Talked to a friend today...

[jeff_t]

Actually, a feller I know, who lives a few miles down the road. The conversation turned to firewood, mainly because there is corn planted around my house and people can't keep an eye on what I'm doing as they drive by. So he says "Yup, I gotta get cuttin'. I've only got enough wood for a month, maybe month and a half." :roll:

 

[ANeat]

Yes I know a few people like that. Ive tried to explain it. The whole, you will burn less wood if its dry because you get more BTU's, less creosote, etc, etc....


They just want to cut and split as they need it........ I think they like the sizzle of the water boiling out of the wood

 

[Beetle-Kill]

Last weekend, I cut down an SOB of a tree for a neighbor. She told me she had enough for the winter, so I asked to see it. She was quite proud, and I'm not knocking her effort in any way, but she had mabey 1 cord under a tarp. She did do it by herself, CSS, but it will be her first winter up the canyon, so I gave her my card. Any takers?-she'll call before Christmas for wood. Bet'cha! (and I'll be happy to comply, nice lady.)

 

[3fordasho]

Guy I work with has an older outdoor wood boiler, I forget the make. He insists on burning green wood because the times he's tried seasoned wood it just burned up
twice as fast. Needless to say his wood cutting for this coming winter has yet to begin.

 

[jeff_t]

I offered to trade some of my good stuff for his green wood, but he just looked at me funny.
Whatever, dude. Have fun.

 

[albertj03]

I know a guy who is a master welder, type of guy who can build just about anything. He built a huge wood furnace out of very thick steel in his basement and has ducting with a blower going from the furnace throughout the house. He cuts mostly red oak in September/October and starts burning it in November every year. I guess if you get a very big, very hot fire going you can burn just about anything. He loves it and wouldn't have it any other way. To each his own I guess.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I've had better luck burning green brush piles that letting them sit for a year. But not in my woodstove! Ya can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. Its a shame some people are unwilling to learn. Mu Uncle has had a good wood furnace sitting in his house for 14 years. We keept telling him to hook it up but he wouldn't. At the time my Dad was staying there for deer season and buying all his fuel oil but he wouldn't turn the heat over 50 deg's. At our place we put a addition on the trailer for a wood stove and when he saw how nice it was to come in warm up and dry your cloths and boots up he finally hooked his up. Since I can't talk him out of thinking dead punky wood is good and dry I have been taking his 17 yr old son out and helping him get a real wood supply. I wasn't able to do much this year but this winter I hope to help get them a good supply of wood for next year.

Billy

 

[Archer39]

sounds like 90% of the people around here. They all look at me crazy when i say i am cutting wood for 2012-1013.

 

[firefighterjake]

sounds like 90% of the people around here. They all look at me crazy when i say i am cutting wood for 2012-1013.

I get the same looks since I'm also now cutting by 2012-2013 wood . . . that and they kind of roll their eyes and think that I'm going overboard on the wood cutting.

 

[Got Wood]

I get the odd looks all the time too.... now working on 2013-14 supply. Actually looking forward to start burning to free up some space for refills!
I'm addicted....

 

[lowroadacres]

I must confess that I am a convert to the right way to prepare firewood. While I have always tried to be ahead it was a rarity until recently.

Last week I almost got into an argument with someone who is returning to woodheat this year after a long break. They were telling me how good their house would be warmed from the standing dead oak they were going to be cutting..... In October and November.

Another friend who has a beautiful stove is wanting to come out... In October... to cut wood for this winter. According to a fellow wood heating family member I am "obsessing" about my wood piling and seasoning.

Like a former smoker I run the risk of being a but pushy with others who have not yet seen the light.

 

[firefighterjake]

I must confess that I am a convert to the right way to prepare firewood. While I have always tried to be ahead it was a rarity until recently.

Last week I almost got into an argument with someone who is returning to woodheat this year after a long break. They were telling me how good their house would be warmed from the standing dead oak they were going to be cutting..... In October and November.

