In wood once again!!

[paul bunion]

Hey,

Time to de-lurk myself. My name is Brian and I seem to have many of the same maladies as others here so I must be in good company! Came home from work today to find some logs in my back yard! As usual I didn't get to see the truck but it does look like a full load. 28 pieces, lot of red oak, looks like one white oak tree got in there also. White ash, beech, black birch, a black cherry tree. No red maple. Only undesireable is 2 pieced of that really light weight wood that smells absolutely awful, the name of which cannot ever remember. But for an infinitly low price I cannot complain. I do see a piece of iron sticking out of one log and another shows that purplish stain at one end, so I've got some metal to be careful for. I think it has been 3 years since I have processed a load of wood, with other small acquisitions since then I still have about 2+ cords stacked up. With that and the ash in this load I should have no problem getting through to the end of the next burning season.

Got the first piece on deck for when the cutting begins tomorrow morning, 21.5' long and 15" at the top. The 029 and schindy have sharp chains and are fueled up. There is going to be a big pile of saw dust here tomorrow.

 

[Woody Stover]

Welcome, Brian! Awesome load, right there!
Is the one with the white splotches the Black Birch. Never seen any...

 

[bogydave]

Welcome
Let the fun begin

No saw dust (that comes off of a dull chain)-------- " Wood chips"

I think the birch is the hollow one. ( but that one could be beech)

 

[paul bunion]

Welcome, Brian! Awesome load, right there!
Is the one with the white splotches the Black Birch. Never seen any...

The black birch is the 5th one in or so, with the hollow knot on the left. Got that nice peppermint scent. I'll see if it wants to pose for a photo for you tomorrow.

bogydave->The hollow one is beech.

 

[Blue2ndaries]

Welcome to the forum and nice load of wood! Now get 'em CSS!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Paul.

You got some great firewood there. You might consider this time when covering the stacks to cover only the very top of the stacks. Covering the sides will only hold the moisture in rather than releasing it to the wind. Air circulation through the wood is the key.

 

[paul bunion]

Welcome to the forum Paul.

You got some great firewood there. You might consider this time when covering the stacks to cover only the very top of the stacks. Covering the sides will only hold the moisture in rather than releasing it to the wind. Air circulation through the wood is the key.

I'm with you there, the tarped over wood that you see was originally that way, however over the course of the winter I mined under the tarps and didn't pull them back. I was much more concerned with keeping the snow and rain out than looking pretty or drying wood. The covered wood is between 16-20% right now anyway so drying is not my concern. The stack in front was originally 3 rows on 3 pallets, now there is the remnants of 1 row covering < 2 pallets, leaving a lot of leftover tarp. The one in back used to be tied off on a stack next to it, leaving much more open sides, but that stack somehow seems to have disappeared this winter. I also put the pallets up on old 6x6's giving a lot of space above the ground. Which, in my experience, helps alot also.

 

[paul bunion]

Welcome, Brian! Awesome load, right there!
Is the one with the white splotches the Black Birch. Never seen any...

Here is the black birch. Freshly cut and under the bark it has a very nice peppermint smell from which you can identify it blindfolded. There is no mistaking it. This is a very mature one so the bark is cracked up. It actually is about the biggest one that I recall ever seeing. Usually, on smaller trees, the bark is smooth, like a yellow or white birch, but it doesn't peel like the white.

The one with the white splotches, if it is what I think you were referring to, turned out to be honey locust or some variant thereof. I thought it was stinky sumac garbage and was quite pleased to discover that it was chain dulling, rock hard, heavy as could be, somewhat stinky, locust.

 

[paul bunion]

And the tally for the day, I cut 12 logs, 2/5 of it, however there are some rather large looking pieces of oak coming out of it now. So I probably have more in volume left. I made 10 wheelbarrow loads of chips , if I'm not mistaken the wheelbarrow is 3cu feet, so that would be a cubic yard +-.

In the past I have always split by hand, but my body isn't up for that this time. I'm seriously considering buying one of the electric Ramsplitters. It seems to me that for my use, in a yard next to electricity, an electric splitter would be the best choice. I got some more cutting to do so I have some time to think it out.


(There are more rounds hiding to the left side, off camera.)

 

[Paulywalnut]

Nice job. Now get it split and stacked. Watch your back.

 

[bogydave]

I made 10 wheelbarrow loads of chips , if I'm not mistaken the wheelbarrow is 3cu feet, so that would be a cubic yard +-.

I'm seriously considering buying one of the electric Ramsplitters. It seems to me that for my use, in a yard next to electricity, an electric splitter would be the best choice. I got some more cutting to do so I have some time to think it out.

Nice sharp chain

I looked hard & long at the electric Ramsplitters.
There were none in Alaska & high shipping cost $$ was the final killer.

The HV 20 ton with the 3 HP electric was the one I liked for my use.
But am guessing the 16 ton would do any wood I get here.

(broken link removed to http://www.ramsplitter.com/SeeOurPrices.html)

If you go that way be sure to post a review of it