Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Cody]

I had a center rotted cedar that made great swedish torches. The key is the hole through the center. Makes them easier to get going. I just put a bit of paper in and drop a couple pieces of charcoal on top of the paper.

I cut down an ash tree this spring that was rather hollow, little over 2' diameter with only 3-4" thick wood at the base. Make for good fire pits. Usually put a brick under them and had one go supersonic. Kind of neat that it was drawing up enough air to actually sound like a torch, or a jet engine, whichever you prefer to pretend it is.

 

[panolo]

Sounds like we should setup a predator call down in the field and see what pops up.

If you could get a cougar to come in on a call while on video you'd get royalty mailbox checks for years! Never see them unless they are biting your scalp off or hit by a car.

 

[MustangMike]

Ironically, they tell us they don't exist in NY … but it is illegal for you to shoot one (to prove them wrong).

We are also not supposed to have any wild pigs … but it also illegal to shoot one of them if you see one. You are just supposed to call DEC, so you don't disburse them. I guess they think they will just wait around like they are posing for a picture!

And we elected the people who make these rules???

 

[Cowboy254]

G'day scroungers,

I've been under the pump at work the last few days finishing up for our Christmas closure (which started 20 mins ago). This time tomorrow I should be fishing down at the coast. Pics will be coming (if I catch anything) when I get back but I'm going to be offline for 2 weeks. So I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and merry Christmas with your families and that your sheds are full of scrounge.

Cheers fellas.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Unfortunately, I have been "home bound" since last Tue with the pinched nerve in my right leg. Dealing with the medical industry is extremely frustrating. Had an MRI yesterday, and another appt with the Othrtho on Fri Morning. They still don't know what is wrong, but just tell me not to do anything or lift anything … it is driving me batty! It seems getting better is like watching grass grow.

Peak of pain was Friday night, if the house was higher than 2 stories I may have gone out a window. Pain would not subside no matter what I did, and was so intense I was shaking like a leaf. It has not been as bad since then, and I recently stopped taking the Advil cause it just seemed like a placebo.

I can walk, but not w/o knowing something isn't right, and I can't even twist a wrench on a saw w/o pain.

They better figure this out and do something about it, I'm getting pissed. Don't even know if I should move or not move, etc. Frustrating! They give no advice!

The Ortho Doc on Monday said "don't lift anything heavy". I looked at him and said I did not need to come here to know that!

sorry to hear MM~ that does not sound like any fun at all. acute and chronic pain.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

It may seem insignificant but it’s the little scrounges like these that have got this thread to over 1.1 million views.

right on! a scrounge is a scrounge... is a scrounge. I get big one, and small ones. but never any like some of you guys connect with. mine is oak. not more than a big sized stick. smaller than FS's hickory... but once I cut I up... will give me firepower in my outdoor fireplace or one of my pits. 45- mins to hr or more... with some more. hey, after all...

a scrounge is a scrounge... as is a rose is a rose.

scrounged rose

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Sounds like my problem. A blast of unbearable pain right leg got me to the ER...by which time the pain was gone. Ended with full battery of x-ray, MRI, etc diagnosis: arthritis buildup in L4 & L5. Open spine sugery to clean it out. No more problems except the 6 weeks of 'do nothing'. Now my L. hip is painful after I have been sitting swhile - Hurts to walk. Goes away after I have been up and moving around for 12-15 minutes. Haven't seen a doctor for it yet.

arthritis inflammation can be very painful. hope you, too are feeling better. as we age we seem to have more time, but less mobility at times.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

We are in rough shape. Pinched nerves, worn out parts etc. I noodle more now instead of heaving those big rounds or it’s back pain for me. And I can sure tell you when the weather is changing. “****** golden years” my dad used to say. We better recruit some younger scroungers or before you know it there will be wood laying around everywhere! Lol.

lol - cause all the net game players and walk-about texters... tain't even looking for wood...just the next point, kill... or message.

weather - u r right. when I was just 20 living in Seattle and we would have wet cold weather changes... omg, aches all over. but alas, not now down here in the sunbelt

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

My dealer says I'm the youngest guy that comes to the shop. I started helping my FIL do firewood at 19 when I met my wife and took over everything but bringing wood to the house and putting it in the stove a few years ago. Try to talk firewood with the younger guys at work and there head explodes. They would have to turn off the video games and go outside .

!!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I grew up helping my grandfather gather firewood every summer. When I was too young and not strong enough to run the saw, I would put the tree on the ground (with an axe), then he would come along and cut it up with the saw. The rest of the summer was spent swinging an axe or 8# sledge hammer.

I have the same experience with my peers... "Firewood, what?" "You mean the bags at the quickie mart that they sell for $8?" "You do how much work?" "Nah, I just turn up the thermostat."

Now THERE'S an idea for the next big video game - "Firewood Scrounger". Earn points for every cord gathered, bonus points if you help someone with storm cleanup or open a road, lost points of you cut down a tree for no reason. Buy/sell/trade equipment and supplies. It could he HUGE!!!!

