I may cry a little....

[Got Wood]

Just got a phone call from a friend asking if I would be interested in selling him a cord. He felt really awkward asking but he knows I have a significant stack of well seasoned wood and he is smart enough to know he cant buy seasoned wood. He and his family moved into a new house in the spring and he got behind with everything. We have talked about heating with wood, and we talked about his fire place (zero clearance) install as it was happening. I have never sold any wood before, never intended to, but want to help a friend out. Now, I am churning with what to do about price. I am willing to just give it to him - he is a friend. He is not hurting financially so this isn't about money or a hardship case. I know he will insist on paying me and knowing him, he will try to over pay. I'll try and think of some middle ground that allows him to feel he isn't imposing on me and just taking my wood and for me to feel like I helped a friend. I'm kind of anal about my wood stacks and have records of each stack and when it was split and stacked so I have a stack that is actually 1.2 cords that I'm gonna give him, so at a minimum it will more more than a cord.

But seeing my wood stack disappear may cause me to shed a tear.....

 

[loon]

do you think he would be able to give you a hand some weekend cutting /splitting?

kinda sounds like it would be a good trade ;-)

loon

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Never shed a tear if you are helping a friend. Perhaps you might interest your friend in replacing the wood when he gets the time rather than paying for it now?

We also have a friend and neighbor who has finally seen the light and wants to burn wood. Sadly, all he has is oak on his place and as you know, that won't burn well for quite some time. So, I've offered to let him dig into my stack of dry wood. Rather than paying, I'm hoping he will replace it. If not, well, it went to a worthy cause at least. I'll just have to cut a little more this winter or next.

 

[Got Wood]

Never shed a tear if you are helping a friend. Perhaps you might interest your friend in replacing the wood when he gets the time rather than paying for it now?

We also have a friend and neighbor who has finally seen the light and wants to burn wood. Sadly, all he has is oak on his place and as you know, that won't burn well for quite some time. So, I've offered to let him dig into my stack of dry wood. Rather than paying, I'm hoping he will replace it. If not, well, it went to a worthy cause at least. I'll just have to cut a little more this winter or next.

I really like the idea of replacing it. I'm gonna suggest that. He may still prefer to pay me because time is short for him and replacing it most likely isn't going to happen (and he knows it).

 

[flyingcow]

Never shed a tear if you are helping a friend. Perhaps you might interest your friend in replacing the wood when he gets the time rather than paying for it now?

We also have a friend and neighbor who has finally seen the light and wants to burn wood. Sadly, all he has is oak on his place and as you know, that won't burn well for quite some time. So, I've offered to let him dig into my stack of dry wood. Rather than paying, I'm hoping he will replace it. If not, well, it went to a worthy cause at least. I'll just have to cut a little more this winter or next.

Kinda like "don't sweat the small stuff". I agree Dennis.

 

[LLigetfa]

Tell him to shop around for the best deal he can find and that you will trade it for dry wood. That way you are not setting the price and you are giving him something better than he is paying for. Money can get in the way of friendships. Just hope he doesn't end up trading a load of Poplar for Oak.

 

[BrotherBart]

Tell him to shop around for the best deal he can find and that you will trade it for dry wood. That way you are not setting the price and you are giving him something better than he is paying for. Money can get in the way of friendships. Just hope he doesn't end up trading a load of Poplar for Oak.

+Several

Best way to do it. He feels good. You feel good.

 

[Got Wood]

Tell him to shop around for the best deal he can find and that you will trade it for dry wood. That way you are not setting the price and you are giving him something better than he is paying for. Money can get in the way of friendships. Just hope he doesn't end up trading a load of Poplar for Oak.

+Several

Best way to do it. He feels good. You feel good.

This is even a better idea. Thanks guys.

BTW - the shed a tear was a joke.... making fun of my affection for my wood stacks.

