Hello

[Whitespider]

Hi y'all... just my intro.

Just started heating with wood again after a 12 year hiatus. My daughter was born premature 13 years ago, her lung problems forced me to quit burning inside the house (per doctors orders). It was kind of a "spur-of-the-moment" decision to start heating with wood again so I don't have a supply stacked up for this winter; I'm forced to cut down some standing dead elms and scavenge what I can from old blow-downs in the grove. It'll be tough to keep the stove fed all winter but we're toasty warm tonight and the LP tank is full as back-up.

I've been lurking in the background for a couple of weeks... some of you guys sound like you've got some pretty nice heating set-ups. Mine is just an old, very old, steel stove in the basement, flue pipe into a brick chimney that runs up through the center of the house. The stove does have a steel shroud over it with a 10 inch pipe running into the furnace cold air return, just ahead of the blower so heat gets distributed throughout the house.

I've picked out four massive Bur Oak and a huge Sugar Maple to fell and work on this winter... hopefully it will be seasoned and ready for next year. That's the reason I found y'all, I did a Google search for seasoning times of fire wood and this site popped up. I used to burn all oak, but seasoned two years (I was always cutting two years ahead) and didn't know if one summer would be enough. Looks like it could be iffy, but I'll stack it in the full sun and wind and hope for the best.

I haven't done any felling of large tree for years, just a bit nervous about it, but... well, I'll get over it.

Thanks for havin' me.

Whitespider

 

[jhoff310]

Welcome aboard. We are a great group of guys and gals. I hope you jump right in and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Jeff

 

[deeker]

Welcome to the site.

Lots of great information available here. (As long as they are Stihl owners.)

An update on your daughter?

Hope all is well.

Kevin

 

[msvold]

Welcome, I learn something new that I can apply almost everytime I open this site. It addictive and can sometimes get expensive. I just told my wife that for Christmas I need to get a table for my splitter after reading the speeco log cradle thread.

 

[Whitespider]

Daughter is just another teenager now. She grew out of her lung problems (for the most part) and has become just a normal teenage "pain-in-the-rear".

Thanks for asking deeker.

Oh yeah... yep, I'm a Stihl owner.

 

[WetBehindtheEar]

Welcome and make sure to post pics of your firewood trees!

Others know more than me but I'm betting the burr oak won't be seasoned for another two years. I know sugar maple is harder than silver maple. Were it silver, then it would be ready to go next winter...Who knows? Maybe it WILL be ready to burn next winter.

 

[jester8118]

welcome!

 

[rmount]

Welcome, you'll find this site a great resource.

I know nothing about bur oak but your sugar maple should be fine for next winter. I'm always a year or two ahead for myself but I often give some 1 year old away and have had no complaints

 

[WVwoodsman]

Welcome to the site! Lots of good people willing to share in their knowledge of everything, wood related or not!

 

[Stumpys Customs]

Daughter is just another teenager now. She grew out of her lung problems (for the most part) and has become just a normal teenage "pain-in-the-rear".

Thanks for asking deeker.

Oh yeah... yep, I'm a Stihl owner.

Welcome, glad to here your daughter is AOK now, But sorry to here about the Stihls. Just Kidd'n.
Make sure you check out the chainsaw forum. :hmm3grin2orange:

P.S. Why hasn't anybody reped this feller yet, I got him.

 

[Mntn Man]

Welcome, nice to see you getting back to the life!

 

[SWI Don]

Keep hunting up the red elms. At least around here dutch elm disease went through again a few years ago as we have a fresh batch of dead red elms with the bark falling off.
I have had ok luck with honey locust after a year and walnut has been good after a year. Silver maple works good except for those very cold days. Of course if you are in the northern half of Iowa you are going to have more than I do down here in the balmy side of the state.

Don

 

[D&B Mack]

Welcome, and don't mind the Husky guys. They're kind of like a dog humping your leg...can't do any harm, annoying & and have to just shake them off every once-in-a-while.opcorn:

 

[unclemoustache]

Welcome, and don't mind the Husky guys. They're kind of like a dog humping your leg...can't do any harm, annoying & and have to just shake them off every once-in-a-while.opcorn:

Ouch! I'll not ask about Echos!


