Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Cowboy254]

No scrounging today but I did the groundwork for future scrounge depositing. I had some dry peppermint stacked in front of the woodshed and also some dry wattle that I use as firepit wood. Both were in the way of tossing further scrounge from the ute. So I have cleared some space - here -



and moved the peppermint that was there to the top shed near the house



and a bit outside the back door



and the wattle to the front of the house near the firepit where it will be under cover.



The pile of firewood from recent scrounges is growing and I haven't added yesterday's Ranger load and the trailer is stihl full from two weeks ago so there's another 2/3 cord to go on there so far.



Sure, it will never replace Mt Cowboy, but I like it.

 

[3000 FPS]

I found some ash the other day. That is something I do not find everyday around here. Makes for some good firewood.

 

[Plowboy83]

No scrounging today but I did the groundwork for future scrounge depositing. I had some dry peppermint stacked in front of the woodshed and also some dry wattle that I use as firepit wood. Both were in the way of tossing further scrounge from the ute. So I have cleared some space - here -

View attachment 811522

and moved the peppermint that was there to the top shed near the house

View attachment 811518

and a bit outside the back door

View attachment 811520

and the wattle to the front of the house near the firepit where it will be under cover.

View attachment 811523

The pile of firewood from recent scrounges is growing and I haven't added yesterday's Ranger load and the trailer is stihl full from two weeks ago so there's another 2/3 cord to go on there so far.

View attachment 811521

Sure, it will never replace Mt Cowboy, but I like it.

Looking good cowboy I forgot to take pictures of wood we got split today. I think we split around 6 cords and should finish the rest of the round tomorrow fingers crossed. I know it won’t be no Mt Cowboy but maybe a Mt Plowboy

 

[Plowboy83]

I got to enjoy a nice Little bonfire with some of the junk pieces I didn’t put in the pile

 

[Cowboy254]

You've got some very nice coals out of that red gum. As you do.

 

[Plowboy83]

You've got some very nice coals out of that red gum. As you do.

 

[farmer steve]

Threw a few pieces of the applewood to see if they would go.Lots of hissing, and moisture out of the one log so I told the one buyer that “needed enough wood to get through the quarantine to burn in her pit” that it was a no go.

Cut in October, split within the last 3 weeks, moisture meter read under 20 to 11%, nice cracked/split ends yet it still hissed and produced moisture?View attachment 811486

That apple will really hold the moisture under the bark Ryan. Do a resplit and check it I usually figure a year to be decent to burn. I got a call a week or so ago from a customer that wants about 15 apple trees taken down in his orchard..

 

[square1]

Supposed to rain today (and it is!) so I pulled 3 logs I had on the ground at the back of the wood lot out into the meadow figuring today's rain would wash off some of the dirt so I could block, split, & stack them Sunday. Unchained the last log, pulled the tractor away, didn't fully raise the backblade and hooked one of the two 20' long elm logs that lay side-by-side with stacked, split wood on them. Knocked over about a cord of wood . Good thing I do this for the exercise

 

[JustJeff]

Been there. That's when I walk away for a couple minutes!

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[svk]

I’m going to be adding a second wood hauler to the fleet.

The town I work in was selling their retired plow truck. 02’ 3/4 ton with 54k miles. I won the bid. It already has a Back Rack brand headache rack and a strobe light which will be nice for plowing.

I’m going to use this truck as my daily driver and delegate the 97’ with 454 to wood hauling. Will probably put side racks on the 97’ so I can haul a cord at a time.

 

[svk]

That top tire should clean out well. Cool looking tire.


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

I think so as well.

I ran tires with less aggressive tread this winter because I got a screaming deal. I’ll tell you there’s a huge difference in traction from regulsr truck tires to all terrain tires.

 

[SS396driver]

My son converted a cart I used to rebuild my truck bed into a Mobil cart for the chickens so they can be out.

 

[chipper1]

Today work. Courtesy of the 385 [emoji4]

Dead oak and 2 dead ash. The ash was hard leaning the wrong direction and the diameter was not quite big enough to wedge behind the bar. Had to stand the oak rounds up so my boy could hop around on them[emoji23]

It was a bit tricky for me (not super experienced) but I just did standard notch and Beck cut in a few wedges eventually got it over.. there at the end it actually did start to split vertically[emoji51][emoji51][emoji51].

Maybe I could have Brett show me a thing or two about a hard leaner ’s not very large diameter. [emoji16]


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

Im in, when and where , but it looks like you did just fine.

 

[svk]

Today is supposed to be warm but cloudy. Have to tackle outdoor projects today because we’ve got snow coming for 4 of the next 6 days after this.

