It’s a good week. Locust, Hard Maple, and a Barn Raising!

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Joined
Mar 15, 2008
Messages
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Location
North Central Ohio
Hi again to all my firewood buddies here! It’s been awhile but I’m still a firewooder at heart and am checking in. I’ve been busy with work and family a lot but finally have gotten some good man stuff going on lately. The winter has dragged on through my normal firewood routine long enough that I’m usually sick of it by now, but recent developments have made it worthy of a post. First off, a barn is finally underway!
9F9777BB-6368-421A-BCBE-B4634DB73761.jpeg
That should be the biggest news this week but somehow I’m more excited by a random scrounge hit by a farmer buddy who wanted to know if I was interested in firewood from a few trees his Dad just cut down. They were not the usual scrub one might expect from such an inquiry. Not only did he have 40+ year old locust and hard maple trees to offer... he delivered!
320822EE-F821-412E-B46D-C9DC531E28C6.jpeg
I also gained two truck loads that I more than willingly loaded myself. Man that locust is heavy. Good as coal we say right? I love it as much as Osage orange.
Now for my last trick to reallly pull off a great week...
In our area there are a lot of Amish/Mennonites. Good people. They think a lot like we do. Hard workers. Like so many around here(including my contractor friends who sub to them) we hire them a lot for things such as my barn. A group of six of them erected that first pic in less than sixteen hours. They get it done! And square within a half inch from corner to corner! Hard workers! Anyhow, from an old friend who had them build for him I discovered that on their few breaks they picked up his old maul and would wack away at his firewood pile. They’re mostly early 20’s kids showing their strength. So for funsies...I set a testosterone trap tonight!
121324BE-7BB4-470F-98D6-28BAF248EC0C.jpeg
I split a few rounds with my heavy fiskars Hammer of Thor to entice them. I was actually amazed at how the big thing worked as well. I’ll report back to see if they get “caught”. I hope they save me some!
 
Hi again to all my firewood buddies here! It’s been awhile but I’m still a firewooder at heart and am checking in. I’ve been busy with work and family a lot but finally have gotten some good man stuff going on lately. The winter has dragged on through my normal firewood routine long enough that I’m usually sick of it by now, but recent developments have made it worthy of a post. First off, a barn is finally underway!
View attachment 639521
That should be the biggest news this week but somehow I’m more excited by a random scrounge hit by a farmer buddy who wanted to know if I was interested in firewood from a few trees his Dad just cut down. They were not the usual scrub one might expect from such an inquiry. Not only did he have 40+ year old locust and hard maple trees to offer... he delivered!
View attachment 639522
I also gained two truck loads that I more than willingly loaded myself. Man that locust is heavy. Good as coal we say right? I love it as much as Osage orange.
Now for my last trick to reallly pull off a great week...
In our area there are a lot of Amish/Mennonites. Good people. They think a lot like we do. Hard workers. Like so many around here(including my contractor friends who sub to them) we hire them a lot for things such as my barn. A group of six of them erected that first pic in less than sixteen hours. They get it done! And square within a half inch from corner to corner! Hard workers! Anyhow, from an old friend who had them build for him I discovered that on their few breaks they picked up his old maul and would wack away at his firewood pile. They’re mostly early 20’s kids showing their strength. So for funsies...I set a testosterone trap tonight!
View attachment 639524
I split a few rounds with my heavy fiskars Hammer of Thor to entice them. I was actually amazed at how the big thing worked as well. I’ll report back to see if they get “caught”. I hope they save me some!
glad to see you found your way back. i saw your name pop up and said i remember him. nice score on some great wood. your building looks good too. the only thing is in a year or so you'll wish you built a bigger one. :rolleyes::laugh:
 
I wish all I burned was locust and hedge! That’s a nice selection to have!
The builders are waiting on one color of metal so won’t be back until Monday. I hope I have some wood left for “the trap”. After bringing home the last load tonight it caught me!
AB037436-0DD9-48EE-BCF1-BC2EC2DDEA78.jpeg
If it weren’t for darkness I’d still be slinging that fiskars isocore. Really pops that locust nicely!
 
I have a customer who is really picky about what firewood I can deliver to him. He accepts locust, ash, hard maple, oak, hickory, and walnut. That's about it. He turns his nose up to hackberry, mulberry, and elm (even red elm, gasp!). No hickory grows around here. It always amazes me that some customers are so picky, but OP found a mother lode for him. Now all I have to do is figure out how truck ship that from Ohio to Nebraska.
 
I’ve burned walnut. He’s a bit uppity It may look pretty but it’s not much for firewood! Although his other choices are good. You need to give him Specialist pricing. After all, you are a doctor. Lol. I have to admit that even though ash is great firewood, I’m a bit excited to see something else. My woods had been full of dead ash from the Emerald ash borer so that’s what I’ve burned the last 5 years. Could be worse I guess. I’m glad it wasn’t an Emerald Spruce Borer. But I’d have my ash lumber yet though!
 