 

[tfdchief]

Got Wood, I have to tell you that I am the same way about my wood. Once it is stacked up it pains me to see it go away even when I am the one burning it. I am never content until I get started cutting for the season and then when I see what's being burned getting replaced, then I am OK again. Therefore, I have never sold wood! I have given wood to a friend and he replaced it. I think that is the best solution.....or it would be for me anyway. Steve

 

[RNLA]

I would go for the replace with like product but at this point I do not have excess. I can not believe the attachment I have to the hard work of doing wood. The other thing you could do is going rate price and settle it for what it is worth...

 

[SKIN052]

Helping a friend in need is a great feeling. Take it out in trade, he must have some skills that you could use. Recently helped a friend who had a badly flooded basement (Hard Labor) and refused to take anything from him. A few days later I found a case of beer in my car? Did not put 2 and 2 together for a while but sure enough it was him. Also recently helped my wife's elderly Uncle hand mix 3 yards of concrete for his basement reno and also refused to take anything. I actually had to walk away. Has I was walking home his wife pulled up beside me and demanded to give me a ride and made me take a case of cold beer. I guess my friends and family know what I like! LOL.

Good call on the 1.2 cords as well. If you are going to help you may as well make it worth it for both of you.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

I like the idea from other posters of giving him your seasoned wood, and in return he buys you some unseasonded wood....perhaps have it delivered to your property as you are probably going to have to deliver yours to his.

Or, you could just give him a cord and see what happens....I think a true friend would try to repay you somehow.

 

[firefighterjake]

Wood can be replaced with just a little bit of work . . . good friends cannot be replaced as easily.

 

[basswidow]

I had a similar situation. A buddy needed wood to burn now. I wish I was in the position to give him some of mine, but I know I may need it this season. So - I gave him some, but we also went on a scrounge together to find dead wood he could burn now.

We scrounged two truck loads of ash and cherry that has been dead and on the ground for some time. All were no bigger around then a coffee can in diameter. We cut them 16 inches and hand split them once just to ensure they were good and seasoned. Beautiful wood! Could have left them unsplit. It had been dead for some time.

So I sent him home with an over spilling truck bed of the dry ash and cherry we found and some of my seasoned maple and oak. I kept any green we scrounged.

The net result - we had a fun day and my wood pile did not shrink. We had so much fun, we are planning to do it again, when he gets low. He was itching to run the saw and swing my Fiskars. It was actually fun to have alittle company while scrounging.

I am convinced that a person can srounge wood that is burnable now. Cutting old well seasoned wood will dull your chain some, but not too bad. The forest floor is littered with broken branches, splits, and downed trees. As long as they are not punky or wrotten, you can tell it's good wood by the sound. And theres always pallets too.

Someday, I'd love to be 4-5 years ahead. Then I wouldn't worry about helping a friend with some wood.

 

[KB007]

Like for Like works for me. Did that with my neighbour this year - gave him about a cord of next years wood for a cord of new stuff from the load we got this summer. He's just starting to get the idea of being ahead which works out well cuz we've split a log load a couple of times now and it goes so much faster when there's 2 working rather than 1.

My other neighbour sometimes helps with the cutting / splitting and we give him a cord for his troubles too. He has a ZC fp that he burns weekends and goes thru maybe a cord a year - he gets a year's worth of wood for helping and he's pretty happy. It all works out nicely.

The only time money actually comes into it is if we're splitting a load I get the cash off him up front so I don't have to go collect it later.

 

[Got Wood]

Update to the story.... Together we moved the wood from my stack to his house and stacked it there. Took a few trips (only a mile or two away). We spent the morning talking and working - a good time by my liking. When we were done he started reaching for his wallet and I said "merry christmas". He got a little angry and said he never would have called and asked if I was just gonna give it to him. I said, hey your a friend, glad to help you out. No big deal. We went back a forth a bit and he insisted so I ended up taking some cash. He ended up with more wood than he would have gotten had he bought a cord, it was well a seasoned mix of elm, cherry and maple and at about 1/2 price for going rate. I'm feeling this was a reasonable middle ground.

More than anything, I'm happy to know when his family gathers tomorrow for xmas eve, they will have a nice warm fire to enjoy.

