Going to run out of wood!

[unclemoustache]

Well, I underestimated this year, and it looks like I'll be out of wood in mid-January. I already burned all the elm and maple, and now I'm onto the stuff I was saving for the cold months - oak, hickory and mulberry. Got less than a cord left. :msp_sad:

Oh well. Maybe I can steal some from my neighbor, but now that he's got his own pickup, he won't be borrowing mine anymore, which means I will feel more guilty for stealing his wood. Can't be helped. Maybe I'll give him a can of 2-stroke oil in return.

 

[Fifelaker]

I feel your pain I ran out last year. I'm lucky I have or had about 2 years of wood out my back yard less than 300 yards. about feb. last year I was hauling wood with a sled YEE_HAW I have enough till snow melts and still cutting.I'm going to try not to let that happen again.Best of luck to you.

 

[Ductape]

If you were closer, I'd let you 'borrow' a cord or two.

 

[zogger]

Yikes!

What do you have for heat besides that?

Can you go scrounging still? The woods can't be all closed up can they? Go find standing dead and deadfall branches in the country, and scrounge pallets in the city? You said you have a truck, so go for it man! There's *always* wood to scrounge.

Dry hot burning pallet wood on the bottom, standing dead or deadfall on top, it'll burn. As soon as that is down to coals, more pallet wood on top, with a chunk of the fresh cut on top of that. It'll *keep* burning that way.

Works, I have done it when desperate for wood. That was years ago moving into a new place mid winter with zero on hand, had to start scounging the day I moved in. Outside after dark under the porch light splitting small. Out in the woods with a flashlight finding branches to cut up. Scrounging pallets in town during the day on the way to work to have something to get that half wet stuff going good. Stacked up a bunch in the garage until it stopped dripping as it melted out, then as much as possible in the living room near the stove.

 

[Chris-PA]

Due to various reasons I was way behind this year and I don't have enough either - yet. The Halloween Storm only set me back further. I actually have lots and lots of wood, but not all of it is ready yet, and a lot of it still has to be moved. But I keep scrounging, and today a found a nice 12" standing dead oak that I cut up, and I managed to free up a quite dead 20" ash that I got hung up last weekend. If I can manage to get a bit more moved down to the house before we get snowed on I'll be OK, but this rain has turned my fields to mud. I've got a bunch of white oak that I won't be able to move until they freeze up solid enough to drive on. I'll be doing a lot of stacking by the stove.

 

[climberjones]

I were in kansas i could probably hook you up but that would be a long haul o well!

 

[REJ2]

Dang Uncle, its only early Dec., that be like Mickey D's running out of happy meals. Colder than expected, slight misunder estimate on wood needs? Be happy to share my stash, not stache, if possible.

 

[Diesel nut]

If you were closer, I'd let you 'borrow' a cord or two.

Same here. But you can keep whats left.

 

[Genius.]

I'm wondering about my wood stash too....

I had trouble this year getting enough split, but my grandpa came through gave me 3 cord's out of his pile. Well, those 3 cords were popple, pine, ash ect... I'm having to load my stove every 3 hours durring these cold day's and night's. Then I litterly have to clean all the ash's out every day too....

(I have been going through 3-4 cord a year) I might have to turn the gas on this year....

I have a ton of elm rounds under snow that were cut close to 2 years ago, and I might have a line on a cord or so of oak in log lengths that has been cut 3 years ago...

 

[Pleasant Ridge]

As of Summer I was behind, but I really cranked up the wood cutting and splitting this Fall. I figure that I've now got a good start on Winter 13-14. It will really get wet later this week and I'll be mostly shut down for the winter. I have some wood close to the road, but it won't be any big cutting like the oak I've been in for the last month or so. I was in a bad way a couple of winters ago and kicked snow off of rotting locust. After a couple of weeks under the shed, it was great.

 

[unclemoustache]

If you were closer, I'd let you 'borrow' a cord or two.

I were in kansas i could probably hook you up but that would be a long haul o well!

Same here. But you can keep whats left.

Gee, thanks guys! Tha brings a tear to me eye! I'll be fine. I've got an old gas fired boiler that runs radiators in my 100-year-old house. I finally turned it on this week to make our mornings a bit more tolerable. (No insulation, huge house, one wood stove). I've been contemplating on buying a cord or two to see me through, but I hate to have to buy it, when I either get it for free or people pay me to take it!

Dang Uncle, its only early Dec., that be like Mickey D's running out of happy meals. Colder than expected, slight misunder estimate on wood needs? Be happy to share my stash, not stache, if possible.

Well, I knew I was a bit short, but we've been burning more than usual, and I also contracted with a buddy who wanted some work. I didn't really want to pay him cash, so we agreed that if he would split and stack what needed to be split, then he could take what he wanted when he wanted it, so the junk wood stack has been doing double time this Fall.

