Just starting out with firewood. Have some questions....

[butterfly7171]

Chimney sweep

Pine burning is okay. Think of it this way? You are going to sweep your chimmney once a year anyway, right?

I do plan on sweeping the chimney once a year. Do that in the Spring usually? I am going to do it myself or should I hire someone? I have an easy stack and he said I could do it myself. It is short and straight and I should be able to see right down. He said to get a 6" brush I think? I will have to call him again.

 

[butterfly7171]

Scary !!

Glad we didn't scare you away!

Pine will burn fine, just make sure it's dry. Out west, you don't get much hardwood to burn, and you don't hear of places burning down all the time!

Dry is the key. Pine will also burn quick, that's why it's not favored in areas where there is plenty of hardwood species to burn.

In terms of the circular saw.........be as careful with that as you are with a chainsaw. I got in a fight with one and lost, but it was my own fault (using it left handed and one handed with a right handed saw on a big sheet of plywood. Was trying to hold the wood with my right hand, the saw kicked, the guard stuck and I got a cut wrist with five disconnected tendons, a neat groove in the bone, an expensive ride in an ambulance, surgery, lots of drugs and three months of PT!

That is a scary story with the circular saw....I will be careful. I can't afford to get hurt in any way since I have so much to do and so many animals to take care of. I had 5 shoulder surgeries and that was enough for me. I will take your advice and only use it as directed. So, I should always have both hands on the saw? And, holding down the with with what? My knee?

Glad I asked about the pine. Many people see it as junk wood up here. We have acres and acres of hardwood. I live in the middle of the Adirondack mountains. Beautiful country but tough winters. Last year was the worst in the a long time. My snowblower and I became good friends.

 

[butterfly7171]

Pine

I agree; Pine is fine..if dry.
I find Red Pine to be fairly good actually- definitely better than White.
(You can usually tell Red Pine trees right away, because they have a 'gnarled' look to them and the needles are pretty thick.) Red Pine drys relatively quick and burns pretty good in my experience.
I have found White Pine to be lower quality overall. It is very, very lightweight (low density) and you can certainly feel the flimsiness of it the moment you pick it up. It burns very fast. You can cut and split your pieces quite a bit larger to offset this behavior.
But as so many have said, "It all burns".

I think the pine I have is white pine. It is already split so I am not sure. It is very lightweight and I can tell a big difference between that and the other wood. I planned on using most of it for kindling but have not split it yet so I will leave larger pieces to burn. I expect to have smaller fires in the fall and spring, would pine be a good solution to heat the house? The house is well insulated and if I get the stove burning hot fast and then let it die down then I think the house will stay warm for quite a while. What is your thinking on that? Good or bad idea? Or, should pine just be mixed in with other wood?

 

[Misfit138]

..I planned on using most of it for kindling but have not split it yet so I will leave larger pieces to burn.

Yes, you will see that even with relatively large pieces, it will light up quick and burn hot and fast when dry. I like to leave at least some of my pine extra thick for overnight pieces, so I don't have to go into my more precious hardwoods (like Mulberry, my favorite) when I have them.

I expect to have smaller fires in the fall and spring, would pine be a good solution to heat the house? The house is well insulated and if I get the stove burning hot fast and then let it die down then I think the house will stay warm for quite a while. What is your thinking on that? Good or bad idea?

I think that's a good idea. In New York, you're gonna wanna keep the hardwoods for the colder months. If it is dry, the pine should be great for October-November and Late March-April.

Personally, I take any wood I can get, so what I burn changes from year-to-year. If it works out that way for you, I think you'll find your experience and planning ability will grow quickly as you familiarize yourself with the uniqueness of each wood. Like a lot of others here, I find it fun to experiment and to tweak my methods, and you will too.
I am also a North-South stacking advocate (stacking wood in the stove from front to back as opposed to East-West, which is the conventional-looking side-to-side stacking).
You might want to try both, and choose what works best for you and your stove.
Take advantage of all the tips you can; there are many knowledgeable and helpful people here.

One last thing? Does your stove have an outdoor air kit attached?

 

[butterfly7171]

Air kit

Yes, you will see that even with relatively large pieces, it will light up quick and burn hot and fast when dry. I like to leave at least some of my pine extra thick for overnight pieces, so I don't have to go into my more precious hardwoods (like Mulberry, my favorite) when I have them.


I think that's a good idea. In New York, you're gonna wanna keep the hardwoods for the colder months. If it is dry, the pine should be great for October-November and Late March-April.

Personally, I take any wood I can get, so what I burn changes from year-to-year. If it works out that way for you, I think you'll find your experience and planning ability will grow quickly as you familiarize yourself with the uniqueness of each wood. Like a lot of others here, I find it fun to experiment and to tweak my methods, and you will too.
I am also a North-South stacking advocate (stacking wood in the stove from front to back as opposed to East-West, which is the conventional-looking side-to-side stacking).
You might want to try both, and choose what works best for you and your stove.
Take advantage of all the tips you can; there are many knowledgeable and helpful people here.