Welcome, Whitespider!
Bur Oak - I think that's the one with the knobbly/spiky branches that catch on EVERYTHING - it's not bad burning, but red and whit oak are better.

I just cashed in on a Sugar Maple myself, waiting to go for next year. Good stuff.

 

[Steve NW WI]

...I don't have a supply stacked up for this winter; I'm forced to cut down some standing dead elms and scavenge what I can from old blow-downs in the grove. It'll be tough to keep the stove fed all winter but we're toasty warm tonight and the LP tank is full as back-up.

You'll probably find the bottom 10 feet or so of those elms is quite wet, but will dry out fairly quick once cut and split. The tops are pretty much ready to go if the bark is off them, not perfect, but usable.

Mine is just an old, very old, steel stove in the basement, flue pipe into a brick chimney that runs up through the center of the house.

Just keep a real close eye on the chimney if you are burning greener stuff, clean as needed. Burning hot fires instead of trying to damp it down to last longer will help minimize creosote buildup as well.

I used to burn all oak, but seasoned two years (I was always cutting two years ahead) and didn't know if one summer would be enough. Looks like it could be iffy, but I'll stack it in the full sun and wind and hope for the best.

About the best ya can do, and it should provide decent firewood for next year. Wood should be cut and stacked for drying now in Iowa, by June the danged corn will be blocking all the wind again

I haven't done any felling of large tree for years, just a bit nervous about it, but... well, I'll get over it.

Thanks for havin' me.

Whitespider

Being a bit nervous ain't a bad thing. Post some pics of the trees in question, and you'll get a LOT of advice how to fall them, some good, some maybe not, but you'll get ideas for sure. If you post a more specific part of Iowa where you're at, there's quite a few Iowegian members, and possibly one would come help ya out as well.

...Everytime I open this site. It addictive and can sometimes get expensive

Beware of CAD (Chainsaw Acquisition Disorder), which is the strong urge to buy more chainsaws than ya can haul in a fullsize truck bed. It's particularly strong on the chainsaw section, enter at your own risk. Here in Firewood, we've got it FAD (Firewood Acquisition Disorder), the urge to put every tree in the county into the woodpile. Not quite as expensive, but a lot harder on the back

Welcome and make sure to post pics of your firewood trees!

We love pics here, if you want to keep your PITB daughter busy, give her the camera and make her take and upload all your wood cuttin pics here, the more pics the merrier!

Make sure you check out the chainsaw forum. :hmm3grin2orange:

P.S. Why hasn't anybody reped this feller yet, I got him.

Reference my comments above, enter Chainsaw at your own risk!

Rep sent, Novafied!

Keep hunting up the red elms. At least around here dutch elm disease went through again a few years ago as we have a fresh batch of dead red elms with the bark falling off.
Don

Yup, bark off is a good sign when you're scroungin. Don't be afraid to cut whatever ya can get your hands on this year, regardless of species. A mix of firewood is nice to have around, and you can mix the stuff like box elder that gets popcorn fart dry with the stuff that's a little wetter.

I seem to have some sort of quoting addiction tonight, sorry about that if it annoys any of ya:biggrinbounce2:

 

[dingeryote]

:agree2:

Standing dead of any species can be tricky.

If the bark is loose though, it should be close enough to get you by.
If not, drying time is pretty short compared to green standing, sometimes just a month before bark starts falling off.

If you are forced to burn Green, which sucks, find some Hedge/Osage.
Ash would be good as well, but there are so few left it would be a crime to go dropping Ash for the stove. If you have any Sassafrass around, it dries out pretty quick but burns like gunpowder, so it comes in handy when mixing with partially seasoned stuff.

Keep the chimney brush handy, and use it often until you get a feel for what is going on in there.

I'll try and find the green wood BTU ref. for ya. It came in handy for me a couple seasons back.
http://mb-soft.com/juca/print/firewood.html

I was shocked how well Sugar Maple burned after only a month or so drying.
Sometimes ya have to do with what you have, but be cautious about it and keep that chimney clean and your fires good and hot.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Beefie]

Welcome aboard, don't be afraid to ask ?


Beefie

 

[Whitespider]

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome!
You guys must'a been up all night tendin' those fires.

I'm NE Iowa, gonna' get cold here.

