Ill admit it...

Kool_hand_Looke said:

I HATE processing wood by myself. I get incredibly bored at a breakneck speed. My wife "knows" how to cut rounds, move rounds, split, and stack better than me...so she's out. My brother in law that lives down the road is an idiot. I refer to him as Bob Pinciotti. My buddy down the road, we can FLY through processing with lots of shop talk, but he's too flakey. I literally GIVE this guy wood. For free. Except for his help and company.

I was running this through my mind today as I'm ripping through 4, that's right 4, black locusts today. I'm starting to not like processing wood anymore.
Anyone else loners on this same stuff? How do you manage to keep at it?

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I pity anyone who hates processing wood and would advise them to buy their wood already processed.

I am basically a loner but do love it on those days when my wife comes to the woods to help. However, she will not run the saw nor stack the wood; my rules.

I said I am a loner and that started in my youth, especially when I started to split wood long before I was 10 years old. I think I was around 7 or maybe 8. I basically learned how to run the saw by observing others and especially when I was young and just a helper in logging. Then when I started, I got a few pointers from the pros anytime I asked.

Today I am into my 70's and still have no problem working alone but as stated, occasionally my wife helps out and those are great times. We cut in the winter months but do not hurry and there is never any set amount we will put up in any one day. We sort of stack the rounds in the winter and then do all the splitting in the spring. Stacking comes right after splitting. Again, I will not let my wife stack (or split) simply because I do not like the way she stacks the wood. I hope to continue the wood processing until the day I die. I've enjoyed it well over 50 years and see no need to stop doing what I like to do.

I normally go at it alone. I've got my brother to help in exchange for beer or dinner and some wood, but he enlists my dad, and then my dad brings along my brother-in-law. Everyone works hard and knows what they are doing but we all heat with wood and while I don't mind helping people out, especially my parents, firewood split 4 ways dwindles pretty quick and they don't seem to reciprocate when they find free wood.

My girlfriend helps when I need it and does a great job, but I enjoy quite time by myself. What helps me is I hardly ever spend more than 1-2 hours processing wood at a time. It takes me the entire year to gather, split, and stack the 3 cords I need a year but its broken up so much it hardly seems like work.

I don't think I have ever been out felling and cutting alone, probably not a very good idea anyway. I usually go out with my family, or at least one of my two boys. It's nice that they are old enough now to drive the truck if something was to happen to me. I don't think I'd mind working by myself, but I think the fact that it would take me so much longer to fill up the truck would get to me a little.
We do all our splitting at home, I've done that by myself plenty of times, but I only do a little bit at a time. I guess if I was to do it all day long I'd do what I do with my job when I work by myself, listen to the music or talk radio stations.

I am a loner too. Dad and I made a good team from time to time and my two daughters have helped taking it from the woods loading the pickup. But basically it has been little ole me and that is the way I prefer it. At my own pace and quit when I want to. What I do miss about my dad's help, he could keep a junky old poulan running blindfolded.....

When I see folks who want someone to be with them when cutting for safety reasons I think about a friend who owns some property next to us. He had a large pile of oak he wondered if I could split. But when he found out I would be alone he got scared. Didn't think I should be working alone. I did do it alone though and finally got him to understand. Now he knows I actually prefer being alone. Also cutting or bucking and working in the woods with a group of people always makes me very nervous. I've actually seen more injuries when there are more than 2 people than I have with anyone working alone.

However, I will say that people that are new to wood cutting perhaps are much better off not working alone. But, the other person should have some experience.

I work alone. My grown and far distant children all have fits, and provide many cautions. It's amazing I was able to raise them. Now, if you want to talk about a difficult, perilous job....

Another loner here, from the woods to the stove. Everybody loves to stay warm but only my wife helps occasionally. Its probably for the best

If I'm processing wood with an ax I have to do it alone if I want to finish in a timely fashion. My son (6 year old) will come out and help, he has a hatchet, every 5 min I have to help him. My wife won't touch firewood until it needs to go into the stove. My neighbor starts talking politics, we don't agree on a lot of things. If I am using a splitter it is different. Having 3 people around make splitting go a lot faster. Me handling the wood, someone just moving the hydraulic lever, and the last stacking.

