With picking up the round being the 1st time and putting it into the stove being the last time, how many times do you handle your wood?
How many times do you handle your wood?
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Put it in the truck, truck to log splitter, splitter to stack, stack to wagon, wagon to boiler.
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Kevin*
Burning Hunk
Well that's a rather personal question....
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Hasufel
Feeling the Heat
My system tends to be pretty inefficient...1) put round in wheelbarrow, 2) wheel to splitting site, 3) dump & arrange, 4) split (with an ax, so this step could involve "handling" several times as the larger pieces are split into smaller ones), 5) splits go back into wheelbarrow, 6) wheel to stack, 7) dump near stack, 8) place on stack, 9) move to holding area in garage, 10) move to holding area inside, 11) build fire! And that doesn't count times that the stack falls over and has to be restacked. Sometimes I skip steps depending on where the wood is located initially and where I end up splitting and stacking it. I'd probably streamline this if I had to process wood faster and didn't have to worry about the wife approval factor.
P.S. I almost wrote that I go through numerous steps because I like handling my wood but thought better of it after seeing @Kevin* 's post.
P.S. I almost wrote that I go through numerous steps because I like handling my wood but thought better of it after seeing @Kevin* 's post.
D8Chumley
Minister of Fire
Kevin*
Burning Hunk
Buck tree into 8', yard and land into truck bed with crane. Unload with crane, buck into rounds, put on splitter, split into wheel barrow, stack. From stack into carrier and into stove.
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Montanalocal
Minister of Fire
I think I have most of you beat (ha ha)
1. Buck and transport rounds and load on to tailgate. May require several moves.
2. Climb up on pickup and transport and stack rounds to front of pickup bed (some).
3. Transport to splitting area, and move rounds to back of pickup (some)
4. Lift onto splitter for splitting.
5. Remove from splitter and stack by pickup.
6. Pick up and reload onto pickup.
7. Climb up on pickup and transport and stack splits to front of pickup bed (some).
8. Transport to remote drying pile, move splits to back of pickup.
9. Lift and stack on drying pile.
10. Reload onto pickup when dry.
11. Climb up on pickup and transport and stack splits to front of pickup bed.
12. Transfer to bulk dry pile. Climb up on pickup and move splits to back of pickup
13. Lift from back of pickup into wheelbarrow.
14. Wheel to dry pile. Lift from wheelbarrow and place into stack.
15. Reload from bulk dry pile and load into wheelbarrow.
16. Transfer to convenient dry pile by house and unload and stack.
17. Load wheelbarrow and transfer to side door of house.
18, Unload wheelbarrow and transfer to short term stack in house in stove room.
19. Pick up split and carry it next to stove.
20. Open stove door, pick up split and place it in stove.
(whew)
Oh yes, (21). Go back and pile all slash for land owner.
1. Buck and transport rounds and load on to tailgate. May require several moves.
2. Climb up on pickup and transport and stack rounds to front of pickup bed (some).
3. Transport to splitting area, and move rounds to back of pickup (some)
4. Lift onto splitter for splitting.
5. Remove from splitter and stack by pickup.
6. Pick up and reload onto pickup.
7. Climb up on pickup and transport and stack splits to front of pickup bed (some).
8. Transport to remote drying pile, move splits to back of pickup.
9. Lift and stack on drying pile.
10. Reload onto pickup when dry.
11. Climb up on pickup and transport and stack splits to front of pickup bed.
12. Transfer to bulk dry pile. Climb up on pickup and move splits to back of pickup
13. Lift from back of pickup into wheelbarrow.
14. Wheel to dry pile. Lift from wheelbarrow and place into stack.
15. Reload from bulk dry pile and load into wheelbarrow.
16. Transfer to convenient dry pile by house and unload and stack.
17. Load wheelbarrow and transfer to side door of house.
18, Unload wheelbarrow and transfer to short term stack in house in stove room.
19. Pick up split and carry it next to stove.
20. Open stove door, pick up split and place it in stove.
(whew)
Oh yes, (21). Go back and pile all slash for land owner.
1 Fell the tree
2 skid to landing
3 load tri axle
4 unload tri axle
5 buck to 16 in.
