Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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Good morning guys.

I took my at home sleep test last night for sleep apnea… Been told that I stopped breathing in my sleep, so I figured I better get that checked out. I had that many years ago, but controlled it through weight loss. Even though I weigh less that I used to I’m probably just getting old and may need a CPAP again. Be interesting to see what the test says.

Big weekend here, getting a new plow put on my truck. Or I should say a slightly used plow.

In other news, I’m trying to get through the big stack of cast-iron I have piled up in my kitchen. I was given a collection from my friends grandparents and there’s a few high-value items in the collection as well as a bunch of regular users. Plus another person gave me a bunch of Dutch ovens and I’m restoring a few pieces for friends. I try to get about 10 stocked up and then restore and now I’ve got about 50… Such is life lol.

Here’s a few of them.
IMG_5058.jpeg
 
Good morning guys.

I took my at home sleep test last night for sleep apnea… Been told that I stopped breathing in my sleep, so I figured I better get that checked out. I had that many years ago, but controlled it through weight loss. Even though I weigh less that I used to I’m probably just getting old and may need a CPAP again. Be interesting to see what the test says.

Big weekend here, getting a new plow put on my truck. Or I should say a slightly used plow.

In other news, I’m trying to get through the big stack of cast-iron I have piled up in my kitchen. I was given a collection from my friends grandparents and there’s a few high-value items in the collection as well as a bunch of regular users. Plus another person gave me a bunch of Dutch ovens and I’m restoring a few pieces for friends. I try to get about 10 stocked up and then restore and now I’ve got about 50… Such is life lol.

Here’s a few of them.
View attachment 1131999
I like that big pot in the back. How big is it?
 
Good morning guys.

I took my at home sleep test last night for sleep apnea… Been told that I stopped breathing in my sleep, so I figured I better get that checked out. I had that many years ago, but controlled it through weight loss. Even though I weigh less that I used to I’m probably just getting old and may need a CPAP again. Be interesting to see what the test says.

Big weekend here, getting a new plow put on my truck. Or I should say a slightly used plow.

In other news, I’m trying to get through the big stack of cast-iron I have piled up in my kitchen. I was given a collection from my friends grandparents and there’s a few high-value items in the collection as well as a bunch of regular users. Plus another person gave me a bunch of Dutch ovens and I’m restoring a few pieces for friends. I try to get about 10 stocked up and then restore and now I’ve got about 50… Such is life lol.

Here’s a few of them.
View attachment 1131999
The kettle and the waffle makers are kewl. Haven't ever seen either before. :drinkingcoffee:
 
I couldn't imagine selling firewood with only a home owners splitter and just a pickup truck. I wouldn't break even under those conditions.
Did it for decades, this is the first year I have not sold firewood in quite some time. This year I focused on some milling projects to build the hunting stands.

Having a white-collar job, I mostly did it to get some fresh air and stay in shape. Always all hardwood, and rarely got over $200/cord.

Before I got my hydro splitter (about 10 years ago), I split it all by hand!

When I used to heat my house with wood (before I established sources for wood) I used to buy a load of logs, cut them up with my 044 (my only saw for 18 years) and split 6 cord / year by hand to heat my house. Was good exercise and helped keep me in shape!

When I was doing firewood for others, I would remove trees for free if they let me take it for firewood. It was a lot of work, but everyone was happy, I covered my costs and earned "saw money", so house money was not used for my saw obsession! I currently have 14 runners and several incomplete projects.

As I've slowed down the last few years, the desire to build more saws has diminished ... I've got a pretty good collection and sometimes don't even use all of them in a given year.
 
That is probably about a 6 quart dutch oven
Years ago, someone had a St Louis CL ad for a couple of those big kettles. One was those 24" dia 20 gal and the other was a smaller 10 gal size. The 10 gal would have been perfect for me. The kicker was they were FREE and on the CURB! Living 30 miles away, they would have been gone before I got there. If they only would put a price on them and sold them, it would have slowed things down and I'd had a chance at them. Currently the big ones go for around $300. Never saw a 10 gal before.
 
Years ago, someone had a St Louis CL ad for a couple of those big kettles. One was those 24" dia 20 gal and the other was a smaller 10 gal size. The 10 gal would have been perfect for me. The kicker was they were FREE and on the CURB! Living 30 miles away, they would have been gone before I got there. If they only would put a price on them and sold them, it would have slowed things down and I'd had a chance at them. Currently the big ones go for around $300. Never saw a 10 gal before.
Yeah the big ones increase in value exponentially!

I would love a cast iron turkey roaster but last time I checked they were about 800 bucks.

My largest piece of (modern) cast iron is #14 dutch oven that I bought from the Lodge Factory Store. I took the feet off of it so I could use it in the oven. As it ends up, I do not use it much although I use the smaller ones weekly.
 
Yeah the big ones increase in value exponentially!

I would love a cast iron turkey roaster but last time I checked they were about 800 bucks.

