Cutting, Splitting or Stacking?

Burning. All the rest is just work. Burning, I can just sit and watch and enjoy. (Wait until you're 60+) Rick

My favorite part of woodburning is the part where the family helps me with it, time spent with the family is time well spent.

Smokey Bear said:

What is your favorite part of woodburning?

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The woodburning part is my favorite.


Thats what the window on the stove is for

My favorite part is all the neighbors talking about how much wood I have in my yard.

For me it is a lot like the seasons - I like each and as I'm enjoying one I look forward to the next. In winter I really enjoy burning and being out in the snow playing with my kids, but I can't help thinking about planting gardens in the spring or getting next years wood supply in order. This summer has been a really good summer for me - Kids have really gotten good at riding bikes and we've been playing hard. I've also managed to cut/split/stack more wood than I've ever seen on my yard and as much fun as it has been I'm looking forward to burning again.

Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence? Not really - I'm not dissatisfied with what I'm doing, rather I enjoy the variety of tasks. Seeing nice neat stacks and burning the wood is the reward for a job well done and I get satisfaction from that. Not every moment of the work part is pure joy of course - it is still work for me, but like others have said it is among my favorite chores. I'd much rather process wood than mow the lawn for example.

Stacking and splitting . . . well I mean ruling out the obvious best part which would be burning it and having the heat, the view of the fire, the crackling sound -- all the treats for the senses. I find splitting and stacking to be therapeutic in the routine . . .

Occasionally for fun I'll bring out the ax and split some wood that way . . . which is also very therapeutic since there is something quite rewarding about whacking the snot out of something and turning it into itsy bitsy tenny bits of wood . . . at least until I get tired . . . and then I go back to the hydraulic splitter.

My least favorite part is cutting the tree down . . . when I'm in the zone and trees go right where I want them to it's a happy, happy day and it's a lot of fun watching that tree slowly keel over and then hit the ground with a resounding thud . . . but too often it seems as though they don't go where I want them to go, they get snagged or I end up pinching the saw . . . happily this happens less frequently now than it did when I first started cutting wood.

Smokey Bear said:

What is your favorite part of woodburning? I like cutting, I love splitting! but I don't really like stacking

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I love everything about heating my home with wood, but my favorite part is splitting. My least favorite is cutting, even though I still enjoy it too, I see it mostly as just a necessary step to get to split more!

Anything outside is good with me, especially splitting on a 20 degree sunny winter day.

SolarAndWood said:

Anything outside is good with me, especially splitting on a 20 degree sunny winter day.

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Once I get caught up (i.e. 3 year supply stacked up) I hope to do all my splitting in the winter... for now I'll just sweat it out, heh.

My poor wife, she has been counting down the cords to go until I reach "done" and I'm sure she believes that it means I won't be touching rounds again until spring once I hit 12 cords... little does she know my plan is to acquire 4 cords to split over the winter. But that doesn't have to happen until fall, right?

Splitting by far, then stacking. I don't really cut much unless I get it long. Hell went out and split a nice pile of Black Locust this morning in the awful heat and humidity, only thing bad about splitting is the inevitable end of the supply

I enjoy cutting the most. I have always been a motor head so none of my saws are stock. Every time i cut something it is an opportunity for me to try out my a new modification or just simply use a piece of power equipment. I also enjoy the thrill of falling trees, it is a sense of accomplishment when all the rigging and preparation makes the tree fall as planed.

oldspark said:

My favorite part of woodburning is the part where the family helps me with it, time spent with the family is time well spent.

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Yes, those were the good old days. We always shared all major tasks in this household. Builds character and fosters respect for each other.

Now, we're empty nesters. Lady BK helps when she can. I don't bend over so well anymore, and the knees hardly bend at all. She's too anal about the stacking, though. If I left her on her own, the stuff at the beginning of the stack would be fully seasoned before she got to the end of the stack.

Watching my wife clean out ashes. Watching my wife bring wood in for the night. Watching my wife trying to get a cold stove going....and then after a half hour ask me to please use my magic touch to get that danged fire going. I go over, move one log and it goes almost immediately. Then listen to her grumble about that for the next 15 minutes. That last one really works on her and makes me laugh.

I watched my wife once start a cold stove that was completely dampered down! After an hour she got it going and after she was out of sight, I opened the damper then told her again what a great job she did!! Keeps her motivated to do it more

I actually enjoy all 3 at 43 years old! I am sure I will ahve to temper my enthusiasm as I get older!.

Favorite is burning.

Least favorite cleaning the chimney.

I am with you Smokey Bear. I enjoy cutting and splitting, but a little stacking goes a long ways. Maybe it is because I am just an okay stacker.

Burning-the best

cutting - next best

Agree with MMaul least favorite - cleaning the chimley.

This coming year will be my first year truly trying to heat the house with wood. Always had a fireplace, but was never serious about burning. Just always did it for the ambiance. Anyway, I am enjoying all parts of the wood burning process so far. I really can't wait to get the new insert fired up. Had a few starter fires to cure the paint back in April, but haven't had one going yet to heat the house.
A big part of me is looking forward to winter although I have been enjoying the summer scrounging, splitting, and stacking.

Of the parts I have experienced so far, I think the splitting and stacking are the favorite. I am the kind of guy that like to see results and there's just something about looking out at the stacked wood that makes me feel good about all the hard work I've been doing. I recently had the experience with a neighbor (as I'm sure many have had) when he came over and said' "Man, you're really going crazy with the wood." That was a good feeling and makes me want to get more.

Jaugust124 said:

This coming year will be my first year truly trying to heat the house with wood. Always had a fireplace, but was never serious about burning. Just always did it for the ambiance. Anyway, I am enjoying all parts of the wood burning process so far. I really can't wait to get the new insert fired up. Had a few starter fires to cure the paint back in April, but haven't had one going yet to heat the house.
A big part of me is looking forward to winter although I have been enjoying the summer scrounging, splitting, and stacking.

Of the parts I have experienced so far, I think the splitting and stacking are the favorite. I am the kind of guy that like to see results and there's just something about looking out at the stacked wood that makes me feel good about all the hard work I've been doing. I recently had the experience with a neighbor (as I'm sure many have had) when he came over and said' "Man, you're really going crazy with the wood." That was a good feeling and makes me want to get more.

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So very true about seeing the result of hard work stacked in front of you . . . or piled in front of you in a large pile.

As for the crazy comment . . . we don't think you're crazy getting ahead and wanting seasoned wood . . . one man's crazy is just another man's definition of getting ahead and planning for the future.

I like cutting most, except that cutting is usually followed by loading the truck, which I don't really like. I like splitting too, but that is followed by stacking which I don't really like. Burning is pretty nice too, but I only do that about 1/2 of the year, while all the other steps can be and are done year 'round.

The nice part about the cutting is getting out into the woods and spend a little time with nature, how ever when you get yelled at because a couple of deer hunters think you don't belong there it takes the fun out of it. They were wrong but it didnt seem to bother them any, the guy who gave me permession forgot to tell them, never went back, too much of a hassle.