small firewood business's where do you cut/split your wood?

[dkydfireman]

I work part time with a busy tree care company.

Like most other companies, They prefer to give away the wood then have to deal with it. So I take my old Chevy ex-army 1 ton and collect whatever wood I can from the jobsites. Even if I'm not working with them they will call and give me locations where they just did removals.
It's a win win situation for everybody involved.
Sometimes the wood is already blocked up when I get there sometimes it's in random lengths. Most times when I show up the job is done and clean-up is finished so I can't really pull out the saws and start blocking the wood on the clients front lawn without making another big mess.
I was just bringing it home and cutting to length/splitting in my driveway throwing it in some racks to measure then selling it as green firewood.
Untill yesterday.

Turns out my neighbour is quite pissed off about the noise and mess and mentioned something about being unsightly and blah blah blah.
He is about 90 years old and a WW2 vet so I try to accommodate him as much as possible.

So looks like I have to try to find a suitable spot to make some noise and a mess. I live in the middle of a city not far from a industrial park but I didin't want to travel too far just to process firewood. I'd probably be lucky to do 20-25 cord a year. I just can't let a opportunity to make a buck for a little hard work pass me by.
I'm still planning on storing it at my house. I never have more than one or one and a half around before it sells.

Just wondering if anybody has a similar situation and where you cut your wood?
Thanks
Sean

 

[Guido Salvage]

I would check with the locality where you live to see if they have any type of noise or nuisance ordinance. They may limit the hours when noise above a certain decibel range is allowed and may also cap how loud the noise can be. If there is nothing on the books you are free to cut but I would limit it to daytime hours.

If you have complaining neighbors they may try to shut you down if you do not have a business license. A bit of research on your part might save you a lot on the back end.

 

[dkydfireman]

Thanks Guido
The municipality I live in does have a unnecessary noise by-law. But unless they get complaints they don't really enforce it. And I'm in an area that is zoned as residential. I can pass off the wood stored here for personal use so that part isn't an issue.
I was doing all the work during the day time hours but the old guy who is complaining is retired and never seems to leave. So I can't wait for him to leave to make my noise. Hopefully I can come up with a solution to keep the peace.

 

[Steve2910]

They built a development of $1,000,000+ houses behind me 5 yrs ago---- & the developer put up a 10' high solid privacy fence between the long side of my property (+/- 900') & the road going in. It also wraps around behind me & my neighbor's. People say they have a "fenced in yard", I have a fenced OUT yard! Since then, I've tried to not run the skid steer or 1/2" impact gun, etc. during odd hrs. Never met the people behind me--- they could be cool, but I'm doing my part to avoid the hassle associated w/ zoning violations & general gov't BS. On the flip-side the noise ordinance around here starts @ 11PM, if I need to make noise w/in the legal time restriction, I'm going to. T.S. to anybody who doesn't like it. Also, good of you to respect the "greatest generation"

 

[Wood Doctor]

Good Thread Topic...

I found my biggest customer who has more land than I do. That's where I split my wood and all of his, and that's where I stack it--about 20 cords a year. We sell the extra firewood for a fair price and use that revenue to pay for the splitter, my gasoline, my saws, and his taxes.

I transport the big rounds to his place and store them there until they are ready to split and stack. I collect the big rounds from lots of places and transport them to the splitter. This system works like a charm. :smile2:

 

[Iron man]

Look at the bright side.The guy is 90 so you shouldn't have to wait long before he cant complain any more.

 

[dkydfireman]

Thanks for the responses so far guys.

Wood doctor I was thinking about doing something like that but so far my biggest client has been my Dad and my mother just wouldn't let that happen in her yard lol.
Iron man it's funny you mentioned that. The cranky neighbour brought that up as well when he was telling how I should be respecting his retirement.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Look at the bright side.The guy is 90 so you shouldn't have to wait long before he can't complain any more.

Yes, but some men live to be 100. I say find a remote place to process the wood and bring home firewood ready to unload and stack.

Small residential lots are a pain, and I wish mine was three times as big. :bang:

 

[sunfish]

Buy ya a nice large piece of ground out in the country.

 

[blackdogon57]

Where exactly are you in Halifax ? I grew up their and know it well.

 

[dkydfireman]

I'm in Dartmouth right next to the Brightwood gold course.

