Splitting & Stacking this winters haul.

[thewoodlands]

Finally started splitting some sugar maple then about a third of a load of beech from the wood I cut in the winter. I just have that back rack to fill then it's time to make another stacking area.




Zap

 

[Intheswamp]

Nice stock of wood there, Zap! Now...what are you doing on the internet...you've got wood to split

ed

 

[smokinj]

AWESOME pics.

 

[rottiman]

Zap, 1st class as usual.

 

[thewoodlands]

Nice stock of wood there, Zap! Now...what are you doing on the internet...you've got wood to split

ed

Ed the plan is that I'll finish that back rack tomorrow then stack some Cherry. But before I start splitting the rest of the wood I'll need another area for stacking and I also want a trail that I can drive a load of wood with the truck and get behind the stacking area.

I'll start that on Tuesday night.


Zap

 

[Kenster]

Zap, for what year are those stacks designated? How long will it take you to burn the wood in those stacks?

 

[thewoodlands]

Zap, for what year are those stacks designated? How long will it take you to burn the wood in those stacks?

Kenster, I wOOd say three or four years out. We burn alot of Cherry during the day then at night we will burn our better hardwood (beech & sugar maple) but only during the coldest months.


We will burn more sugar maple and beech this year (three years old) just so we have enough stacking area come the spring of 2012.



Zap

 

[thewoodlands]

AWESOME pics.

Smokin thanks, how is the meat coming along and will you have enough?



Zap

 

[thewoodlands]

Zap, 1st class as usual.

Thanks rottiman, how is the beast in your avatar doing. We actually have had a nice day with some wind, very little rain and what I think they call the SUN!



Zap

 

[smokinj]

AWESOME pics.

Smokin thanks, how is the meat coming along and will you have enough?



Zap

Just put it on! 16lbs should get us all there. I thinking about 30 Monster sammmwich's!

 

[Kenster]

Zap, sorry... I forgot to ask the first time.... how many cords would you say you have stacked and how many years ahead are you?
Hope that's not too personal. In Texas, asking how many head of cattle a man has is like asking how much money he has in the bank. So you don't ask.

I'm fascinated by the large supplies some people have. I don't burn more than a cord and a half a year and I'm excited that I'm getting close to five cords on hand, though at least three cords needs to be split. I'm hoping to get at least four years ahead this year. Then I can just add a cord or two each year.

I was doing reallly good with fresh wood but was afraid I wasn't going to have a good supply for the coming winter. I recently scored at least half a cord of water oak that came down in a storm a few years ago. It was all broken up and dumped on a creek bank. It's dried really nice with no sign of punk or rot.
I split a couple of rounds Thursday, a 12-14 incher and one about five or six inches. They measured 12 to 18% MC pretty much throughout. That'll work for this winter. I already had about half a cord from the tops of another water oak that came down last fall, plus a pin oak that fell last fall that I cut up into 8 inch lengths and split small. It's been in the front line of our unrelentingly strong, hot dry wind we've been having for months. I think I'm good for this winter.

 

[thewoodlands]

Zap, sorry... I forgot to ask the first time.... how many cords would you say you have stacked and how many years ahead are you?
Hope that's not too personal. In Texas, asking how many head of cattle a man has is like asking how much money he has in the bank. So you don't ask.

I'm fascinated by the large supplies some people have. I don't burn more than a cord and a half a year and I'm excited that I'm getting close to five cords on hand, though at least three cords needs to be split. I'm hoping to get at least four years ahead this year. Then I can just add a cord or two each year.

I was doing reallly good with fresh wood but was afraid I wasn't going to have a good supply for the coming winter. I recently scored at least half a cord of water oak that came down in a storm a few years ago. It was all broken up and dumped on a creek bank. It's dried really nice with no sign of punk or rot.
I split a couple of rounds Thursday, a 12-14 incher and one about five or six inches. They measured 12 to 18% MC pretty much throughout. That'll work for this winter. I already had about half a cord from the tops of another water oak that came down last fall, plus a pin oak that fell last fall that I cut up into 8 inch lengths and split small. It's been in the front line of our unrelentingly strong, hot dry wind we've been having for months. I think I'm good for this winter.

Kenster with what we have on the ground in the pictures today plus what is stacked we have about 20 cord or just over, that should be close.


I would say we burn about 4 cord a year so that puts us five years ahead, that makes us feel good. I cut what mother nature puts on the ground or topped off trees so we have another four - six cord down at this time. We might sell some this year, my neighbor was thinking about it.

Good to hear that your ahead on your wood, oil seems like it will only get more expensive.




Zap

 

[Kenster]

We haven't turned on the heaters in three years but we heat only with electricity, not oil. Pretty expensive, though.

 

[thewoodlands]

We haven't turned on the heaters in three years but we heat only with electricity, not oil. Pretty expensive, though.

When we lived about 37 miles from here in Massena New York the electricity bill was about $45.00 per month but here it's $120.00.


Still it's nice that we have some room and privacy compared to Massena, you could here the guy next door (in massena) give is wife chit at the breakfast table and that was with the doors plus the windows shut.


Zap

 

[rottiman]

Zap, 1st class as usual.

Thanks rottiman, how is the beast in your avatar doing. We actually have had a nice day with some wind, very little rain and what I think they call the SUN!



Zap

Zap, the big lad is doing just fine. Getting to the time of the year when usually the heat starts to make him uncomfortable, but so far this year that isn't happening. His big job these days is putting the run on the robins in the yard. For some reason they are the only birds he wants to chase, go figure.................

 

[snowleopard]

Those bull robins are pretty dang cheeky. I wouldn't put up with them for a minute if I was him.

 

[wannabegreener]

Zap,

Those piles look great. I'm trying to get a couple of years ahead but having 20 cords would be awesome. It must feel great to have all of that work done. I' think it's great that you have only had to take what nature gave you. Keep up the awesome work.

 

[thewoodlands]

Zap,

Those piles look great. I'm trying to get a couple of years ahead but having 20 cords would be awesome. It must feel great to have all of that work done. I' think it's great that you have only had to take what nature gave you. Keep up the awesome work.

wannabegreener thanks, I have felled some but they would have become problem trees so it was better that I get them while I could.


Has it stopped raining your way yet.



zap

 

[wannabegreener]

Zapny,

The rain is certainly slowing down. Thursday was ok, Friday better, and it just sprinkled a little this morning.

Sent you a pm.

Thanks

 

[thewoodlands]

Zapny,

The rain is certainly slowing down. Thursday was ok, Friday better, and it just sprinkled a little this morning.

Sent you a pm.

Thanks

The good thing I saw on Ariens is it is made in the U.S.A , so I would definitely look at one. Take a nice round of your best hardwood to split when you test it out.




Zap

 

[Woody Stover]

Zap, are you putting the T-posts at the end of the landscape timbers? If so, what's the reasoning? It would make the stacks less likely to fall, I'd think...

 

[SolarAndWood]

What's up with the t posts Zap? I thought you had gone old school?

 

[thewoodlands]

Zap, are you putting the T-posts at the end of the landscape timbers? If so, what's the reasoning? It would make the stacks less likely to fall, I'd think...

Yes the t-post had been put in for that reason, those had been put in last year so they stayed well over the winter.




Zap

 

[thewoodlands]

What's up with the t posts Zap? I thought you had gone old school?

Solar those had been put in last year so if they are still solid I'll use them. I'll have to split better before going old school or go out west to Savs and take some lessons.




Zap

 

[Kenster]

Landscape timbers look nice but how much trouble is it to level them before you can start stacking?
Pallets seem easier to level. Actually, they don't have to be TOO level.