I’ve burned walnut. He’s a bit uppity It may look pretty but it’s not much for firewood! Although his other choices are good. You need to give him Specialist pricing. After all, you are a doctor. Lol. I have to admit that even though ash is great firewood, I’m a bit excited to see something else. My woods had been full of dead ash from the Emerald ash borer so that’s what I’ve burned the last 5 years. Could be worse I guess. I’m glad it wasn’t an Emerald Spruce Borer. But I’d have my ash lumber yet though!
Say, I just bucked up a log at a local drop site that I cannot identify with certainty. I thought it was small-leaf linden at first, but it is so dense that I do not see how that's possible. Linden is notoriously light in weight--similar to poplar or cottonwood. This log might be hard maple, but it seems that the annular rings are too far apart. The smooth, rather thin bark and the color of the wood is similar to hard maple, so I'm stumped. These 16" dia. rounds that I bucked about 18" long, were a bear to load onto my pickup. Back breakers, as I call them, I figure they weighed about the same as locust, ash, or even oak. I have to wonder if it wasn't some sort of hybrid tree. Any ideas?

I'll try to post a pic when the rain stops, but I kind of doubt that a pic of that round is going to help. I think it will be in the premium firewood category unless it's so packed with moisture right now that it's much denser than it will be when dry.
 
Barn is looking good, buddy! For 16 hrs of work that's impressive!

How about you send that wood fairy up my way? I'm running low and don't have a good honey hole to cut from anymore.
 
I have a customer who is really picky about what firewood I can deliver to him. He accepts locust, ash, hard maple, oak, hickory, and walnut. That's about it. He turns his nose up to hackberry, mulberry, and elm (even red elm, gasp!). No hickory grows around here. It always amazes me that some customers are so picky, but OP found a mother lode for him. Now all I have to do is figure out how truck ship that from Ohio to Nebraska.
He burns walnut but thumbs his nose up at mulberry? It takes all kinds...
 
D786CF18-2745-4047-B813-EB885A3464BF.jpeg
Split a lil more on the locust last night. The fiskars x27 clearly beats the heavy fiskars isocore for a 30 minute session on this locust. Splits just as well with less windage on my ticker! The twisty, wet hard maple...It just laughed at both. If it doesn’t ease up with some drying time the gas splitter will have to come back to me from my brother’s building. Now that I actually have some space to store it!
8A8FA985-90FB-4539-8AA3-DCAD4666CC6A.jpeg
 
Say, I just bucked up a log at a local drop site that I cannot identify with certainty. I thought it was small-leaf linden at first, but it is so dense that I do not see how that's possible. Linden is notoriously light in weight--similar to poplar or cottonwood. This log might be hard maple, but it seems that the annular rings are too far apart. The smooth, rather thin bark and the color of the wood is similar to hard maple, so I'm stumped. These 16" dia. rounds that I bucked about 18" long, were a bear to load onto my pickup. Back breakers, as I call them, I figure they weighed about the same as locust, ash, or even oak. I have to wonder if it wasn't some sort of hybrid tree. Any ideas?

I'll try to post a pic when the rain stops, but I kind of doubt that a pic of that round is going to help. I think it will be in the premium firewood category unless it's so packed with moisture right now that it's much denser than it will be when dry.


Beech maybe? If it's from a drop site, it could be anything ornamental, but beech was the first thing that came to mind. Heavy, with thin, smooth bark.
 
Looks like one of the giants that has been splitting your wood is doing a headstand behind the JD gator in that top picture.
 
Beech maybe? If it's from a drop site, it could be anything ornamental, but beech was the first thing that came to mind. Heavy, with thin, smooth bark.
I suppose that's possible, but seldom do I ever see beech around here. On the other hand, it might have been imported from Indiana. We run into that now and then. I'll take a Pic as soon as I split it. My usual procedure is to wait until the ends check up here and there. I have it stored in the sun, off the ground. Believe me, my curiosity is killing me. I wish I had leaves or some small branches from the same tree. Not sure why it was cut down. It was rock solid healthy.
 
View attachment 641610
Split a lil more on the locust last night. The fiskars x27 clearly beats the heavy fiskars isocore for a 30 minute session on this locust. Splits just as well with less windage on my ticker! The twisty, wet hard maple...It just laughed at both. If it doesn’t ease up with some drying time the gas splitter will have to come back to me from my brother’s building. Now that I actually have some space to store it!
View attachment 641611
Welcome back.
What size is the barn? Looks really good.
How much would that size cost?
I'm pricing out one smaller of about 35x35.
 
As it sits in that last pic around 20k. That’s just the materials and labor for the building. The driveway, concrete pad, electric, doors installed will easily double that number though. And that’s with me doing some of the work myself. The extras add up!
Yes it does add up. I got one all-in quote from a contractor for the 35' x 35' garage all done and insulated with electrical of $90,000.
Especially the concrete...Mine was estimated at $12,000. And the doors aren't cheap either.
So how big is it? Looks about 30' x 90'
 

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