Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[DSW]

GRRRRR! I am ****ing fuming. If you have dipped into the splitting tool review thread You may have read I paid a tree service guy for a load of Ash. delivered at night time I was excited by the amount...until I saw it the next day. It was not all 'splitable by hand' as prmised, it was mainly massive crotches and I immediately saw barbed wire in several bits. Well since its out front of the house and I need it out back I've been working in short stints to keep noise aggravation down, but working to split things enough to get them to size that could be shifted. Having split what i could tonight i had a go with the saw on what remained. My battles with it using the maul had meant i'd handled it enough to know ALOT of wire is in that wood. I've also found a brick and some concrete. So I studied each piece hard, looking for wire entry and exit, looking for years old scared bark that would give me a clue of long since swallowed wire, and studying the numerous aborted cuts from the tree guy. Well I wasn't clever enough. 1 hour of work, not quite 3 bits cut up, and 3 chains blunted. FOR ****s sake! Then just as I'm mad one of my neighbours who I don't think of in good terms (as he has a huge oak that is damaging my house and has refused to reduce it....insurance company threatening legal action) has the gall to come and rant about the noise. yeah yeah. okay its 8pm. I had intended to run one tank of fuel and be finished long before 8, but 3 blunt chains and an incident with one getting stuck in the cut slowed me down somewhat. So now I'm left with a tiny bit of fuel in the saw still, which I hate (we have ethanol in our fuel so i hate leaving it in the saw). Still...my last sharp chain is fitted. tomorrow I'm working from home so lunch time I can get out and cut some non ash wood that should be wire free and just finish off the mix in the tank. the 3 blunt chains will go to my brother's FIL who kindly sharpens them on his grinder thing and I can start again. But with at least a dozen more un-move-ably large crotches, riddled with wire....this is going to be a long and slow process. I don't want to annoy my neighbours, and want to get the wood out the back where the gardens are bigger, trees and shrubs absorb the noise, and houses further apart. Trouble is I've got a lot of cutting to do to get these chunks small enough to shift....an awful lot when you hit wire and kill a chain in each lump. FOR ****s SAKE!!! I got well and truly stitched up by that tree guy!

And....breathe!!!

Sorry to hear that.

An hour ago I was literally thinking buying some logs might be the way to go.

 

[JustJeff]

Sorry to hear that.

An hour ago I was literally thinking buying some logs might be the way to go.

Gasp! Buy? Have to change the name of this thread! Lol

 

[JustJeff]

Been super duper hot and humid here last couple days but I couldn't take it anymore and slugged the 460 down to the fence where I have oodles of ginormous elm rounds that my splitter hates. This is a weeks worth of February nights from one round! Lots more where that came from. Hard to believe I cut this 30+ inch tree down and bucked with my poulan 5020 with vanguard chain! Thanks Arboristsite for the education!
Still like my 5020 (just with a muff mod and rs chain. And not in big wood)Oodles of noodles. Really liking this saw!

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

View attachment 524289Oodles of noodles. Really liking this saw!

Burning all of that luxurious fire starter? Or deluxe chicken bedding? Heresy!

(j/k, I know when you get enough noodles, you run out of things to do with them)

 

[barton174]

Saw this remainder of a tree, around 40" in diameter at the base, that somebody took the smaller stuff and didn't come back for this. After seeing it for a couple weeks on my way home, I stopped and talked to the guy. As suspected, guy didn't come back for the rest. He said I could have it. My 371XP and 550XP got a workout! Here's most of it:

 

[svk]

Looking good @Wood Nazi and @barton174 !

 

[svk]

Worked at cleaning the garage tonight. I did reclaim about a 10x15 area of floor space from the clutter.

Since I had to move saws around I figured I would dress the new to me 24" bar and throw it on the 562 in anticipation of the upcoming Aspen harvest. Added a fresh loop of LGX and we are ready to rock.



The new 65 fired on the first pull. Not used to that happening on an old saw! Threw on my 16" bar and a loop of D60 chain I scrounged off CL. It's bumper drive link (meh) but that will be fixed during the first sharpening.

 

[row.man]

This will be a first for me, the home owner is going to pay me to haul the brush away, never been paid to do a scrounge before

 

[MustangMike]

Well, at least so far, tonight is a lot calmer than last night was.

