New Member Here...

[Oregon Bigfoot]

I thought I was the only firewood junkie, until I found this forum a few weeks ago. I really like this forum, its got a lot of guys I can relate with. I'm here in Western Oregon. The temperature hit over 80 degrees for the FIRST time this year, yesterday, wow. I hope my wood seasons in time for fall/winter. We have lots of trees here, BIG trees, and I like to turn them into firewood. I have a Husky 61, 24" bar chainsaw, Ford F150 pickup, two 8 LB mauls, and two 5 LB wedges. I just used my friends 34 ton splitter for the first time this year, wow, that was nice on some of the harder to split Oregon White Oak. I've been cutting and burning wood since 1979.

I have scrounged about 6 cord so far this year, well since December 31. I have scrounged probably about 80% Oregon Oak, some Douglas Fir, one large tree size branch (20" diameter) from a huge ash tree, its basically half the tree, and also a nice hawthorn tree, oh and a cottonwood, which I am giving away to a friend. I burned some hawthorn last winter, and wow, I really like that wood.

Last year, I dinked around with other stuff like salmon fishing, crabbing, and such, and forgot about my wood pile. Well, I ended up buying 3 cord of wood for the first and last time of my life. I have 2011-2012 (Finished cut/split on President's Day in Feb) and most of 2012-2013 wood done (Not quite done, still have a cord or so of oak to gather down a muddy hill when the mud dries up).

Anyhow, I just thought I would jump in and say a quick Howdy from Oregon. Yeah, I know, the Ducks were such loosers in the National Championship game. Well, it was tied until the last play, I'll give them that.

I'll try to put up some pictures when I figure that all out in time. Looking forward to more firewood cutting stories.

Oregon Bigfoot

 

[gzecc]

OB, how hard is it getting hardwoods in Oregon?

 

[snowleopard]

Hiya, Obie, welcome.

Someone said something about that in a recent post--the good thing about forums like this is that you can find people as obsessed as you are about something you're interested in. So yep, you've found the place--sounds like you're a kindred spirit, and like you have some great access to firewood (as well as fun things to get you distracted). What do you have for a stove, and how big a house are you heating with it? And is this your only/primary/supplementary source of heat?

You must be pretty close to Bigg Redd--he's down in that neck of the forest somewhere . . .

 

[Woody Stover]

I have...two 8 LB mauls

Either you're a lot younger than I am, or you really are a Bigfoot; 8# is heavy! :lol:
Welcome, OB! Sounds like you'll fit right in here.

 

[jebatty]

... how hard is it getting hardwoods in Oregon?

Why is that important? Just teasing - maybe. I've burned aspen, technically a hardwood, and pine for more than 20 years, 24/7, and the house is always warm, even at -40F outside. A once per year brush of the chimney is all that I do. Also 4 years now with pine almost exclusively in my shop, 24/7. Yesterday I cleaned the 21 foot shop chimney and there was less than a cup of ash/carbon flakes that resulted after a heating season running from Sept to May. When I looked up the chimney before cleaning it, I even wondered if I should bother.

Softwoods are plentiful, dry nicely, and all wood, hard or soft, provide about the same heat per lb. Oak is plentiful where I live, although there is not much on our land. I wouldn't pay anything to buy oak when I have all the aspen/pine I'll ever need on our land.

 

[shawneyboy]

Welcome OB to the forum.

Shawn

 

[CTYank]

OB, unless you're a Paul Bunyan type physically, I'll wager that you get better results with 6 lb maul than 8lb. Unless you just lift it and let it drop.

Welcome aboard.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Oregon Bigfoot.

You are right. There are a lot of us who enjoy putting up firewood. You'll also find folks like me who encourage you to have 2-3 years worth of wood on hand always. That is not only for drying purposes but also in case you have some bad luck some time and can't put up firewood some year. Myself, I do all the cutting in the winter months, splitting in spring and stacking right after the splitting is finished. We have about 5 years on hand right now but usually have a bit more. Last winter I had a hip replacement so did not cut nearly as much as normal. No problem though because we have plenty. That is better than asking friends or relatives to help out. Of course I have them telling me all the time they will gladly help out. That is good but I'd still like to do it for myself as long as I can. Besides, I simply enjoy the work.