My largest piece of (modern) cast iron is #14 dutch oven that I bought from the Lodge Factory Store.
How big is the #14? I have a Lodge rectangular fish fryer. I inquired with Lodge if they made/could make a lipped lid for it. They said no. Since then, the fish fryer has been discontinued. Would have been more versatile.
 
ez 3/4 cord... all cut up in chunks. i know the guy, mite ask him tomorrow what kind of wood is it. hinted of being oak! just sitting on street curb one place i seen on my evening bike ride... put out today! and another could be couple cords. cut down abig pecan. 24-30" diam trunk, i'd say off hand. it did make a mess of the street there at those 4 houses each season. i only seen it in the dark, street light but the branches are many and lots of cut -n -stack sized firewood. or cooking wood. next to all that is the trunk!

acorns falling non-stop! when i pass one other house... with a metal roof... i can always hear... blink!.... blink!... as acorns fall and hit it...
turns out it is black walnut! talked to neighbor. decided to take all the smaller stuff. i got plenty oak chunks to split up soon...

rains had eased up, scrounge from last nite... close to midnite ~
P1010002.JPG
 
How big is the #14? I have a Lodge rectangular fish fryer. I inquired with Lodge if they made/could make a lipped lid for it. They said no. Since then, the fish fryer has been discontinued. Would have been more versatile.
A #14 has a top diameter of about 15 1/4". Pretty large!

I know some of those rectangular fryers had lids, can't remember who made them though.
 
Everything is relative....when I used to sell firewood, I would do everything short of hound my repeat customers to buy from me in April and May instead of October.....year after year most of them would either want to wait till the fall or flat out ignore my messages..... but guess who needed wood in October!!! And I would offer a discount to buy in April as well!

If I was still doing wood, I wouldn't even advertise till December. Then the buyers NEED wood and you are in the drivers seat versus getting jacked around.

$400 a cord for any wood here (even golden oak lol) wouldn't sell but at the same point we have propane at 1.93 a gallon, betting it is double or more up by KK!
 
Did it for decades, this is the first year I have not sold firewood in quite some time. This year I focused on some milling projects to build the hunting stands.

Having a white-collar job, I mostly did it to get some fresh air and stay in shape. Always all hardwood, and rarely got over $200/cord.

Before I got my hydro splitter (about 10 years ago), I split is all by hand!

When I used to heat my house with wood (before I established sources for wood) I used to buy a load of logs, cut them up with my 044 (my only saw for 18 years) and split 6 cord / year by hand to heat my house. Was good exercise and helped keep me in shape!

When I was doing firewood for others, I would remove trees for free if they let me take it for firewood. It was a lot of work, but everyone was happy, I covered my costs and earned "saw money", so house money was not used for my saw obsession! I currently have 14 runners and several incomplete projects.

As I've slowed down the last few years, the desire to build more saws has diminished ... I've got a pretty good collection and sometimes don't even use all of them in a given year.
I understand. I didn't have hydraulics until 2013. I was 37 then. Witch is STIHL pretty young for sure. Went in partners with two other neighbors on a 27ton for sale at Walmart. I think we each paid $430. Up until then I split wood with hand tools from the time my dad determined I had enough lead in my ass to swing a sledge. It was all for our own use though. I stihl grab the hand splitting tools and swing'em around a bit to keep'em from getting too rusty. Lol, and as you say. It's good exercise, or as my RDC in boot camp would say. "It's good for the mind body and soul!"
 
I sell Spruce for $400 a cord. Some folks on the Island sell it for $450 and $500 a cord! I started at $350 earlier at the beginning of fall. Then I got some advice from a few folks to up my price and charge the going rate. Some of you may be thinking $400 a cord for soft wood is ridiculous. I'd agree, because before I started selling firewood. Getting my scrounge on for personal use came easy to me. I was hesitant to up my price to 400 a cord, but most folks are happy to pay it. Just one or two fires a day. Saves them tremendously on heating oil costs for the winter "if" they have an energy efficient home. I've sold 40 cord so far this year since mid Summer and have 30 more orders in the books and the orders keep trickling in. Even at $400 a cord. With the cost of living on an Island in the North Pacific and the overhead I have with my equipment I'm really not making much money. Logging, haul'n, prossesing and delivering takes a lot of time and I've got good equipment! I couldn't imagine selling firewood with only a home owners splitter and just a pickup truck. I wouldn't break even under those conditions. Being as I live almost 100 miles round trip from town. Its $60 per trip just in diesel with a fully loaded truck and trailer. Most my income is from residential tree removal, driveway repair and lot clearing. Firewood keeps me busy and keeps me from going backwards when nothing else is going on.

It is all in the market and the species available. Down here "good wood" is considered to be Fir. I have been selling around 10 cord a year of WILLOW!!!! Nothing else of any abundance around here. I geet $120 cord and should have raised it to 175 (red fir is running from 400 down to 250). I have been turning away customers for that junk, can't cut enough. I figure I loose money on every cord but cutting wood is my hobby and I got to get rid of the harvest. I burn 6-7 cord a year, half willow and the other half whatever better wood comes my way.
 
So, since my wife likes to make coal all day while I’m at work….


What gloves do you guys all wear when loading your stoves??

When I was a kid, my pop has these NASA looking fireproof gloves

I’ve been a cheap @$& all these years, but I’m thinking it’s finally time to invest in some good wood stove gloves

What do all of you guys use?
I use HF welding gloves. They work fine for putting wood into the stove.
 
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