One last thing? Does your stove have an outdoor air kit attached?

Thanks for the advice on the pine. It really helps and why waste it if I can burn it safely? I do have an outdoor air kit on my stove because it is a doublewide. It pulls air in from the outside which is great because it would definitely deplete my air from inside the house if I didn't have it. This house is made very tight and extremely well insulated. My only concern with the stove is that it may get too hot in here but over time I will figure out how to regulate the temperature.

 

[butterfly7171]

Chicken Coop

I know this is off topic but has anyone built a chicken coop with pallets or know where I could get a good set of plans to build an inexpensive one? I am thinking about getting some chickens. Love those fresh eggs....Won't be frying them up though...They will be new pets with names.

 

[fiasco]

That is a scary story with the circular saw....I will be careful. I can't afford to get hurt in any way since I have so much to do and so many animals to take care of. I had 5 shoulder surgeries and that was enough for me. I will take your advice and only use it as directed. So, I should always have both hands on the saw? And, holding down the with with what? My knee?

Glad I asked about the pine. Many people see it as junk wood up here. We have acres and acres of hardwood. I live in the middle of the Adirondack mountains. Beautiful country but tough winters. Last year was the worst in the a long time. My snowblower and I became good friends.

Should always have both hands on saw, should always set saw depth to what you need to do the job. You should also have the stuff you're working on clamped or otherwise secured on a bench/sawhorses (there's a joke here for a horse person, I think). For something like a pallet, I might just put it on the ground and buzz through all the slats with the saw depth set to an inch, then flip it to the other side. I'd put the ends in a vise or probably my little Black and Decker Workmate bench. Or use a Sawzall if there are too many nails.

The reality is if you set up every single thing to eliminate every single way you can have an accident, you'll never accomplish anything. Be smart, if you're in a rush, stop and think; if you're working angry, go get a cup of coffee and take a break. My "oops" was ultimately because I was rushing to finish a job so I could take the afternoon off, I'd messed up because I was rushing, and with temper short, I raced to the lumberyard for another sheet of T1-11, raced back, tried to race through the cut.

Work slow and steady, think, and be aware of where all your appendages are in relation to whatever implement of destruction you're wielding, and you'll be fine. And wear the proper safety gear!

 

[4seasons]

I do plan on sweeping the chimney once a year. Do that in the Spring usually? I am going to do it myself or should I hire someone? I have an easy stack and he said I could do it myself. It is short and straight and I should be able to see right down. He said to get a 6" brush I think? I will have to call him again.

Sweeping a chimney is an easy job if you can get on the roof. I sweep mine every month while I am burning. I get on the roof while there is no fire burning and look down the chimney while my wife shines a flashlight up so I can see the buildup. I don't really need to do it this often but is is so simple and takes longer to set up the ladder than run the brush down it a few times. My main buildup is in the flue pipe so I have to let the fire go out to clean that. The brushes aren't very expensive and should match the inner liner of your chimney. I use a screw together fiberglass rod and go down from the top. Takes 5 minutes to put the rod together, another 5 to get the ladder set up, 5 to sweep the chimney, 10 minutes to put everything back up and another 5 to take a putty knife to the flue pipe, and 5 more to wash the black off my hands and arms. 30 minute job that makes me feel safer and sleep better.

 

[zogger]

chicken tractor

I know this is off topic but has anyone built a chicken coop with pallets or know where I could get a good set of plans to build an inexpensive one? I am thinking about getting some chickens. Love those fresh eggs....Won't be frying them up though...They will be new pets with names.

Google "chicken tractor" to look at movable pens. You just keep dragging them over new ground all the time, then they can scratch at will and eat bugs and seeds, etc.they stay safe from predators that way, plus clean the ground.

Ya, fresh eggs are good. We get a few now, used to have a big flock over a hundred but now only a few.

FWIW, ducks are even better. lay year round, tame up better, follow you around like a puppy. If you let them out they will even clean the garden and not hit the veggies like chickens will.

 

[butterfly7171]

Also good advice from woodman,

Kilndried?? what the heck is that? Sounds like a waste to me as well. The only way I would see a need for kilndried would be if you where keeping a lot of wood indoors where you live (no insects). I never keep wood indoors, at least not long enough to get warm.

I dont cover the top but I do try to line the top with the bark facing up. I don't want to provide too nice of a home for the creatures. I cover the tops with plastic just before the snow comes, it sucks bringing in snowy wood.

Not getting into the kilndried and the guy who does it is kind of a jerk anyway. I went over there last week and he has tons of kindling wood. I asked if he ever gave it away and he said "nothing is free !". He uses a bulldozer and dumps it over the side of a cliff before he will give it away. Amazing....Good idea about keeping the bark facing up. I would have never thought of that !