 

[Rudedog]

I've read enough of Spacemule's threads to know what to do. Next time he complains, call the Police. Report to them that he is walking around his property with no pants on showing all of his glory, that you think he is senile and that you are terribly worried about his welfare. That should keep him busy for a while.

 

[Circle B MN]

I keep a lot of wood at my residence (3 acres), probably more than should be at a residence, but rarely do I fire up a saw here. The splitter yes, but never a saw. Splitter engine is rather quiet. I do all my bucking in the sticks. Either back the truck to it, or skid it to a landing and work it there. I have never had a complaint about noise, but I figured the best way to keep that record was to no trun the saws here.

 

[dkydfireman]

I've read enough of Spacemule's threads to know what to do. Next time he complains, call the Police. Report to them that he is walking around his property with no pants on showing all of his glory, that you think he is senile and that you are terribly worried about his welfare. That should keep him busy for a while.

He does mow his lawn with his shirt off sometimes.

 

[dkydfireman]

I keep a lot of wood at my residence (3 acres), probably more than should be at a residence, but rarely do I fire up a saw here. The splitter yes, but never a saw. Splitter engine is rather quiet. I do all my bucking in the sticks. Either back the truck to it, or skid it to a landing and work it there. I have never had a complaint about noise, but I figured the best way to keep that record was to no trun the saws here.

I think I've only ran the saw for maybe a 1/2 hour here in the driveway since January and I was splitting everything with a maul untill yesterday.
He is just old and cranky and I'm the first one he sees when he comes outside.

I wish that I was getting my wood from the forset where I could do whatever without bothering anybody.
With my city wood the price is right and I'm never more than 20-30 minutes from home.

 

[Circle B MN]

I think I've only ran the saw for maybe a 1/2 hour here in the driveway since January and I was splitting everything with a maul untill yesterday.
He is just old and cranky and I'm the first one he sees when he comes outside.

I wish that I was getting my wood from the forset where I could do whatever without bothering anybody.
With my city wood the price is right and I'm never more than 20-30 minutes from home.

I did fail to mention I also have a commercial lot in town where I take delivery of logs and process them. I also get dump loads of split wood there. Though the truck traffic is not every day, it is well worth it to keep it in a commercial area rather than your front yard.

 

[Patrick62]

ideas...

if noise is the problem... then let's put a muffler for a volvo wagon on the saw

The other idea (much more practical) is to change things a bit. It might be practical to change over to a small buzz saw driven with a electric motor. The log splitter can be repowered electric as well. There are some advantages here.

Otherwise you could try and find a lot somewhere that is cheap enough to lease.

 

[Circle B MN]

if noise is the problem... then let's put a muffler for a volvo wagon on the saw

The other idea (much more practical) is to change things a bit. It might be practical to change over to a small buzz saw driven with a electric motor. The log splitter can be repowered electric as well. There are some advantages here.

Otherwise you could try and find a lot somewhere that is cheap enough to lease.

Good points. Buck the wood off site. A SuperSplit with electric motor is fast and near silent. Stack the wood and it will dry faster and not be unsightly. Stack it in the right place and it will work like a privacy fence...:msp_thumbup:

 

[jcl]

Could you cut and split it at work then stack it in a nice rows at home not much noise stacking wood?

Me I'm lucky I've got a field on 10 acres

 

[Rio_Grande]

I live in a small town and until last year did not have property in the country. I am not gonna lie to you the last 15 years has been full of fighting town ordinaces and appearing in court at least twice all because of one crotchedy old neighbor. He has been a pain in the ass. Calling zoning officials and the like on me some weeks on a daily basis. I combated it initaly by complying but that actually caused it to get worse. At that point I started reading the law and would use it to my advantage. Once cited by the zoning board I went to each members home and took photos of viloations of their own laws. Once I brought the photos to their attention my problems went away. I spent 35,000 buying a small comercial lot next door to me, put up a fence and built a 30x40 building. All of that and in the end,,,,, Went out and bought some wooded acrage and guess what,,,,,, the guy next to me IS THE SAME WAY......

Interestingly enough I told the neighbor in one of the hearings when he asked what my plan was to resolve the problem that my plan was to outlive the problem which was him!!!

The fella presiding over the hearing laughed for an almost inapropriate time,,, It was funny.