6 split
7 stack to dry
8 move to basement
9 stack in basement
10 burn in furnace
11 Clean furnace and remove ash
Dam think I'll start heating with oil NOT
2 skid to landing
3 load tri axle
4 unload tri axle
5 buck to 16 in.
6 split
7 stack to dry
8 move to basement
9 stack in basement
10 burn in furnace
11 Clean furnace and remove ash
Dam think I'll start heating with oil NOT
As already stated above, so many steps to get to the drying stack. From there, once seasoned i move again, restack near house, and then stack small batches in house on a rolling rack for burning.
I saw at least one example where someone stacked cords for seasoning on a rack with axle and tires. Once ready, drive it near the house.
Im seriously considering doing somthing like that
I saw at least one example where someone stacked cords for seasoning on a rack with axle and tires. Once ready, drive it near the house.
Im seriously considering doing somthing like that
zenoparadox
New Member
Best case scenario:
1. Load the round into transport.
2. Move from transport into splitter.
3. Move from splitter to stack. (The splitter is stationed next to the stack.)
4. Move from stack to transport.
5. Move from transport to rack. (We don't have a wood shed yet.The rack is where the wood is stored just before being brought in the house.)
6. Move from rack to transport.
7. Move from transport to wood box.
8. Move from wood box to stove.
It goes up from there. Skidding is needed in some cases. Or the rounds may need to be stacked before going into the splitter. Or a stack may need restacking, or may need moving because I decided it should be somewhere else, etc.
1. Load the round into transport.
2. Move from transport into splitter.
3. Move from splitter to stack. (The splitter is stationed next to the stack.)
4. Move from stack to transport.
5. Move from transport to rack. (We don't have a wood shed yet.The rack is where the wood is stored just before being brought in the house.)
6. Move from rack to transport.
7. Move from transport to wood box.
8. Move from wood box to stove.
It goes up from there. Skidding is needed in some cases. Or the rounds may need to be stacked before going into the splitter. Or a stack may need restacking, or may need moving because I decided it should be somewhere else, etc.
highanddryinco
Burning Hunk
Enjoying my fire and a Bourbon right now. Please, let's not count the inefficiency of the process.
StihlKicking
Feeling the Heat
FaithfulWoodsman
Minister of Fire
1 load rounds
2 unload
3 split
4 reload splits, live on a hill-split up top-stack down below
5 unload and stack
6 load and move back up to shed
7 stack in shed
8 load cart
9 unload in basement 1/4 rack
10 toss in drove
When the ground is dry I can unload and split by the stacks, eliminating several steps, but not in fall and spring.
2 unload
3 split
4 reload splits, live on a hill-split up top-stack down below
5 unload and stack
6 load and move back up to shed
7 stack in shed
8 load cart
9 unload in basement 1/4 rack
10 toss in drove
When the ground is dry I can unload and split by the stacks, eliminating several steps, but not in fall and spring.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
Hmm... I am afraid of how many steps it is for me. I guess I'll count 'em!
1) Load rounds onto trailer from woods (or curb in case of Craigslist scrounge)
2) Offload trailer next to target woodpile
3) Split wood (easy stuff w/maul, hard stuff w/splitter, also parked next to target woodpile)
4) Heave splits into wheelbarrow
5) Empty wheelbarrow onto wood pile
6) (A year or three later) Load wood onto lawn tractor's trailer for transport to small woodpile near front of house / in garage
7) Restack dry wood on wife-friendly woodpile
8) Haul it in and burn it!
You know...my grandfather used to say, "Wood warms you twice... Once when you split it and once when you burn it.". Even though he never dried wood before burning it, he may have counted wrong!
1) Load rounds onto trailer from woods (or curb in case of Craigslist scrounge)
2) Offload trailer next to target woodpile
3) Split wood (easy stuff w/maul, hard stuff w/splitter, also parked next to target woodpile)
4) Heave splits into wheelbarrow
5) Empty wheelbarrow onto wood pile
6) (A year or three later) Load wood onto lawn tractor's trailer for transport to small woodpile near front of house / in garage
7) Restack dry wood on wife-friendly woodpile
8) Haul it in and burn it!
