Am I wacko

[shouldntbesocomplicated]

Ok just back from doing some stacking and clean up and have to wonder do I try to utilize too moch of the trees I cut down? I cut the limbs down to 1 inch to 1-1/2 inch just hate to see
any go to waste ,yes it is a renewable resource but the years it takes to grow new stock I feel wastefull not saving what I can.I am sure that the stuff I save aint in no dicionary cords.
Ok set myself up here lets hear it .
PS I forgot I break lots of the twigs for starter

 

[fireview2788]

My father in-law is that same way but I haven't decided what I'm going to do.

 

[Cate68]

Sounds completely logical to me! I don't like to see waste either...

 

[Thistle]

Nope. Whether I cut wood off parent's acreage,scrounge off CL or get the occasional cut-for hire,I dont like to waste anything either.Branches are saved down to 1" diameter or so,if they're Hickory,Black Cherry or the rare Apple from pruning someone's orchard -those are cut 3"-4" long on bandsaw & saved for the smoker.Slabs,scraps & edging from bandsaw & Alaskan mill,cut-offs,odd short chunks & uglies are saved for fuel also.Even slivers from splitting & the wedge from felling a tree go in one of several covered kindling barrels.Some very coarse shavings/chips are saved to be used for garden mulch,unless its Black Walnut which is toxic to certain plants.

 

[barkeatr]

i also utilize very small pieces, one inch diameter and larger , most of it goes to make maple syrup with in the spring. With all that said its good to leave some biomass for the forest. The forest never wastes, so if you leave some behind you are in some ways being more efficient in a big picture way. i.e. as far as maintaining the overall health of your forest. I make it a point to leave some standing dead for this reason..the birds and critters especially like this.

 

[Thistle]

I like to leave 2-3 standing snags per acre,couple more if possible.Plus any brush gets piled where it falls to make cover for small mammals & birds.

 

[Wood Duck]

I cut some pretty small stuff as long as it is reasonably straight. Why not? It is all wood. On the other had, crooked or highly branched small wood gets piled for wildlife habitat. The crooked stuff takes a long time to process and it is hard to store efficiently because it doesn't stack well.

 

[RNLA]

Years ago I picked up some wood from my uncles neighbor's house. The guy had passed away and the pile of wood he left behind was about 4 cords of limbs 6" and smaller, down to 3/4". The entire pile was cut to exactly 15 1/2". I could not believe the accuracy and the neatness of the whole thing. It was all maple and I took every twig.

 

[NH_Wood]

I keep almost everything as well. Small diameter limbs are great for shoulder season and for getting a hot fire going if the fire died down a little more than usual during the winter. The twigs are what I use for kindling, so I usually spend a few hours with the loppers, cutting up the next seasons kindling supply. Cheers!

 

[smokinj]

I would say YES!

 

[shouldntbesocomplicated]

I would say YES!

Well thank you , I think it takes one to know one though ,IMO, come on over and mill some cedar for me

 

[Jags]

I would say YES!

I am in Jays camp. I don't keep anything smaller than my forearm. I am in a position of time/energy expended vs production and that small stuff is time consuming with a low BTU results. I can cut another tree in the time it takes to nip up those little sticks. Just my opinion and the way I do it.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If I were scrounging then perhaps I'd cut down to an inch but right now we have a glut of wood so when it gets down to around 3" I quit cutting and it goes as brush.

 

[firefighterjake]

Not whacko . . . I basically get "free" wood from the family land . . . but even though it takes a little more time to process the smaller wood I do so . . . I figure it took a while for the wood to grow even to that size and it will take quite a while for the wood to break down again and I hate to waste the wood . . . and wood is wood and burns well regardless of size. I generally don't go much smaller than 2 inches though . . . the rest of the branches can be used for the forest creature's homes.

 

[woodchip]

I cut right down to small stuff, still building my 5 year pile up, so small stuff is good for burning in shoulder season - helps avoid cracking into the better stuff.

Still find enough punky stuff about to leave as wildlife habitat.

Dreaming of the day when I have enough to pass up on the smaller stuff

 

[shawneyboy]

I take small stuff as well, use it during shoulder season, and as kindling. I certainly leave enough but I take quite a bit as well.

Shawn

 

[woodsmaster]

I use everyting down to around 2" if it is straight and easy to cut. I can fit up to 30" long in my fire box so I can cut them small ones pretty fast at that length.

 

[smokinj]

I would say YES!

Well thank you , I think it takes one to know one though ,IMO, come on over and mill some cedar for me

Love Too!

 

[barkeatr]

I keep almost everything as well. Small diameter limbs are great for shoulder season and for getting a hot fire going if the fire died down a little more than usual during the winter. The twigs are what I use for kindling, so I usually spend a few hours with the loppers, cutting up the next seasons kindling supply. Cheers!

whats a lopper?

 

[smokinj]

I keep almost everything as well. Small diameter limbs are great for shoulder season and for getting a hot fire going if the fire died down a little more than usual during the winter. The twigs are what I use for kindling, so I usually spend a few hours with the loppers, cutting up the next seasons kindling supply. Cheers!

whats a lopper?

Big Pruning shears.

 

[woodchip]

whats a lopper?

I often use loppers when working on hedges and small branches for speed and neatness.

http://www.garden4less.co.uk/tree-loppers.asp

 

[3fordasho]

For me it depends on the type of wood. With applewood I'll bring home everything down to 1.5". oak, hard maple, locust down to 2" and keep the shorties.
Soft maples, elms, cherrys, black walnut - keep branches down to 3", if it's not close to stove length (16-18") it stays at the wood lot. Willow- leave everthing ;-)

Of course what you keep depends on your situation.. I've got 20 cords split and stacked and a couple acre lot to clear cut this summer- so I don't want to mess with bringing home anything that won't stack nice or isn't decent firewood.

 

[aussiedog3]

I try to keep anything I lay the saw into and I try to make sure that is stuff at least as big as my wrist. Anything smaller is alot of work to handle for very few btu's, I know I tried this past season, 2 big pallet crates full of sticks and branches, etc. I tried to burn it up, I'd say I have 1/4 of it left, to much hassle, it's going to be in a camp fire or bonfire this summer. I also stack smaller stuff in a pile for wildlife. Especially since I'm scrounging everything, if I touch the saw to it, it's going home on the trailer with me. I even like to take the notch piece that the tree crews cut out to drop the trees, my son thinks I'm crazy.

 

[BrotherBart]

I don't mess with twigs but everything else goes on the grill pile. Most of my firewood is oak and everything we grill is over an open oak fire. Or in the redneck smoker. The small stuff goes on top for the top down start-up for the grill.

I am making mortgage payments on every one of those trees. They are gonna pay their way.

 

[shouldntbesocomplicated]

I don't mess with twigs but everything else goes on the grill pile. Most of my firewood is oak and everything we grill is over an open oak fire. Or in the redneck smoker. The small stuff goes on top for the top down start-up for the grill.

I am making mortgage payments on every one of those trees. They are gonna pay their way.

Good point on the making mortgage payments on the trees I am so there on that,but also trees grow slow way up here and when I cut it all down have to find a new source.