I am trying to teach a buddy that he needs to be getting wood now. He is almost done with his install and will be burning in the fall. I am going to give him some from my jobs but I know it will not be really seasoned. I realize now he will have to learn the hard way... I know he will approach me in the winter time and ask for something that will burn. I have tried to explain the difference between an EPA certified stove and the old cast iron one he had 30 years back, the wood needs to be drier, lots drier! He continues to give the excuse of being busy. I guess he will be buying energy logs.
How to teach people
- Thread starter RNLA
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smokinj
Minister of Fire
Yes, I think he will take the less desirable stuff I have picked up off the jobs and set aside. Once he actually burns some stuff that is seasoned he will be a wood junkie just like us... What should I do in the mean time wait and let him suffer through the first winter?
How do you teach him? forward him a link to this helpful little website that taught me about the subject.
Its called www.hearth.com !
And if he won't listen just make it clear you are not going to bail him out with your seasoned wood come January since he choose to ignore you.
I learned the hard way last winter with hissing "seasoned" wood I bought in November but I didn't have the benefit of a buddy advising me and did not find this web site until I have problems.
Hopefully he is a smart guy and listens to you
Its called www.hearth.com !
And if he won't listen just make it clear you are not going to bail him out with your seasoned wood come January since he choose to ignore you.
I learned the hard way last winter with hissing "seasoned" wood I bought in November but I didn't have the benefit of a buddy advising me and did not find this web site until I have problems.
Hopefully he is a smart guy and listens to you
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
I learned many moons ago that you just can not teach some folks. They are set in their ways and all Hell won't change them.
I had wondered if Backwoods was going to say that... :gulp: I feel the same way, I just don't know how to find my back bone and keep a friend. We all know how hard it is to do this wood thing. I may not have as many years of wood as BW but the cords never get any easier to C/S/S.
Thistle
Minister of Fire
LOL true.Some people you just cant teach,might as well be talking to a stump.I'm not known for my 'tact' either.Suffice to say the State Department wont be hiring me for my 'diplomatic' skills anytime soon.... :lol:
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
Now what led you to believe I'd say that RNLA?
And as the years go past, RNLA, it gets a bit harder and we don't move as quickly nor do we recover from being tired as quickly. Heck, as of late I find that I don't recover from being tired at all!
And as the years go past, RNLA, it gets a bit harder and we don't move as quickly nor do we recover from being tired as quickly. Heck, as of late I find that I don't recover from being tired at all!
TreePointer
Minister of Fire
ruserious2008 said:How do you teach him? forward him a link to this helpful little website that taught me about the subject.
Its called www.hearth.com !
And if he won't listen just make it clear you are not going to bail him out with your seasoned wood come January since he choose to ignore you.
I learned the hard way last winter with hissing "seasoned" wood I bought in November but I didn't have the benefit of a buddy advising me and did not find this web site until I have problems.
Hopefully he is a smart guy and listens to you
That's what I'd do. Tell him right now that you won't be bailing him out. And if he begs in the middle of winter, he'll have to owe you a case of your favorite beer before he even sees a stick of your well seasoned wood!
Thistle
Minister of Fire
smokinj
Minister of Fire
Thistle
Minister of Fire
smokinjay said:
I hope you didnt tell your GF that soon after meeting for the 1st time ;-P :lol:
smokinj
Minister of Fire
Backwoods, or Dennis, I just kinda thought the same thing. I told my wife and she said it too.... :lol: I worked harder this year and for less money on the job on average and I feel a bit older. The wood pile is nice though. I will be waiting for the day my "friend" comes calling. Interesting enough I talked to another friend about finding my backbone on another subject and he said "sometimes you're too nice, YOU have to get your set out, stand up straight, and be brutally honest". He told me that a true friend will be right behind you and push you over the edge... :smirk:
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
Is that like the one legged man who also had no arms? He was standing by an atm and asked if I'd check his balance for him. I did and when I gave him a shove, he fell right over. Nope. Balance was not too good.
WOW! good one BW. So in all seriousness would you give the guy a third of a cord now so it would at least light up come October? Not that he deserves it, or is not able to do something about it, but so at least he would not be totally discouraged because an EPA certified stove will not burn very well without pretty good wood. Keeping in mind his last stove was 25-30 years ago, it was a real pot belly in a shack, it would burn a wet cat if you had any sort of coals going. He does not seem to understand what he needs to do to get dry wood. I was partially responsible for him making the decision to install a new EPA certified unit so I feel a bit of burden to help him get going... :roll:
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
I would not give him any wood until he found out that "his stove is junk." For sure he is bound to blame the stove. After all, they just don't make things like they used to....
Interesting... I came to this forum in the fall on my own to ask a question about a fireplace insert I had purchased. It did not seem to burn as I had expected. I made an exchange and went with a brand I have owned before and felt I knew what to expect. The end result was me finding out that 1: Every stove burns differently in different applications 2: My wood may have been marginal at best but it burned better in the new unit. I believe it was due to a different design and knowing how to use the stove. So I should let the learning curve occur naturally and apply the education when it gets cold and he is "more open to education"! :-/
bogydave
Minister of Fire
To teach; let him have a few burns. If/when he complains;
Go over with some good dry wood, & load the stove with one load of good dry wood.
Let him see & feel & experience the difference.
That will plant the seed, some things have to be learned & cannot be taught
Best thing is just make sure he is checking his stack frequently, be a friend & go make sure.
If he's open minded & reasonable, he'll come around.
Be sure to let him know if he buys wood now, typically it's for next season (2012-13) not this coming one. But he'll learn that soon enough too.
Good luck
Go over with some good dry wood, & load the stove with one load of good dry wood.
Let him see & feel & experience the difference.
That will plant the seed, some things have to be learned & cannot be taught
Best thing is just make sure he is checking his stack frequently, be a friend & go make sure.
If he's open minded & reasonable, he'll come around.
Be sure to let him know if he buys wood now, typically it's for next season (2012-13) not this coming one. But he'll learn that soon enough too.
Good luck
Yeah got that on how far ahead to buy wood. He will not buy, "too cheap" super scrounge. He thinks he has wood and can get wood. All the trees I can see are in standing form. The more I think about this the easier it is going to be and faster. If he has very little wood to burn it will be no later than October 15th before he has to call me. I can take a half dozen splits over and light one up for him! He is really smart but not exceptionally proactive....
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
RNLA said:
Yes.
After one starts having serious problems he is more open to suggestions on solving the problem. Right now he apparently feels he has no problem and how can you solve a problem that he does not have? So let him get the real problem and then try to help solve it.
Oh Dennis, The man of great wisdom ;-P I tend to want to help before there is a problem. It is funny how things look when you put a different spin on it. Something I do not do enough of is looking at things from a different angle... :shut:
I agree with Dennis and Dave. Wait for the teachable moment, and then be reachable and generous of spirit.
The one thing I would caution you against is waiting until he has a serious load of creosote in the chimney, because at that point the lesson he might learn take from the experience is "Seasoned wood causes chimney fires."
The one thing I would caution you against is waiting until he has a serious load of creosote in the chimney, because at that point the lesson he might learn take from the experience is "Seasoned wood causes chimney fires."
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
RNLA said:
Different angles. Yes, I sometimes sit to think about things, and sometimes I stand. Sometimes I ride in car or on atv or on bicycle. Then there are times I simply lie down. All good angles.
:lol:
I hope it does work out so that you can really show him the difference between good wood and marginal wood.
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