You know...my grandfather used to say, "Wood warms you twice... Once when you split it and once when you burn it.". Even though he never dried wood before burning it, he may have counted wrong!
Too many steps I guess . . .
After cutting down the tree, limbing it and bucking it up . . .
1. Pick up bucked wood and place in ATV trailer . . . and in the process accidentally mash finger of right hand
2. Move bucked up wood from ATV trailer to pick up bed . . . and put good sized dent in side of pick up bed
3. Unload wood from pick up . . . and drop large piece of wood on left foot
4. Pick up bucked wood to split . . . and adopt a devil may care attitude and not wear gloves which results in two nasty splinters
5. Move wood to outside stacks (technically I handle this wood twice as I place it in the wheelbarrow and then take it out) . . . done after pumping up flat wheelbarrow tire
6. After a year or two move splits and rounds from outside drying stacks to woodshed (again, technically I handle this wood twice to load and unload the wheelbarrow) . . . proceed to drop split on my head from stacking too high in the woodshed
7. Move well seasoned splits and rounds from the woodshed to the covered porch (once again, handling the wood twice to load and unload) . . . watch cats sniff all around the wood which no doubt smells like chipmunks
8. Move wood from the porch to the woodbox . . . and clean up resulting woodchips, sawdust and debris from the floor around the woodbox
9. Place split or round into woodstove . . . and realize that all the work was worth every minute as I take in the sights, sounds (or lack thereof when it comes to not hearing the oil boiler kick on) and smells (potpourri simmering on the stove top)
----
Epilogue:
10. If we were to continue the saga of the split . . . remove the split-now-turned-into-fine ash from the stove via the ash pan and dump into ash pail . . . managing in the process to spill about one quarter of the ash on the outside of the pail and one quarter on to me thanks to the stiff wind.
11. In a week or so, take the split . . . well ash . . . to its final resting place -- a pile of ash and cat litter in the woods or if it's in the winter on to my icy/snowy gravel driveway . . . to keep me from slipping on the ice and breaking my leg
After cutting down the tree, limbing it and bucking it up . . .
1. Pick up bucked wood and place in ATV trailer . . . and in the process accidentally mash finger of right hand
2. Move bucked up wood from ATV trailer to pick up bed . . . and put good sized dent in side of pick up bed
3. Unload wood from pick up . . . and drop large piece of wood on left foot
4. Pick up bucked wood to split . . . and adopt a devil may care attitude and not wear gloves which results in two nasty splinters
5. Move wood to outside stacks (technically I handle this wood twice as I place it in the wheelbarrow and then take it out) . . . done after pumping up flat wheelbarrow tire
6. After a year or two move splits and rounds from outside drying stacks to woodshed (again, technically I handle this wood twice to load and unload the wheelbarrow) . . . proceed to drop split on my head from stacking too high in the woodshed
7. Move well seasoned splits and rounds from the woodshed to the covered porch (once again, handling the wood twice to load and unload) . . . watch cats sniff all around the wood which no doubt smells like chipmunks
8. Move wood from the porch to the woodbox . . . and clean up resulting woodchips, sawdust and debris from the floor around the woodbox
9. Place split or round into woodstove . . . and realize that all the work was worth every minute as I take in the sights, sounds (or lack thereof when it comes to not hearing the oil boiler kick on) and smells (potpourri simmering on the stove top)
----
Epilogue:
10. If we were to continue the saga of the split . . . remove the split-now-turned-into-fine ash from the stove via the ash pan and dump into ash pail . . . managing in the process to spill about one quarter of the ash on the outside of the pail and one quarter on to me thanks to the stiff wind.
11. In a week or so, take the split . . . well ash . . . to its final resting place -- a pile of ash and cat litter in the woods or if it's in the winter on to my icy/snowy gravel driveway . . . to keep me from slipping on the ice and breaking my leg
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
I'm up there it times of handling, I'm not going to count getting the wood, whether felling my own, or picking up a scrounge (because its to much fun) but the rest is a chore sometimes and I'm looking at ways to reduce it.
