Porno for Pyros

[Eric Johnson]

Here's what I did in my spare time last summer. That's about 28 full cords of 2-foot beech and hard maple. It came from an ongoing woodlot improvement harvest, i.e., thinning out the junk and leaving the valuable trees. Cut with a chain saw, hauled with a Ford Ranger (60 miles) and split by hand. I'm trying to get a year ahead on my wood, just in case. The other day my wife asked if maybe I didn't have 'enough' wood? Enough wood???? No such thing! About three cords of this came from a big hard maple in my front yard. It freaked my neighbors out when the tree service guy left without taking any of the wood with him.

Craig says I should sell all this wood, bank the money and burn gas. He would probably be right if I didn't enjoy burning wood so much.

 

[begreen]

That's really impressive. It's a wonder your wife even sees you. ;-)

 

[Eric Johnson]

Well, I think that was my wife.

 

[Roospike]

That's about 28 full cords of 2-foot beech and hard maple. I'm trying to get a year ahead on my wood, just in case.

28 full cords and you say your trying to get a year ahead. holy hell bo-bo ......... i think you need a better stove. that would last my 2k sq ft house 7 years .

 

[Eric Johnson]

"holy hell bo bo.......I think you need a better stove. that would last my 2k sq ft house 7 years."

(That's "Mr. Bo Bo" to you, pal).

Not if you're centrally heating one of these (plus domestic hot water) in a place where it routinely gets below zero in the winter and stays there!

I'm the first to admit that I need a better boiler, but no matter what you've got, providing central heat to a big, old house in a cold climate is going to eat some wood.

 

[begreen]

Great greenhouse Eric. We're hoping to get one of them installed soon. Did you put it up or did it come with the house?

 

[Eric Johnson]

It came with the house. An old Lord & Burnam, single-pane glass job put up, I believe, in 1979. A couple of summers ago I took out all the glass, cleaned it, re-glazed it, cleaned the aluminum framework and put it all back together. Working with the curved sections, which sell for about $200 a pop, was a thrill. Didn't break any of them, but a few $15 flat panes bit the dust. One thing about being a DIY homeowner: you never forget how to cuss.

 

[jfsharron]

One thing about being a DIY homeowner: you never forget how to cuss.

Amen!