Cutting wood =

[coostv]

Well since I am basically new here I thought I would take the time to express what wood is to me. If this disinterests you, I would save your time and skip to the next post as this may get long winded.

Cutting wood = heat. This is how I thought when I first started a couple years ago. I looked at my first pile of logs and thought, "Oh my, I have to cut that, split it, move it out back (the delivery truck can not go back there), and stack it! This is going to suck." Then I started and realized it is a lot like working on cars to me. Aside from concentrating on what I am doing, I have time to spend on my own thoughts about God, wife, kids, cars, plans for the future, etc. Man, I lose myself in the work.

Last weekend I replaced a wheel bearing on our Pastors car for him. He in turn asked me if I wanted him to help me get some wood put up. I looked at him and said, "Well, duh" (we have a rather sarcastic relationship). So, for the next 2 hours I cut, he manned the splitter and loaded the trailer, then we hauled it to the pile. What a good time! I had no plans to cut wood that afternoon seeing as that is all I had done the previous day in helping take down a large Oak at the church, at home, and for a few hours leading up to his arrival the next day. I was sore on Monday and almost forgot why! I have had some of the best moments working with a friend taking care of the wood pile, conversing while stacking, pushing each other to go faster, and just working towards a goal of completion. I also sicken some people when I tell them I like the work.

Now, cutting wood = heat + a sense of being

I may not have the fastest saw, the best splitter, nice trailer (I use an old junk gutted 5x7 pop up camper), or the nicest wood shed, but I have the knowledge and satisfaction of knowing my home and shop will be warm because I put it a little effort to make it that way. Try getting that from propane, natural gas, fuel oil, coal, wood pellets, or even delivered cut and split wood.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings,

Chris

 

[KsWoodsMan]

cutting wood = mind cleansing Zen when all things come into alignment, even for only a few moments.

It is good. Not quite nervonna, but getting there.

 

[Ghillie]

People laugh at me too when they see me dirty, worn out and smelling like an anchovies butt and I tell them that I enjoy the work. It is not the money.

Excellent post Coos, welcome to the site!

 

[excess650]

I started cutting just to clean up trees that were down around my property. The more I cut, the more I enjoyed it. After a bit, I realized that some trees were too good to end as just firewood, so I bought an Alaskan mill. I've also started splitting with an axe and its excellent exercise, and find it relieves stress and is helping me rehabilitate from what should have been a fatal accident 3 years ago.

 

[ktmsooner]

I agree, cutting wood and being able to use it to heat with is a lot of fun. I can't hardly wait for cold weather to start my wood burner. I've had 13 face cords since January of this year, and I sure would like to use some. I only use about 3 face cords a year to heat with, so I have about 4 years worth. The worst part is I have a neighbor that has a lot of Pecan trees that are down from the ice storm, and I don't have any more room for it. Pecan is great for smoking ribs or brisket, I'm sure I will have to find a good use for this extra Pecan wood

 

[oldirty]

People laugh at me too when they see me dirty, worn out and smelling like an anchovies butt and I tell them that I enjoy the work. It is not the money.

Excellent post Coos, welcome to the site!

sure it hurts sometimes. and your hands never really do get clean but i'll tell you what fellas. working in and amongst tree's while achieving what ever goal you set is indeed a good time.

it may sound odd but i thank the Lord for every tree he lets me touch, aloud. (i have the same prayer for every tree i climb) it helps to humble me and prepares me for my effort.

besides nothing beats running a freshly sharpened saw.


indeed a great post. sorry to intrude on the firewood pile. lol

 

[superfire]

who the hekkk needs a gym membership

not me cutting wood is my escape from the worlds problems. i split a little wood now and then for people to help out. mostly cutting wood either is for $$$ or the pleasure of it. some times a person needs a stress relieving hobby. my chain saw knowledge is limited on 2stroke theory,i still manage to make money on fixin other peoples sawz, i end up with a few of them. people call me to cut treez they should not touch. i used to be a hazard tree faller. cutting dangerous trees lets me escape from my normal daily work stress. i wish i had wood heat, living in a travel trailer sucks but it is paid for. i need to find a real good source of big trees and i could start selling wood again.

