Wood needs cut stack by april 30th where you at for next year.

Well I am grateful I averge about 4 to 5 cords a year and have almost 15 cords of sugar maple, hickory, oak, walnut, hackberry, osage, and ash c/s/s and have been cutting for the past 3 weeks and averge a cord a day that needs s/s from a fence row. I have been getting alot of osage, hackberry, walnut and oak. This will be for the 14/15 season and beyond, the hackberry will go before then but the oak and osage will sit. I like to stay ahead at least 3 years and more if I can do it. And no I don't sell my wood probably could but really don't need to as of now. I heat my house and work shop and I look at it as I make 2000$ a year by not paying for LP. Got to love the farmers I know they always are wanting fence rows cleaned up

I may burn a cord and a half a year. Not a lot. Everything around here is oak and hickory. I have not quite two cords on hand and most of that is fresh cut/storm damaged split within the last month. Pin Oak and Water Oak. I have maybe half a cord of really good water oak and hickory left for this year. I need to scrounge up some good dead tops that will already be burnable. I have 30 dead good sized standing oaks that are mine for the taking at a friend's ranch. I just need to get out there and get to work. If a couple of them have been dead for a long time, and I get them split soon, I'm hoping they will be ready for next winter. I'd like to have six to eight cords on hand. Being that far ahead- it would be easy, just from scrounging or cutting storm damaged or standing dead to add another cord or two every every year to keep the stash in good shape.

Burn 8 a year. 10 under a roof now, 20 split in the heap and 6 bucked ready to split.

It's taken a bit of work ,but I'm ahead by about three years not including this winter .

Just getting started for next year. Not at all worried about having it done by April. I will be using 100% white ash that has been dead for 3 years. It is already 18% moisture except the heart wood. A couple months in the sun and wind all split up and it will be good as gold or should I say oil. Hoping to find enough time to get a couple years ahead before next winter. I'm guessing I'll use about 8 cord but am not sure because I just
started heating my new shop and soon will be heating domestic hot water.

Any specific reason not to cut wood during the summer? That tends to be when I have extra time.

Coach B said:

Any specific reason not to cut wood during the summer? That tends to be when I have extra time.

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I say cut it when you can. For me, personally, I prefer to do my cutting in the winter for several reasons.

1. My slack time is during the winter. I'm too busy during the rest of the year.
2. Working in the woods in the winter is easier. A lot less foliage helps me spot tree tops that were damaged during storms
during the year. Less brush/ground cover to clear around a tree I want to fell.
3. Cutting/splitting and stacking in the winter gives the wood almost a year to season before next winter, or two years if
necessary.
4. One of the biggest reasons! I'd rather be out cutting and splitting by hand and stacking when it's cold outside than be
doing it when it's 95 degrees and 90 percent humidity!

I cut whenever conditions allow

early in the AM during the hot days of summer.

gerry100 said:

I cut whenever conditions allow

early in the AM during the hot days of summer.

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Early in the morning around here can mean 85 degrees already in July and August! But, if I HAD to to it in the summer, early morning would be the best time.

Coach B said:

Any specific reason not to cut wood during the summer? That tends to be when I have extra time.

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Coach, we do all the cutting during the winter months when the sap is down. In addition to that, we don't have to be concerned with disturbing any bird nests nor do I have to be concerned with disturbing any yellow jacket nests! I do spend some time wiping my nose but do not have to spend any time or energy slapping mosquitoes or any other insects.

I also don't have to be concerned with making a bunch of ruts or getting stuck in mud when the ground is frozen. But another big benefit is that it is more comfortable doing the hard physical work when the air temperature is down. If I get too warm I can just take the coat off. In the summer you can't remove too much clothing lest the insects get to you; especially the flying insects. No snakes either, no skunks and I've never disturbed a coon family during the winter months.

Finally, during the winter months many of us are not able to get the same amount of exercise during the winter months as opposed to the summer months so the wood work is a big benefit there.

I hope this is enough reason for cutting during the winter.

This year about 3 cords left.
2011/2012 --- 8 cords --- in the shed
2012/2013 ---1 cord that still needs split & stacked (in rounds on pallets , from a buddy) & a few logs from some wind damage
close by that needs gathered, CSS, maybe 1/2 cord there.
Maybe I won't burn what I got stored & have a few to add into the 2013 pile.
2013 wood is still somewhere, in the log form, maybe I'll need to get a 10 cord log load delivered.
Strange how I think about wood now, I know to get a few years ahead & make plans 2 years ahead.
Life' events, sometimes just put a few barriers in the way. That's what makes it fun, overcoming the challenges.
My 2013 wood will be ready, got some plans & but mostly it's "to be CSS", (planning is a fun part of it too)

Backwoods Savage said:

Coach B said:

Any specific reason not to cut wood during the summer? That tends to be when I have extra time.

Click to expand...

Coach, we do all the cutting during the winter months when the sap is down. In addition to that, we don't have to be concerned with disturbing any bird nests nor do I have to be concerned with disturbing any yellow jacket nests! I do spend some time wiping my nose but do not have to spend any time or energy slapping mosquitoes or any other insects.

Click to expand...

Sounds like you need to get that air hanky fixed.

I just got a 20 cord order dumped off in log length. I already cut and split 1 to 2 cord of this already.
5 cord for 2011/2012 heating season ready
2 cord aiming for 5 for 2012/2013 season.
Hopefully cut and split enough for 2013/2014 before April
If I'm really energetic I may even get enough for 2014/2015 season.

Working on 2014/15 for the Oslo now and should be done in the next few weeks. I'm planning on 4 cords per year but I think it will actually be closer to 3 so I'm actually probably working on 2015/16.

I'm cutting standing dead elm for the Morso as I don't have the room to be nearly as far ahead. I will have at least a cord left from this year so should get next years done in the next month.

As I said, I had planned on burning 4 cords a year in the Oslo and 2 in the Morso but the Oslo puts out so much heat, I only burn 24/7 on the coldest days. I thought the Morso would only be a weekend and evening heater but I'm still burning 24/7 with it so am using more than planned so it looks like it will be 3 cords each.

Last post I was at 3.5 cord now I'll be closing in on 5 by February. It sure is nice to be back in the game of wood... Thats all it is right?

I am almost done for next year. I plan to c/s/s through most of Feb and March to finish for 2012. Due to the size of my lot I can't get more than a year ahead. I try to run loads down to my FIL's farm(hour away) if I am cutting that way to store it up for future use.

This season and all of next years wood is at home in the wood shelter c/s/s. I have about 5 cords in the bush cut to block length, piled and top covered. Half the work is already done so in April I'll bring it to the house, split and stack.