 

[chipper1]

They suck. Too easy to bottom out the wedges in the kerf before they provide any lift. I had a job a few years ago of tall, skinny pines I had to fell into a pile for the land owner to burn.
View attachment 811423

If can't get a rope in or climb 'em, can plunge through from the back cut to the center of the face so the wedge tip has somewhere to go, shorten the wedges, and while I never tried it, there is a product called a felling cone that I quite like the look of.


If looks like it might barber chair, can strap or chain around the log a foot or so above where the cut is going to be. May not stop it but might buy you some time to get outta dodge.

*editing to add* I once watched an old timer start as high up the tree he could reach, plunge a pocket for a wedge, pound one in, then came down a foot and did the same, rinse and repeat until he got down to stump height where he did the usual face, back cuts and put two wedges in the bottom, pounded in as much as he could, then he went back up the log, nipping a back cut either side of the wedges in their pockets, belting the byjesus out of them as much as he could. He got to the second to last, highest wedge and finally had enough lift to get it over without needing that top wedge. I was waiting for the tree to spit the foot long sections between each wedge lift back in his face but they didn't break off. Maybe he got lucky or maybe he has learned a few tricks over the years. Can't say I've seen it in any instructional videos ;-)

I have some of those felling cones saved in my eBay account. For the length they have quite a bit of rise, on smaller trees or trees with quite a bit of backlean I could see people going too fast and popping the hinge. I've also seen them used with a cordless drill/impact, which would be great since for me because I'm not usually far from the truck, besides what do you want to carry, an impact with the cone on it, or wedges and a hammer/axe.
Next job I can't use my tractor at I'll buy one or two to try them out. The videos look great, just not that one

 

[chipper1]

I have a fulltimer a few houses down . He's 91 years young . Outdoor furnace and solar cells. But I noticed his split pile was getting down . Found out he had a 5 artery bypass valentines valentine's day. Dropped of a load of dry splits . Another neighbor saw me and dropped off a load after I told him what was going on . Hes an Ulster county sheriff his wife is due in may.

Good on you.
Talking to my mom she said a neighbor had asked if he could cut a couple dead leaning trees on the property line between them, I guess the couple both lost their jobs with everything going on and wanted the wood for heat/to save what propane they have left. I may drop them off some, but I'm not 100% of the need and they are bit away to drive and ask. The good thing is we are into the shoulder season now, but I do see some 30's in the forecast next week.
Most likely I'll pile a wheelbarrow load into the little Honda hatchback and run it over. I really like that they are looking at there options and not waiting for a handout, nice to help people like that, they are usually grateful .

 

[chipper1]

I have a fulltimer a few houses down . He's 91 years young . Outdoor furnace and solar cells. But I noticed his split pile was getting down . Found out he had a 5 artery bypass valentines valentine's day. Dropped of a load of dry splits . Another neighbor saw me and dropped off a load after I told him what was going on . Hes an Ulster county sheriff his wife is due in may.

Good on you.
Talking to my mom she said a neighbor had asked if he could cut a couple dead leaning trees on the property line between them, I guess the couple both lost their jobs with everything going on and wanted the wood for heat/to save what propane they have left. I may drop them off some, but I'm not 100% of the need and they are bit away to drive and ask. The good thing is we are into the shoulder season now, but I do see some 30's in the forecast next week.
Most likely I'll pile a wheelbarrow load into the little Honda hatchback and run it over. I really like that they are looking at there options and not waiting for a handout, nice to help people like that, they are usually grateful .

 

[chipper1]

That apple will really hold the moisture under the bark Ryan. Do a resplit and check it I usually figure a year to be decent to burn. I got a call a week or so ago from a customer that wants about 15 apple trees taken down in his orchard..

A customer, so he's paying you to take them down .
Don't they push those over root ball and all, then cut them up.
I seen a field done that way a couple weeks ago on the way to another members house, had to be a couple hundred of them. We have a lot of orchards up here, they are all switching to the dwarf trees that are small but have apples just about covering the whole tree. Pretty neat trees, I'm wondering what the downsides are of them, may plant a few.

 

[SS396driver]

Well seems I only lost 2 chickens to the birds . Neighbor came over this morning with three that were hanging out with his.

 

[SS396driver]

Good on you.
Talking to my mom she said a neighbor had asked if he could cut a couple dead leaning trees on the property line between them, I guess the couple both lost their jobs with everything going on and wanted the wood for heat/to save what propane they have left. I may drop them off some, but I'm not 100% of the need and they are bit away to drive and ask. The good thing is we are into the shoulder season now, but I do see some 30's in the forecast next week.
Most likely I'll pile a wheelbarrow load into the little Honda hatchback and run it over. I really like that they are looking at there options and not waiting for a handout, nice to help people like that, they are usually grateful .

Man is incredible left arm is pretty much useless he had a stroke a few years back . He had logs delivered last fall and he cut them up and hand split. That's what he was doing when the trouble started. He passed out splitting wife called the ambulance and they did the surgery the same day