 

[AOD]

Nice work. I also enjoy cutting and splitting, even for other people, its grest exercise. Hand splitting is the best!

Hey coostv, you're not too far from me, glad to see more W. MI folk on here.

 

[Dok]

I agree with all of you, isn't that why we are here? Cutting, loading, splitting and stacking wood is hard work but also cathartic for me. I can zone out and and forget the stresses of life. Ever notice how a problem is often easily solved after a few hours working on the wood pile?
Dok

 

[Ghillie]

I agree with all of you, isn't that why we are here? Cutting, loading, splitting and stacking wood is hard work but also cathartic for me. I can zone out and and forget the stresses of life. Ever notice how a problem is often easily solved after a few hours working on the wood pile?
Dok

Exactly, cutting and splitting seems to clear out all the "extraneous noise" in my head and lets me focus on the important things.

 

[oldirty]

you boys need some proof of how good it is by the wood pile?

the little nephew and i were hanging out a little earlier today.

i'd hit the wood, he'd run in and throw the piece into the pile. then he hopped into the truck knowing i had my saws with me.


and by the way how old is old enough for saw time? 6? he cut his first cookie with my 2hunge. i mean of course i was holding the saw while he cut (my finger was on the trigger with my other hand over his on the handle)

he already has the itch!

not only that but he did a fine job with the blower on the leaves! looks like i found one member for my labor pool in a few years. lol

 

[coostv]

Thanks to everyone for the affirmation that I am not a complete idiot for liking the work.

AOD, near what city are you located?

Nice pictures oldirty!

 

[bowtechmadman]

Most of us here can appreciate your ramblings.
Today I hauled 5 or 6 loads to the woodpile and finally decided I probably have enough to get me through the winter.
While I was admiring the woodpile i snapped a couple pictures.

 

[bowtechmadman]

And the pictures

 

[CowboyAndy]

Well since I am basically new here I thought I would take the time to express what wood is to me. If this disinterests you, I would save your time and skip to the next post as this may get long winded.

Cutting wood = heat. This is how I thought when I first started a couple years ago. I looked at my first pile of logs and thought, "Oh my, I have to cut that, split it, move it out back (the delivery truck can not go back there), and stack it! This is going to suck." Then I started and realized it is a lot like working on cars to me. Aside from concentrating on what I am doing, I have time to spend on my own thoughts about God, wife, kids, cars, plans for the future, etc. Man, I lose myself in the work.

Last weekend I replaced a wheel bearing on our Pastors car for him. He in turn asked me if I wanted him to help me get some wood put up. I looked at him and said, "Well, duh" (we have a rather sarcastic relationship). So, for the next 2 hours I cut, he manned the splitter and loaded the trailer, then we hauled it to the pile. What a good time! I had no plans to cut wood that afternoon seeing as that is all I had done the previous day in helping take down a large Oak at the church, at home, and for a few hours leading up to his arrival the next day. I was sore on Monday and almost forgot why! I have had some of the best moments working with a friend taking care of the wood pile, conversing while stacking, pushing each other to go faster, and just working towards a goal of completion. I also sicken some people when I tell them I like the work.

Now, cutting wood = heat + a sense of being

I may not have the fastest saw, the best splitter, nice trailer (I use an old junk gutted 5x7 pop up camper), or the nicest wood shed, but I have the knowledge and satisfaction of knowing my home and shop will be warm because I put it a little effort to make it that way. Try getting that from propane, natural gas, fuel oil, coal, wood pellets, or even delivered cut and split wood.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings,

Chris

I 100% agree with you. My kids (9 and 12) go with me most of the time, so I spend alot of time using phrases like "get to work" "stop chasing your sister with a stick" "dont stand on the logs", etc. But, the rest of it is ... well. just like you described. I was just telling my boss (who heats with wood) that I feel like I got to know myself better.

you boys need some proof of how good it is by the wood pile?

the little nephew and i were hanging out a little earlier today.

i'd hit the wood, he'd run in and throw the piece into the pile. then he hopped into the truck knowing i had my saws with me.


and by the way how old is old enough for saw time? 6? he cut his first cookie with my 2hunge. i mean of course i was holding the saw while he cut (my finger was on the trigger with my other hand over his on the handle)

he already has the itch!

not only that but he did a fine job with the blower on the leaves! looks like i found one member for my labor pool in a few years. lol

I had the conversation with my wife about my 9 year old using a chainsaw... thought about getting him a 18 volt 12" saw, but the final desicion was nay, due to the lack of safety gear for that size.

here are some of the fruits of my labor...

this is about 2/3rds for the '09/'10 season...