We'll be looking for more posting from you and we also hope to learn a few things from you.

 

[Oregon Bigfoot]

OB, how hard is it getting hardwoods in Oregon?

Good question! The number one abundant tree in Western Oregon is Douglas Fir, no doubt. Douglas Fir is prime stuff. Based on this site, http://firewoodresource.com/firewood-btu-ratings/ Oregon White Oak is 28.0 Million BTU's per cord, and Doug Fir is 26.5 Million BTU. Not too shabby of wood. Douglas Fir is easy to split, lighter, seasons faster, wood smells very fragrant, smoke smells very fragrant, and its everywhere here.

As for hardwood, it's all over too. We don't have all the eastern hardwoods, but we have great western hardwoods. Oregon White Oak, Ash, Oregon Bigleaf Maple, Red Alder, Madrone - simply the best hands down, Hawthorn (another less abundant, but great wood), Apple and other fruit woods, Dogwood if you can find it, is also supreme. Our Black Cottonwood at 16.8 Million BTU per cord, is a bit stouter than it's eastern cousin, and great starter wood.

Our western softwoods are not too shabby either. Western Hemlock, Lodgepole and Ponderosa Pine, Juniper, Cedar, and others are great.

I would be happy to burn Douglas Fir only, and have for many years, when scrounging is tougher.

Oregon Bigfoot.

 

[Oregon Bigfoot]

OB, unless you're a Paul Bunyan type physically, I'll wager that you get better results with 6 lb maul than 8lb. Unless you just lift it and let it drop.

Welcome aboard.

Why do people prefer the 6# maul over the 8# maul. My experience with 6# is you have to whip the swing faster to get the same chop. 8# mauls seem easier with less effort. Just curious.

Oregon Bigfoot

 

[cptoneleg]

your the Bigfoot swing any size maul you want, I bought myself one of those hydrolic splitters for my 60th birthday and love it. Welcome and have a good time.

LOL :zip:

 

[heatwise]

welcome Bigfoot. its great to hear of the different variety of wood in your area, sounds good. enjoy the site.

 

[Intheswamp]

Glad to meet ya, OB. Greetings from Dixie

Ed

 

[fossil]

OB, how hard is it getting hardwoods in Oregon?

Depends on just where in Oregon you live. Oregon has two very distintcly different climate zones, divided by the Cascade Mountain Range. It's one of the most dramatic rain shadows on earth. Western Oregon, from the Cascades to the Pacific coast, is the "Wet Side". Eastern Oregon, from the Cascades to Idaho, is the "Dry Side". West of the Cascades, where the OP lives, there are many species of trees that we never see over here on the East side of the Cascades where I live. A world of difference. Rick

Basically, my fellow Oregonian (the OP) has access to western hardwoods...I don't, for all practical purposes. Here's a link that (I hope) gives you an idea of what I'm babbling about:

http://www.classbrain.com/artstate/publish/oregon_precipitation_map.shtml

 

[firefighterjake]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[cptoneleg]

Oh yes Bigfoot did we mention Picures show us pictures of your wood, your stove, your maul something,


This is an oak I cut down in the winter and split and stacked this week, chestnut oak.

 

[PapaDave]

Just when I thought the forum was slowing down, here come some new members.
Welcome to the Hearth, Oregon Bigfoot.
When you get the pic thing worked out, we loves us some of those. Pics of your firewood, pics of your hearth, pics of your stove.....you get the idea. :lol:

 

[Got Wood]

OB, how hard is it getting hardwoods in Oregon?

Depends on just where in Oregon you live. Oregon has two very distintcly different climate zones, divided by the Cascade Mountain Range. It's one of the most dramatic rain shadows on earth. Western Oregon, from the Cascades to the Pacific coast, is the "Wet Side". Eastern Oregon, from the Cascades to Idaho, is the "Dry Side". West of the Cascades, where the OP lives, there are many species of trees that we never see over here on the East side of the Cascades where I live. A world of difference. Rick

Basically, my fellow Oregonian (the OP) has access to western hardwoods...I don't, for all practical purposes. Here's a link that (I hope) gives you an idea of what I'm babbling about:

http://www.classbrain.com/artstate/publish/oregon_precipitation_map.shtml

Well my day is complete having learned something! I never knew this about Oregon. Thanks for the education

 

[Oregon Bigfoot]

Here's some pictures, I hope they work, it's the first time to upload here.

