Neighbor is splitting Oak NOW to use this Winter!

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Beer Belly, I hope you are okay, whatever your surgery was !
Thanks...it was just Meniscus surgery, Right Knee.....had the Left done 2 years ago, this one is a little slower to heal.
 
Possibly, he's losing interest in it. Might figure it's more fuss and muss than he'd originally thought. Or, his missus may not care for loading the stove - easier to turn the thermostat up. You'd have to ask but It seems there's something about wood burning that he's no longer enthused about. It is labor intensive, we all can attest to that.

Come to think of it, the first wood burner I owned came used from a fellow who lived in the city. He'd only used it for one season. Turned out to be more work than they were prepared to handle.

Got a similar story... when we started wood heating we pulled and sold the propane space heater. The ol' boy who bought it asked why we were selling. Told him we'd switched to wood heat.

He smiled and said he wanted the propane burner 'cause he'd been cutting and splitting firewood for 30 years and was just plain tired of it. :)
 
Okay, I just drove down the alley and saw my neighbor and his wife, drinking beer and working on a pickup truck. He asked me "how are you doing with your firewood?" and of course the answer was "great" because I've been done months ago, which was nice because he actually proceeded to tell me that he hooked up with a guy up the mountain that has tons of downed wood and he wants it out of there, and the guy is even hauling it with a Kubota and letting him use his splitter etc., so he has a great source but he's still way behind! I knew that if my answer would've been "I'm looking for wood" he would've let me in on the deal, he is a great guy like that, don't get me wrong, and I appreciated that, but whether you have a source or not it has to be processed and the only thing that I said to him was "it's good to have a source; don't wait too long" and we left it at that. So he has a source, but still isn't feeling the urgency to get the wood in, so like we said I guess he'll have to learn the hard way and be disappointed this Winter that although the wood was down it still didn't make it "ready to burn" as he thinks it is....

Oh boy.....<> :confused:
 
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My next door neighbor here where I'm renting cuts and splits oak in October for use that same year. His sons come in panic mode in November and do the same. It's painful to watch the smoke come out of his chimney and the monthly chimney cleanings. He is the salt of the earth otherwise, and has helped me out with a lot of things, but I wish he'd put up his wood earlier!

I've given dry wood to a neighbor and a co-worker after they complained about their stoves not putting out heat. They were amazed...
 
if you are plenty ahead on yours offer some dry wood for his green on a 1.5 or 2 - 1 ration to help get him through the winter. If he is your neighbor and a good guy it will pay you back in wood karma and maybe more. Hell, even 1-1 if you are getting oak for cherry, maple, ash, etc..

Just an idea
 
I come by it honestly. My Dad was a Southern Baptist preacher.

We will be passing the plate shortly.

And the Offertory hymn will be the first three verses of "Be Stihl My Soul!"
 
And will led by our guest today Ferlin Husky.
 
Well, I have to admit, my wood is bucked and stacked but won't be split until December. That being said, it also isn't being burned for 3 years. I do have the builder saving my end cuts of 2x4s and 2x6s of kiln dried douglas fir and my builder has offered me some wood for my visit in December (which my wood-splitter nephew will be hauling in his truck for me) because the 2x's might not be dry (that seems weird, but it is possible). At least I have a plan (and it doesn't seem stupid). By the way, in a specially marked moving box is the face shield and ear muffs . . .
 
he hooked up with a guy up the mountain that has tons of downed wood and he wants it out of there, and the guy is even hauling it with a Kubota and letting him use his splitter etc
He might get lucky if the wood's been dead long enough or is quick-drying species. Still won't be perfect, probably, but better that wet Oak.
My next door neighbor here where I'm renting cuts and splits oak in October for use that same year. His sons come in panic mode in November and do the same.
Tell them it won't work, I tried it already. I even repeated for many years after that, just to make sure. ;lol
 
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He might get lucky if the wood's been dead long enough or is quick-drying species. Still won't be perfect, probably, but better that wet Oak.Tell them it won't work, I tried it already. I even repeated for many years after that, just to make sure. ;lol
LOL on the making sure :)
 
Been telling my wife's cousin for a few months that he's got some dead stuff behind his house that's almost dry. I told him I'd help him haul it out with my quad, but I think he's leery of imposing on me. I stopped by the other day and he had cut some dead trees on the edge of his woods that he thought might fall in the yard, and split and stacked it for this winter. All Red or Black Oak. I pointed out that previous years, he didn't burn as much wood and had a backlog from previous years, so the Oak wasn't too bad then. Last year he burned all his wood and now has nothing but Red Oak stuff, split last week. He thinks the fact that it was dead is gonna help, but I told him he'd be fighting it. I convinced him that we need to grab the stuff in the woods that is way dead. We're gonna do that tomorrow. Cherry, Red Elm, some Sass and other stuff that's probably low 20s at the most. Not dry enough for me but way better than the alternative. I think I'm gonna tell him how I feel about it; That I have a responsibility to burn as cleanly as possible and not compromise the air quality of my neighbors. He's got plenty of dead wood out there to get ahead with, just need to get him fired up enough. He's not lazy; If he gets motivated, he'll attack it.
 
