Who's run out of wood, now scrounging?

[Ironworker]

I haven't ran out yet but sure will be cutting it close this year, but if I do run out of the seasoned stuff I have next years stuff that I started splitting in August, it may not be the driest but it will keep us warm, I might actually start mixing it in with the seasoned stuff to be safe, lets see how the weather holds out.

 

[4seasons]

It sounds like many of us are in the same boat. I am down to a face cord of seasoned stuff but I have 2-3 years worth of wood that I started cutting in July/August. So while I wont run out the stove isn't going to like the stuff that was cut 6-8 months ago when I start burning it in March.

 

[nomad_archer]

Im not out yet but I am getting close. Hopefully I can make it into march then I will be good. I didn't start cutting until summer last year but as soon as this snow/ice melts off I am going to start cutting. The dang ice makes it impossible to get around. Cut up an old down dried log thats been in the back yard for who knows how long but its hard as a rock and dried since it has been elevated. Felt good to run a tank of gas through my saw.

 

[740jsmayle]

I've been scrounging for a couple weeks now. I broke down and bought a load last week . That load burns worse than the stuff I have for next year. I did score a nice load of Locust yesterday that is ready to burn. I guess I'll have to mix some of my wood for next year in with that and clean my chimney and flue pipes every couple weeks.

 

[jrider]

It sounds like many of us are in the same boat. I am down to a face cord of seasoned stuff but I have 2-3 years worth of wood that I started cutting in July/August. So while I wont run out the stove isn't going to like the stuff that was cut 6-8 months ago when I start burning it in March.

Why don't you start mixing some of it in now? Why wait until you only have wood that isn't fully seasoned?

 

[Coldfront]

Man I been scrounging for about 3 weeks now, finally got a load of Ash coming Tuesday 8 cord 100 " logs. I must have call a dozen loggers nobody has any wood, everybody ran out of wood at the same time. And scrounging is a pain here because of the deep snow.

 

[gary s]

The ice storm dropped a black birch limb across one of my woods roads so I chopped it up and threw a load of 4-5" dia pieces in the OWB and was surprised at how well it burnt. I am going to drop the tree and try some bigger stuff. Has anyone else tried fresh cut black birch?

 

[Ironworker]

I drive by this poor guy every weekend and see him handling frozen, snow covered rounds and his chimney blowing thick white smoke, even though a load of wood last just over a winter, I think I'm gonna order another load this spring just to be a couple of years ahead, I really don't feel like burning frozen wood or buying firewood for $200 a cord.

 

[zogger]

Why don't you start mixing some of it in now? Why wait until you only have wood that isn't fully seasoned?

Ya, this, plus take the not quite ready wood and resplit it in half.

 

[Vibes]

I'm good but I have about 2 chord of mixed red and white oak that I was hoping to save for next winter. Oak is hard to come by around here. In a normal year, it would have lasted till next year. I have wood lined up, but I only have a 2wd truck, and you just can't get off the roads around here since that last storm.

I've got lots of standing dead ash around that I have been cutting and trying to mainly use the dryer wood at the top of the tree. That was working good too until this last 2 snow storms we had. Its just been brutal. I'll be going to the tipple this week and picking up a ton of coal. I would never buy firewood. I would just crank up the NG furnace.

I also have about a pickup load of well seasoned Hickory that I'm saving for this guy who runs a barbecue. He better get here quick or it will be heat.

 

[mainewoods]

Sounds like with all the people digging out frozen wood, there will be a few storage sheds being built this summer.

 

[wudpirat]

Same here, using half dry to thaw frozen.
I got wood burried under the snow that I wish I could get to.
Been using Pine to get the frozen stuff to burn.
What's next? the kitchen table and chairs ?
I can buy wood , but it's wet inside and gives little heat. Have to run the air wide open.
I get heat but sure burns quick.
Temp outside is 16 and dropping. Another nite of babysitting the stove.
Gonna be a 3 dog nite and I only have one 15 lb Poodle.

 

[zogger]

Sounds like with all the people digging out frozen wood, there will be a few storage sheds being built this summer.

I think...just musing here...think if I lived up there again, and had some spare coin, I'd get a metal shipping container for a shed. This will be a shed/cobjob kiln. Have a vent or two high in the back, and low in the front by the door. I would pack it with fresh cut up to a few feet from the door. As soon as it is empty in the spring, it can be with wood cut in the fall or winter and left outside until it is empty. Then install a small smoke dragon just far enough inside to get the door shut, anything, one of those small cheap box stoves would be ok.. Cook it out for a few days with whatever dry junk wood you got. this should get it pretty darn dry already. Then do it again right before heating season, just because you can, and it would off any bugs that got in there and geet the last tiny bit of moisture out.. Let it sit and bake in the sun with the vents open in between those two cooking periods, like from spring until fall.

I think this would work better than a shed. I like the idea of all steel even over a wood framed steel building, nice tight closed container, closed except for the low cool air in, high, hot moist air out vents. proly wouldn't even need any fans, just heat from the cheap stove.

I know I have had to go out into road tractor trailers in the heat of summer, roll the doors up, zooba, it is rather *warm* in there. With just a couple of vents, you would get airflow to get the moisture out.