 

[Big86inthestixx]

you ain't nuts

I love to cut wood, its just the enjoyment of running the saws, splitters and hauling it in the great West michigan outdoors. I love it so much i just cant stop doing it, i live north of howard city MI, and normally burn bout 4-5 chord a year well as it sits right now, i have cut split and stacked 21 chord of wood. Outta last a few years.
not to get preachy, but i have to thank the lord im able to do all of this great work.
P.s my wife thinks im nuts for "Liking to Cut wood".
Thanks guys for all the great info on this site.

 

[Bob95065]

It's more than heat for me too! - long

I just joined the board and haven't felt the urge to post until I saw this thread.

I grew up in an unincorporated area in Cook County, Illinois. My parents still live in the house on three acres I grew up in and my grandparents lived in a second house on the property. In 1979 when I was 7 my grandfather was dying of congestive heart failure and my mom talked my dad into buying a wood stove to keep the house warm for him. My dad made a friend at the International Port of Chicago that brought him 40 yard dumpster loads of hardwood that my mom and dad cut up for firewood. My dad made a sawhorse of that foreign hardwood sometime in the late 1970's or early 1980's that sat out in the weather all the time that was just replaced this summer. That wood was good stuff.

My brother Paul and I stacked wood but weren't really interested until we were a few years older. I will always remember looking out the window and seeing my mom putting a beam on the sawhorse and feeing it through as my dad cut it into firewood length pieces.

In 1982 dad bought a John Deere 50V chainsaw that was made by Echo to cut firewood. I still tune up that saw for him. When Paul and I got into high school we took over a lot of the firewood work. We only had one maul (no log splitter) and used to fight over it after school and on weekends. My dad said he never saw kids fight over work. Anyway, we went to college and helped with wood during the summer.

I graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and took a job that led me to New Jersey. The free wood from the port dried up but they made friends with a tree trimmer and they used to stockpile firewood all summer. I would go back for a week and split and stack six cords with a maul. My hands would swell and hurt but I loved the way it felt to work with my hands.

Eventually I moved to Santa Cruz, CA where I still live now. One year work really picked up and I couldn't get back to split wood for them. They went to turn on the furnace and they found the jets had rusted shut from lack of use! The next summer I went back and found a log splitter in the local paper that dad and I bought for $150. It had sat outside in the weather for years and was a little neglected, but the big parts were all there. I went through it for him and got it running. The old Briggs 10HP that was on it was in need of rebuild and I couldn't get parts because it was so old. I wound up finding a International Cub Cadet junkyard in South Bend, IN. I put a 10HP Kohler with electric start on there for him. He still uses that splitter today.

I bought a house in Santa Cruz in 2001. When I was looking for a house I made sure it had a wood stove. I heat with wood here, although I don’t need as much as we did in Illinois.

I got married in January 2001. At first Jill didn't like the idea of stacking firewood until she moved in after we got married and saw the drastic drop in the PG&E bill from the wood heat. That spring I sold me Toyota truck and bought a 3/4 ton Dodge diesel primarily for hauling wood and she went with me and stacked wood in the truck while I split it with the maul. Cutting firewood as a family had passed from my parents to the next generation.

This past summer was a good year for firewood. There were tree major wildfires in Santa Cruz last summer and the last was blamed on the huge eucalyptus groves at the south end of the county. An elder at our church suffered great damage and loss due to the fire and started cutting down the eucalyptus trees. another guy from church had me bring down six trees and he wants six more brought down next spring. I have a friend who has access to 15,000 acres of forest his company owns if I ever come up short of wood.

Today Jill and I came home from the hospital with our four day old son. He was born on the 16th and had a hard time fighting dehydration and required an IV last night. When we got home it was 60° in the house so I started a fire to warm the place up. It feels so good to warm the house for your family with wood you cut and split. I can't wait until I have a little stacker to help me with the wood during the summer. I'm already figuring out what kind of chainsaw to get him when he gets older. I imagine he’ll use one of mine the same way I used my dad’s.

