Thoughts on Old Backs and Splitting

[golfandwoodnut]

Nice to see a Steeler shirt with that backdrop, Bogydave!

Yea that steeler shirt goes nice with the Mountain view. Of course it goes good with any view

 

[thewoodlands]

I must be in the incredibly small minority here (or only one?) who like cutting in the summer! I almost prefer it to the winter, in general I would just rather be hot than cold. No idea why, I guess I'm weird.

I cut in the summer and the winter, nothing like cutting in the woods with some snow. Just like you dress for cutting in the summer you dress for cutting in the winter, most of the time you will be taking off some layers of clothing in the winter.

zap

 

[firefighterjake]

Fell tree. Cut to firewood length.

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Haul logs to splitting pile.
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Come Spring, split wood.
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Stack wood. This is normally done in late March or early April.
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Now we just let Mother Nature take over to do the drying. Backwoods Savage does not like cutting or handling wood in summer. Next time he cuts wood it will be cold outside.

Hmmm . . . Dennis is now referring to himself in the third person . . . FirefighterJake is not sure what this means. Should FirefighterJake be concerned? Hehheh.

 

[Flatbedford]

Being a scrounger, I usually cut when the wood is available, regardless of season or weather. This year, I have been fortunate to have run out of room for more wood back in march. I can't really get started again until I burn some this fall, in the cooler weather. I cut split and stacked all through last few summers though. I just pace myself and drinks lots of water.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I really do not mind cutting in the summer, and in the winter sometimes the trails are just impassible because of the slope and the ice and the mud. I will never complain about the heat.

 

[AJS56]

I have the common tender back. Some might be from woodin', but no doubt some from age, and that pot bellied stove I carry around 24/7!

I usually buck at the tree site, Most of my wood is standing or fallen dead stuff, or storm/wind falls. I have tried pulling/skidding logs out to a processing area, but find that the logs get a lot dirtier and it is tough on turf, and don't see any beneift - my land is fairly level to rolling..

I load and haul it up to the processing area near my barn via mule (Kawasaki, not an a$$) or tractor and small 4x6 trailer.

Big rounds I use a CUT w/loader to lift and load if needed. I feel fortunate to have those tools/toys nowadays.

At the barn, I stack anything that doesn't need splitting right off the load, and pile rounds next to the stacks. I split by hand and stack as time is available and stack as I split.

I leave big uglies in a pile for splitter rental day, and also stack them as I split.

I am no war horse and work at my own pace. I only put up and burn about 6-7 face cords per season, and slow and steady seems to get it done just fine.

And...

"Backwoods Savage does not like cutting or handling wood in summer. Next time he cuts wood it will be cold outside. "

I'm totally with you Dennis. I love cutting in the late fall, winter and early spring. Once most foliage is off the trees and brush. No bugs and you can see all around and through the woods. Sometimes the snow can be an issue, in that it slows the process of bringing wood out of the woods. If it's too deep I just buck and leave it until the trail is more passable. Once the temp gets above 50 or so I get too hot too quickly. But to each his own!

-AJ

 

[Backwoods Savage]

AJ, if you have to drag any logs out, here is a picture of a dray I threw together. Cost me about $10 to build it and it works like a charm. This way you don't have to worry about dirt getting into the bark.

 

[AJS56]

AJ, if you have to drag any logs out, here is a picture of a dray I threw together. Cost me about $10 to build it and it works like a charm. This way you don't have to worry about dirt getting into the bark.


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That looks pretty slick. So far I find it's generally easier to buck'em where they lay or fall. I suppose if there were a lot of brush it might be easier to pull them out in an open area to work, but I haven't had that situation much. Thanks for sharing that pics thoug!

 

[Bspring]

I must be in the incredibly small minority here (or only one?) who like cutting in the summer! I almost prefer it to the winter, in general I would just rather be hot than cold. No idea why, I guess I'm weird.