Another side point.... leave it to my daughters to take advantage of every chance to rib my a bit ..... they said hey dad, just think now you have free space to go fill up! And they are right! I think I'll do some splitting and stacking this fternoon YAHOO!

 

[Flatbedford]

Stuff like that tends to even out over the years with friends. I think you did fine.

 

[Jags]

Stuff like that tends to even out over the years with friends.

Yep. I use the saying - "I don't keep score".

 

[loon]

they said hey dad, just think now you have free space to go fill up! And they are right! I think I'll do some splitting and stacking this fternoon YAHOO!

Good for you all around

loon

 

[Cate68]

Update to the story....

More than anything, I'm happy to know when his family gathers tomorrow for xmas eve, they will have a nice warm fire to enjoy.

This made me smile...how nice. Thanks for sharing!

 

[mtarbert]

I just got back and hour ago from delivering 3/4 cord of three year old hickory to an old lady that heats with wood and K-1 space heaters. I know she cannot afford K-1 so the wood will come in real handy. I was feeling so warm on the way home I turned the heat off in the truck and opended a window. Then a half hor later she called to thank me and wish me a Merry Christmas. The kicker is....she dosent have a phone and she walked 1/4 mile to a gas station with a phone to call me.

And to All a good night....Mike

 

[tfdchief]

I just got back and hour ago from delivering 3/4 cord of three year old hickory to an old lady that heats with wood and K-1 space heaters. I know she cannot afford K-1 so the wood will come in real handy. I was feeling so warm on the way home I turned the heat off in the truck and opended a window. Then a half hor later she called to thank me and wish me a Merry Christmas. The kicker is....she dosent have a phone and she walked 1/4 mile to a gas station with a phone to call me.

And to All a good night....Mike

And that is what MERRY CHRISTMAS really means !

 

[modo]

Good post and even greater deed. And 3 yr. old hickory on top of that! Can't beat it.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I had a similar situation. A buddy needed wood to burn now. I wish I was in the position to give him some of mine, but I know I may need it this season. So - I gave him some, but we also went on a scrounge together to find dead wood he could burn now.

We scrounged two truck loads of ash and cherry that has been dead and on the ground for some time. All were no bigger around then a coffee can in diameter. We cut them 16 inches and hand split them once just to ensure they were good and seasoned. Beautiful wood! Could have left them unsplit. It had been dead for some time.

So I sent him home with an over spilling truck bed of the dry ash and cherry we found and some of my seasoned maple and oak. I kept any green we scrounged.

The net result - we had a fun day and my wood pile did not shrink. We had so much fun, we are planning to do it again, when he gets low. He was itching to run the saw and swing my Fiskars. It was actually fun to have alittle company while scrounging.

I am convinced that a person can srounge wood that is burnable now. Cutting old well seasoned wood will dull your chain some, but not too bad. The forest floor is littered with broken branches, splits, and downed trees. As long as they are not punky or wrotten, you can tell it's good wood by the sound. And theres always pallets too.

Someday, I'd love to be 4-5 years ahead. Then I wouldn't worry about helping a friend with some wood.

Great story! Also a heart warming thread. I have personally confirmed, as a new wood burner (3+ years now), that you can definitely get by on deadwood that you process and burn the same year. There's a lot of stuff out there that is low MC as you find it, and won't creosote your chimney.

For the first time this fall, I am probably 2-3 years ahead, finally, and have some 'green' stuff seasoning for 1-2 years out. A good feeling.

 

[NH_Wood]

Yup - this is what it's all about everyone - nice work all the way around. I've a friend who want to get a cord of wood near the end of the season. He's not the type to just take the wood - needs to know he's 'paid' for it. So, I suggested he wait till spring/summer and have a cord of green split delivered to my house. He should be able to save about $100 bucks, I don't have to do all the work for getting another cord (I cut all my own - I like it, but not looking to do more that 5 cord/year - have 3 kids to mind!) - just need to stack. Being between 3 and 4 years ahead makes this easy to do - no need to worry about stealing from next years seasoned stash. Love to hear of all the Christmas cheer - lots of folks just seem to miss this sort of kindness. Cheers!