Yeah, I ought to go scrounge some. Too muddy right now to hit my usual spot. It's about 10 acres of woods in a low area that a great old farmer lets me take from. Lots of oak, hickory, ash, and poison ivy!
I checked out our local dump. People often chuck out branches and trunks there, but it's usually scrounged up pretty quickly.
There's a pallet company in the next town over. They have a HUGE stack of wood available, already cut up into prefectly sized chunks. It's about $15 for a truckload - you haul. Most of it is junk wood, but they get some oak in there once in a while. Another buddy of mine goes in the late spring to load up and pick out the jewels, since everyone else is out there in the fall/winter looking for the good stuff.

 

[1project2many]

Do you see many "free wood" ads on CL? Or maybe post an ad looking? Is that guy with the "recently cut" wood still offering? Split those pieces small and bring them inside and they might dry enough to be useful. Pallet wood isn't great but it will burn and at !5 per truckload it's still going to be cheaper heat than gas.

I just brought home a bunch of Sugar Maple (almost didn't get here but that's another story) and I've got a few bits of "designer" white Birch you can use.

 

[Encore]

I came close to running out last winter with how long it stayed cold, so starting around april, I cut pretty much non stop at least one day a week (most of the time 2-3) all the way through august. Took a short break (hs football got in the way) and I'm back at it full board.

Had all of this winters wood split and stacked by the end of june and now I'm just about done splitting all of next years wood.

Biggest help was I ran into a huge craigslist score that was a 5' diameter red oak that had been on the ground and bucked for a year before I even got to it. Just had to noodle and split it. That stuff dried out and is looking awesome for burning.

I'm going to easily be set for this year and may have some left over to use next winter but man it came at a cost when cutting in the heat this summer.

Bummer to hear some of ya are running low. I know the feeling and it's not a good one.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Feel your pain, Unc. I've got more seasoning for next year than I have ready for this year. Right now, I'm about 2 cords shy, but I've got standing dead elm out the wazoo that will cover that gap.

Years past, I wasn't so prepared. If you've got a good bit of space near the stove, a cord of green will season pretty well in high temp/low humidity next to the stove. Just get it in there now, and burn what you've got while it drys out, then rotate as needed.

Don't forget to keep a close eye (check weekly at least, clean as needed) on your chimney. Chimney fires ain't cool.

 

[dingeryote]

Just found an ad for a guy looking to clear another farm field. Made the call.All Box elder, silver maple, poplar, and none of it of a size worth fueling a wild thingy.

Pickin's are slim this year.

Hang in ther Unc!!!
Sooner or later somebody in the church will need a couple trees removed, or know someone who does.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[woodguy105]

Bummer...I lose sleep sometimes thinking about the wood pile and if we have enough, although we're good this year.

Uncle Moustache, you've been spending too much time on AS and not out in the woods! :computer2:

Hope you score some good wood before the snow flies.

 

[chopperfreak2k1]

sorry to hear unc. but any man with a stache as exuberant as yours will see his way through.

 

[avason]

Don't feel bad for unc...the only reason he doesn't have enough wood is because he was to busy making kids all summer long.

No I hear you...I ran out last year and couldn't get any because all of the snow. I would definitely scrounge thoughw...plenty of time and the ground is starting to freeze. should be easy pickings.

 

[fields_mj]

I can relate. The weather kept me out of the woods a lot last year. We were either a muddy soupy mess, or frozen with ice. Luckily, I have at least 3 truck loads (3/4 cord each), maybe 4 of locust, and I HAD 2 loads of red oak, and 2 loads of ash. I've been burning the red oak and ash, and right now I think I'll be alright. In years past, I had been cutting my wood at least 24" long, so now I'm cutting that in half to use during the day, and throwing long stuff in at night. I haven't touched the locust yet, and I haven't used nearly half of the other. Already have enough in the basement to last the rest of the month (I think). If so, then I'll be sitting pretty this year. Had me a little nervous the first few weeks though.

Even if I did run out, I have 8 full loads cut for next year, some of which has been cut since last winter. It's a mix of oak and hickory. I'd rather not burn any of it yet, but if push comes to shove, I'll fill my storage area in the basement and put a fan blowing on it for a week or two.

Wish I wasn't at work today. I'd go cut another load this afternoon.

 

[unclemoustache]

Do you see many "free wood" ads on CL? Or maybe post an ad looking? Is that guy with the "recently cut" wood still offering?

I forgot about him. That might be worth a call. I was on CL last night - couple possibilities, but I won't have time for a few days to do anything. Hopefully this nextweekend I can do some scrounging. I do know another guy who has some woods, but that's been pretty well picked over, but then beggars can't be choosers, eh?

Uncle Moustache, you've been spending too much time on AS and not out in the woods!

Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head. However, in regards to your other sentence:

Hope you score some good wood before the snow flies.

...I think Avason has some good insight!!

Don't feel bad for unc...the only reason he doesn't have enough wood is because he was to busy making kids all summer long.

:msp_thumbup: :msp_thumbup:

sorry to hear unc. but any man with a stache as exuberant as yours will see his way through.

Now that's a reppable quote. I'll have to put that in my sig!! :msp_thumbup: