Hi, my name is forby and I'm addicted to wood!

[forby]

I hope that didn't come across wrong......

Actually, I'm a newbie to the forum and I thought I'd introduce myself with my story.

I've been thinking about a wood stove for a few years, but the local stores kept steering me away from wood and into pellets or coal(I'm in coal country). The overwhelming theory was that wood is hard to deal with and too much work. I always walked away dejected and went home to turn up the gas furnace for heat

I finally decided to "pull the trigger" and bought a JØTUL F600 in July. The store asked "how much seasoned wood do you have".. I said none.. he said your crazy!

$6000 later, I have a stove, hearth and chimney. I was addicted from my first break-in fire.

Well I now have 3.5 cords that I bought cut and split and very well seasoned. I bought it in July so I paid about $130/cord. Since then, I acquired another 1.5 cords of standing dead(dry and very hard to split) that I cut and split along with another 3.5 cords of fresh cut that is now cut and split for next year.

I guess that these nay sayers don't know me well enough. I have an 8 cord lot of pole wood coming soon that I'm planning on cutting and splitting within the next 10 days or so.

I started this venture for the cost savings in heat and I'm staring to split wood for the exercises value. I split for about 1.5-2 hours every morning and I feel great although my suits don't fit anymore Getting pole wood seems to be the hardest part. Next year I will be selling off my seasoned overstock late in the season.

Thanks for listening to my ramble, my friends and family think I nuts and they don't want to hear about wood anymore. Is there a name for this disease? I think I'm more mentally stable than ever!!

Yours truly,
Warm & fit in NEPA

 

[bokehman]

People here think I'm crazy too. I put in the stove last November and didn't have any seasoned wood at all. Now I have about 3 cords of seasoned hardwood. Not a lot compared to yours but I'm in a place where the average January daytime high is 62ºF and about 42 at night although occasionally it gets colder when the wind is blowing from the north.

 

[woodjack]

Welcome home, my friend. We've been waiting for you.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum forby.

I admire your grit for sure. However, there are a couple questions that hopefully have the correct answers.

1. Are you sure your wood is seasoned? How long has it been split and stacked to season it? (Since July is pressing the issue.)

2. What type of wood is this? Different wood takes different times to season. For example, red oak takes a couple years to season.

3. I always have to ask also, how big is a cord of wood? Seems that too many call a 4' x 8' stack of wood a cord but conveniently forget the other measurement. A cord of wood is 128 cu. ft. or 4' x 4' x 8'.

4. How have you stacked your wood? It should be stacked in the sun and where the wind will hit the side of the stack?

5. Have you covered the wood pile? If so, you shouldn't have covered it yet (leaving it uncovered allows for evaporation of the moisture in the wood). Wait until late fall heavy rains or snow sits on the top and then cover only the top. Leave the sides and ends open.

6. Why on earth would you sell the wood you have left over? That would be your wood for next winter! Rule of thumb says cut this year what you will burn next year. Don't sell the best wood you will have. Burn that wood next year and you'll notice a huge difference in the amount of heat you'll get from less wood burned.

7. With the wood you'll be burning this year, keep a close watch on that chimney. You may have to clean it 2 or 3 times through the winter.

Good luck to you. Now go buy some new suits that fit! Better yet, keep splitting and stacking and you'll be buying smaller suits still!

 

[moondoggy]

can i get an 'Amen for the wood folk'

Addicted & Proud........Amen.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I loaned my splittah to the pottery hippies last week. I called to see when I could get it back.

"Dude- I see why you like that thing so much. It just slowly destroys these like giant logs- no problem. It was awesome"

 

[Risser09]

I feel the same way. I scrounged about 4 cords of cherry this year with about 2 cords left to split. I can't imagine a better workout. I laugh to myself when I'm cutting, splitting and stacking my wood–just thinking about people who pay to go to a gym.

 

[jbroich]

Congratulations on your new lifestyle, Forby. What do you split with?

 

[SlyFerret]

I borrowed my neighbors splitter last time, so that I could get through the pile faster.

I have some rounds for next year sitting in my driveway that I probably should start working on. I hate borrowing tools, so I'll probably take a shot at them with my maul. I could use the exercise. I'm still waiting for the weather to cool off a bit before I start that project. It was 80+ degrees around here in the last couple days still. Too warm to be swinging a maul (for me at least).

We're having our annual fall gathering this Saturday. I'm sure that my friends will think I'm a little crazy too, when they see the 4 cords stacked for this year, plus some of next years rounds in the driveway that are awaiting my attention.

It never fails though... when guests walk in the front door, they always comment on how beautiful the stove/hearth look. They won't think I'm so crazy when they come over later this year and enjoy the warmth from the stove. That's for sure!

-SF

 

[polaris]

Welcome home, my friend. We've been waiting for you.

 

[polaris]

Welcome home, my friend. We've been waiting for you.

Perfect. lol.

 

[Jags]

He,he,he....its just starting Forby. Next will be a new saw. Then a bigger saw. Then a trailer. Then a "better" truck for hauling the wood and trailer. Oooohh.....its JUST starting. Splitter, Personal protection (should be very high on your list), brushes to clean your stack. New wood shed.

Run, run while you can. ;-P

 

[woodjack]

. . . moisture meter, thermometers, wedges, tarps, indoor wood holder- the list goes on and on . . .
Forby, while you still have a fighting chance to be saved, contact WBA immediately. (Wood Burners Anonymous) 1-800-EAT-WOOD)

 

[karl]

I'd pay the gas bill before I would split with a maul. I hit a few every year. Just what the electric splitter won't do. If this slab wood works well this year, then my splitting days are over too.

