What do you do

[Whitespider]

Earlier in this thread I mentioned painting tools (especially small tools like your scrench) with a bright color so they're easy to spot. Well, last night I was giving my "stuff" a touch-up coat of paint and it reminded me of the most important thing to paint a florescent color... And if you've ever dropped one in the weeds or splitting trash and hunted around on your knees you'll understand...

Paint your bar nuts... fingernail polish also works good for that.

 

[wackydeejay]

This might seem trivial, but I unload everything and split where I'm going to be stacking. Used to be I had a place designated for splitting. Now, it's just whevever I'm going to be stacking. There's no reason to carry wood all over the yard if it isn't necessary.

 

[jamaulden]

I have my off feed table drop right into my trailer when it fills up all i have to do is crank up the 4 wheeler and drive it over to my wood shed it. Just one less time I have to bend over and move the wood. My splitter is home made as well as my trailer so I have a small advantage.

 

[logbutcher]

Nice stuff.....all of the above. Special for you wood burners: build a woodshed--big, and now for next winter.

Since most of us cut alone, usually far from a road or help:
take a Wilderness Medicine class. ( If you served in any mil field unit recently, you already had most of the program. ) Learn how to save yourself, what to carry ( minimum-- duct tape and HD Kotex or blood stoppers), how to get back or save your helper. Most of it is NOT common sense. Some tips: wear full PPE.

 

[fields_mj]

Paint your bar nuts... fingernail polish also works good for that.

Acutally, I cheated and bought a 10 pk of bar nuts. All of my saws use the same size. I carry 2 or 3 in the tool box. I try to keep an extra of any small part that could get lost in the grass or leaves in my tool box.

If the wood needs split, then I split the wood just before I have to pick it up. Other than that I roll it. I unload the truck where I'm going to tack the wood. If time permits, I stack as I unload. Time usually doesn't so I normally pile it in front of where it will be stacked. If I'm not stacking it at the time, then I try to seperate the pile a little so that the bigger, or more uniform pieces are seperated from the odd ball stuff. I also try to set aside (in a different spot) anything that would work well for the bottom of the stack, or that would work well to stack up a square column at the end of my stack. It may add a minute or two to my unload time, but it saves me a bundle of time later in the week/month/year when I come back to stack it. It also keeps me from having to climb over the stack looking for those special pieces to put on the bottom/ends, which reduces the likely hood that I'm going to twist an ankle or something.

 

[jamaulden]

Nice stuff.....all of the above. Special for you wood burners: build a woodshed--big, and now for next winter.

Since most of us cut alone, usually far from a road or help:
take a Wilderness Medicine class. ( If you served in any mil field unit recently, you already had most of the program. ) Learn how to save yourself, what to carry ( minimum-- duct tape and HD Kotex or blood stoppers), how to get back or save your helper. Most of it is NOT common sense. Some tips: wear full PPE.

I am also a Tactical medic With the city SWAT team we have learned alot from the millitary and a great thing to take to the woods with you is a tourniquet. We use a CAT (combat application tourniquet) $39 on the net could save your life. Great point Logbutcher!

 

[logbutcher]

I am also a Tactical medic With the city SWAT team we have learned alot from the millitary and a great thing to take to the woods with you is a tourniquet. We use a CAT (combat application tourniquet) $39 on the net could save your life. Great point Logbutcher!

Funny thing though, the older extra large Kotex we used to use is not sold anymore; only those super thin things. So when I go to my fav Urologist :msp_scared:, I ask the R.N. on duty for some of her bloodstopper pads. Along with clotting powder, those thick pads can do most of what is needed in the field for pressure stopping of wounds. Tourniquets are usually the LAST technique for emergency care for us.

But nothing beats learning how to deal with life threatening emergencies without EMT nearby. The Red Cross "First Aid" classes are only OK. If you didn't get medic training, look for the Wilderness Medicine programs; could save your a$$.

 

[m37]

Personally, I like the idea of the sharpie to mark out 16" on my bar(I've never done that, but plan to now) I'm sure it will need to be remarked every so often when it wears down. For anyone that gets a log load of decent, straight logs, I saw this tool on 'This Old House' one time, and I imagine it would be pretty efficient if you want to spend the money:
The Mingo Firewood Marker

This is what I use they work great.

 

[MorningW00d]

I really like to use one of these when I'm splitting wood. It always seems to make things a little more exciting but also go a little faster. I would also recommend you use this in conjunction with steel toes. My past experience has resulted in: Fiskars 1 Nikes 0 :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[greengiant]

........ If I'm not stacking it at the time, then I try to seperate the pile a little so that the bigger, or more uniform pieces are seperated from the odd ball stuff. I also try to set aside (in a different spot) anything that would work well for the bottom of the stack, or that would work well to stack up a square column at the end of my stack. ..........

The first two years I cut wood for heat, I did those 'square columns' on the ends of stacks. Never again. I don't like to spend money on my wood piles (thus the use of used nursery plastic, pallets, and scrap wood in them), but I did manage to spend a few bucks on some t-posts, and locust posts. I got 7' locust post for $2 each. Slam two of them in the ground, stick a pallet on end against them, and away you stack. It's easy to stack 6'high and never have an issue with them falling over.
Of course, none of this would be necessary if I just built a REAL wood shed!