Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[benp]

I was out walking the dog in the woods and came upon one of my favorite blow downs that has had my eye for a while.

A large Sugar Maple that is lodged off of the ground. Most of the blow downs back there are laying on the ground and just go to pot very quick.

Here it is.

Here is another that is dead dead standing. When you bang on it with something it sounds like a baseball ball. Not sure what species of tree it is as there is no bark or even much of a top to help ID it. I know it's hard as a rock.

I think that one is going to stay where it is unless it falls on its own due to the effort to bring it down safely and also the fact I think it's a critter apartment complex.

The wood guy is supposed to show up this week with another hard wood scrounge. After he unloads in the hardwood section of the wood yard he will refill with 10 cords of birch, tamarac, some popple and bring it up to the cutting area.

If that doesn't happen I'm going after the maple this weekend.

 

[zogger]

I was out walking the dog in the woods and came upon one of my favorite blow downs that has had my eye for a while.

A large Sugar Maple that is lodged off of the ground. Most of the blow downs back there are laying on the ground and just go to pot very quick.

Here it is.

Here is another that is dead dead standing. When you bang on it with something it sounds like a baseball ball. Not sure what species of tree it is as there is no bark or even much of a top to help ID it. I know it's hard as a rock.

I think that one is going to stay where it is unless it falls on its own due to the effort to bring it down safely and also the fact I think it's a critter apartment complex.

The wood guy is supposed to show up this week with another hard wood scrounge. After he unloads in the hardwood section of the wood yard he will refill with 10 cords of birch, tamarac, some popple and bring it up to the cutting area.

If that doesn't happen I'm going after the maple this weekend.

Well, you are wood rich, but that maple looks like a ton of fun.

That leaner, meh, let er go unless you want an adventure challenge.

 

[dancan]

10-4 on that.
I would like to see the RonCo WH earn it's keep as well.

BTW how is verson 1.1 comming along???

David

The walking beam and axle stub assembly is complete and ready for paint , steel should be in tomorrow for the bunks and I still have to make up a swivel trailer hitch , I hope to have it ready by Friday .
I've got to do the wheelbearings on the atv and get a little bit of brakes working , this Friday .....

 

[svk]

I was out walking the dog in the woods and came upon one of my favorite blow downs that has had my eye for a while.

A large Sugar Maple that is lodged off of the ground. Most of the blow downs back there are laying on the ground and just go to pot very quick.

Here it is.

Here is another that is dead dead standing. When you bang on it with something it sounds like a baseball ball. Not sure what species of tree it is as there is no bark or even much of a top to help ID it. I know it's hard as a rock.

I think that one is going to stay where it is unless it falls on its own due to the effort to bring it down safely and also the fact I think it's a critter apartment complex.

The wood guy is supposed to show up this week with another hard wood scrounge. After he unloads in the hardwood section of the wood yard he will refill with 10 cords of birch, tamarac, some popple and bring it up to the cutting area.

If that doesn't happen I'm going after the maple this weekend.

Hard to tell from that photo but perhaps red oak?

 

[benp]

Well, you are wood rich, but that maple looks like a ton of fun.

That leaner, meh, let er go unless you want an adventure challenge.

I agree that it would be a challenge that I do no want. Plus I really don't want to tear up the woods using the skidsteer to pull it down.

Hard to tell from that photo but perhaps red oak?

If it's a red oak, then it is an oddity in this plot. Maybe I'll walk back out there and get some closer pictures.

ETA - Ran back out there again and took some quick pictures.

And this is how the forest floor is covered.

 

[dancan]

I'd cut that , bring it up here , I'll do it for free

 

[nomad_archer]

Spent a day for the past two weekends with a buddy and a splitter to finally finish off my wood pile. Time to get it stacked.

 

[mainewoods]

If it was me, I wouldn't hesitate to pull down that leaner. There is a lot of good wood there, and there is no better time than the present. This time next year you won't even know you had the skid steer in there. Nature has an effective way of taking care of that. That is about as dead a hard wood tree, still standing, as you will see. It needs to be processed before it turns rotten. JMO

 

[BillNole]

I was out walking the dog in the woods and came upon one of my favorite blow downs that has had my eye for a while.

A large Sugar Maple that is lodged off of the ground. Most of the blow downs back there are laying on the ground and just go to pot very quick.

Here it is.

Am I the only one to see that little goodie in the foreground? We all love our saws, to be sure. BUT... There are "toys" and then there are "toys"... Hehehe...

 

[CRThomas]

Thought maybe you guy's that scrounge wood, might share some of your scrounging methods with the seemingly growing crowd of newbie wood burners. From what I have been reading, they would be quite appreciative to hear how you score, and where you score. There is a lot of useful and interesting information scattered throughout the firewood forum. I thought it might be nice to share some of your experiences in one thread, for those who are just starting out and maybe those who are struggling a bit. Thanks to anyone who cares to share.

Find where they been cutting timber and see if you can gets the tops. All you have to do is look around. I had to buy some land because I run out of room at my yard and it is because of free wood. have to tell people where its at because I can't keep up with the free stuff. All ways keep your chain saw in your truck. I take deliver to town I all most all ways bring a load of firewood back. To bundle and deliver some other day. I am a full time firewood man. I don't stop firewood to mow grass I don't even mow my own grass. I do firewood from day lite to dark and some times after that. I drive thru town see pickup truck loads all ready chunked in peoples yard for free and they pay me sometimes to remove it. Because the tree trimmer didn't come back after he got his money up front.

