A small scrounge...

[jharkin]

... doesn't look like much...

 

[jharkin]

.. except for the fact that it came from 10 feet across the street... from my neighbors land ... and they gave me the go ahead to cut and remove anything i want from the stuff dead on the ground.

 

[jharkin]

This is the gift that keeps on giving from Irene. I posted a couple month back about the black locust I got from the storm fall... it was from this same spot. That big tree also came down and took out a half dozen small ones with it. The base of the big guy is somewhat punky (too big for my saw anyway) but the rest of the trunks and limbs are ok and the other trees it brought down *were* healthy so there is a LOT of good wood here.

For a weekend burner like me I think this score alone is going to give me my 13/14 and probably a decent amount of 14/15.

The land belongs to a very nice retired couple who travel a lot. They have a stove but only use it for power outs and their own woodpile is mostly rotting. They were going to pay a tree service to come and clean a lot of this stuff, but I told them not to waste their money and let me deal with it. My biggest issue is how to repay their generosity - I offered to split and leave half the wood for them but they don't want it.... We have an exercise machine we don't use and I know they were looking for one so I just gave it to them, and I helped them fix the brakes on their car and lend them tools etc whenever I can.... They are the type of people that would never accept payment so I look for favors i can do as my way of paying them back..


Moral of the story:
* It is possible to be a successful scrounger in the burbs
* You never know when generosity and good karma will pay you back - I try to always do a favor of friends and neighbors when I can not expecting things in return... every once in a while some good fortune comes my way in return.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Looks like there are at least a few good chunks of wood in there.

 

[jharkin]

One more angle of the big guy.


Its a lot of limb wood to work through but I don't mind so much. Quick work to just cut and stack the little stuff (< 4 in) without even splitting knowing its gonna get 2 years Nice thing about a cat stove ifs you can load up a nice mixed load of some little stuff and a couple big splits and not worry about it overfiring.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

This is the gift that keeps on giving from Irene. I posted a couple month back about the black locust I got from the storm fall... it was from this same spot. That big tree also came down and took out a half dozen small ones with it. The base of the big guy is somewhat punky (too big for my saw anyway) but the rest of the trunks and limbs are ok and the other trees it brought down *were* healthy so there is a LOT of good wood here.

For a weekend burner like me I think this score alone is going to give me my 13/14 and probably a decent amount of 14/15.

The land belongs to a very nice retired couple who travel a lot. They have a stove but only use it for power outs and their own woodpile is mostly rotting. They were going to pay a tree service to come and clean a lot of this stuff, but I told them not to waste their money and let me deal with it. My biggest issue is how to repay their generosity - I offered to split and leave half the wood for them but they don't want it.... We have an exercise machine we don't use and I know they were looking for one so I just gave it to them, and I helped them fix the brakes on their car and lend them tools etc whenever I can.... They are the type of people that would never accept payment so I look for favors i can do as my way of paying them back..


Moral of the story:
* It is possible to be a successful scrounger in the burbs
* You never know when generosity and good karma will pay you back - I try to always do a favor of friends and neighbors when I can not expecting things in return... every once in a while some good fortune comes my way in return.

First scrounge there looks great with some ash. Get those off the ground and you'll be sitting pretty. Great for you too to help the folks out.

 

[jharkin]

Yeah thats from the big one so it confirms its an ash. Its at least 4x the size of the locust I got already and I got a solid half cord from that. The little pile you see also has some black birch and other random wood.

[BTW, I haven't heard anything about EAB in this area but I do see a LOT of sick ash trees. uh oh.]

I'll be surprised if I get any less than 2-3 cords out of there so by the end of the summer I should be working on three years out.... Dont think I could ever catch up to you Dennis but I'm tryin!!

 

[ScotO]

Nice score. Plus you are making someone else happy by cleaning it up a little. There's more wood over there than you think, and it looks like ash so you will have some good stuff when it is good and dry!

 

[jharkin]

Still working on this tree (not much time with young kids . I got ~ 1.5 cord CSS last spring and Im tring to finish it off this Thanksgiving week. Today I went in and cut most of what was left. After this load there is maybe a cord left in the main trunk thats too big for my saw. Plus a lot of limb word and half rotten stuff that just isnt worth the effort.

 

[jharkin]

And here it is... the total haul. Probably an honest 2 cord when its all stacked.

This will be 13/14 wood, hopefully 14/15 for the last half cord Im splitting now.

 

[jharkin]

BTW... the nice couple that owns this land asked me if I want any MORE wood. they have other trees they might take down. Wonderful people.


I gave them our treadmill and they have an old rickety wood garden cart that's on its last legs. I'm going to cut a new 1/2in ply floor for it and refurb/repaint it for them as a thank you.

 

[bogydave]

You are getting into this fire wood thing pretty deep.
Next you're gonna want a bigger badder saw, & a hydraulic splitter. LOL (Christmas is coming )

Getting ahead is a good feeling eh?
Looking great, keep the stacks growing

 

[jharkin]

It is a nice feeling... I've got another 2.5 cord of older stuff I'm working through right now, so I know this wood will get 18mo to 2 years before being burned. Also cool that next year every split I will burn I cut and hand split


Funny about the gear... I ran in to get a new chain file the other day.... And I was lookin thinking man that 460 rancher would do a job on that trunk....

 

[andybaker]

I like the way this story worked out. Just being neighborly. I get all my wood in a simular way. I find out if I can help by getting rid it and save them the time and money they would otherwise have to spend. You've got a lot of cutting over there. I agree with Dennis though, get some of that off the ground.

 

[Jeff S]

I burn a lot of limb wood in my boiler,that is where a saw buck comes in real handy.I find it just as easy to process this smaller stuff as I do the larger and helps me keep the woodlot cleaner.

 

[chvymn99]

Good for you for helping them out. Plus I cant see why your saw cant cut that trunk if you want it. May have to cut it from both sides, as long as your saw reachs half way across it your good to go.

 

[TimJ]

way to keep up the wood thingy

 

[jharkin]

Thanks for the compliments guys. It is fun work isn't it? I think I'll go swing the fiskars for an hour this morning before putting the bird in... Woodcutting thanksgiving week is becoming a tradition here


My other neighbor had a bunch of diseased ash trees taken down and now all the wood is piled up in rounds rotting.... Have to see if I can make a deal with him to get some if he doesnt intend to ever burn it.