Lost my Dad, lets share the "Firewood words of wisdom" that Dad passed on to you!

[CWME]

I lost my Dad yesterday morning unexpectedly.

We have been sharing stories of my Dad all day long! Very comforting to remember all the great times we had with him. I was thinking about what he taught me about cutting wood and thought it would be fun to post up a tip or trick that our Dads shared with us.

I will start with my Dad always told me to try and split the wood from the stump end towards the top. He also told me it was better to try to split the wood when it was frozen.

My Dad cut and split 7-8 cords of wood a year to keep me warm as a kid. He used a Craftsman yellow top handle saw and a 6lb maul.
He always said that he liked the 6lb maul because he could get more head speed VS an 8lb maul.

What has your Dad taught you? Very grateful for the example my Dad set for me.

View attachment 253718

Pic of my Dad in 2005.

 

[Somesawguy]

I'm really sorry to hear about your dad. :msp_sad: Let me know if I can do anything.

My dads biggest thing was, keep your chain out of the dirt. He really loves pulp hooks, and uses them all the time.

 

[tbow388]

Sorry about you losing your dad. Losing a parent can be hard.

Never learned anything from my dad about cutting wood. I have been teaching my son everything I know about it. He teaches me how to fix saws easier in return.

 

[R2D]

Comfort prayers sent to you and your family.

My dad stressed safety (he smashed his shin with an axe as a young boy) and to respect the power/damage a saw can do.

 

[chucker]

sorry for your loss! with my dad, it was never any money! wooders have strong backs and weak minds!!??? probably true to a point but we do it anyways. best thing he tought me was to never quit!! nothing good comes easy or free!! "THANKS DAD" you were half right i did have a strong back!!

 

[oppermancjo]

So sorry for your loss. My mother passed just a few months ago so I know what you are going through.

The old man taught me to swing an axe. Can't say I was good at it at first. Snapped a handle or two... or ten. Now I learned up and got a fiberglass one!

Most of the rest I've been self taught though. Growing up, we had a fireplace in the house but seemed like it was mostly for ambiance. We never kept much wood on hand. Now that I'm paying my own bills, you betcha I'm burning wood!

Cherish the memories and keep it up with the stories. It helps.

 

[awspence]

I love my dad like no other, but as far as advice on manual labor or anything along the lines of firewood work that just wasn't his deal. I was the 15 year old kid changing water pumps in my dad's car because he had no clue! Not to say the old man didn't teach me anything, because he definitely did, we just had very different interests.

I did get to spend some time in the woods with my grandfather as a kid getting wood for the water stove and now that he is gone I cherish those memories. That little 026 really put a dent in the red oaks behind his house.

I wish you the best, and very glad to hear you are already remembering all the positives about his life! That stuff is definitely priceless.

 

[CWME]

My Dad taught me something by letting me try things on my own. He knew if something would work or not but realized that I would never rest if I didn't learn for myself so he stood back and let me go.

I need to remember this with my kids. I am quick to step in to help, maybe I should take Dad's lead more often and let them learn for themselves.

Thanks for the kind words guys=) My Dad was a special Man and just wanted me to be happy in life. With his death I am detemined to try and live by his example and help those around me be happy as well. The hurt I am feeling now is overshadowed by the love and kindness he shared with everyone around him. He was very involved in Scouting at the local Scout Camp. I have met two people today alone that my Dad touched as kids at Scout Camp.

Anyway Keep the stories coming! I am going to step back and enjoy reading what everyone has learned from Dad!

 

[Farm Boy]

Sorry for your loss...those memories are priceless and will help you through the days ahead. We used to heat our farm house 100% with wood. We had a belt driven saw rig mounted to a 1936 John Deere A tractor. With one man on each side of the whirling blade he always said "Let the saw do the cut, don't force the wood into the teeth. Yeah, that and keep the chain out of the dirt!

 

[Morgan in AR]

Sorry for your loss.

I lost my dad almost four years ago unexpectedly. He was cleaning up after a really bad ice storm we had here in February 2009. He was killed by a hanging tree and a gust of wind, he was 58 years old. I love cutting wood because of my dad, it gives me some kind of connection with him still. I spent most of my time as a kid helping him by picking up firewood and throwing it in the truck. I remember seeing him split huge rounds and telling him he must be stronger than he-man. Dad cut a lot of walnut, so the smell of walnut really takes me back. He would usually bring along a sack of Halloween sized snicker bars or some other candy with us when we cut wood. I really wish I appreciated wood cutting with hem more at the time. Dad always used an 8lb maul, never had a power splitter. I always figured he'd get a splitter after I wasn't around to help him anymore. I was wrong. I can't remember any specific wisdoms about wood cutting that dad taught me, but he sure did teach me the value of hard work. I'd give anything to be picking up firewood for him today. -Morgan

 

[REJ2]

Dads are the greatest, arent they?