First pic is half an ash tree that fell at my sister's property during a wind storm. The trunk appears to have some rot damage, thus the fall. There is probably half a cord in this. This is also down a hill, so I have to wait for the ground to dry, or I'm sure I'll get stuck, as I have to go down a steep embankment to get to the level part of their pasture.

Second pic is the oak grove that the tornado ripped through. You can see my friend's splitter. This day is the first day I have ever used a power splitter, and it will not be my last!

Third pic is an oak blow down, there's about 1.5 cord in that one. It's all cut, and half split now (the top half). I need to get the unsplit large butt end pieces. The ground is just too muddy still from all the Oregon rain this past winter/spring to drive to it. I tried hand splitting it, but I will need to borrow my friend's 34 ton splitting unit, because it is all but impossible by hand. I'm getting old.

Last pic is about 3 cord at roughly 80% Oregon white oak, 20% Douglas Fir. Oak scrounged from a very rare EF2 tornado here in Oregon (Google search Aumsville, OR Dec 14, 2010 tornado). Fir from overgrown Christmas trees that were 50 to 60 feet tall. I knocked down 7 of them to get maybe .60 cord. That guy says I can come get all I want, WOW!

Enjoy!

Oregon Bigfoot

 

[wendell]

Welcome, pics look good!

 

[DexterDay]

Wow... Good score.. Is that an Iron & Oak Splitter that your buddy has??? Either way, A GREAT FRIEND to let you Borrow his splitter. We love pics and it has taken me months to get it down. Congrats. Here is a pic of some of my stacks and my new shed. The unsplit wood I just cut down yesterday. Its split now, and had to start a thread in the "Woodshed" Forum for wood I.D.. Turned out to be Elm... Wow was it hard and Stringy..

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I thought I was the only firewood junkie, until I found this forum a few weeks ago. I really like this forum, its got a lot of guys I can relate with. I'm here in Western Oregon. The temperature hit over 80 degrees for the FIRST time this year, yesterday, wow. I hope my wood seasons in time for fall/winter. We have lots of trees here, BIG trees, and I like to turn them into firewood. I have a Husky 61, 24" bar chainsaw, Ford F150 pickup, two 8 LB mauls, and two 5 LB wedges. I just used my friends 34 ton splitter for the first time this year, wow, that was nice on some of the harder to split Oregon White Oak. I've been cutting and burning wood since 1979.

I have scrounged about 6 cord so far this year, well since December 31. I have scrounged probably about 80% Oregon Oak, some Douglas Fir, one large tree size branch (20" diameter) from a huge ash tree, its basically half the tree, and also a nice hawthorn tree, oh and a cottonwood, which I am giving away to a friend. I burned some hawthorn last winter, and wow, I really like that wood.

Last year, I dinked around with other stuff like salmon fishing, crabbing, and such, and forgot about my wood pile. Well, I ended up buying 3 cord of wood for the first and last time of my life. I have 2011-2012 (Finished cut/split on President's Day in Feb) and most of 2012-2013 wood done (Not quite done, still have a cord or so of oak to gather down a muddy hill when the mud dries up).

Anyhow, I just thought I would jump in and say a quick Howdy from Oregon. Yeah, I know, the Ducks were such loosers in the National Championship game. Well, it was tied until the last play, I'll give them that.

I'll try to put up some pictures when I figure that all out in time. Looking forward to more firewood cutting stories.

Oregon Bigfoot

Ignore 90% of everything you read here.

 

[cptoneleg]

Ignore 90% of what Bigg Redd posts he's mad cause he cain't figure out how to post pictures, by the way Redd hows that shed coming along?

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Ignore 90% of what Bigg Redd posts he's mad cause he cain't figure out how to post pictures, by the way Redd hows that shed coming along?

Swimmingly

 

[Woody Stover]

Redd hows that shed coming along

Swimmingly

Sounds like it's not keeping your wood very dry. ;-)