Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[KiwiBro]

I used to be able to take a full breadth of air, lay on my back (arms out stretched) and sink to the bottom of the pool.

High BTU's in you.

 

[KiwiBro]

I'm also guessing that moving water would work better than stihl water too, river better than a dam.

Have only tried it in a river but I suspect you are right too. I'll try it out though if get the chance this Summer and post some findings. I've been flat out building and haven't run a chainsaw in months *hangs head in shame*.

 

[MustangMike]

Well, today I babysat my Granddaughter in the morning, then did the rear brakes on the Mustang in the afternoon. Real PITA freeing up those calipers after they have lock up. Luckily got some help from my neighbor who has a torch and stuff, and has done it before.

Yesterday worked with my brother on his challenging engineering job (the previous footings/piers were failing). We got down to another section of bed rock, drilled holes, sank rebar, made forms and poured the concrete. Site is finally getting a little safer! My brother often takes jobs no one else will do.

The deck, and house, are about 30' up.

 

[JustJeff]

Never let age alone rule you. I'm 83 and still out there. Doctor told me to slow down last month. "Never". Got a load on the truck right now backed up to the splitter, I'll be out there as soon as I'm off of here.

I can’t like this post enough! That’s my goal. I want to quit working for a living but I don’t want to quit working.

 

[KiwiBro]

Well, today I babysat my Granddaughter in the morning, then did the rear brakes on the Mustang in the afternoon. Real PITA freeing up those calipers after they have lock up. Luckily got some help from my neighbor who has a torch and stuff, and has done it before.

Yesterday worked with my brother on his challenging engineering job (the previous footings/piers were failing). We got down to another section of bed rock, drilled holes, sank rebar, made forms and poured the concrete. Site is finally getting a little safer! My brother often takes jobs no one else will do.

The deck, and house, are about 30' up.

And the funny thing is, bugger all people will realise how much time and money was sunk into keeping the building they are standing in from staying upright.

Way back when, my boss at the time was hired to build on a fairly interesting hillside/almost-cliff overlooking a fashionable beach. Usual story of customers with too much money and thinking they can outbid mother nature and the laws of physics. Close to $150k later, we got out of the ground and could start the regular building work. Admittedly, was a stunning location but holey moley, I wonder if global warming/climate change will eventually see Mother Nature reclaim all those materials.

 

[Cody]

I've had Elms do the same thing, run a regular stream of water.

Cut some in town this spring and yes, steady stream of water out of them. Heavy? Absolutely, brought a fair amount of it home though and split some the other day and you can all guess it, water gushing out of it when the wedge dove in. Some of it even split rather cleanly, with only a few splinters. Good stuff for sure.

Never let age alone rule you. I'm 83 and still out there. Doctor told me to slow down last month. "Never". Got a load on the truck right now backed up to the splitter, I'll be out there as soon as I'm off of here.

I tried talking a retired fella into taking it and basically copying it, but making it a little bit heavier. I also want to find a way to mount the fan on top of it and blow the heat downwards but he declined. Doesn't want the liability. Good stoves, simple with a large firebox. I want to try to remove the angled side skirts inside the firebox though, so I can put in larger bricks, and come up with some sort of a baffle for it. It does the job, but things can always be improved. Either way it heats the garage beyond what's needed, so maybe I should just keep chuckin' wood in it.

 

[MustangMike]

My brother used to work as an engineer for the County Hwy Dept. When a bridge got washed out, they told him they wanted to rebuild it to withstand a 1 in 100 year flood.

My brother responded "we have had 3 of them in the last decade, I'm going to build it better than that". After a little back and forth, they approved his plans.

 

[panolo]

Thank you Panolo,

I’m thinking Edge 750. The 550 would probably be big enough, but with global warming and all who knows. Is there any down side to going bigger other than the initial cost?

My payback is looking like 10 years, and I may be too old by then to cut wood.

No down side I can think of except cost. I should have gone 750 from the start if I would have known that my future plans included a garage. My payback is much quicker than yours. I should dang near be square after this year.

 

[panolo]

I really want to see this. I want to see an 83yr old man scrounge wood, unload onto a splitter and stack that. You should get a camera person and post a short vid on youtube. Title it "83 YEAR OLD MAN PROCESSING FIREWOOD". You would have like a million veiws.

I had a customer who was in his mid 80's that filled up two saws and cut anytime it was under 70 degrees. Said if he cut more than 2 tanks he hurt like hell. He also was a moonshiner. He had a butcher shop at his farm and when they started getting all finicky about licenses and such so he shut it down. Said without shine and firewood he'd been dead years ago.

 

[turnkey4099]

I can’t like this post enough! That’s my goal. I want to quit working for a living but I don’t want to quit working.

That was my philosophy. Retired from County Dispatch and went after more scrounges. Didn't need any more wood and wife wanted me to stop but I knew if I ever quit working and just sat around I wouldn't lasst long. I currently have some 90-100 cord, half or more is locust, in the 'wood yard'. Sell a few cords/yr. I figure I lose about $100 a cord when I sell as my gas bills are outrageous with all the running I do back and forth.

I will admit that swinging that MS441 drssed with a 32" bar is getting a bit much.

My 6 weeks doing nothing after the back surgery (thread 'house bound') didn't do me any favors. Lost some conditioning and at this age once lost it isn't going to come back much.

Finally gave up looking for my digital camera and bought a new one. I'll shoot some pics in the wood yard and see if I can post them.

 

[woodchip rookie]

I used to be able to take a full breadth of air, lay on my back (arms out stretched) and sink to the bottom of the pool. (This was demonstrated after the guy giving the life saving course stated that everybody could float).

Same here. 5'7" 150lbs. I don't float.

 

[Marine5068]

I've got some catching up to do:

About 3 chords now well baked in this pile scrounged late Spring, and another 3 chords out of view around the corner.

View attachment 670454

Looks like some nice heat there. Money in the bank.

 

[Marine5068]

I've got some catching up to do:

About 3 chords now well baked in this pile scrounged late Spring, and another 3 chords out of view around the corner.

View attachment 670454

Maple?

 

[Marine5068]

View attachment 670457 Started moving the maple scrounge. It's all going to a friend in exchange for use of his dump trailer and hydro when the oaks come down in september.View attachment 670461 3 loads with the dodge. Probly 1 more load of big stuff.

Love Maple.

 

[James Miller]

Same here. 5'7" 150lbs. I don't float.

5'9 170 it's funny how us short lite guys sink.

 

[svk]

In 11th grade I was 5’11” and 150. Have been as high as 240 and as low as 173 in my adult life. Currently at 180.

My birth father is 6’ and 170. I don’t know how he can eat like he does and maintain his weight but he and all of his siblings are very thin.

 

[JustJeff]

They say monkeys sink too. Shows how high up on the evolutionary ladder I am! Haha.

 

[Philbert]

A few more photos from Southern Minnesota



Philbert

 

[Philbert]

And something of interest at The Home Depot? Red saws showing up . . . .



Philbert

 

[James Miller]

And something of interest at The Home Depot? Red saws showing up . . . .

View attachment 677577 View attachment 677578

Philbert

My local HD started using 6100s as there big rental saws. Had a chance to pick up there last 6421 earlier this year and let it sit .