Last year he burned all his wood and now has nothing but Red Oak stuff, split last week. He thinks the fact that it was dead is gonna help, but I told him he'd be fighting it.
A $30 moisture meter will solve this disagreement plenty fast.
 
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A $30 moisture meter will solve this disagreement plenty fast.
I just happen to have one that I'll be taking over there tomorrow. ;) Another problem is that he's got an old smoke-bomber. Sure, you can burn them cleaner at high temps but the temptation is to cut the air to extend the burn, then any hopes for a clean burn go out the window. I may be able to get him to take the plunge on a good used stove at some point. I'll try to make sure that he's ahead on his wood by then.
 
There's also a dead standing White Ash that would be easy to get but it hasn't been dead long enough to be real dry. Maybe there's some dead Tulip around...he burned a lot of that (and gave some away) last season. That could get pretty dry in a few months...
 
if you are plenty ahead on yours offer some dry wood for his green on a 1.5 or 2 - 1 ration to help get him through the winter. If he is your neighbor and a good guy it will pay you back in wood karma and maybe more. Hell, even 1-1 if you are getting oak for cherry, maple, ash, etc..

Just an idea


And a very good idea Bob, but I know that he knows better-he just doesn't seem to care for some reason, and thinks what he has is just fine. He'd probably get upset with me if I tried to convince him that he's not ready, he thinks that he's in fine shape and I can tell nothing is going to change his mind, unless he has a bad experience this Winter and the odds are that he will. ;? :confused:
 
Been telling my wife's cousin for a few months that he's got some dead stuff behind his house that's almost dry. I told him I'd help him haul it out with my quad, but I think he's leery of imposing on me. I stopped by the other day and he had cut some dead trees on the edge of his woods that he thought might fall in the yard, and split and stacked it for this winter. All Red or Black Oak. I pointed out that previous years, he didn't burn as much wood and had a backlog from previous years, so the Oak wasn't too bad then. Last year he burned all his wood and now has nothing but Red Oak stuff, split last week. He thinks the fact that it was dead is gonna help, but I told him he'd be fighting it. I convinced him that we need to grab the stuff in the woods that is way dead. We're gonna do that tomorrow. Cherry, Red Elm, some Sass and other stuff that's probably low 20s at the most. Not dry enough for me but way better than the alternative. I think I'm gonna tell him how I feel about it; That I have a responsibility to burn as cleanly as possible and not compromise the air quality of my neighbors. He's got plenty of dead wood out there to get ahead with, just need to get him fired up enough. He's not lazy; If he gets motivated, he'll attack it.
That's all great but get a moisture meter so your not disappointed.....mho
 
He'll learn the hard way like I did last year. I found out that 2 year old down white oak ain't much closer to burning right than a freshly cut one is. Thanks to you guys I'm getting more in tuned to this wood stove burning every day
 
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That's all great but get a moisture meter so your not disappointed.....mho
Had the "little general" with me.;) We got a lot of dead, barkless Sass. Didn't check it all, but what I checked was 16-18. One was a little heavier so that might be 22% or so. Then there was some Redbud and Dogwood...felt light. A dead Black Cherry, biggest rounds about 20%. Got a Red Oak for him to burn this year, still had bark, branches and smaller twigs....but it was only 6". I8% on the biggest rounds. :) I think we pulled almost a cord up outta there. We'll hit it again soon, then he should be in decent shape for this season. We saw several White Ash that we can get soon, for his '15 stash. I checked the Red Oak he was planning on burning this year...35%. !!!
 
Had the "little general" with me.;) We got a lot of dead, barkless Sass. Didn't check it all, but what I checked was 16-18. One was a little heavier so that might be 22% or so. Then there was some Redbud and Dogwood...felt light. A dead Black Cherry, biggest rounds about 20%. Got a Red Oak for him to burn this year, still had bark, branches and smaller twigs....but it was only 6". I8% on the biggest rounds. :) I think we pulled almost a cord up outta there. We'll hit it again soon, then he should be in decent shape for this season. We saw several White Ash that we can get soon, for his '15 stash. I checked the Red Oak he was planning on burning this year...35%. !!!
Good work straightening him out.....
 
Good work straightening him out.....
I want to get him up to speed and sitting on some stash in case I run across a good used stove; I think he will upgrade from the old smoke-bomber if the opportunity presents itself...
 
if you are plenty ahead on yours offer some dry wood for his green on a 1.5 or 2 - 1 ration to help get him through the winter. If he is your neighbor and a good guy it will pay you back in wood karma and maybe more. Hell, even 1-1 if you are getting oak for cherry, maple, ash, etc..

Just an idea

I like the way you think, but since you can't transport firewood in the NE very far, I had to leave all my 2 and 3-year-old oak down in CT. I'm down on the curve myself, and hoping to process a bunch this winter to get out front again...
 
Hope you like the smell of oak smoke
 
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