will it be worth the cutting around all the cracks or be filed in the memory banks under 'never do that again'?

 

[Deleted member 150358]

Today's hail Mary. Will it be worth the cutting around all the cracks or be filed in the memory banks under 'never do that again'?View attachment 698835

Looks tricky without a bandsaw.

 

[Cowboy254]

I wish mine was that low

I'm with you there. We burnt $99 worth of power last week at home with the aircon going flat knacker. 45°C tomorrow as well. Blerk.

 

[KiwiBro]

Looks tricky without a bandsaw.

Bandsaw Vs swingblade is a whole new can o' worms. How much $ is a bandsaw that can handle logs so big or heavy I have to cut shorter just to lift with the tractor?

Today's lessons included always re-skim if you adjust the log mid-milling. I just nudged it over about 2” to better align the grain and thought it wouldn't have moved much vertically. Very bad call. A dozen or so boards later I snapped out of autopilot to realise I was cutting boards that tapered an inch. Square edged firewood now.

Another lesson is keep the cracks as vertical or horizontal as you can and it's easier to work around them.if there are more or they are not 90 degrees to each other, I'd have to remember to never mill ''em.

Anyhoo, was pleasantly surprised when I opened up hail Mary


Apart from the screw ups and wasted boards, it was worth the gamble. Boards on left were from an earlier log. Middle and right were from hail Mary.

 

[KiwiBro]

I'm with you there. We burnt $99 worth of power last week at home with the aircon going flat knacker. 45°C tomorrow as well. Blerk.

I don't know how you guys cope. I'd be a brain fried unproductive walking panting accident waiting to happen. I took 2 hrs off during the heat of the day yesterday to stay safe but after a week of working in the sun here my body and mind are cooked. Yes I'm out of shape but still. I'd be a wreck over there even if fit.

 

[woodchip rookie]

$30 a month on your block heater......geesh you leave it plugged in all month 24/7?

Nope. Only on nights that are below 30F and between 8ish PM and 5AM. Its 900W.

 

[woodchip rookie]

I don't know how you guys cope. I'd be a brain fried unproductive walking panting accident waiting to happen. I took 2 hrs off during the heat of the day yesterday to stay safe but after a week of working in the sun here my body and mind are cooked. Yes I'm out of shape but still. I'd be a wreck over there even if fit.

Jeebus. 113F!!?? I have never been in temps like that. Just over 100F is the hottest I have seen in Ohio and I was in Hooker, OK one time and it was 108F in the shade.

 

[woodchip rookie]

If you are contemplating buying a newish ford super duty especially with the 6.7L Powerstroke.

DON'T. DO IT.

Complete. GARBAGE.

Long story but I have had more issues with this truck than any vehicle I have ever owned and I bought my first vehicle when I was 17 and I'm 39. Got home tonight and smelled raw fuel. Went in to sift coals and get the stove fired up then went back out to have a look. Fuel filter blew up. Spraying fuel all over everything. Its got glow plugs out and a glow plug controller. Had a disaster of an episode with the DPF/DEF system as soon as I bought it. Water pump and a headlight. Yes. A headlight. Its easier to change the oil than it is to change a headlight. You have to take the grill off to change a headlight. Since I have the cow pusher on I would have to take the brushguard off, then the grill, then the headlight basket. I had to take the airbox out and it took an HOUR. To change a headlight.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

 

[Cowboy254]

View attachment 698875

Like the Stihl/husky rivalry, I have never been a Ford man (it's Ford vs Holden (GM) in Aus). But of the utes that we have available in Aus, the Ranger has come out best for quite a while now. The Toyota Hilux had the lead for a long time but seemed to rest on their laurels for too long and got overtaken. I would buy the Ranger but I wouldn't tell anyone.

 

[turnkey4099]

Jeebus. 113F!!?? I have never been in temps like that. Just over 100F is the hottest I have seen in Ohio and I was in Hooker, OK one time and it was 108F in the shade.

Back in the 60s I had a 'change of station' from San Angelo, tx to DC. Signed out at 8, hit bank to close account at 9am, came out of bank and the sign was reading 109. I was looking at putting in at least 12 hours on the road in a car with no Air Cond. Kinda used to it though so it wasn't all that bad.

 

[al-k]

I wish mine was that low it costs me around $7 a day here in Aus and that's keeping power use very very low!


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4 bucks a day here.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Bandsaw Vs swingblade is a whole new can o' worms. How much $ is a bandsaw that can handle logs so big or heavy I have to cut shorter just to lift with the tractor?

View attachment 698903
Apart from the screw ups and wasted boards, it was worth the gamble. Boards on left were from an earlier log. Middle and right were from hail Mary.
View attachment 698853

kiwiB - I could say a lot of things about your ops there... but the one thing I could not go on without saying is that, imo... that per the pix is some really nice cut boards. really nice looking wood! looks to be true, plumb and square. another thing I can easily say as a woodworker/cabinetmaker is: "I am quite impressed!" I do not think it is easy to produce lumber like that from a trunk. nice job! were the logs cut from dry? kiln dried? will u have to dry the lumber? will it twist, etc? and... of course I may have missed it, but what are your plans for that lumber you made? how will you be using it.

thanks for showing us!