 

[butterfly7171]

Back again...

Google "chicken tractor" to look at movable pens. You just keep dragging them over new ground all the time, then they can scratch at will and eat bugs and seeds, etc.they stay safe from predators that way, plus clean the ground.

Ya, fresh eggs are good. We get a few now, used to have a big flock over a hundred but now only a few.

FWIW, ducks are even better. lay year round, tame up better, follow you around like a puppy. If you let them out they will even clean the garden and not hit the veggies like chickens will.

Hi zogger ! It's been a while. I have been busy with the horses. I think I will put the chickens on hold till next year. Better to get through my first year with the woodstove and then maybe chickens. I am also thinking about getting some roasters. My brother's girlfriend knows how to kill and clean them. I am not sure I want to do that but I guess there is a first time for everything. I have been slowly chipping away at cutting up my pallets. It is slow since my battery operated circular only lasts for one pallet and then I have to change the battery. So, I get to cut up 2 pallets a day. I have attached pics. I have been getting some free wood from a guy that does woodcarvings but it is pine. Good for the fall wood. He suggested I get a Stihl 210 chainsaw. It felt comfortable to me so I am just waiting until I save some money. I had a ladder delivered the other day and the guy unloaded all his extra pallets from his truck and gave them to me. Free wood is fun ! I think I have some decent wood from him that I can make a box to hold my wood in the house. Why buy stuff. My garden is getting huge and I picked a zucchini today and had it for dinner. Probably will can and freeze alot of it.
View attachment 190840View attachment 190841View attachment 190842View attachment 190843

 

[zogger]

Cool stuff!

Hi zogger ! It's been a while. I have been busy with the horses. I think I will put the chickens on hold till next year. Better to get through my first year with the woodstove and then maybe chickens. I am also thinking about getting some roasters. My brother's girlfriend knows how to kill and clean them. I am not sure I want to do that but I guess there is a first time for everything. I have been slowly chipping away at cutting up my pallets. It is slow since my battery operated circular only lasts for one pallet and then I have to change the battery. So, I get to cut up 2 pallets a day. I have attached pics. I have been getting some free wood from a guy that does woodcarvings but it is pine. Good for the fall wood. He suggested I get a Stihl 210 chainsaw. It felt comfortable to me so I am just waiting until I save some money. I had a ladder delivered the other day and the guy unloaded all his extra pallets from his truck and gave them to me. Free wood is fun ! I think I have some decent wood from him that I can make a box to hold my wood in the house. Why buy stuff. My garden is getting huge and I picked a zucchini today and had it for dinner. Probably will can and freeze alot of it.
View attachment 190840View attachment 190841View attachment 190842View attachment 190843

Ain't modern day homesteading fun?

Chickens, not too hard to kill and clean, especially if you skip plucking and just do skinning instead. And fresh eggs are just lovely, especially when they get to eat real chicken food and not store milled food, like bugs and seeds and whatever they scrounge and peck. The whites stand up real firm and the yolks are dark deep yellow. No comparison with the watery thin store bought eggs. And wait until you get your first babies, the biddies! Of course that means you need a rooster, the standard is around one rooster to ten laying hens. That's rough but what works. And wait until you hear a rooster sweet talking a hen, they are the "barry whites" of the bird kingdom...

And good on all the scrounged and stacked wood, it's like depositing money in the bank-the deposit is the stacking, then it accrues interest, gets better for burning, as it seasons and dries out. Stored solar, love it...

We are getting all sorts of veggies now, this time of year is great. We are a month behind from all the rain in the spring, but it is all coming in good now, you name it tomatoes peppers egg plants cabbages, all sorts of stuff. Pretty soon get to some melons (cantelopes and water) and the sweet corn first planting, is about ready. Well maybe, first time for me trying out mexican high protein blue corn..see how that goes, might be better dried and then made into corn meal..second planting we did is kandy korn, that's a coupla months away still. How about this, ate some fresh picked figs today..from a tree growing in a container in the greenhouse!

 

[Steve NW WI]

Ain't modern day homesteading fun?

Chickens, not too hard to kill and clean, especially if you skip plucking and just do skinning instead.

Anyone eating a skinless chicken is a communist, no more, no less. I thought you were in GA? The GA boys I know would run ya outta the state for skinning a chicken.

 

[butterfly7171]

Ain't modern day homesteading fun?

Chickens, not too hard to kill and clean, especially if you skip plucking and just do skinning instead. And fresh eggs are just lovely, especially when they get to eat real chicken food and not store milled food, like bugs and seeds and whatever they scrounge and peck. The whites stand up real firm and the yolks are dark deep yellow. No comparison with the watery thin store bought eggs. And wait until you get your first babies, the biddies! Of course that means you need a rooster, the standard is around one rooster to ten laying hens. That's rough but what works. And wait until you hear a rooster sweet talking a hen, they are the "barry whites" of the bird kingdom...

