Firewood: So is everyone set for winter?

[BlueRidgeMark]

Where are you, Bob? I see two towns called Live Oak in California. West of Sacramento? That would put you in the foothills of the Sierra, right?

 

[JAM]

Eleven cord mixed hardwood cut, split, dry. Hope it's enough to last since I really enjoy fighting with green wood. :deadhorse:

 

[Gologit]

Where are you, Bob? I see two towns called Live Oak in California. West of Sacramento? That would put you in the foothills of the Sierra, right?

We're north of Sacramento,just north of Yuba City. Our place is in the valley right at the foot of the Sutter Buttes. I work mostly on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada and sometimes over in the Coast Range. Best of both worlds...live in the valley and work in the mountains.

 

[Asskckr]

abide this dude

Back in my days of youth, about 13 or so yrs ago, my cousin and I used to go in about 7am, we'd cut/split/stack about 20 cords a day like once or twice a week, all done by hand. My crazy cousin, ugh, he used to kill me doing that sh!t. You really get in good shape though, that's why I don't stop doing it now... My cousin is pushing 70 now, looks like he's about 40 and still cuts/splits/stacks by hand about 30 or 40 cord of wood/yr as well as cuts logs for his sawmill. I wouldn't smack him, that's for sure, lol...

I never realised that firewoodin was so much like fishin, all them tall tales and such.

Doooooooooode, yerself and yer cousin were cuttin and splittin and stacking about 1 and 1/4 cords an hour each. now that probably didn't happen, maybe ougt get my waders on.

 

[ciscoguy01]

Come on now

I never realised that firewoodin was so much like fishin, all them tall tales and such.

Doooooooooode, yerself and yer cousin were cuttin and splittin and stacking about 1 and 1/4 cords an hour each. now that probably didn't happen, maybe ougt get my waders on.

OK, your really not going to want to hear this. This fall, with my 041 and my 266XP, I cut 18 face cords from logs into blocks in 1, yes that's right, ONE DAY. I started at 8am, I was walking out and headed home at 730pm. BY MYSELF. And this was EASY. All logs were already in place and 10-14 foot lengths, I even split a pickup load of it that day to bring back with me when I went. So my wife reads this forum, and she laughed. Today, we cut/split/delivered 3.5 cords of wood in just over 4 hours. I didn't even touch a maul. I let her split it, I cut she split. We went in at 12pm and were headed home at 430pm. Now this is my 120lb wife, granted she's a body builder, but still. She split 3.5 cords, w/out delivery or running around time, it prolly only took her around 3 hrs. we even stacked it all for the old guy we brought it to. we stopped and got hot dogs and drinks. Maybe I should let you borrow her for a day so she can show you how to cut and split. If you CAN'T cut and split like this, you need to hire a girl to do your work dude. LMAO It's even funnier, she filmed a bunch of us cutting and splitting today. That's a far cry from 2 grown men that work in the woods all day pretty much every day for 12-15 hours a day.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Cords?


Or face cords?

 

[Butch(OH)]

OK, your really not going to want to hear this. This fall, with my 041 and my 266XP, I cut 18 face cords from logs into blocks in 1, yes that's right, ONE DAY. I started at 8am, I was walking out and headed home at 730pm. BY MYSELF. And this was EASY. All logs were already in place and 10-14 foot lengths, I even split a pickup load of it that day to bring back with me when I went. So my wife reads this forum, and she laughed. Today, we cut/split/delivered 3.5 cords of wood in just over 4 hours. I didn't even touch a maul. I let her split it, I cut she split. We went in at 12pm and were headed home at 430pm. Now this is my 120lb wife, granted she's a body builder, but still. She split 3.5 cords, w/out delivery or running around time, it prolly only took her around 3 hrs. we even stacked it all for the old guy we brought it to. we stopped and got hot dogs and drinks. Maybe I should let you borrow her for a day so she can show you how to cut and split. If you CAN'T cut and split like this, you need to hire a girl to do your work dude. LMAO It's even funnier, she filmed a bunch of us cutting and splitting today. That's a far cry from 2 grown men that work in the woods all day pretty much every day for 12-15 hours a day.