As of now ...1. split rounds, 2. stack rounds, 3. move splits to driveway for winter storage 4. move splits to inside rack in garage, 5. burn them.
So my idea to reduce handling starts right from the splitter, I'm going to build pallet boxes using 2x3's right from the splitter I'm going to stack it, I will move the pallets with my tractor, let them season (still 3 year plan) and then with the tractor pick them up and move to the driveway, then with the tractor move individual pallets into the garage as needed, then to the stove by hand as needed.
I'm hoping to save a ton of time, instead of doing the October weekly ritual of moving whole seasons worth of wood (about 5 cords) it should only take me a Saturday morning.
I figure I'll get the forks that mount on my 3 point hitch and just leave it attached to the tractor since I back it up in the garage anyway and the door to the basement is right by the tractor. Seems like a win win for me.
As of now ...1. split rounds, 2. stack rounds, 3. move splits to driveway for winter storage 4. move splits to inside rack in garage, 5. burn them.
So my idea to reduce handling starts right from the splitter, I'm going to build pallet boxes using 2x3's right from the splitter I'm going to stack it, I will move the pallets with my tractor, let them season (still 3 year plan) and then with the tractor pick them up and move to the driveway, then with the tractor move individual pallets into the garage as needed, then to the stove by hand as needed.
I'm hoping to save a ton of time, instead of doing the October weekly ritual of moving whole seasons worth of wood (about 5 cords) it should only take me a Saturday morning.
I figure I'll get the forks that mount on my 3 point hitch and just leave it attached to the tractor since I back it up in the garage anyway and the door to the basement is right by the tractor. Seems like a win win for me.
These handling numbers are minimums. Now assume you split by hand and forgot to use a tire or bungee cord or you occasionally cut your firewood 1 inch too long.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
I think that's part of the splitting package tho, even using hydros you still have to handle the log to splits multiple times, I don't count that cause it will drive me insane
St. Coemgen
Feeling the Heat
Personally, I normally buy split wood. So it goes directly into drying stacks. Then either under a tarp or under a wood shed before burning. So I don't deal with it much at all.
In fact, the less I deal with wood fuel the more efficient I think wood burning is.
Some wood I do harvest from our property, but that is then just hauled, sawed, split, and piled onto the the drying stacks, which then continues then on from the above scenario.
Last edited:
I got lucky this year when we moved into a house with a central boiler and a tree service that delivers wood for free and most of it is bucked up already.
1 - Split wood
2- Chuck it into the pile under the carport
3 - Into the boiler
Some of the wood is log length so there is an extra step of bucking it. I also started taking down some of the dead standing ash around the property. That will keep me busy for a few years but gives me an excuse to get the new hdx 700 crew xt.
1 - Split wood
2- Chuck it into the pile under the carport
3 - Into the boiler
Some of the wood is log length so there is an extra step of bucking it. I also started taking down some of the dead standing ash around the property. That will keep me busy for a few years but gives me an excuse to get the new hdx 700 crew xt.
CentralVAWoodHeat
Minister of Fire
Hey Jake, your 10th step had me laughing. I've been there many times. My version of that step includes a generous helping of profanity as well.
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Some nailed it, butt -- First, clear around the tree for the fall.
Then drop/fell the tree where you planned it to fall (Why not where it was supposed to drop ? )
Limb.
Drag thinner branches from trunk ( the big PITA) .....THEN you may now .....
Do the Woodpiles OCD of standing back gazing and snorting the perfume of freshly cut/split wood that
is now neatly stacked in your woodshed that you've been thinking about. You may, may have a brew in your hand whilst gazing and snorting.
My fav aroma is cedar (for kindling and gifts ), then the oaks.
Then drop/fell the tree where you planned it to fall (Why not where it was supposed to drop ? )
Limb.
Drag thinner branches from trunk ( the big PITA) .....THEN you may now .....
Do the Woodpiles OCD of standing back gazing and snorting the perfume of freshly cut/split wood that
is now neatly stacked in your woodshed that you've been thinking about. You may, may have a brew in your hand whilst gazing and snorting.
My fav aroma is cedar (for kindling and gifts ), then the oaks.
maple1
Minister of Fire
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