Ironwood scrounge

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okotoks guy

New Member
May 22, 2010
118
Alberta
I scavenged 2 pickup truckloads of Ironwood blocks today. They are mostly 4 foot 4X6 with a
few 4X8's thrown in. It was a major Heavy truck dealership that used them to ship very heavy
parts. The guy said he thought he would post an ad on Kijiji to see if anyone would take them
for free instead of paying to take them to the dump! After putting one through the saw,the
MC was 19%.

I can't upload pics. If someone wants to give me their email I could send the pics for posting.
 
great find. I wish I could get lucky and find some easy wood that didnt need much cutting or spliting. I have plenty of my own wood to proccess but it's a lot like work.
 
I'm curious, did he have lots available? I saw that on kijiji this afternoon and thought I might drop by Friday to check it out if there is lots available.
Good score!
 
project240 said:
I'm curious, did he have lots available? I saw that on kijiji this afternoon and thought I might drop by Friday to check it out if there is lots available.
Good score!

I grabbed the last of it on my second trip. Another guy was there in between my 2 trips and took
1 load as well. The guy said on my second trip that he had received lots of phone call and emails
regarding the ad.
 
Makes sense. I see lots of ads with people looking to get rid of pallets, but I'm not really interested in dismantling them for firewood... would rather split...

This one looked pretty promising though.
 
Yeah,it was a good find. There was a woman in the SW getting rid of some Apple wood
on the weekend. It ended up being about a face cord (Full pickup tossed in)of good sized,
fresh cut wood. The ads for anything good around here get snapped up pretty quick off Kijiji.
A guy basically has to be Johnny-on-the-spot or it's gone. I have responded to ads that were 10
minutes old and I was too late.
 
I hear ya. I'm working at stocking up for next year and have done fairly well so far, but it seems anything decent doesn't last long (as you mentioned).

I have a couple of tree services I get calls from once in awhile, but only seem to keep getting calls for spruce/poplar (which I've taken a fair amount of). Hoping I'll get at least a couple calls over the summer from one of them with some birch/maple/elm or any decent hardwood.
 
project240 said:
I hear ya. I'm working at stocking up for next year and have done fairly well so far, but it seems anything decent doesn't last long (as you mentioned).

I have a couple of tree services I get calls from once in awhile, but only seem to keep getting calls for spruce/poplar (which I've taken a fair amount of). Hoping I'll get at least a couple calls over the summer from one of them with some birch/maple/elm or any decent hardwood.

I did that last year and I got pretty much the same thing;calls for weed wood. I think the arborists either keep
the good stuff for themselves or for family and friends or co -workers back at the office. There's just not a whole
lot to go around. If say there are even just 3 guys at the worksite; that's 3 guys who have friends,neighbours,inlaws
etc. to keep happy. Not to mention however many will just drop it off at their own homes and sell it in the winter for
some extra $$$. I'm in no way saying there's anything wrong with looking out for their own ( I would too) it's just that
I personally felt strung along last year. " I think there's a birch removal coming up next week but what I need you to
take today is 2 trucks of HUGE spruce that you need to wheelbarrow for about 100 feet from the backyard. If you grab
this spruce,I'll see what I can do about some good stuff later on." The good calls didn't come. I always brought gatorades
and even a bottle of Grey Goose to the sites to try and sweeten the pot but it did not help. Maybe cash but then maybe
that would just be thrown away as well. I did not even put my name in with any Tree Services for this year.
 
okotoks guy said:
project240 said:
I hear ya. I'm working at stocking up for next year and have done fairly well so far, but it seems anything decent doesn't last long (as you mentioned).

I have a couple of tree services I get calls from once in awhile, but only seem to keep getting calls for spruce/poplar (which I've taken a fair amount of). Hoping I'll get at least a couple calls over the summer from one of them with some birch/maple/elm or any decent hardwood.

I did that last year and I got pretty much the same thing;calls for weed wood. I think the arborists either keep
the good stuff for themselves or for family and friends or co -workers back at the office. There's just not a whole
lot to go around. If say there are even just 3 guys at the worksite; that's 3 guys who have friends,neighbours,inlaws
etc. to keep happy. Not to mention however many will just drop it off at their own homes and sell it in the winter for
some extra $$$. I'm in no way saying there's anything wrong with looking out for their own ( I would too) it's just that
I personally felt strung along last year. " I think there's a birch removal coming up next week but what I need you to
take today is 2 trucks of HUGE spruce that you need to wheelbarrow for about 100 feet from the backyard. If you grab
this spruce,I'll see what I can do about some good stuff later on." The good calls didn't come. I always brought gatorades
and even a bottle of Grey Goose to the sites to try and sweeten the pot but it did not help. Maybe cash but then maybe
that would just be thrown away as well. I did not even put my name in with any Tree Services for this year.

I won't do business with someone on a "we'll take care of you later basis." If you want to drop a mixed load here I'm gonna climb up on the truck and make sure there is some quality wood in it for me. We can go from there. Screw me over and we no longer do business. Period.
 
okotoks guy said:
I scavenged 2 pickup truckloads of Ironwood blocks today. They are mostly 4 foot 4X6 with a
few 4X8's thrown in. It was a major Heavy truck dealership that used them to ship very heavy
parts. The guy said he thought he would post an ad on Kijiji to see if anyone would take them
for free instead of paying to take them to the dump! After putting one through the saw,the
MC was 19%.

I can't upload pics. If someone wants to give me their email I could send the pics for posting.

Here are the pictures:

ironwood002.jpg


ironwood003.jpg


ironwood001.jpg


ironwood004.jpg
 
Thanks for posting the pics Dennis. Appreciate it. This wood is HARD!!! I should try and
make an anti-violence stick with it! LOL!
 
If they could only make cars out of that stuff. lol You are very welcome okotoks guy. I just had to resize them as they were pretty big. I have to do that with all my pictures too unless I set the camera to take not so many pixels but then you don't get as good of a picture, so I just resize them.
 
Personally I would build something with that rather than burn it. It would be like burning good locust posts.
 
Another use for Ironwood (Hophornbeam) besides being excellent fuel :coolsmile:

About 1/2 of the felling wedges are Hickory,which is equal or better in some instances.
 

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my nieghbor is a crane operator and unloads railcars fairly often with the crane, usually loads of steel beams. they are all shipped on ironwood blocks just like your pics, the rail company lets him take as many as he wants when he leaves the yard. he brings them home and uses them in his outside firepit. i have not tried any in my stove yet but will this winter :cheese: anyway i would maybe contact some of the rail yards and see if they have any to get rid of might be a good source for some more.
 
Thistle said:
Another use for Ironwood (Hophornbeam) besides being excellent fuel :coolsmile:

About 1/2 of the felling wedges are Hickory,which is equal or better in some instances.

Awesome work!
 
Beautiful work thistle! Love the hickory felling wedges. Will they hold up to a serious beating?
 
Trundle said:
Beautiful work thistle! Love the hickory felling wedges. Will they hold up to a serious beating?

Thanks. They hold up pretty good,sawing a 1/4" bevel on the striking head keeps them from mushrooming.Not unusual to get 1 or 2 years out of one,even with being driven in with 4lb axe or 3lb hand sledge.They usually get chewed up with the saw before splitting into pieces from too much hammering.When used during bucking larger or unsupported pieces,I saw in a couple inches,remove the saw,tap wedge in kerf with my fist,then continue sawing.Most take 5 minutes each tops to cut out on bandsaw.
 
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