And good on all the scrounged and stacked wood, it's like depositing money in the bank-the deposit is the stacking, then it accrues interest, gets better for burning, as it seasons and dries out. Stored solar, love it...

We are getting all sorts of veggies now, this time of year is great. We are a month behind from all the rain in the spring, but it is all coming in good now, you name it tomatoes peppers egg plants cabbages, all sorts of stuff. Pretty soon get to some melons (cantelopes and water) and the sweet corn first planting, is about ready. Well maybe, first time for me trying out mexican high protein blue corn..see how that goes, might be better dried and then made into corn meal..second planting we did is kandy korn, that's a coupla months away still. How about this, ate some fresh picked figs today..from a tree growing in a container in the greenhouse!

I don't know about skinning the chickens. I love to eat the skin especially when it is crunchy !! I want to get chickens for eggs this year but I don't want to overwhelm myself with too much work. Still thinking about it though. Really don't like store bought eggs and I watch way too many documentaries on mass produced eggs in filthy chicken coops.

My garden is doing great. Picked a few zucchini already and this is early for up here. Next year my garden will be twice the size and planting lots more corn and watermelon. I just didnt' have enough room this year.

I want to get some fruit trees also but I am not sure how they will do in this climate up here. We have a very long winter, short Spring and short Fall. We did not have a good hay year this year and I am disappointed. The cuttings are almost a month late and my horses are having trouble eating the rough stuff. Paying 3.35 a bale for it. How is the hay by you? expensive? I have to look at other options for hay next year. I get 1000 bales a year but pay the guy on a monthly basis. I am hoping I can save enough so that I can look around for somebody else next year. I wish I had my own hay fields but only have 1 acre of land.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

I don't know about skinning the chickens. I love to eat the skin especially when it is crunchy !! I want to get chickens for eggs this year but I don't want to overwhelm myself with too much work. Still thinking about it though. Really don't like store bought eggs and I watch way too many documentaries on mass produced eggs in filthy chicken coops.

My garden is doing great. Picked a few zucchini already and this is early for up here. Next year my garden will be twice the size and planting lots more corn and watermelon. I just didnt' have enough room this year.

I want to get some fruit trees also but I am not sure how they will do in this climate up here. We have a very long winter, short Spring and short Fall. We did not have a good hay year this year and I am disappointed. The cuttings are almost a month late and my horses are having trouble eating the rough stuff. Paying 3.35 a bale for it. How is the hay by you? expensive? I have to look at other options for hay next year. I get 1000 bales a year but pay the guy on a monthly basis. I am hoping I can save enough so that I can look around for somebody else next year. I wish I had my own hay fields but only have 1 acre of land.

lol we thought the same thing when buying fifteen goats... two years later we had 225 head in the pasture...when its no longer fun to work at get rid of them and start over..good luck..:msp_thumbsup:

 

[Steve NW WI]

\ Paying 3.35 a bale for it. How is the hay by you? expensive?

Couldn't tell ya the price on horse hay, but up here good dairy alfalfa is expensive and getting higher every day. $7.00 corn will get a lot of hayfields plowed under. I wish I had some hay ground myself - except I'd probably be out baling in this 100° heat. All my ground is rented out, and planted to corn.

There's a chance I'll run it myself next year, and it will all be seeded to alfalfa. I can't afford to buy the machinery needed for corn, and I have everything I need except the baler for hay. A decent round baler is on the shopping list, of course depending on the price.

 

[JimmyT]

Wood Burning Tips

I just read your post today. I have been heating my home for 25 years with wood. I keep a fire going 24 hours a day for 6 months and I burn about 5 cords of wood per winter. I generally burn red oak because it heats well, easy to split and the ash left is minimal. Get your wood delivered and stacked in April so it can go through summer heat and season out. Tarp it in the winter months. I stack my wood on landscape timbers because it is very important to keep it off the ground because of rot and added moisture content. Heating your home is a lot of work but it rewarding in that feeling of independence when there is an ice storm or when the power lines are down. Just buy your wood for a couple of years then gradually start gathering your own wood. Operating a chainsaw and splitting wood can be dangerous so work with someone in the community for a while until you get the feel for it. You may get by on 2 cords if you supplement with kerosene but you will need 4 to 5 cords if you go 100% wood.

 

[Rickochet]

What did the inspector have to say about the installation? The curtains are too close and very susceptible to spontaneous combustion. The stove looks sweet and you have a nice jag of wood going. You are going to love the heat and you will not miss the kerosene smell!
:msp_biggrin:

 

[Misfit138]

To each his own, I guess; I actually like the smell of kerosene. It reminds me of a simpler time.
No question that I prefer heating with wood, though.