Finally there - 4 year plan

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claydogg84

Minister of Fire
Sep 9, 2013
1,792
Salt Point, NY
[Hearth.com] Finally there - 4 year plan Finally made the 4 year mark worth of wood - 19 cord split, stacked, and top covered. Burned right around 4.5 - 5 cord last year and it was one of the coldest winters I've seen. I have to give thanks to this forum and its members, as I wouldn't have thought to get this far ahead without this place. The stack on the left is 10 pallets long, 2 deep. The one on the right is 6 long, 3 deep. I'm hoping the poor air circulation on the right stack will be made up for with the 4 year dry time.
 
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trying to get there myself. I too burn round 5 cords but am at only about 12 cords and wearing down quickly. Plenty of source to be had just not that motivated to go at it and physically unmotivated as well. Still keep at it though when the urge strikes just not as often right now.
 
trying to get there myself. I too burn round 5 cords but am at only about 12 cords and wearing down quickly. Plenty of source to be had just not that motivated to go at it and physically unmotivated as well. Still keep at it though when the urge strikes just not as often right now.

It's tough to get motivated with the heat and humidity. I prefer to be done during spring, but that didn't quite happen this year.
 
Good work! I'm only two years ahead but trying to get to three. I'd love to have 19 cords out there CSS.
 
I want that amount of wood stacked too .... and I also don't want to do the work LOL

Don't we all. I enjoy splitting/stacking much better in the cooler seasons. Any dealing with the wood in the hot months is terrible.
 
Congratulations claydogg, your stacks look great. On working in the heat and humidity, I don't enjoy it as much either. But strangely, can't exactly explain it medically, but it is a fact that I can do much more firewood processing in the heat and humidity without getting my back issues. In the colder weather one day and my back is sore for the next three or four, whereas in the heat I can go two or three days in a row and not have much soreness. My jogging helps me take the heat too.
 
Congrats! If my count is correct I'm almost at the 4 year plan as well! Roughly 12 cords. I used 2.75 cords last winter (my first season). It was a fairly mild winter though. My buddy I'm renting from says he burned 3-3.5 on average. 4 when its really cold. It sure feels good doesn't it? I gave up a lot of hunting and fishing last spring/fall and this spring but now I only need enough to replenish every year. Hopefully it won't all be burnt in this house. If I buy a place I'm definitely installing a woodstove. It may be bigger or take more wood to heat so that 4 years may change, but it will still be a good jumpstart.
 
Wow! I have 1.5 cord seasoned for '14-'15, another cord drying, but I only burned 3/4 cord last year. Good job.
 
Did you get all that done this spring??? Holy cow! I've finally concluded with two stoves I'm 7-8 cords, and it is a struggle to scrounge and spit a single year, let alone 24 cords...

19 is most impressive no matter how it happened.
 
That's impressive...nice job stacking. I wish i could have that much stacked but do not have the space.
I am envious, but happy burning! Now go get a glass of iced tea and sit for a spell. You have earned it. :)
 
Did you get all that done this spring??? Holy cow! I've finally concluded with two stoves I'm 7-8 cords, and it is a struggle to scrounge and spit a single year, let alone 24 cords...

19 is most impressive no matter how it happened.

I had 13 cord stacked before last winter. I was hoping that was good enough for 3 years, but it didn't quite work out that way. So I basically scrounged, split, and stacked 11 cord this year.
 
I had 13 cord stacked before last winter. I was hoping that was good enough for 3 years, but it didn't quite work out that way. So I basically scrounged, split, and stacked 11 cord this year.

You're blowing my mind!! :) I'll get after it again on my end, but the three-year plan is closer to my bucket list than a lifestyle choice! Good work.
 
Nice work. I'm right there with you when I finish this beech score I'll be at 15 cord but I'm working on evermore firewood ( the addiction and all that)
 
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I feel your plan. After last winter we are in the same boat.
I used 5 cord and a half tank of oil, the year before was 3 cord and a tank full.
My plan going forward is to work on 4 cord and a half tank or less - playing the averages.

Right now Iam sitting on 1 1/2 tanks of oil ,7 cord of dry wood and 10 cord css drying.:)

DO NOT BRING ON WINTER ;ex
 
I feel your plan. After last winter we are in the same boat.
I used 5 cord and a half tank of oil, the year before was 3 cord and a tank full.
My plan going forward is to work on 4 cord and a half tank or less - playing the averages.

Right now Iam sitting on 1 1/2 tanks of oil ,7 cord of dry wood and 10 cord css drying.:)

DO NOT BRING ON WINTER ;ex

haha.. I'm fortunate enough to rely solely on the stove for heat. I turned the baseboards on a handful of times to avoid the pipes freezing - which they did anyways. We still burn oil for hot water though. I'm hoping to switch to electric one day.
 
Well, I'm not there yet, but I'm in a good spot. Got 3.5 face racks at 20%,
red oak/hard maple in the shed, all my rounds off the ground, new stacks setup, ugly bin full. Oh, yea, my first use rack filled too.

[Hearth.com] Finally there - 4 year plan[Hearth.com] Finally there - 4 year plan[Hearth.com] Finally there - 4 year plan
 
Mass-Burner... Why do you have a wood stove on wheels?
Decreases the distance you have to haul the wood to burn it! :cool:
 
I'm hoping it runs a small still just outside the frame of the photo. (This is not intended as a thread hijack. Sorry!)
 
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After splitting and stacking last weekend I counted my piles, cord-wise. I ran out of skids or I would've finished about 1 cord of rounds still in my staging area. What I thought to be ~4 cord ended up being much more, and with a cherry I drug out of the woods this past winter I have 7+ in that stack. Quick calc and I figure I'm at 19ish, which should be close to 4 years. It was a lot of hard work but I spread it out and it ain't so bad. Congrats!
 
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