Cutting, Splitting or Stacking?

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.[/quote]


It's ants and grasshoppers. Be an ant.
Splitting. Best X2

Jaugust124 said:

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."

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1 year ahead - "Man you are going crazy.."
2 years ahead - "You sure you have enough?" or "How many fireplaces do you have"
3 years ahead - "You selling firewood now or what?"

At least that seems to be the progression I'm getting from my neighbors and people who walk by the house... guess that is the 'cost' of splitting on the driveway and having all my stacks visible from the road (joys of burning in the 'burbs).

Even the comments are actually a nice part of it - as long as nobody is calling govt agencies with complaints (has not happened to me but I've heard of it here).

Thinking of things more btw, I believe in order of preference my favorite parts are:

1- Burning
2- Splitting / stacking (even with each other)
3- Cutting
4- Cleaning up after any/all of the above (I have to rake up splitter trash, sawdust, whatever after every session... gets old quickly)

I bought 17 loads of silver maple about 25 years ago for 225 bucks cause the guy was moving and had a guy tell me "I was never going to burn all that wood". :lol:

My favorite is seeing the LP truck in my driveway once a year to top off my 250 gallon tank. I might skip it this year.

oldspark said:

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.

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One man with chain saw vs. two with deer rifles... You were wise to stay away.


Crazy city hunters go nuts around here. My landlord lost three cows to deer hunters. Finally, he got some bright red paint and wrote "Cow" on both sides of each animal. They ended up shooting his tractor.

It said, "John Deere" on it. :lol:

Battenkiller said:

oldspark said:

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.

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One man with chain saw vs. two with deer rifles... You were wise to stay away.


Crazy city hunters go nuts around here. My landlord lost three cows to deer hunters. Finally, he got some bright red paint and wrote "Cow" on both sides of each animal. They ended up shooting his tractor.

It said, "John Deere" on it. :lol:

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That's great!!

Not true is it?

Flatbedford said:

Battenkiller said:

They ended up shooting his tractor.

It said, "John Deere" on it. :lol:

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That's great!!

Not true is it?

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I can see how it might happen

They do not trust hunters in Iowa with high powers just slugged shot guns.

Flatbedford said:

That's great!!

Not true is it?

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Nah, thank God! I just thought folks would get a chuckle out of it.

oldspark said:

They do not trust hunters in Iowa with high powers just slugged shot guns.

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Yeah, there's no shortage of idiots with guns in my state, either. Almost lost my dad 45 years ago. Got shot right through the knee with a .30-30 by a member of his own hunting party. Lost a lot of blood and went into shock by the time they got him off the mountain. The next year he was right back out there. I think he was looking for the guy that shot him.

As with everyone theres nothing better than the burning, but out of the work side of it, I prefer the stacking, then the cutting and the splitting least of all.
I burn Elm, which can be fairly tough to split. Dutch Elm disease reached my part of Scotland about 8 years ago, so the trees were wiped out over nite.
I have been planting Birch and Beech to replace what we remove.

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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;-)

SolarAndWood said:

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

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Amen to that. i'll wait till i hear its gonna be in the single digits to head out and split. best time.

I really enjoy bucking (if its in a workable area) and burning.

i dont have the skills to climb and admire and respect those that do. so for me its great to find a tree thats on the ground and preferably not cut up. this way i can cut to the lengths that i use. splitting is easy for me as i have a small splitter and i use a fan to cool me when its hot outside . stacking got a whole lot easier when i got a good wheel barrow, its one of those that has tires like on a mountain bike. shifting the wood from the driveway where i split to the back yard where i stack was where i used to spend the most time . and i must admit i dont go all out to try and do all the work in a couple days, i spread the work over the whole year. i try and enjoy everything associated in the process and hope to be doing it for many years to come. pete

heatwise said:

...i dont go all out to try and do all the work in a couple days, i spread the work over the whole year. i try and enjoy everything associated in the process and hope to be doing it for many years to come. pete

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That's about where I am, 3 years into it. I still enjoy all of it and I try to get out and do sometimes just a little, but as often as possible.

So far for me, bucking large Oak trees and carrying the rounds up a steep hill is my least favorite part of it all.

I would say the felling is pretty good and splitting then stacking are next with bucking in dead last . Burning is great and splitting on a cool sunny day is quite pleasant.

I split throwing all the splits in my 6 x 8 trailer and pull it down / over to the stacking area near the boiler shed then repeat til full. When thats full I stack right in the area where the splitter usually sits and let it sit until next season.

To me, it's all necessary. I get like & tire of every step after a while,

except

Looking at it ll stacked up & ready to use.
I enjoy looking at the pics posted here of the stacks of split wood, full wood sheds, various stacking methods, etc.

1. Felling
2. Burning
3. Bucking
4. Splitting
5. Cleaning the chimney




37. Stacking

I have been cutting and stacking for 5 years to keep the woods clean
dont even own a wwod stove
but I have alot of neatly stacked wood

oh I burn pellets, which I buy
makes alot of sense??

Honestly- I work a full time job and sometimes travel for it, and have a business on the side. I love what I do but don't have nearly enough time to do what I want! When I set aside time for wood- I make a day of it and do a little of each.

wendell said:

1. Felling
2. Burning
3. Bucking
4. Splitting
5. Cleaning the chimney




37. Stacking

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43 empty the ashes from wood stove

Definitely felling and cleaning up the forest. For the past 40 years I have been thinning the forest from the house out. Our 1/4 sec is surrounded by crown land that is predominately giant spruce so I cut the understory. Our summer visitors comment on the park like forest until they go hiking and then wonder why the forest is messy there but not around the house. City people are clueless.

My favorite part is when all my friends ask me if I have locked in my oil rate and also when I burn 700 gallons less of oil each year.