Scrounge from the back yard

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BobUrban

Minister of Fire
Jul 24, 2010
1,933
Central Michigan
I live on 5 acres that is about 2/3 wooded. I am slowly working on the dead standing stuff and got motivated to go cut a little today. Most of the wood is a big maple that blew over after a big wind storm last year because the root ball was on the edge of my creek. Tree was still very much alive so it is GREEN, green - as in soaking wet and dripping. Definitely need CSS and time but should be great by next year. The rest is some of the many ash that have died over the past few years and are just standing and loosing their bark. Fun - but I am tired after humping those fat rounds of wet maple. That stuff is heavy when it is at about 100 moisture content.

The stuff under the plastic is part of this years burn stash.
 

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You have some nice rounds in that pile BobUrban, how much wood do you burn in a normal heating season?

Zap
 
Looks like a good days work.

Might want to consider getting the tarps off the sides of that stack so it can breath a bit better.
 
That is a prodigious pile of wood, and you hit the jackpot with the word "humping" (the maple rounds). I think green maple rounds have more water in 'em than should be possible, considering how much lighter it gets after seasoning. Thanks for the picture. I have to show my wife pics like that on occasion so's she doesn't think I'm alone with the firewood gathering syndrome.
 
How much do I burn in a season?? Good question as I am new to this for a primary heat source so I am learning as I go and will have a better idea after this season. Complicating it a bit(but not complaining) is the warm temps this winter. Compounding that is my plan to upgrade to a better, more effficient stove for next season. My plan is to be way ahead of the game and have 2-4 seasons of wood CSS out there by spring.

As far as the tarp issue it was off the sides until I started taking the wood off the top making the tarp bigger than the pile. It is two rows about 20' long stacked between fence stakes and there is room to walk between the rows. A torn up as that tarp is and the fact that wind is alway rolling through the center I think it will be all right for this season as that is 2-3 year old wood.

My friend has a 35 ton splitter so as soon as the ground freezes those rounds will be CSS. Just don't like moving the splitter when it is so wet and muddy out on the dirt roads. SOme of those rounds are close to 20" and should become nich splits of solid maple. I probably have that much bucked out back and at least 10 cord of standing dead ash. I will take some more down this winter - at least the two that are hanging over my shed and leave some for later just standing there drying in the wind.

Gark - the maple was leaning about 6' off the ground from the root ball. After I limbed most of it I began to cut it off about 10' up from the root because that was the pivot point as it was laying on the stream bank. anyway, about 3/4 through it split out and the top came down leaving and open gash. I started bucking it from the top back as I could just let the rounds fall. By the time I got back to the split out it was flowing water - not dripping but a steady flow of water out of the trunk. REDICULOUS!

I am obsessed with fire wood collecting!!
 
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