210 dollars for four cords delivered, with most of it cut to the right length. A little of needing cut with a chop saw. Why bother splitting and scrounging.

 

[North of 60]

I'd pay the gas bill before I would split with a maul. I hit a few every year. Just what the electric splitter won't do. If this slab wood works well this year, then my splitting days are over too.

210 dollars for four cords delivered, with most of it cut to the right length. A little of needing cut with a chop saw. Why bother splitting and scrounging.

Nothing like a day in the forest with a packed lunch and the sound of a saw fallin dead standing trees. :coolsmile:

 

[forby]

WOW!! Such a reception!! Lots of questions!

I'm sure my purchased split wood is pretty well seasoned I have covered the tops since I got it. It is stacked in the traditional way in face cords. Lots of light and air circulation. The ends are getting dark and the sound seems perfect. I've test burned this wood as well as some of the standing dead I cut and it burns hot without much smoke and no hissing/popping. I know most "seasoned" wood isn't really perfect so that's why I have been watching it closely since July.

I stack my fresh cut wood in a 4x4x8 arrangement with a cross stacking technique. I feel this will provide adequate air movement while maximizing my area and the convenience of stacking on pallets. I have a 30x30 foot former garden that I'm using for storage. I take any broadleaf species. Typical going rate here is $120-160 per cord seasoned and spit. Some sellers delivered a true cord and some don't. Unfortunately, you can't really tell until it's stacked. One guy delivered 2 cords that is only 1.5 cords!! They won't make good on it. I'm getting 8 cords of pole wood (big and long logs) for $600 next week..

As far as equipment goes, I use a Husky 455 (LOVE THIS SAW!!) to cut and a flared type maul from Home Depot. This maul will allow me to split fresh oak in a single controlled blow. My wife got me one of those big red supper trooper II's. Oddly, t bounces off most wood and because it's so top heavy, most blows don't hit plumb without an excessively hard hand grip. I'm thinking about sharpening it some- might help. I use an amazing twist wedge from a Canadian supplier that splits a 22 inch oak round in 10 hits or less.

I don't do roofs, so I'm planning on a rough chimney cleaning mid-winter from the ground. Thoughts?

Thanks for all your kind words and support Here is a story to end my posting.....

I have a friend that lives in the country in a hundred year old farm house. His chimney is a brick only interior type that is original and unlined. He burns an old stove all winter long. He says he never cleans the chimney. Every so often, the chimney catches fire and burns off the creosote build up by itself. I have asked him if I can be named on his life insurance as a beneficiary- he declined...........

~Forby

 

[CowboyAndy]

He says he never cleans the chimney. Every so often, the chimney catches fire and burns off the creosote build up by itself. I

OH-MY-LORD...

 

[downeast]

From another site the O.C.D. ( Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ) is a genre designated as The Woodpiles, or W.A.S. a.k.a Woodpile Addiction Syndrome.

SOME Symptoms are:
1. Desire to run out of the house to snort the smoke.
2. Continual need to lurk and lust around your wood stacks.....at any hour.
3. Constant handling of splits that includes rubbing near the cheeks.
4. Cocktails always run: "...so how much you burnin'...", or, " whaddya cut today...."
5. Your partner has serious eye-rolling problems.
6. You cannot refrain from online trolling at HearthNet and other chainsaw or stove sites.
7. There are too many many more symptoms ........that will come from The Woodpiles here.

Prof. signing off..................The bill is in the mail.

 

[bokehman]

SOME Symptoms are:
1. Desire to run out of the house to snort the smoke.
2. Continual need to lurk and lust around your wood stacks.....at any hour.
3. Constant handling of splits that includes rubbing near the cheeks.
4. Cocktails always run: "...so how much you burnin'...", or, " whaddya cut today...."
5. Your partner has serious eye-rolling problems.
6. You cannot refrain from online trolling at HearthNet and other chainsaw or stove sites.
7. There are too many many more symptoms ........that will come from The Woodpiles here.

I recently went through my woodpiles and removed all the pieces that are an odd size or shape and built a new pile, which will be the first to go up the flue. I must have wasted about whole two days on this. Now I've got the missus saying how nice the woodpile looks.

 

[myzamboni]

I feel the same way. I scrounged about 4 cords of cherry this year with about 2 cords left to split. I can't imagine a better workout. I laugh to myself when I'm cutting, splitting and stacking my wood–just thinking about people who pay to go to a gym.

I belong to a gym and scrounge/split wood. Of course I don't burn as much as you do so I need the gym as a supplement.

 

[swestall]

WOOD ADDICTION, it is a very nice feeling in so many ways.

 

[CowboyAndy]

Even though we smoke in our house, I made my wife come outside to smoke a cigarette last night so I could look at the wood pile.

 

[InTheRockies]

Welcome, forby. You have been busy. Good for you. This year, I cut and split seasoned wood delivered by a nearby mill--a large dump truck full that ended up giving me 565 cf when cut, split and stacked. I'm a little worried that it may not be enough so I'm going to head back to the mill and fill my truck bed--long, standard sized bed, not a short one. They've got wood that's been sitting for more than a year that's completely silver throughout so I can buy some more, cut and stack it to use if I run short. (This is the first year with the new EPA stove, so I'm not quite sure how much wood it will eat up during the cold winter months--the old smoke dragon that was in the house when I bought it ate through wood quickly.) I live between 2 grizzly and black bear habitats so I won't consider getting a permit to go in to the forest to collect wood until the bears are asleep for the season. Then I may get a permit and go in to the forest to gather and cut my own, if the snow's not too deep.

 

[forby]

Just a quick correction to my chainsaw description... I'm using a 575XP and not a 455....... I had temporary brain failure....

As this is my first chainsaw, I realized very quickly that more power is better...