I guess the birth of our son and reading this post got me thinking about these things.

Bob

 

[ericjeeper]

Welcome to the site

I just joined the board and haven't felt the urge to post until I saw this thread.

I grew up in an unincorporated area in Cook County, Illinois. My parents still live in the house on three acres I grew up in and my grandparents lived in a second house on the property. In 1979 when I was 7 my grandfather was dying of congestive heart failure and my mom talked my dad into buying a wood stove to keep the house warm for him. My dad made a friend at the International Port of Chicago that brought him 40 yard dumpster loads of hardwood that my mom and dad cut up for firewood. My dad made a sawhorse of that foreign hardwood sometime in the late 1970's or early 1980's that sat out in the weather all the time that was just replaced this summer. That wood was good stuff.

My brother Paul and I stacked wood but weren't really interested until we were a few years older. I will always remember looking out the window and seeing my mom putting a beam on the sawhorse and feeing it through as my dad cut it into firewood length pieces.

In 1982 dad bought a John Deere 50V chainsaw that was made by Echo to cut firewood. I still tune up that saw for him. When Paul and I got into high school we took over a lot of the firewood work. We only had one maul (no log splitter) and used to fight over it after school and on weekends. My dad said he never saw kids fight over work. Anyway, we went to college and helped with wood during the summer.

I graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and took a job that led me to New Jersey. The free wood from the port dried up but they made friends with a tree trimmer and they used to stockpile firewood all summer. I would go back for a week and split and stack six cords with a maul. My hands would swell and hurt but I loved the way it felt to work with my hands.

Eventually I moved to Santa Cruz, CA where I still live now. One year work really picked up and I couldn't get back to split wood for them. They went to turn on the furnace and they found the jets had rusted shut from lack of use! The next summer I went back and found a log splitter in the local paper that dad and I bought for $150. It had sat outside in the weather for years and was a little neglected, but the big parts were all there. I went through it for him and got it running. The old Briggs 10HP that was on it was in need of rebuild and I couldn't get parts because it was so old. I wound up finding a International Cub Cadet junkyard in South Bend, IN. I put a 10HP Kohler with electric start on there for him. He still uses that splitter today.

I bought a house in Santa Cruz in 2001. When I was looking for a house I made sure it had a wood stove. I heat with wood here, although I don’t need as much as we did in Illinois.

I got married in January 2001. At first Jill didn't like the idea of stacking firewood until she moved in after we got married and saw the drastic drop in the PG&E bill from the wood heat. That spring I sold me Toyota truck and bought a 3/4 ton Dodge diesel primarily for hauling wood and she went with me and stacked wood in the truck while I split it with the maul. Cutting firewood as a family had passed from my parents to the next generation.

This past summer was a good year for firewood. There were tree major wildfires in Santa Cruz last summer and the last was blamed on the huge eucalyptus groves at the south end of the county. An elder at our church suffered great damage and loss due to the fire and started cutting down the eucalyptus trees. another guy from church had me bring down six trees and he wants six more brought down next spring. I have a friend who has access to 15,000 acres of forest his company owns if I ever come up short of wood.

Today Jill and I came home from the hospital with our four day old son. He was born on the 16th and had a hard time fighting dehydration and required an IV last night. When we got home it was 60° in the house so I started a fire to warm the place up. It feels so good to warm the house for your family with wood you cut and split. I can't wait until I have a little stacker to help me with the wood during the summer. I'm already figuring out what kind of chainsaw to get him when he gets older. I imagine he’ll use one of mine the same way I used my dad’s.

I guess the birth of our son and reading this post got me thinking about these things.

Bob

Awesome story. You stick around here long enough and you will be owning ten saws, even one for the Mrs. Congrats on the new baby.

 

[toddstreeservic]

Great post! Way to come out of the closet!! Hope the little one is better soon and home with mom!

 

[Coldfront]

Nice topic, I also consider cutting and splitting fun. The other day I was outside with one of my cutting buddies and we heard a chainsaw running in the distance, we looked at each other and said man someone is having some fun.

:greenchainsaw: