Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[woodchip rookie]

Ash has a lot of BTUs and can last a good while, but it will not if your stove does not regulate the burn. Other wood, like Black Cherry (which has a lower BTU rating) seem to hold coals better in those stoves.

My old stove in the old cabin loved Ash, and it lasted a good while, but the flue on that did not draft real well. In the new cabin, the flue is much improved, and the Ash does not last nearly as long.

In the old stove I used Ash all the time. In the new stove I use Ash during the day, and Cherry or Hard Maple at night.

Got up at 730AM. Stove was still hot enough I couldnt touch it and plenty of coals to start without relighting, so maybe I underestimated the burn time. No way would my Fishers have coals 12hrs later. I forgot that "burn time" and "heat time" are 2 different things.

 

[woodchip rookie]

Almost everyone I know who has tried square file chain wants to keep running it. I just try to duplicate factory angles and performance, and my tests reflect that I pretty much do that. Mostly I start with Stihl RSL or RS (and convert it), but I also have a loop of Oregon that seems to work just fine.

When you get used to square file (really a 6 sided file) you can do it just as fast as round file.

But I prefer to be "set up for it" rather than doing it in the field, so if I were to be in the field w/o extra saws, I would bring extra chain.

The box I file on (with a stump vice on the bar) has 45 degree lines in each direction that I use as a guide when filing. Helps me keep things consistent. Also, with square file, I move each tooth to the same place to file it (with round I just move right down the bar).

I need some serious schooling on sharpening also. Now that I have a pretty serious arsenal I should know how to sharpen better.

 

[JustJeff]

Today today is a glorious day! I got my last cord put up for the winter. I keep 10 under my deck but usually use about 8. This is my setup. Cement blocks with landscape timbers on top, then the racks on top of that. Keeps everything nice and dry. From the end, spaced for air flow. I came across some free tin (scrounge!!) and cut it to fit between the deck joists, it works pretty good at keeping things dry. This faces west so lots of wind and with the house facing the way it does, the snow does not accumulate on this side.

 

[turnkey4099]

Got up at 730AM. Stove was still hot enough I couldnt touch it and plenty of coals to start without relighting, so maybe I underestimated the burn time. No way would my Fishers have coals 12hrs later. I forgot that "burn time" and "heat time" are 2 different things.

Yep. My "King" (not Blaze but an ashley knock-off) will still hae enough coals to restart after 12 hours.if I shut all the draft and load a good chunk of wood. Even a big piece of Willow will do it. Of course it doesn't do much for keepting the house warm in cold temps at that setting

 

[woodchip rookie]

Realistically I would be happy with 6hrs. I dont sleep any longer than that so it should be a better burn season this year

 

[LondonNeil]

I keep 10 under my deck but usually use about 8.

10 face cord? or is that deck very high off the ground?

 

[JustJeff]

10 face cord? or is that deck very high off the ground?

I do have a great big "deck!" Lol.
Facecord. Be about 2 to 2 1/2 full cord.

 

[JustJeff]

In the area I live, people recognize facecord as the common measurement. Which is subjective because it doesn't account for volume/length. Most wood cutters cut at 12". Four facecord to a bushcord or full cord. I cut for myself so I don't worry about what's proper. My racks are 4x8 and the wood is random between 12" and 18" long. I'd estimate 3 to 3 1/4 of my racks to a full proper cord.

 

[LondonNeil]

Ah ha! I'm not the only one here that just plays at firewood. I burn 6.5m³ a year (almost 2 full cord) although I've CSS 4 cord since April as being new I wasn't 3 heads up. I am now.

 

[cornfused]

Good scrounge today at a friend's timber. About 1/2 cord of oak, a liittle hickory and about 1/2 cord of mixed evergreen. All of it dead & dry. The oak was lightening killed 2years ago and will sit in the stack for probably another year... Should be good to go. Got a few pictures too.

 

[Jeffkrib]

Almost everyone I know who has tried square file chain wants to keep running it. I just try to duplicate factory angles and performance, and my tests reflect that I pretty much do that. Mostly I start with Stihl RSL or RS (and convert it), but I also have a loop of Oregon that seems to work just fine.

When you get used to square file (really a 6 sided file) you can do it just as fast as round file.

But I prefer to be "set up for it" rather than doing it in the field, so if I were to be in the field w/o extra saws, I would bring extra chain.