Take good care of that gal cause iffen you dont Imma gonna come steal her.

 

[Dr. Hackemoff]

What Butch said. Treat that lady like a queen.

It's nice to see a couple work so well together - well done youngsters.

 

[ciscoguy01]

Face cord

Cords?


Or face cords?

That's all I cut. Everything I reference is face cord. Yup yup, she's a firecracker alright...

 

[Foghorn]

OK, your really not going to want to hear this. This fall, with my 041 and my 266XP, I cut 18 face cords from logs into blocks in 1, yes that's right, ONE DAY. I started at 8am, I was walking out and headed home at 730pm. BY MYSELF. And this was EASY. All logs were already in place and 10-14 foot lengths, I even split a pickup load of it that day to bring back with me when I went. So my wife reads this forum, and she laughed. Today, we cut/split/delivered 3.5 cords of wood in just over 4 hours. I didn't even touch a maul. I let her split it, I cut she split. We went in at 12pm and were headed home at 430pm. Now this is my 120lb wife, granted she's a body builder, but still. She split 3.5 cords, w/out delivery or running around time, it prolly only took her around 3 hrs. we even stacked it all for the old guy we brought it to. we stopped and got hot dogs and drinks. Maybe I should let you borrow her for a day so she can show you how to cut and split. If you CAN'T cut and split like this, you need to hire a girl to do your work dude. LMAO It's even funnier, she filmed a bunch of us cutting and splitting today. That's a far cry from 2 grown men that work in the woods all day pretty much every day for 12-15 hours a day.

My wife is the same way...

BTW - I'm glad you clarified that it was face cords...

 

[curdy]

Tried it yet? I haven't split it yet! I'm waaaaay behind.


It's been stacked uncut, and should be good to go once I split it. I hope. It's looking pretty good. Splitting will be another matter, I hear!

I'm using a poor man's solar oven to shorten drying time. Stack on pallet, wrap with clear plastic, top with clear plastic, leaving room for ventilation out the top. The wood is stacked higher in the middle. A 2x4 on the top of the stack that sticks out both sides about 2 feet. My top sheet of plastic goes over that, and overhangs the sides. Kind of like having eaves on a roof. So air can go in the bottom via the pallet, up through the stack, and out the stack just under the eaves. With sun on the stack, the plastic acts like a greenhouse and heats things up. Air flows, drying happens, and I hope it will be enough!

I'm actually haulling about twice the wood I need, though, because about half the stuff I'm getting is dry, so I just split it and sort it into dry and green. The green stuff will go for next year.

Hey Mark, how about a picture of your home made solor oven? I'm thinking about doing something like that to make sure mine's dry. I stacked a bunch in early spring...only to find that where I stacked it was in the shade for 1/2 the day. I never got around to moving it. Its in the sun for the full day now...so I think it will be ready, but wouldn't hurt to make sure!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

That's all I cut. Everything I reference is face cord.

If it's a face cord say so.


Or better yet, learn to use proper term, "cord", which means 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, instead of that means-anything-anybody-wants-it-to-mean bogus term, "face cord".

Or learn to accept being called a liar when you claim to split 20 "cords" in a day. (You didn't, BTW.)

One more time in case you missed it: A "face cord" is NOT a cord. A cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood.

For all anybody knows your "face cord" could be 10 cubic feet.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Hey Mark, how about a picture of your home made solor oven? I'm thinking about doing something like that to make sure mine's dry. I stacked a bunch in early spring...only to find that where I stacked it was in the shade for 1/2 the day. I never got around to moving it. Its in the sun for the full day now...so I think it will be ready, but wouldn't hurt to make sure!