I gota wonder if you guys from PA and Main really know what heat is. 3 digit temps with high humity is just no fun. The few times I have been up there in the summer it was very nice.

 

[Flatbedford]

We have been at or near triple digits a few times in lower NY this summer. It has been miserable.

 

[Thistle]

July this year was 3rd hottest on record here, 12 days 100 or above.With 3 or more days in a row happening 2 times.Compare with 1934 at 17 days & 1936 at 13 days during the dust bowl & drought.Hottest summer here since 1988,havent have the double whammy of extreme heat & drought since the '30's.Late June it hit 100 for the first time since 2006,even in mid August it rarely gets over 95,but the humidity is quite oppressive then.90 here today but low humidity & light breeze for a change so its actually somewhat pleasant working in the shade.Forecast calling for lo '80's Thursday through early next week,thats great cause State Fair starts then & its perfect.

 

[woodchip]

Summer is the best time for collecting wood here, everybody else is away enjoying holidays or just not thinking about wood. However, there is something very appealing about being outside in the cold splitting rounds, and coming indoors to a hot fire. Spreading the load here seems to help my back, collect in Summer, split in winter. It's a lot easier being further ahead too, less work all round and less stress on my back.......

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I gota wonder if you guys from PA and Main really know what heat is. 3 digit temps with high humity is just no fun. The few times I have been up there in the summer it was very nice.

And I have been to PA and thought it was downright awful. Yes, some of the scenery is great but the weather sucks. It all depends upon what the weather was like when you got there. As for those 3 digit temperatures, you can find them a lot further north than PA. As for the humidity, you can find that all over the eastern US and part of the west too.

 

[trailmaker]

The best thing I've done for my back is to stop moving whole rounds. I split rounds by hand where I buck them, so I'm never muscling them over to a hydraulic splitter or up onto a truck bed.

 

[fox9988]

In the spirit of derailing, I'm in the mood all summer, I just can't perform! 40 and I'm in a T-shirt with steam rolling off my back.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

And I have been to PA and thought it was downright awful. Yes, some of the scenery is great but the weather sucks.

And this Summer has been horrible; July was like August and August is it's hot, humid self. Not a lot of fun times lately but we just deal with it....

 

[Cluttermagnet]

Someone in this forum pointed out that a hand truck makes a dandy wood hauler. Sure does! Balance is inherently better on those things; also you have less height you need to lift the wood to get it on top. They are way easier to push or pull when loaded. That tip alone was well worth the price of admission!

I always buck the wood on site, and usually split the bigger rounds by hand before loading. Nowadays, that hand truck of mine does most of the work- the wheelbarrow still gets used, but mainly for loads of the smaller diameter stuff.

I still split by hand, but have been lucky to borrow a rental splitter from a neighbor a couple of times. Usually those are 25 to 30 ton gas/hydraulic types, and will work vertical, the best way to go. What a huge difference that has made!

This week I finally got myself a little electric/hydraulic splitter- the 299 dollar 5 ton model from Homelite, in my case. Just previewed it tonight, splitting about 8-10 smallish rounds on my carport. Remember that little kid in the Capital One viking-themed ads? Remember the pizzeria episode? The kid launches a stone from a catapult and it lands in what looks like a bowl of lava or molten iron- he jumps up and down and yells "Awesome!" Yeah, that's me...

 

[TradEddie]

I must be in the incredibly small minority here (or only one?) who like cutting in the summer! I almost prefer it to the winter, in general I would just rather be hot than cold. No idea why, I guess I'm weird.

You're doing something wrong of you're cold when splitting wood, even in winter. Gloves, hat a t-shirt should be enough.

TE

 

[smokinj]

Drop tree buck tree and watch the young bucks splitt and stack!

 

[osagebow]

Wow - what is that monster SmokinJ?

 

[smokinj]

Wow - what is that monster SmokinJ?

White oak...Got 3 this year close to this size(All over 45 inch). Now we are feeding 4 stoves though.