 

[Arbonaut]

My Daddy died @ 12:31 the day after my 31st birthday. He'd been in a coma for some time. My Ma always says he took the pain nd held off for an extra half hour so as I'd not have to live with him dying on my birthday.

I was laying brick in a tight spot this afternoon, coming around a corner and changing elevations. Feeding from a ripped course into the fourth tier around a corner is as hard as it sounds. I was thinking more about my Dad than what I was doing and I saw him over my left shoulder standing there in his old grey ####ies workshirt watching to make sure I did a good job. I have to go now.

 

[Soby1]

Sorry to here about your dad. lost mine back in 04, still think of him every day. He made me the man I am today, but I hope I'll be half the man he was. One of the stories I'll never forget was the time I wanted to get a ear ring back then it was the cool thing to do. The old man said that's fine but you better be wearing a dress, if your going to look like a woman you better be dressing like one. That was the end of that idea.

 

[REJ2]

Sorry to here about your dad. lost mine back in 04, still think of him every day. He made me the man I am today, but I hope I'll be half the man he was. One of the stories I'll never forget was the time I wanted to get a ear ring back then it was the cool thing to do. The old man said that's fine but you better be wearing a dress, if your going to look like a woman you better be dressing like one. That was the end of that idea.

my kinda of dad!

 

[Rjc2rjc]

Very sorry for your loss. My prayers to you and yours.





My. dad told me just last weekend. Firewood. Isn't for the lazy man.. take that how ever you want to look at it.

 

[jdc123]

Very sorry for your loss. Lost my Daddy two years ago. Grew up cutting wood with him. One of the biggest lessons he taught me was to respect a tree. Saw a barberchair catch him in the chin one day. Thought it had killed him. Did knock him clean out. After that he was real careful and taught me to be.

 

[AdamG]

Very sorry for your loss. My parents are in their early 50's and I couldn't imagine life without either of them right now (though It is inevitable).
My dad never really taught me anything about wood- He's never heated with it- though he did teach me to think outside of the box as far as heating with alternative energy (he started burning corn for heat 7-8 yrs ago or so) Only thing he really had to offer on the subject is respect the tools, or they will cause you a lot of pain!
Learned a lot of stuff from my dad though- and I still believe my dad is the sole reason I chose to be an auto mechanic (against his stern warnings to stay away from the business all through my teenage yrs.) I would spend the afternoons and evenings every single day after school and all day in the summer in the garage tinkering (he's a self employed mech. for over 20yrs) didn't care what I learned, just enjoyed being out there bs'ing with him.

 

[rigandig]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[ss~zoso~ss]

very sorry for your loss.

 

[Whitespider]

I am so sincerely sorry for your loss.

My dad is 76. He’s survived a quadruple-bypass, and several heart procedures since, along with prostrate cancer surgery. It used to be he could go three, maybe four years before needing his heart worked on, but now it’s every twelve to eighteen months. I know my time with him is short and I cherish every minute I can get with him. Mom, my brother, my sister and the wife get angry with me because he and I will stand in the shop, filling our bellies with beer and whiskey at times. Yeah, I know it ain’t good for him… but c’mon, he’s 76 already, let him finish up the way he chooses. Still… when he goes it will near tear me apart.

Back in the day I got mixed up in some bad things, and with some bad people. As a result I didn’t even speak with my dad for near 20 years… That’s lost time I can never make up and I refuse to waste what’s left. At the same time I’m not gonna’ try and protect him from what he don’t want to be protected from… I ain’t gonna’ tell him how to live his life, or how to finish it. It’s enough for me that we can now stand in the shop without it resulting in an argument… or worse.

My dad taught me a lot of things…
He taught me to drive before the age of ten. He taught me to shoot before that. He taught me that if you really felt the need to punch someone, don’t hold anything back. He taught me that women should be respected… and cherished. He taught me how to tear an engine apart, fix it, and put it back together.
But the most important thing he taught me was that a father’s love for his son is unconditional… sometime harsh, but still unconditional. After twenty years, when I finally swallowed my pride and came to him, he put his arms around me like I’d never left, or done the things I’d done. I sobbed in his arms.

I am so sincerely sorry for your loss.