I'll try to rustle one up for you tomorrow. I expect to start burning wood from it in the next week or so, so I'll have a report then on how well it works.

Theory is great, but it remains to be proven!

 

[ciscoguy01]

Cords

If it's a face cord say so.


Or better yet, learn to use proper term, "cord", which means 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, instead of that means-anything-anybody-wants-it-to-mean bogus term, "face cord".

Or learn to accept being called a liar when you claim to split 20 "cords" in a day. (You didn't, BTW.)

One more time in case you missed it: A "face cord" is NOT a cord. A cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood.

For all anybody knows your "face cord" could be 10 cubic feet.

Sorry bout that. Here (where I live) everyone talks about cords, when said, it's standard that it's a face cord. If no one specifies either it's assumed face cord here in this part of the country. One would specify full cord for 4x4x8, which is very uncommon around these parts since it's really only stove cords/face cords that everyone here uses mostly, that would be 4x16"x8. Hence yes, I am a liar, not full cords, stove cords is what we used to do. Matter of fact, I don't think any 2 people out there could cut 60 face cord of wood in a day by hand.

 

[NORTHERN NYer]

Sorry bout that. Here (where I live) everyone talks about cords, when said, it's standard that it's a face cord. If no one specifies either it's assumed face cord here in this part of the country. One would specify full cord for 4x4x8, which is very uncommon around these parts since it's really only stove cords/face cords that everyone here uses mostly, that would be 4x16"x8. Hence yes, I am a liar, not full cords, stove cords is what we used to do. Matter of fact, I don't think any 2 people out there could cut 60 face cord of wood in a day by hand.

Yupp ciscoguy is correct folks around here call a cord of wood a stack 8ft long, 4 ft high and 16-18" wide. We say full or pulp cord for 4 x 4 x 8. Probably aint right, but thats the way the lingo goes around here. It took me a while to train myself to think like everyone else when I started viewing here.

 

[Rleonard]

Probably 8 cords put up now, Oak, some ash and hickory. Will burn about 4 and the rest is for next year. Still working on splitting and stacking for next winter (07-08)

Bob

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Hey Mark, how about a picture of your home made solor oven?

Here it is. In the close up you can see condensation where the water's coming out of the ends and condensing on the plastic in a few places. Click on the thumbnail for a full size version.

 

[Dr. Hackemoff]

Here it is. In the close up you can see condensation where the water's coming out of the ends and condensing on the plastic in a few places. Click on the thumbnail for a full size version.

Why not use black plastic to generate more (drying) heat?

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I wouldn't surprise me if black works better, but it's not a given by any means. I'd like to do a side by side test on that. It would be interesting to see which works better. (I might do that next summer.) There's someone else on this forum doing just that, and says it works great. Since somebody else has already proven that black works well, I thought I'd try another approach. So far, so good.

For now, I'm operating under the assumption that people who build greenhouses and solar hot water heaters know what they are doing. The light energy passes through the clear plastic and gets trapped inside. Going through the plastic (or glass) lowers the light frequency, and the lower wavelength energy doesn't escape as well.

It's a common misperception that black "attracts" heat. Not true. There's nothing any color can do to "attract" light. The light either falls on it or it doesn't - it's not going to change course to hit something that's darker. What darker colors do is to ABSORB light better than lighter colors. That's why they're dark.

In contrast, the clear doesn't absorb any, so it all goes through to the wood. How much comes back out again is the big question.

 

[curdy]

BlueRidge:

Interesting. I frequently hear that wind helps to dry. Obviously wind isn't the only way, and what you're doing is another method...are you able to tell yet if its a worth while trade-off?

like I mentioned, I think I'm good for the season...but I have no idea what to compare it to as this will be my first time ever using a stove for heat (picking it up tomorrow BTW!)

To be safe, I figured I'd try to speed up a small batch just in case I need it. My guess is that I wouldn't need to tap into it for maybe 3 months.

Let me know how it goes!