 

[CRThomas]

Agree, get landowner's permission even if you are cleaning up along the roadsides. The land owner still owns out to the middle of the road.

In Illinois the state owns 50 ft from the middle of the road both ways

 

[MechanicMatt]

CRThomas, I keep a chainsaw in the trunk of my Mustang. Never know when your going to need it. Husqvarna 44

 

[MechanicMatt]

I thought this is the way all firewood scroungers drive around. Gettem' ready with this package of saws, then bring'em home in the back of a 2500HD and dump trailer, even with 70psi of air in the LT's they still look flat. Guys look in amazement what I do to that poor ole truck, I just smile and wink. Gonna be bringing home another load this week in the truck, Ill try and snap a pic of it loaded.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

In Illinois the state owns 50 ft from the middle of the road both ways

Same here BUT, in every case the state will tell you that the land owner where that property is, is the owner of the tree's...

When I ask, they just tell me, "ask the land owner" and take them if he doesn't care...

DM

 

[benp]

Am I the only one to see that little goodie in the foreground? We all love our saws, to be sure. BUT... There are "toys" and then there are "toys"... Hehehe...

Good catch. lol.

TC Encore pistol with 45LC/.410 barrel.

 

[svk]

Birch score!

Guy I know texted me this morning that he has between 40-50 birch logs from 10-20' in length in a pile on some land he's building a cabin on and I am welcome to it. Not that I need more wood but drive-to access birch thats only 15 miles out of my way is too good to pass up. If it's anything like the rest of the birch in that area we are looking at nice, straight 8-14" dbh logs so they will only require one to two splits each.

 

[benp]

I got the sugar maple today.

I got out of work early and said screw it, I'm in.

Loaded up the wheeler and wagon and headed out.

Cut in a little path through the saplings and small trees so I could jockey the wheel and wagon in.

Here is my quarry. I started the saw to begin cutting at 300 pm. I took the 394 and the Dolkita.

The 394 went down with a broken pull start rope and the Dolkita went down with carb issues. It would die after I tach'd it to it's RPM when I let off of the throttle. Fine. Rather have two saws down on a Tuesday than a Saturday afternoon.

First load out.

After I took the first load to the house I dumped out the wounded birds and picked up Gary Lazer Eyes 7900 and the 510. I was now into the meat of the tree and I was not quitting now.

Cutting done and copious use of the bucking wedge used on the trunk.

All processed Fiskar's style. I only had to herf one complete round into the wagon that would not split, thank God. It was the crotch at the top of the trunk. Everything split with minimal effort thankfully because the noodler was down.

I split all of that in about 10 minutes. The dog just kept his distance and stayed under the wagon while the Fiskars was flying.

Two more loads later and this is what I wound up with.

I finished at 600 pm. I busted my a*s and that includes a beer break when I fed the dog at 515 pm before going in for the final load.

Yeah I know, not too impressive. The centers were pithy on the big rounds. I was a little bummed about that. About 50% pithy and 50% decent, to me that's better than dealing with popple.

I attribute that to there being NO direct sun in the woods due to the canopy and no air flow. I figure this should dry fairly quick due to the fact of now being able to get air and direct sunlight.

Now that sucker will no longer torment me when I'm out in the woods and if the wood yard gets jockeyed around this week I can pour into that.

 

[mainewoods]

I'd say that is DAMN impressive.

 

[MustangMike]

The two Grandsons get ready to help Grandpa unload & split the wood. My SIL said he had an electric hydraulic splitter that would take care of things. It was slow & leaked fluid, so while he still tried to use it, I split most of it with the Fiskars. And my daughter pushed the wheelbarrow & stacked, a real family affair!

My brother & I also cut up a 26" Hard Maple that the guy with the excavator knocked down, so my brother (MechanicMatt's Dad) got to run both my ported saws. He really was impressed with both of them. He choose to use the 362 most of the time, but also talked about possibly getting his 460 ported.

The load of wood came from an old dead pile of dirty wood that had been moved by the excavator. I actually took the sq file chain off the 362 and put carbide on it to cut that stuff. It goes a lot slower, but it keeps on going. It included Locust, Cherry & Maple.

 

[benp]

The two Grandsons get ready to help Grandpa unload & split the wood. My SIL said he had an electric hydraulic splitter that would take care of things. It was slow & leaked fluid, so while he still tried to use it, I split most of it with the Fiskars. And my daughter pushed the wheelbarrow & stacked, a real family affair!

My brother & I also cut up a 26" Hard Maple that the guy with the excavator knocked down, so my brother (MechanicMatt's Dad) got to run both my ported saws. He really was impressed with both of them. He choose to use the 362 most of the time, but also talked about possibly getting his 460 ported.

The load of wood came from an old dead pile of dirty wood that had been moved by the excavator. I actually took the sq file chain off the 362 and put carbide on it to cut that stuff. It goes a lot slower, but it keeps on going. It included Locust, Cherry & Maple.

That's awesome the family gets involved!!!!

It's hard to beat the Fiskars, I will attest to that.

Once you have a ported saw, you don't go back. It's like crack.