I was in my basement office, just shutting off my computer, and I heard the dogs playing just a little bit harder than they usually do, then I hear my wife scream "Oh No". I bolted up the stairs and my wife is standing by the sliding glass door to our back deck, we installed a magnetic screen earlier this year so the dogs could go in & out themselves.

Seems that our dogs caught a Raccoon on the deck, and the fight was going on fast & furious. My first instinct was to get a gun, but I soon realized I could not safely fire a shot w/o hitting a dog, so I ran down to the garage to get my Ironwood Walking Stick. Luckily, I had a long handle fish net right next to the walking stick, so I grabbed that also. We had to time it right opening the sliding door to go out cause we did not want them bringing it in to the house, they kept going back & forth on the deck at a very fast pace.

Somehow, I managed to get the net over the Raccoon, and then peeled the dogs off one at a time. The fight had lasted over 5 minutes, and went all over our 12 X 20 deck. The Raccoon had injuries he would not have survived, so I dispatched him with a high powered .22 pellet gun (can't shoot a real gun with houses on every 1/3 acre). To the surprise of both me and my wife, neither dog had any damage! The one had blood all over his belly, but it was not his blood.

The next day we noticed a 3" hole in the window screen that is above the deck, near the railing. I think the Raccoon must have done it, and the dogs (both were in the bedroom on the other side of the house) must have heard it and reacted.

Although my wife was horrified about what happened to the poor little critter (the two dogs basically used him like a pull toy), it is also good to know that the house has protectors that don't really sleep! Both dogs are Pit-Mix rescues from the shelter, and although they are both very friendly, I would never want to have to try to fend off both of them.

Back to Chainsaws!

 

[Khntr85]

Well, at least so far, tonight is a lot calmer than last night was.

I was in my basement office, just shutting off my computer, and I heard the dogs playing just a little bit harder than they usually do, then I hear my wife scream "Oh No". I bolted up the stairs and my wife is standing by the sliding glass door to our back deck, we installed a magnetic screen earlier this year so the dogs could go in & out themselves.

Seems that our dogs caught a Raccoon on the deck, and the fight was going on fast & furious. My first instinct was to get a gun, but I soon realized I could not safely fire a shot w/o hitting a dog, so I ran down to the garage to get my Ironwood Walking Stick. Luckily, I had a long handle fish net right next to the walking stick, so I grabbed that also. We had to time it right opening the sliding door to go out cause we did not want them bringing it in to the house, they kept going back & forth on the deck at a very fast pace.

Somehow, I managed to get the net over the Raccoon, and then peeled the dogs off one at a time. The fight had lasted over 5 minutes, and went all over our 12 X 20 deck. The Raccoon had injuries he would not have survived, so I dispatched him with a high powered .22 pellet gun (can't shoot a real gun with houses on every 1/3 acre). To the surprise of both me and my wife, neither dog had any damage! The one had blood all over his belly, but it was not his blood.

The next day we noticed a 3" hole in the window screen that is above the deck, near the railing. I think the Raccoon must have done it, and the dogs (both were in the bedroom on the other side of the house) must have heard it and reacted.

Although my wife was horrified about what happened to the poor little critter (the two dogs basically used him like a pull toy), it is also good to know that the house has protectors that don't really sleep! Both dogs are Pit-Mix rescues from the shelter, and although they are both very friendly, I would never want to have to try to fend off both of them.

Back to Chainsaws!

I tell ya mustangmike, you have brought a huge smile to my face.... I know it wasn't funny at the time, but I am sure you guys will laugh about this instance for a long time....

Speaking of dogs, I just had to put my 13 year old pit-bull down this spring...it was sad, I got the her when I moved out at 18 years old and I am turning 31 in November.....I always knew when she did bark, there was something wrong....I live in the country, so a dog that is cautious of stranger is priceless.....She knew all my family and friends, but any strange person or animal had to to answer to her....hell I even brought her in to live in my garage the past few years, just to make sure she was warm....

My dog was bred for fighting, but I saved her from that life....the way she protected me, and eventually my family (as I got older) always made me wonder if she knew I saved her from a pitiful existence.....any way I have not got another dog and don't know if I will, don't know if I could find one half as good as she was....RIP Sadie

 

[svk]

Great story @MustangMike ! I can only imagine the four of you on the deck during the final moments as you tried to net the raccoon.