The box I file on (with a stump vice on the bar) has 45 degree lines in each direction that I use as a guide when filing. Helps me keep things consistent. Also, with square file, I move each tooth to the same place to file it (with round I just move right down the bar).

So Mike are you able to keep filing for the life of a chain without having to grind or use a jig to get the angles back to factory?
One option I won't consider is getting the local O P E shop to sharpen it. I did it once and never again. The chain was almost brand new, they took of half the chain and burnt it and to add insult to injury it cost $25 for one chain.

 

[MustangMike]

I have not had anyone else touch one of my chains for years, but I am very careful with them and rarely rock anything badly.

If you just touch it up after about every 2 tanks of fuel, they last a darn long time.

 

[MustangMike]

If they get rocked real bad, I often just replace them and hold the old one as a backup chain.

 

[Cowboy254]

What brand of chain are you running cowboy?

I use stihl RS. I have a 20 inch loop of semi chisel for the 460 which comes in handy for the dry blue gum that puts backward facing burrs on full chisel and breaks carbide. I too have had mixed experience with getting people to grind a chain. There's a husky place 45 mins away that used to do them for $8 a pop which was alright but I don't go that way very often. The last time I had one ground by a local guy who was servicing the saw he burnt it which wasn't so good.

 

[turnkey4099]

I use stihl RS. I have a 20 inch loop of semi chisel for the 460 which comes in handy for the dry blue gum that puts backward facing burrs on full chisel and breaks carbide. I too have had mixed experience with getting people to grind a chain. There's a husky place 45 mins away that used to do them for $8 a pop which was alright but I don't go that way very often. The last time I had one ground by a local guy who was servicing the saw he burnt it which wasn't so good.

My experience with shops that have chainsaws as a sideline have all been bad. Burnt chains so they can't be filed. Unless one is badly rocked I do all the sharpening.

 

[LondonNeil]

After seeing from justjeff that I'm not the only one here that isn't a large producer like mighty mouse logging, farmer Steve and even svk and Mustang Mike, I wondered who burns what and processes for who?

I burn almost 2 cord (full,. 6.5m³). I also process a tiny bit for my parents and their house move means I'm upping this, so another ½ cord for them. 20m³ CSS on premises currently, probably the only zone 3 (London tube fare zones) resident that has that!

What do you guys do?

I'm guessing there's a lot of you sing about 20 cord a year, then dancan, farmer Steve, valley firewood, cantoo and others that are in to 3 figures easily?

 

[dancan]

I'm polly burning 3 to 4 cord of softwood and about 2 cord of hardwood during the burn season .

 

[JustJeff]

I suspect that most guys on here bought a saw to cut their own wood and while google searching how to fix it, came across arboristsite. Next thing you know, you have 5 saws, a splitter and a truck and trailer. Lol. It can get out of hand quick! (I'm going to buy a grinder from an internet ad this morning.)
If you catch the bug, it's not hard to overscrounge. I have the last few years so I've been selling on the side. The household paid for my first saw but firewood has paid for the rest, and the splitter and my boat. I don't think there are many of us who would like to do it for a living, not me anyways. But there is something about the hard work and being outdoors, cutting a load and then placing your saw on top just so, taking a pic and posting on here....scanning the ads for a bigger saw (there is a 394 good compression no spark for $100 not far from here). Ha ha
The key is knowing where to hold up and for everyone it's different.

 

[cornfused]

My useage varies some by weather and activities. On average about 2 1/2 cords of hardwood and 1 1/2 cords softwood. Hardwood heats the house and softwood heats the shop

 

[MustangMike]

I used to heat by wood, about 6 cord/year, then they ran natural gas through & I converted, but about the same time my daughter got a house and it had a wood furnace, and her husband does not cut ... you know the story. Then a neighbor of hers wanted some, then the guy in the chainsaw shop found out I was cutting wood ... I do over 20 cord every year down here, plus a few more for my hunting cabin, plus the milling, so I stay kinda busy.

But for years I did it all with one saw, my 044. Now I have 12 runners from 026 to 066, 16" bars to 36" bars. I should thin the herd, but ...

The 044, purchased new in Dec 1992, on sale at a place that was discontinuing selling them, still runs strong and is still one of my favorite saws.