Backwoods Savage said:

When I see folks who want someone to be with them when cutting for safety reasons I think about a friend who owns some property next to us. He had a large pile of oak he wondered if I could split. But when he found out I would be alone he got scared. Didn't think I should be working alone. I did do it alone though and finally got him to understand. Now he knows I actually prefer being alone. Also cutting or bucking and working in the woods with a group of people always makes me very nervous. I've actually seen more injuries when there are more than 2 people than I have with anyone working alone.

However, I will say that people that are new to wood cutting perhaps are much better off not working alone. But, the other person should have some experience.

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Dennis I was going to say something very similar. I actually prefer felling trees alone, so I don't have to worry about where the other person/people was. A friend agreed to help me fell some trees one time, but when he showed up he brought his wife, two kids, and dog!

But if the tree is tricky in any way I do want someone with me. Once it's down safely, I usually tackle the rest of the job alone.

tsquini said:

If I'm processing wood with an ax I have to do it alone if I want to finish in a timely fashion. My son (6 year old) will come out and help, he has a hatchet, every 5 min I have to help him. My wife won't touch firewood until it needs to go into the stove. My neighbor starts talking politics, we don't agree on a lot of things. If I am using a splitter it is different. Having 3 people around make splitting go a lot faster. Me handling the wood, someone just moving the hydraulic lever, and the last stacking.

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That time with your son is quality time, no matter how much wood is split!

My son has just started learning to split (he's almost 9) and when he's with me I get almost no wood split because I'm watching him. Quality time - plus I'm expecting a big payoff in 6-7 years!

Kool_hand_Looke said:

Must be nice. I'm serious, my BIL is an idiot. OSHA came to my work, I told him the story on the way to a NYE party. 30 min later hes telling the story to everyone VERBATIM like it happened to him! I just don't think he relizes hes doing it.

He's helped a few times and I just quit asking and decline his offers. I run Stihl Farm Boss-MS290. It's a mean saw for 49cc's. My BIL has like MS190 and argued with me his is better and wondered why I need a saw "that big." All while his won't start.

And...he knows EXACTLY what kind of wood I'm felling. Right. I get the "that's not oak, that's maple, maple burns better than hickory, pine burns great, cherry trees arent any good.

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I hear ya.... I've been around people like that.Not for very long however.My patience tends to wear thin quickly.Some people you just cant reach,even when the truth and/or facts are right in front of them. Some think that just because they're older or "more educated" than me in other unrelated subjects that means they know more about forestry,tree work,operating/working on saws etc.Even dealt with that with a few times in own family...

Once in a while I'll hit them with "OK, so how many 90 foot white oak snags have YOU brought down flawlessly lately? " That usually shuts 'em up in a hurry.

red oak said:

Dennis I was going to say something very similar. I actually prefer felling trees alone, so I don't have to worry about where the other person/people was. A friend agreed to help me fell some trees one time, but when he showed up he brought his wife, two kids, and dog!

But if the tree is tricky in any way I do want someone with me. Once it's down safely, I usually tackle the rest of the job alone.

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Back when I was working cutting cedar shape blocks out of the bush we had one guy in our crew who started bringing his little dog with him to work. Everybody on the crew told him it wasn't a good idea, but he had his excuses why he thought it was OK. Anyway, every week or so the helicopter would come come out to pick up our slings of shake blocks and drop them down by the road. The helicopter had a cable that hung below it that had a hook connected to a 40 lb cylindrical mechanism that had the buttons on it that opened and closed the hook. It was our job to fasten the hook on to our slings when the helicopter brought it over, and you really had to keep your eye on that thing when the helicopter pilot flew it over or you could end up getting bashed in the head with it. An inexperienced helicopter pilot, or a windy day made things that much more crucial you keep your eye on it.
Well one windy day that hook got swinging around pretty good, and that guys dog was sitting on a mound not far from where we were working. Of course the dog was paying no attention to the hook swinging around, and for sure the helicopter pilot had no idea that there was even any dogs around anywhere, and he just so happened to let the hook swing at just the right height, angle and velocity to perfectly swipe that little mutt off his mound and send him flying about 150 ft through the air. It was like watching a pro golfer hit a golf ball off a tee with a fairway woods club. I have to admit I was somewhat amused, as were most of us.
Anyway, the dog didn't get seriously hurt, and the guy never brought his dog to work anymore after that.

red oak said:

My son has just started learning to split (he's almost 9) and when he's with me I get almost no wood split because I'm watching him.

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When my daughters help me I refer to it as "Half the work in twice the time."