LOL the game. and Bonus Man... the chimney sweep... +5 points every chimney swept. -1 if u let customer burn soft wood... +8 if he hires, you...

Bonus Man the chimney sweep

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Ironically, they tell us they don't exist in NY … but it is illegal for you to shoot one (to prove them wrong).

We are also not supposed to have any wild pigs … but it also illegal to shoot one of them if you see one. You are just supposed to call DEC, so you don't disburse them. I guess they think they will just wait around like they are posing for a picture!

And we elected the people who make these rules???

we got plenty! PITA animals... destroy so much for a lil bug!! but it is quite the sport, too. infrared, hot semi-auto, from the air, nite shoots, and a ready market for hog shot. some eat the meat. I have tried it... din't care for it. but it was ok. but I could get tired of it real... fast!!

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

G'day scroungers,

I've been under the pump at work the last few days finishing up for our Christmas closure (which started 20 mins ago). This time tomorrow I should be fishing down at the coast. Pics will be coming (if I catch anything) when I get back but I'm going to be offline for 2 weeks. So I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and merry Christmas with your families and that your sheds are full of scrounge.

Cheers fellas.

thanks, you, too!

scrounged firewood shed

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Best part of my day was I made chicken vegetable soup on hot oak fired woodstove!

Dads doing slightly better. Still weak and unsteady. Tells me today he has some concussion symptoms. Blurred double vision and so on.

I said we could go back to the ER. He's like no I get all these on a good day. Wait till Monday's Dr. appointment. (Has Thyroid, Afib and a few other chronic issues so I believed him).

hope ur Pop on the mend continuously...

I like to cook over hot oak coals, too. but I don't have a woodstove. but I do cook over hot coals often. oak and sometimes mesquite...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I was never really around firewood when i was younger. Other than being the one who wanted to cut the camp fire wood with a hatchet. Interestingly enough, now i enjoy almost every part of working with it.

I still like making kindling. sometimes I just use the splitter. but I keep old cedar fence boards. use a c saw to cut up into 1' lengths... then sit dow with a camp axe... and split away. I set it up so the piece flicked off... zeros on on a large container. I get it in about 80% of the time.

I have about 4 camp axes, along with a dozen axes. some I got new 40 yrs ago. one day I decided handles too used. so sanded down, stained and varathaned. nice! like them all... no rust on any of them

camp axes...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

For years, when I was in my late teens/early 20s we cut and split all the wood we needed to heat the cabin we hunted out of (was a friend of my Uncles) by hand. Mostly bow saws and mauls. Was a big project every year to get enough wood ready for hunting season.

Sometimes, we would stay up there for a week. Heat was from the wood stove, and light was by Coleman Lanterns. Water, food and clothing were back packed in.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I got the auto cycle valve installed. See that fitting that doesn't have a hose on it, the hose is beside it? That little fitting was able to pump 16 gpm until I could race around the splitter and shut the key off. My shop was a mess. Still not sure that I have everything mounted correctly but it works. The 1st 2 spool valve runs the dump trailer and the 4 way wedge height cylinder, it's a power beyond valve and I ran the Out port to the tank and the Power Beyond port to the next valve ( auto cycle one). The next valve is the auto cycle valve and it's also a power beyond valve, I ran the Out and the Power Beyond Port back to the tank. Did I have to run the 1st valve Outlet back to the tank or could I have just left the plug in it? Tomorrow I'm putting a gas engine on my old electric powered conveyor. The weather is crappy so a good time to work inside. ( also an online auction too)
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installation looks good! sorry to hear about the wild hose. omg, I can just imagine. now u know what I feel like when I dumb up... and leave something on the counter and the dog gets ahold of it. hope u have plenty absorbs all....

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I’ve been saving a burly hunk of sugar maple for a cold night. We had one last week and when I went to put it in the stove, it wouldn’t fit through the door. Next day I took a skim off it with the craftsman. Since it warmed up a bit, I left it sitting beside the stove until last night. We came home around 9 and my wife started carping about how cold it was (68°) so I got a fire going and when it burned down, I stuffed that chunk in. It caught in short order and I closed the damper some. At 9 this morning, it was still 72° and enough coals to bbq over. Anyways, that’s my story about a hunk of wood. Lol.

good one! carping, huh? lol... that's a new term for me. I think I mite just use that... lol. so did u get the fry pan out and do up some bacon and eggs? I don't care if its outside or inside... cooking over a coleman stove or wood stove, breakfast always tastes better than on the kitchen stove... maybe its the way it does the bacon.

ham n eggs, bacon on the side...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Nuthin here to see folks , move along ...

now there is a postcard shot if I ever did see one...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

It was green grass here 2 days ago lol
This afternoon the wife said "You should go to the pit and get a load of wood " I'm pretty sure the truck started itself before I said "OK" lol

I split up a load of Juniper that we cut several years ago .
**** I hate knots when I hand split .

Even busted muh favorite splitter

nice pix! that one of the early morning shot of the camp... made me shiver...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Theres good money to be made dealing with white powder.

the helo's make a ton of it, taking skiiers high and into the back country slopes...