Those elms I'm cutting have all the bark off, clean to the roots. And yup, the bottom 10-12 feet are wet so I'm splittin' and stackin' that portion for later in the year if needed. That elm sure does burn hot - but not long enough for an all-nighter. That's not really a big deal though; at my age (53) I'm getting up to pee during the wee hours. I'm doing my cutting in the grove that surrounds my house (both the elms and oaks - and whatever else), don't need to worry about fall direction, just let 'em fall the way they lean so a lot of the trickiness is removed. Still, I did break-out the ol' hard-hat... hate those "Widow-Makers" on old trees. And I've got a 50-foot 1/2-inch steel cable, chains, come-a-long, pulleys, 4x4, wedges and sledge if I need 'em so I'll get the job done.

My youngest, 3-year old boy Tristan (I know, I'm 53, but it happens) has become totally infatuated with the cutting, splitting and burning process and is constantly trying to help. He's figured out how to run the splitter all by himself and is starting to eye the saw... it's a bit of a chore keeping him away from stuff, gotta' keep an eye on him at all times or he'll toss some wood on the splitter and throw the lever. I try to do my felling (and anything else that requires full and undivided attention) in the early AM before he wakes and comes lookin' for me. He's a strong little guy, loves the outdoors (and daddy), and is actually a help with the loading, hauling and stacking... just gotta' keep him away from those finger-removers. I keep tellin' my wife we should just go get him the tattoo now... you know... the one that says, "FEAR IS NOT AN OPTION". Some people tell me that he'll keep me young... then why do I feel so old after chasing him around all day?

 

[hoosier daddy]

Welcome!

Hey Whitespider,

from one newbie to another welcome, We have similar stories...I was lurking in the background learning and then fell in too. These guys are great and are really good about anwering questions...even my stupid ones...there are a few that like to jump on and bash every once in a while but hey your going to get that any where. Since you here your already addicted so there's no since in warning you about that. Only advice I can give you is.

Just keep quiet about any echo purchase.
Don't post pics of your wife unless she's running a saw.
Don't talk about a good deal on CL unless you have pics to back it up.

Good luck scrounging wood...I'm sure that there is enough dead somewhere to keep y'all warm this winter.

 

[Mike Williams]

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome!
You guys must'a been up all night tendin' those fires.

I'm NE Iowa, gonna' get cold here.

Those elms I'm cutting have all the bark off, clean to the roots. And yup, the bottom 10-12 feet are wet so I'm splittin' and stackin' that portion for later in the year if needed. That elm sure does burn hot - but not long enough for an all-nighter. That's not really a big deal though; at my age (53) I'm getting up to pee during the wee hours. I'm doing my cutting in the grove that surrounds my house (both the elms and oaks - and whatever else), don't need to worry about fall direction, just let 'em fall the way they lean so a lot of the trickiness is removed. Still, I did break-out the ol' hard-hat... hate those "Widow-Makers" on old trees. And I've got a 50-foot 1/2-inch steel cable, chains, come-a-long, pulleys, 4x4, wedges and sledge if I need 'em so I'll get the job done.

My youngest, 3-year old boy Tristan (I know, I'm 53, but it happens) has become totally infatuated with the cutting, splitting and burning process and is constantly trying to help. He's figured out how to run the splitter all by himself and is starting to eye the saw... it's a bit of a chore keeping him away from stuff, gotta' keep an eye on him at all times or he'll toss some wood on the splitter and throw the lever. I try to do my felling (and anything else that requires full and undivided attention) in the early AM before he wakes and comes lookin' for me. He's a strong little guy, loves the outdoors (and daddy), and is actually a help with the loading, hauling and stacking... just gotta' keep him away from those finger-removers. I keep tellin' my wife we should just go get him the tattoo now... you know... the one that says, "FEAR IS NOT AN OPTION". Some people tell me that he'll keep me young... then why do I feel so old after chasing him around all day?

Welcome aboard. Some great info here and a great bunch of guys and gals.

I'm 44 and have a 6 year old son and 18 year old daughter so I know what you mean. My son loves to help me stack and splits some now. He has his own 6lb maul that I shortened the handle on for him.

I do have to watch my saw cause he's been eyeing it lol.