My First... and likely my last...

[Whitespider]

So you stack all that wood twice just to avoid going outside in the middle of winter?

HELL NO!
All the stuff I cut in the fall (about half of what goes in the basement) goes directly from woodlot to basement.
And I'm bettin' even the stuff I stack outside for a year or two gets handled less than most guys here handle their firewood.
I cut and split in the woodlot before it ever gets loaded into anything... I can't for the life of me understand why someone would (1) cut firewood, (2) load it, (3) haul it, (4) unload it, (5) split it, (6) stack it or put it in a shed, (7) then carry or haul it to the house a little at a time. Ain't any way in hell I handle my firewood that many times... not even close!

 

[stihly dan]

Does it matter what order you split it in? Whats the difference whether you split in the woods or at the house. you still have to split, load, haul, unload, stack, bring in when seasoned. What is the magic step that gets deleted?

 

[Whitespider]

Whats the difference whether you split in the woods or at the house. What is the magic step that gets deleted?

First remember we’re talking about using a woodshed, and the difference is in how many times you move and/or (heaven forbid) carry the firewood and the time spent doing it.

So you move firewood from cutting area to splitting area…
Then move firewood from splitting area to woodshed (even if you use a cart you still probably carry it into the shed). I don't care how close your woodshed or stacking area is to the splitting area, ya' still haf'ta move it into the shed or to the stack…
Then you move firewood from woodshed to house (probably carry it out of shed to a cart and from cart into house, or even all the way to the house)…
At a minimum you’ll move the firewood three times, and you’ll haf’ta carry it at least a short distance one, two or three times. If you did your splitting at the cutting area you’d only haf’ta move it twice (and ya’ don’t haf’ta load big pieces).

Cutting standing-dead I only move the firewood once, from the cutting/splitting area to the house (I load as I split). If I cut and split in two separate places I'd haf'ta move it twice…
When cutting wood requiring some months of seasoning I only move the firewood twice, from the cutting/splitting area to stacking area (I stack right from the trailer, no bending to pick up and no carrying), and from the stacking area to the house. If I cut and split in two separate places I'd haf'ta move it three times…
Because I use the tractor and trailer and toss my firewood down the coal shoot I never carry my firewood… ever! Yes, that means I stack some of it twice, but I’d rather stand in one spot tossin’ wood on a stack than moving or (heaven forbid) carrying it! I also try and make loading or unloading a double operation… i.e. tossing the splits coming off the splitter directly into the trailer, and either stacking or tossing in the house as I’m unloading.

 

[AIM]

tossing the splits coming off the splitter directly into the trailer, and either stacking or tossing in the house as I’m unloading.

And after tossing into the house you handle it 2 more times...

 

[Whitespider]

Aaaah yes... true, very true... but...
I can do it naked without anything getting wet, cold or shriveled so it don't count.

 

[haveawoody]

bet i win the lazy award

When i cut wood it goes onto a tailor that is right at splitter height so no more than rolling rounds onto the splitter.
It gets split and put on these<img src=http://www.arboristsite.com/attachments/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/237764d1336733509-skid3-jpg><br> with very little movement since i park everything right near an empty.

Then i have a lean too greenhouse attached to the house with a big door on it.
I forklift usually 1/2 cord versions right into that greenhouse as needed.
Wood stove is just on the other side through a door to the house.
And my wife moves the wood to it LOL
It's good to have a wife that is a firebug and loves managing the wood stove.

 

[Whitespider]

Speaking of lazy (I call it working smarter, not harder)…
The one step in my system that bothers me… that seems to be the most unproductive use of time… is loading the wood from the stacks in the yard into the trailer, just to move it 50-60 yards to the house and throw it in.
So I thought about building racks that I could slip a set of wheels on and just pull the stack up to the house. But geez, I have 6 stacks 35-ft long now and will be adding 4-5 more this season, plus the other stuff that gets stacked outside during the course-of-the-year… If ya’ figure 10-ft long racks… Holy tree bark Batman, that’s 35-40 racks at a minimum! That ain’t practical.
Then I thought about putting the stacks just outside the old coal shoot and using some sort of conveyer system… But there just ain’t a lot of room, little sunshine, even less wind, not enough level ground, and besides the stacks would block the back door and make it impossible to do anything in the back yard. That’s just a bad idea.
But I finally came up with a good and practical idea. This year I’m gonna’ show the 15-year-old daughter how to use the tractor and hook up the trailer… and then tell her that starting mid-September she’ll put one load of firewood in the house every other day after school or lose her cell phone. Yeah, that works! (maybe, as long as mom don't come to her rescue... which will probably happen <sigh>)

 

[logbutcher]

We're gonna drop a fat dime on you for child abuse Spidy.:hmm3grin2orange:

What other secrets are you holding back ?

 

[Iska3]

But I finally came up with a good and practical idea. This year I’m gonna’ show the 15-year-old daughter how to use the tractor and hook up the trailer… and then tell her that starting mid-September she’ll put one load of firewood in the house every other day after school or lose her cell phone. Yeah, that works! (maybe, as long as mom don't come to her rescue... which will probably happen <sigh>)

"I’m gonna’ show the 15-year-old daughter how to use the tractor and hook up the trailer… and then tell her that starting mid-September she’ll put one load of firewood in the house every other day after school or lose her cell phone."

I hate to say it but It's about time... Next year she'll be 16 and old enough to drive a car. She should help with the wood. That was the only good thing I liked about the stove in the house. The kids would help throw the wood in to the coal room and we could stack it any time after supper or if it were to rain one day. I never was one for watching TV so like you, I could put a lot of wood in my old basement and stacking it from the coal room was my escape from the every day stress in life. I think the kids thought stacking wood in the basement was like a little bonding time between us more than anything.

 

[CrappieKeith]

....and here I thought it was a guy's prerogative to touch his wood as much as he wanted????...that is if he could get wood....

 

[stihly dan]

Aaaah yes... true, very true... but...
I can do it naked without anything getting wet, cold or shriveled so it don't count.

Ouch, what about the spider bite on the naked spidey pole. I'd keep my pant's on.

 

[logbutcher]

I can do it naked without anything getting wet, cold or shriveled so it don't count.

Oh myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy..........:msp_confused::msp_confused:

 

[haveawoody]

Whitespider,

I like the wheels idea, if you stacked on skids then making wheels for them would be easy.
The other option of phone for wood also sounds mighty less you work but i bet the wifey puts a wrench in that.

The other option is a thermostat lock and old football injury option
If the house is just warm enough to keep things from freezing i find that is a good way to move wood
Drinking beer will keep you warm while others ponder the coolness, just say (it seems cool in here) every once in a while.

 

[haveawoody]

CrappieKeith,

LOL

I think you are allowed to touch your wood as often as you like.
But once you start a fire how easy is it to loose interest