All Set.......How about You?

[NordicSplitter]

Once again my goal of having my wood c/s/s by the end of May has been accomplished. Sitting on roughly 30 Face Cords. Of that total, I'd say 20 are at the "Ready to Burn" stage. Been averaging 9-10 per year. Well I guess I should start thing of my 17'/18' supply. With the winter cycle seemingly starting earlier and lasting longer...not a bad idea. How is everyone else fairing?

 

[red oak]

Good work - it's good to get done before those hot summer days! I finished splitting and stacking about 7 weeks ago. It'll be the first summer I will not have to do any work on the wood supply. Sitting on 20+ cords which should last me about 5 years here in Virginia.

 

[gzecc]

I'm never done. I take small loads all the time.

 

[Jon1270]

I was out of storage space a month ago, but I can only keep about 5 cords unless I want to use the dining room as a wood shed. I may wedge in another half of a facecord just because I feel like playing with the saws and axe, but the idea feels a little crazy.

 

[Seanm]

Around here we dont need to get ahead more than a year or so as we burn mostly softwoods and have enough standing dead kicking around. That being said Im half way there to getting set up for next winter. Im using pallets instead of dunage for the first time this year and I like how stable they are to stack on. Ive done a big push the last bit and now a break and then another big push for some choice dry Larch Ive found. From there I will play a bit when ever I feel like using the chainsaw and splitter up until October. I normally have the lions share of it done though before the hot Canadian Rockies summer gets into full swing.

 

[Applesister]

I bought firewood for years out of laziness, and because it was supplimental and recreational. I made a gradual transition over to processing all of my burning/heat fuel. Ive become way more serious. 5 cords a winter for the last three years. Last fall at the start of heating season I had 17 cords stacked. Now there are 12. So I need to replenish at least 5 cords. I love wood processing in the late summer and fall, so I can slack off during the heat of summer...or just plug away. I have 4 large cottonwoods near my horsebarn that have to be culled. I dont consider this firewood and yet they need to be cut. I may just cut it as firepit wood. Its cutting that needs to get done but not really toward the heating goal. In the woods I started cutting hickory. If you go from one of those extremes to the other you realize the vast difference. The difference in effort and time. Ive attended too many woodlot management seminars. Diversification propaganda. If I cut down all the diameter trees in the woodlot Id have baby Sugar maples and baby Beech trees(the shade lovers). It would be interesting to see which one of those species would win the race.

 

[Applesister]

Im at the point where I can just cut straight oak and have it be seasoned by the time I get to burn it. But Im stuck burning species that are part of Gods random selection. Ice Stormed birches...carpenter ant wind blown cherry...bug eaten Ash.

 

[Seanm]

Im at the point where I can just cut straight oak and have it be seasoned by the time I get to burn it. But Im stuck burning species that are part of Gods random selection. Ice Stormed birches...carpenter ant wind blown cherry...bug eaten Ash.

Hi Applesister. Its good to hear that you are far enough ahead that you can be patient with oak, that must feel nice to see the fruits of your labor! I would love to have the other species you mention, but I guess having lots of wood close by is a blessing for me living in this region even if it doesnt burn as long as some of the wood you get to burn. Im not sure if you recall but we chatted a bit about my little scrounge of pin cherry last year. Its been drying nicely so I look forward to burning it next season if its ready. Also I have just a bit of apple that I cut green in November last year that I will take care of until its ready. Im sure it will have to wait for another year. Happy cutting this season.

 

[Beer Belly]

I'm gonna be screwed this coming winter. If I split and stack all the Ash rounds I have, and stack along with the 2 year Oak, I may have a couple of Cords ready.....problem is finding time to split. Will be changing work shift for the summer, that should allow better timing, but also looking at another Knee surgery in a few weeks (Doc apt tomorrow)....sheesh, always something, but we'll get it done, just need to scrounge more of that quick seasoning wood.

 

[Woody Stover]

I normally have the lions share of it done though before the hot Canadian Rockies summer gets into full swing.

Yeah, you don't want to be out there in mid-July, when it gets above freezing.

Im at the point where I can just cut straight oak and have it be seasoned by the time I get to burn it.

I won't be "all set" until I have everyone burning dry Oak...

 

[JP11]

Getting there. This coming winter is all in the stacks. I think i can go all summer on lumber and pallet scraps from the barn construction.

Got 28 cords in 8' logs. Got to get splitting for 15/16. Just haven't found the motivation yet. Really want to get the area cleaned up.. and that means pallet refurb and pallet deconstruction and burning. Get rid of my old box trailer that was storage before the barn. Got vacation starting mid week.. good intentions so far.

JP

 

[Paulywalnut]

I often think I'm finished. My wife has a client that wants me to cut up a large grey beech on his property. Okay if I have to.lol. He told her he would pay me to take the wood. I just couldn't take advantage of him. I said the wood is enough. Good points for my wife too. I'm always on the prowl for free wood.

 

[Roundgunner]

Tree guy told me to go get a nice oak next week about 20 mile from home. Haven't seen it but he is normally only saving good stuff.

 

[Ashful]

I never finish. There is apparently no limit to the amount of wood my two stoves can eat, just a limit on what I can process in one year. That limit seems to be about 14 cords, when the weather cooperates (not this year).

 

[Missouri Frontier]

Finished? HA! On my woodlot there is no such thing. If I'm not processing for me. I'm doing it for the older folks that live around me. I always run out of calender before I run out of wood to cut. Honestly, I don't think I'd have it any other way.

 

[firefighterjake]

Wood burning veterans never truly finish ... once one year's worth of wood is done they simply start working on the next year's ... or the year after that.

 

[northwinds]

I slow down during the summer months. Five cords are in the pole shed, and three year's worth are behind the pole shed. I finished splitting all of my rounds on hand today. I won't get into the woods much for firewood gathering until fall/cooler temps.

 

[Gboutdoors]

I have five 20'x4'x4' pallets stacked and covered that's 12.5 cord ready to burn. We use about 4 cord in a normal winter so I should be done but with all the dead standing oak I have on our property it is none stop cutting up what falls every week. I gusse I could leave it but I'm hooked cant do enough cutting and splitting. Traded 2 cord for a really nice used Kubota FL1000 tiller last week. Now working to fill that pallet back up.

 

[DuckDog]

I have around 3 cord ready for 2014/2015. Has been stacked since May 2013. Just finished bucking/splitting/stacking another 4 cord. This will get me through 2015/2016 and into 2016/2017.

 

[woodsman416]

If I burn the same amount of woods as last year, I'm two years ahead and working on three.

 

[mass_burner]

I figure after stacking my last just split full cord, I'll have about 2.5 cords drying. Most of it won't be dry for this year, so I will probably drive out Worcester, "wusstah" and load up the prius with NIELS.