I love them like crazy, but they are tough on my productivity. My oldest will be going off to college next year, but I feel good that she knows how to run a chop saw and split her own wood.

Kool_hand_Looke said:

Im

I'm an Ironworker...the past year I've noticed it taking it's toll on me. No more throwing kegs of rods or 50 # spools of wire around anymore. A dolly proves more effective.

I'm just tired busting my @$$ for people to come over and leave my door open while they undress their outer layers and shake the cold off...while I fell trees...dangerously alone.

Idk. Just venting as I grumble up from getting my saw and crap ready for tomorrow.

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I'm an ironworker as well... I'm only 4 months short of 40.. and I have found myself this winter holding down my couch.... not by choice.. but rather the disc at C4/C5... it's extremely difficult to code weld when one's arms go completely numb randomly.. and just as difficult to operate a saw...

As to the topic... I typically fell and limb alone.... the wife and kids come along when I am bucking to load and transport home... then usually the wife runs the splitter... I get the wheelbarrows to the stacks... and my kids stack it.

last 2 weeks of october... all of us get the outside stacks inside.

that being said... my neck has completely screwed up the "usual".. and I'm probably going to have to buy wood this year

Loaner 98% of the time and I like it that way. Its my time. I work Saturdays so I do most of my wood work on weekdays when everybody else is at work. I don't have any wood burning friends or family that would work with me anyway. My stepson is simply not an outdoors kind of guy. My wife has worked with me a couple times and she'd be welcome any time if she wanted.
I work safely at my pace which varies. I'll be 44 this summer so I have quite a few more wood processing years ahead of me. After 50 I might start looking for a good deal on a hydraulic splitter.

I think I prefer processing by myself. Especially in winter when I will light an outdoor fire, put some music on and get to work. I will of course relax with a beer by the fire from time to time...

There have been a few times where I have had too much wood to deal with by myself ( entire trees that have fallen) and I have called on mates to come and help then which was fantastic. But otherwise I work solo...

Thankfully I don't mind working alone and I find the different grains and other characteristics of wood interesting enough.

And I don't ever get frustrated working with wood like I can working on other projects around the house. No running up to the hardware store for some part, doesn't cost much of anything to swing an ax. No tedious painting that gets scratched anyway two hours after I finish.

I too sometimes light an outdoor fire, use the tractor, drink a beer or two and it's Saul Good man.

aansorge said:

As others have stated, I enjoy the solitude. I am a teacher surrounded by 5th graders all day. I come home to three kids and a wife, and they are great, but some days I want nothing more than to be alone in the woods.

As a teacher, I stand and move all day, but I don't get any real exercise. Cutting wood gets me some exercise and it is productive exercise rather than sitting on a treadmill in an enclosed air space surrounded by people.

A tip: it sounds as though you are trying to rush through cutting wood and trying to get as much done as possible in as short a time as possible. Take a breath, slow down and don't feel as though you need to cut a three month supply every time you are out. Take a break. Turn off the saw and take a look around your surroundings for a while. Watch some birds, I.D. Some trees.....you get the idea.

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Exactly. Love it when the kids jump in, however. Need to get them in the same frame of mind.
We have a full gym at the school. I've been in it four times or so in 13 years.

jatoxico said:

And I don't ever get frustrated working with wood like I can working on other projects around the house. No running up to the hardware store for some part, doesn't cost much of anything to swing an ax. No tedious painting that gets scratched anyway two hours after I finish.

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So true.

Bret Chase said:

I'm an ironworker as well... I'm only 4 months short of 40.. and I have found myself this winter holding down my couch.... not by choice.. but rather the disc at C4/C5... it's extremely difficult to code weld when one's arms go completely numb randomly.. and just as difficult to operate a saw...

As to the topic... I typically fell and limb alone.... the wife and kids come along when I am bucking to load and transport home... then usually the wife runs the splitter... I get the wheelbarrows to the stacks... and my kids stack it.

last 2 weeks of october... all of us get the outside stacks inside.

that being said... my neck has completely screwed up the "usual".. and I'm probably going to have to buy wood this year

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Wow Bret. That does not sound good. Hope it gets better by itself rather than any surgery. That is nasty. Good that you have some family to help.

Backwoods Savage said:

Wow Bret. That does not sound good. Hope it gets better by itself rather than any surgery. That is nasty. Good that you have some family to help.

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the chances of it not ending in surgery isn't good.... I have another MRI coming up.. and then we'll have a better idea of what's going to need to be done.