 

[ReggieT]

I think...just musing here...think if I lived up there again, and had some spare coin, I'd get a metal shipping container for a shed. This will be a shed/cobjob kiln. Have a vent or two high in the back, and low in the front by the door. I would pack it with fresh cut up to a few feet from the door. As soon as it is empty in the spring, it can be with wood cut in the fall or winter and left outside until it is empty. Then install a small smoke dragon just far enough inside to get the door shut, anything, one of those small cheap box stoves would be ok.. Cook it out for a few days with whatever dry junk wood you got. this should get it pretty darn dry already. Then do it again right before heating season, just because you can, and it would off any bugs that got in there and geet the last tiny bit of moisture out.. Let it sit and bake in the sun with the vents open in between those two cooking periods, like from spring until fall.

I think this would work better than a shed. I like the idea of all steel even over a wood framed steel building, nice tight closed container, closed except for the low cool air in, high, hot moist air out vents. proly wouldn't even need any fans, just heat from the cheap stove.

I know I have had to go out into road tractor trailers in the heat of summer, roll the doors up, zooba, it is rather *warm* in there. With just a couple of vents, you would get airflow to get the moisture out.

BRAVO...novel idea...I like it!

 

[Vangellis]

I'm low on "well seasoned" firewood, but i do have lots of green wood i could burn... So, i'm burning a bit more coal than i usually do, i like coal better anyway...

SR

Yep, been burning coal since early November and should use that up by early March. Then I'll finish up with wood for the next few weeks.
I'm in the heart of the Anthracite coal region of NE Pennsylvannia so the price isn't too bad. I'm probably 80/20 anymore Coal to wood.





Kevin

 

[Sawyer Rob]

The coal i buy is in much bigger pieces than that,

I just grab a few as needed, and throw them into the stove.

SR

 

[firebrick43]

Sounds like with all the people digging out frozen wood, there will be a few storage sheds being built this summer.

I will be!!!!

 

[Steve NW WI]

I'm not out, not even out of seasoned, but I'm almost out of seasoned "good" wood. It's gonna be a long spring diet of box elder and cottonwood for my stove.

Next year's wood is not where I want it to be yet, and until the snow goes down a bit, it's not gonna improve much. I do have a couple half dead elms in the farmyard I could cut without much trouble, but I've been waiting for them to die completely first.

I'll be cutting and splitting till fishing opener or later once I get to the woods again. I can be 2 years ahead again with a month's worth of good weekends, and a little time to work during the week.

The scrap wood piles at work are taking a beating, I haven't even considered grabbing any lately, there are quite a few guys leaving daily with what probably amounts to that night's wood for them. They need it more than I do, I'll grab more this summer when no one else wants to do the work.

 

[benp]

I think...just musing here...think if I lived up there again, and had some spare coin, I'd get a metal shipping container for a shed. This will be a shed/cobjob kiln. Have a vent or two high in the back, and low in the front by the door. I would pack it with fresh cut up to a few feet from the door. As soon as it is empty in the spring, it can be with wood cut in the fall or winter and left outside until it is empty. Then install a small smoke dragon just far enough inside to get the door shut, anything, one of those small cheap box stoves would be ok.. Cook it out for a few days with whatever dry junk wood you got. this should get it pretty darn dry already. Then do it again right before heating season, just because you can, and it would off any bugs that got in there and geet the last tiny bit of moisture out.. Let it sit and bake in the sun with the vents open in between those two cooking periods, like from spring until fall.

I think this would work better than a shed. I like the idea of all steel even over a wood framed steel building, nice tight closed container, closed except for the low cool air in, high, hot moist air out vents. proly wouldn't even need any fans, just heat from the cheap stove.

I know I have had to go out into road tractor trailers in the heat of summer, roll the doors up, zooba, it is rather *warm* in there. With just a couple of vents, you would get airflow to get the moisture out.

.

Zog,

Con-Ex containers are AWESOME!! Neighbor has 3 of them, 2 big ones and one smaller one.

We have 2 here at the house and he keeps one at one of the local shopping centers that he has a snow plow account for. He keeps salt stored inside it.

All of them showed very little wear when arrived and the little one looks brand new.

Storing wood would in one would be an awesome idea! They are actually vented so they can breathe and they are insanely built.

The trickiest issue has been unloading them off of the tractor trailer but it's not a problem.

ANOTHER possible option that a few of my friends utilize. Semi trailers. You can get them relatively cheap and just dig out so the butt end of the trailer is at ground level.

They are not built like Con-ex containers but for a storage shed.......pffffft, who cares. Would get the job done.

ETA - It's early and reading is fundamental. I missed the last part of you talking about semi trailers.

 

[greendohn]

I've been struggling to stay ahead of the curve. I've been able to stay 6 or 7 truckloads ahead and that's skinny!! The deep snow and below zero temps have kept me out of the woods more than I like.
I used to fight tarps and dig my wood out of the snow,,a woodshed is the ticket, the one I built a couple years ago is 16'x25' and gets very, very hot inside thru the summer.