Well folks....

rkshed said:

Oh and one of my faithful J-reds gave up the ghost recently.
Now I have an excuse to go buy a new saw

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Stihl

I was watching Alaskas Last Frontier on tv before, they said they had 1 days wood left, so they went outside, dropped a fir, they were good to go.....

I have burned wood for 40 years and I don't remember to many winters that I burned this much wood. I fill my wood shed in the fall with what normally lasts the entire winter. This year, I have restocked the wood shed twice, not full of course, just what I thought I was going to need to get to the Spring, Twice, and I may have to again! Oh well, life is good, I have the wood and the more wood I get to burn the more fun I have.

2 1/2 cords down and 2 cords left yet.

It's been great to keep my family warm with wood that I scrounged bucked and split this year but I'm glad to see 40 today. Down to my last 1/4 cord experimenting with mixing in some bio bricks to stretch it.

robbydanilow said:

It's been great to keep my family warm with wood that I scrounged bucked and split this year but I'm glad to see 40 today. Down to my last 1/4 cord experimenting with mixing in some bio bricks to stretch it.

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Hang in there robbydanilow, sounds like you are doing a good job for your family. In the beginning, I was where you are. Persevere and get ahead, it will serve you well and make you feel good, and secure. It takes a while but when you get there, you will be a happy man.

+1 what the chief said !! Were a fortunate group here.

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:

I was watching Alaskas Last Frontier on tv before, they said they had 1 days wood left, so they went outside, dropped a fir, they were good to go.....

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My favorite is the guy from Wiseman on 'Life Below Zero'...Goes out, rings some trees, cuts them down a few years later.
Don't know how dry it is, but sure is efficient.

Got plenty of lumber scraps from a stand maker in town. Untreated, kiln dried logs : then they rip em.
$20 a pallet, 25 bags in a pallet.
1 bag a day, or less, with my firewood to help it burn. Using little firewood, be able to let most of it sit till next year this way.

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:

I was watching Alaskas Last Frontier on tv before, they said they had 1 days wood left, so they went outside, dropped a fir, they were good to go.....

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I love Alaska Last Frontier, but seriously, those guys wait until the last minute to cut wood they are going to burn that winter and will freeze to death if they don't. Their wood stoves are relics and OK, I know it is TV, but I just want to go help them!

tfdchief said:

I love Alaska Last Frontier, but seriously, those guys wait until the last minute to cut wood they are going to burn that winter and will freeze to death if they don't. Their wood stoves are relics and OK, I know it is TV, but I just want to go help them!

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I think it's just Atz Lee...
Remember watching his father talk about his kid not learning how do things when nature makes it easier.
And he's always the first to run out of proteins it seems.

Kosmik said:

I think it's just Atz Lee...
Remember watching his father talk about his kid not learning how do things when nature makes it easier.
And he's always the first to run out of proteins it seems.

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You may be right, but I really think we need to get those guys on here and educate them!

Yeah, it's not like they don't have the equipment or space...

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:

Yeah, it's not like they don't have the equipment or space...

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Or trees

I've burned through about three cords so far maybe more. It's been a cold winter, but my house is better insulated now so its hardly a difference from last year. I have four cords split, about a cord and a half of that is for this year. I am having some trees cut down so I will be getting a few cords of hickory, oak, dogwood and blue spruce for future years of burning. I'm going to need a couple more cords that will be ready for next year though, as the hickory and oak will need at least two summers to properly dry out.

I think I heard them say the area where they shoot Alaska the Last frontier had a boring beatle infestation some time ago, so this standing dead are ready to burn upon cutting (like member Lumberjack, former Carbon Liberater). But those stoves are ancient. I love that show.

New EPA stove this year and have used 3 chords with around another 1/2 chord ( from next years stash)....to go. Last year was just over 2 1/2 chords with the smoke dragon. We are just not use to the extended low temperatures...
2 1/2 chords ready for next year and 4 chords just dumped, most will have to be split smaller.

resigned myself last week that the emergency stack kept outside the shed under tarp is going to have to go in the stove this year,oh well at least i have it.plenty of people around here who are out,some have even asked if the could buy some of mine i have in blocks for splitting some spring,i just keep saying thanks but i have a plan for that.kinda hurts to do it,but i cant cut for everyone.i am supplying one neighbor already that has had health problems,cant bring myself to charge him,just glad to keep him warm this winter.

We're right down to the last of our "stash", too. I have more left for my shop's stove than we do for the house stove, so I suspect there will be poaching... . The last time we "ran out" was in 1992, the first year we really burned wood. We have a pretty serious pile of rounds to split and stack for 2016 (if the snow ever melts and we can see it again!), and we want to take down some trees and limb up some substantial oaks (if the snow ever melts enough).

Even if we run out I can't complain too much; with oil approaching $4/gallon we've already saved a lot of money and been comfy and cozy through a cold winter. I was talking to the delivery guy and he told me people are burning 25-30% more oil and propane this year. Some will be lucky to pay off their bills by the end of the summer, and start paying on their "budget plans"!

How many bio-bricks do you think I can throw in with a couple pieces of wood? I have a Jotul C550 and am running low. Wood is probably around 20% MC. Burned through the good stuff and this is what I have left. I know the manual says not to use them but folks here have done so. I have never burn one not sure how much heat they put out.

I'm getting good results in a Fireview w 5 bricks and 3 big splits of next years cherry also around 20 %. longer heat output in the coaling stage.

I am in the same boat with planned wood that I bring into the basement in Sept/Oct for the year. Had just north of 4cord and down to just north of a face left inside. I have plenty stacked but and have planned with no issue using it but still hoping to get some melt off before I need to because the darn snow is preventing the use of my ATV and trailer. 4 days at or near 40 degrees has helped but there is a long way to go before my rig can really get it done.

Tough to pre-plan for a record setting winter in temps and snowfall even for an "over-planner" like myself. I am just glad I had/have so much CSS'd that it is not an issue sans labor. I even gave two cord to my neighbor recently to get him through. He broke his collar bone and could not get any cut this year and he will replace it with DBL once we get the chance.

I should have enough wood, but I usually end up with 2 cords of wood still in the pole shed after winter's done. Not this year.

logger said:

This has been one of the coldest and snowiest winters I can remember in our area. I usually burn between 4 and 5 cords, but this year Im well into 6 already with about 1 seasoned cord left. Last week I went out to TS and picked up some bio bricks/blocks just to mix in with the wood every once and a while. This was my first experience using them and they work great and put good heat out. I advise anyone running low to do the same and you wont be disappointed.

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I'm about to do this

Logger can you post a bigger picture of your avatar? Looks like a pretty cool set up you got there and i want a closer looksie.

Just looked and this winter ranks 3rd all time snowfall for my area since they started recording.