Professional Wood Pile Watcher

BrotherBart said:

The main reason I cover my wood stacks is to keep the cataloging bar codes from washing off the splits.

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Now that is a great thought, bar code your wood and develop a data base with when was it cut, split, stacked, moisture content at different times, shrinkage, burn time, type of wood. Then you could determine the best length of time for storage vs burn time. Jeff

mainemac said:

I am new to wood last year, and really am excited about this next year.

This year I find myself just stumbling around the yard gazing at the BTUs
I am getting really good at staring at the wood..
Is this a form of mental illness?

Or should I hire myself as Wood Pile Watcher? Kind of like house sitting...?

Tom

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If you're mentally ill for enjoying the good feeling that comes with knowing you've got a good stockpile of wood ready for Winter then I'm afraid I'm with you on the being mentally ill part since I too find myself . . .

a) frequently looking out the back door at the stacked wood as if was the 9th Wonder of the World when the reality is it's only about 3 cords of dead elm stacked in a rather haphazard fashion on old, wooden pallets

b) I find excuses to go out and stack a few more pieces or to re-arrange some of the pieces for optimal air-flow and aesthetics even when I really should be doing more important chores around the house

c) I find myself checking out other folk's wood piles and either thinking smugly that I've got more wood than them or find myself jealous for the size of their pile or how neat their stacked wood looks compared to mine . . . and then I make a mental note to go home and re-arrange my wood and go cut some more wood down

d) I keep thinking to myself that there is all I really need to get control of this addiction is to cut down that one final tree . . . even though I know that at this point I probably don't need the wood that badly . . . it's just too tempting

e) When I go to the local hardware store I purposely wander down the aisles looking at the stoves they have in stock or other stove stuff . . . and wonder if it's really possible to have too many stove thermometers

f) I've already started compiling my Christmas list . . . and everything on the list relates to woodstoves and wood-burning

g) I find myself wishing it would get colder sooner rather than later so I can start using my firewood . . . even though I don't even have my chimney installed yet

So in summation . . . yeah . . . we're all nuts here . . . and we haven't even had our first bout of Cabin Fever yet.

Honestly- I do get pretty cheezy about my stacks. I have a good job, but it's not so satisfying as the direct feeling that you put in X work, and you get Y measurable gain from it. My wife gets a bit cheezy about it too, as she appreciates my efforts out there that directly take care of the family (however much I like gathering wood).

If I put in a good day's work- I can directly see what it gets me. A stack of wood that represents maybe a month's heat or more. Too cool.

And they don't drink all that much...

OK..... I'm guilty too. I "visit" the piles about twice a day. I have to make the rounds with the dog, (he just watches me and shakes his head at me) there are two cord in the back and about 7.5 in the front. So I have to make sure they all get equal viewing time. My wife thinks I have lost it, and is frankly sick of hearing about wood, oil prices, wood tools, alternative hot water thoughts and ideas for covering wood. My daughters like to visit the stacks with me, since it means we cruise by the garden and snag a coupla' termaters, and maybe a nice cuke to munch on while performing the wood inspections.

I wonder what would happen if I told my wife I wanted two cords C/S/D for Christmas?!?! That might push her over the edge.

-Sheepdog

My wife asked us what we all want for Christmas and my 4 year old girl says" I think daddy wants logs, he loves logs" It was quite funny to all of us.

My wife asked us what we all want for Christmas and my 4 year old girl says" I think daddy wants logs, he loves logs" It was quite humorous to all of us.

I visit my wood sheds and wood rows everyday, rain or shine. Funny thing though is that I didn`t use to do that until I joined this forum last year, and I have been burning wood for more than 30 years. I also do the moisture meter test at least once every 2 weeks as well. Never owned a moisture meter until I joined this forum either.

Hmmmm, this is happening because I am retired now--or by joining this forum, myself and others have unwittingly chanced upon the looney bin. ;-P

You're travelling through another dimension, a dimension not only of wood, but of combustion; a journey into a wonderous land whose boundaries are that of moisture content. That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Woodburning Zone. :ahhh: Rick

I look for lost and abandoned wood everyday while driving. Only to get home and do my daily visiting and say where
would I put it theres no room. Then I tell myself I guess we'll have to make room, we could always go higher.

no man said:

I look for lost and abandoned wood everyday while driving. Only to get home and do my daily visiting and say where
would I put it theres no room. Then I tell myself I guess we'll have to make room, we could always go higher.

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better to get it now and go higher than wait still the snow falls

The BF teases me when I come back in the house after my wood pile inspections.
I am a geek and proud of it.

He often asks how my wood burner forum BF's are when I go on the computer, lol.

woodzilla said:

stack watching is only a problem if you begin to name pieces and/or stacks. I have one named eileen.

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Aw, that's no concern at all.

It's little known, and mostly whispered about at family gatherings,
but some wood geeks even talk to their wood. That's no concern, either-

unless the wood begins talking back. ;-) :lol:

the problem is the PITA pieces get all the talking to damn attention hogs. "OH you just wait till it gets cold your gonna go in the stove and I'm gonna love watching you burn you no splitting piece of (insert your favorite curse word here) (insert wood type here).