Another friend who has a beautiful stove is wanting to come out... In October... to cut wood for this winter. According to a fellow wood heating family member I am "obsessing" about my wood piling and seasoning.

Like a former smoker I run the risk of being a but pushy with others who have not yet seen the light.

I don't bother too much any more with the explanations . . . I just let the folks roll their eyes and think I'm being obsessive . . . and I chuckle a bit to myself when I see the smoke rolling out of their chimney . . . or when they've got a fire roaring and there's very little heat coming out of the stove . . . or when they're burning through all kinds of wood and the house is still very cool.

Folks have their opinions . . . and folks settle in their own ways of doing things. Some folks will listen and try out new ideas and thinking . . . other folks will stubbornly hold on to what they've always done since they think it works . . . and there's no changing them.

Trying to convince folks to season wood and burn differently is as challenging . . . religion and politics . . . and burning wood . . . three topics that one can argue and talk about and very, very rarely will a person be swayed by the argument.

 

[rdust]

One neighbor has a bunch of ash from last October sitting in rounds right now so he'll be better off then normal when he splits it. Usually he's splitting maple and oak in November and starts burning right after splitting it.

One of my other neighbors always reminds me that "wood does rot" and I just smile. I haven't heard chainsaws coming from that way yet so I don't think he started cutting yet. He'll probably be cutting standing dead ash this year. His old Cast iron VC stove with the CAT ripped out of it will burn just about anything so he'll be fine. I know I'll see the smoke when I drive by once he starts burning.

 

[lowroadacres]

Wood rots but it rarely gets the chance to on my yard.

Right now I am digging through a major score of ash that needs to be cut and split. It is almost surreal to look across our yard and see enough wood for this year, most of next year and more on the way.

I will be doing my best to make sure I C/S/S never means cut/split/stove ever again.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Today, the neighbor is out cutting red oak. He plans on installing a wood stove sometime between now and winter. Well, I tried to help but it appears he is like so many with deaf ears. So I'll probably end up trading him some good dry ash for some good red oak.

 

[3dogsrule]

Last weekend, I cut down an SOB of a tree for a neighbor. She told me she had enough for the winter, so I asked to see it. She was quite proud, and I'm not knocking her effort in any way, but she had mabey 1 cord under a tarp. She did do it by herself, CSS, but it will be her first winter up the canyon, so I gave her my card. Any takers?-she'll call before Christmas for wood. Bet'cha! (and I'll be happy to comply, nice lady.)

Well, I feel her pain! Had a friend drop and cut up a tree for me last November, I worked on dragging it home and splitting it up over the winter. Then I spent the spring stacking it. Didn't get the stacking finished before our record-setting hot summer, so now that it's only getting to 95 during the days I'm back to restacking. It's been a lot of work! I'm pretty proud of what I've gotten done. Fortunately I'm in Arkansas, winters aren't terribly harsh, so I actually do think I've got enough to get me through the season. Was pretty disappointed in how dry some of the splits are NOT, but at least half of it is at 20% or less. At some point I'm gonna have to break down and buy a chainsaw and get out there myself, been thinking ahead to 2011/12 winter too! Here's half of what I've gotten stacked, all oak.

Just glad to be back lurking in the forums, I'm ready to BURN!

Karen

 

[Beetle-Kill]

3dogs, you GO girl! Those stacks look great, don't stop now.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Karen, you are indeed very wise to be thinking about 2011-2012 now. Even in your area one needs to be at least 2 years ahead on their wood supply. That means split and stacked. Once you experience burning good dry wood you'll never go back! lol It is true. The fires start easier, you use less wood and you clean the chimney less often with good dry wood.

 

[Cascade Failure]

I have to admit that I am ill prepared for this season. I only have about three good, seasoned cords. My school/work schedule last year was not conducive to good heat this year. I have plenty more c/s/s but not seasoned. Oh well, not my finest moment but next year will be better.

 

[Hunderliggur]

"Those stacks look great..." I could get in trouble here! ;-)