I'm assuming you don't have the raccoon stewing for dinner like the boys down south would have?

 

[MustangMike]

I saved her from that life....the way she protected me, and eventually my family (as I got older) always made me wonder if she knew I saved her from a pitiful existence

I'm sure the one we had before these two knew, he just showed it in how he acted. They are very loyal and fearless dogs, very strong, and generally do not feel pain. If properly socialized (very important) they can (IMO) be among the best pets on the planet, and are generally very good with (and protective of) kids.

Heck, my previous Pit went to protect the two boys next door from their own Grandfather when he threw one of them in the air and the kid screamed. Then I screamed STOP, as my 75 lb big guy was going toward him. The dog froze in place, back up etc, and the world was quite till I grabbed him by the collar and brought him back.

 

[MustangMike]

I'm assuming you don't have the raccoon stewing for dinner like the boys down south would have?

Funny you mention that, so I told the wife "well, at least we can have red meat tonight", she did not find it so funny!

 

[benp]

I'm sure the one we had before these two knew, he just showed it in how he acted. They are very loyal and fearless dogs, very strong, and generally do not feel pain. If properly socialized (very important) they can (IMO) be among the best pets on the planet, and are generally very good with (and protective of) kids.

Heck, my previous Pit went to protect the two boys next door from their own Grandfather when he threw one of them in the air and the kid screamed. Then I screamed STOP, as my 75 lb big guy was going toward him. The dog froze in place, back up etc, and the world was quite till I grabbed him by the collar and brought him back.

Our old Bouvier was like that. When we lived in Delaware, he also kept an eye on the kids next door when they were outside playing.

A neighbors New Foundland came into their yard one day when the girls were outside and our dog did not tolerate that one lick.

Essentially a 110lb battering ram hit that dog head on.

My dad and I got over there quick enough luckily for the other dog.

 

[svk]

Funny you mention that, so I told the wife "well, at least we can have red meat tonight", she did not find it so funny!

 

[Khntr85]

Funny you mention that, so I told the wife "well, at least we can have red meat tonight", she did not find it so funny!

LOL, I bet it was intense for your wife......I grew up coon hunting and running dogs with my dad (he still loves coon hunting), some people don't know how mean and tough a 20 pound coon can be....

Yes I couldn't agree with you more on the socialization and training with these dogs.... I believe they NEED a firm and consistent owner to be raised up properly.....these idiots that let them run around with no discipline are the ones that make the breed look bad....my dog was extremely INTENSE easily until she was 8 years old....

Sounds like both of our dogs could sense danger very well.... I tell ya I will never forget her deep, low, aggressive growl....I always knew once I heard that growl I had roughly 10-60 seconds until someone or something had a major problem....
Here is a pic of Sadie....

 

[svk]

It really pisses me off when these young people go out of their way to get pit bulls because they are "cool" or "bad azz" then the dog gets no training or care and live up to their stereotype. Glad there are folks like you guys who are able to save a few of them.

 

[benp]

It really pisses me off when these young people go out of their way to get pit bulls because they are "cool" or "bad azz" then the dog gets no training or care and live up to their stereotype. Glad there are folks like you guys who are able to save a few of them.

Amen.

 

[MustangMike]

Our Lucy looks a lot like your Sadie:

Linus is a little bigger & stronger, but Lucy is older and is the boss.

 

[benp]

LOL, I bet it was intense for your wife......I grew up coon hunting and running dogs with my dad (he still loves coon hunting), some people don't know how mean and tough a 20 pound coon can be....

Yes I couldn't agree with you more on the socialization and training with these dogs.... I believe they NEED a firm and consistent owner to be raised up properly.....these idiots that let them run around with no discipline are the ones that make the breed look bad....my dog was extremely INTENSE easily until she was 8 years old....

Sounds like both of our dogs could sense danger very well.... I tell ya I will never forget her deep, low, aggressive growl....I always knew once I heard that growl I had roughly 10-60 seconds until someone or something had a major problem....
Here is a pic of Sadie....
View attachment 524384

Coons are noooooo joke.

I dumped one out of a tree in the backyard a few years ago. At the height of the "dead cat bounce" it righted itself and wanted war when it landed.

That's a great picture of Sadie.

The first thing that popped into my head when I saw it was "Ball?."