Well I've been busy... (pic heavy)

[jeffesonm]

This year was my first year burning. Fortunately I had about 2 cords of various wood C/S/S from trees down over the past few years so it wasn't too bad, but I wanted to get ahead of the game. I was too busy scrounging/cutting/splitting/stacking to post much on here, so here's what I've been up to...

I lucked out with Sandy and lost just one tree, a small mostly standing dead locust nowhere near the house. The lady next door lost about 5 huge oaks, two good sized beech, an ash and a small maple. She is a bit older and converted to a gas fireplace so it's all mine for the taking! Not 200 yards from my house, accessible by pickup and back in the woods where no one else goes...

One of the oaks...




A few more oaks...



And the beech trees...



Bringing back the beech...








The oak I started to stack in the woods... figured no reason to move it twice, plus I'm seriously running out of space up by the house.




While slowly working on those oaks I found a CraigsList ad for a guy wanting two smaller apple trees cut up. Turns out they were also taken out by Sandy and he had already cut off all the small branches with his electric chainsaw and just needed someone to finish the job. They were right next to his driveway so easy pickins.



Back to the homestead ready to be split.



Not long after I came across another CL ad for a guy who had a big ash tree down in his backyard. Well turned out it was a big old black walnut... felt kind of bad cutting it up, someone probably should have made it into lumber or turning blanks. But oh well, into the stacks it goes...






And then there was an ad on CraigsList for someone about 5 miles from my house who had a bunch of trees down on their property and just wanted someone to help cut up the wood. Well it turns out there were probably 20 ash trees of various sizes and I could back the truck up right next to them, and in one case, right under one! So every few days I'd go back over and fill up another pickup load. Caretaker said I could just leave the small branches and he'd push them into the woods with the tractor.







Doesn't get much easier than that!


Guy also had a few smaller cherries and a locust or two I helped myself too.




And so here are the fruits of my labor. First, an aerial shot from the roof of the stacks up near the house. Got some epdm rubber roofing for the tops of the stacks and my mini wood shed on the right there. Wooden thing is the jig for cutting the old stuff down to stove size. Still working down that pile of ash rounds.



Ash in progress.



In the stacks.



Out towards the back... my little logging path in the middle and if you look close you can see some stacks out in the woods. Lots of shade but I'm on the top of a hill so I do get some good wind through here.



A better shot of the oak stacks out in the woods.



Tried to do a panoramic with my phone, but they're spread across such a wide area it's hard to get them all.



Based on this first year I think I'll burn about 2-3 cords per year. I figure all this ash and cherry should hold me over for a few years until all that oak out back dries out. I think between the stuff by the house and the stuff in the woods I've got to have 10+ cords, not counting the special delivery I got today. My better half is starting to worry about this obsession hobby but then I reminder of the 600 gallons of oil we didn't burn this winter

 

[paul bunion]

Got your self a bunch of nice looking stacks of wood there. Not buring 600 gallons of oil is a huge savings. Small word of advice, stacks against trees have a way of falling over if the wind starts pushing the trees around.

 

[Beer Belly]

HOLY CRAP !

 

[lumbering on]

Very impressive.

 

[bogydave]

I'd say the soccer Scoooore! but would run out of room for the post
You've been busy.
Feels good to be 3+ years ahead , eh?

Now what are you gonna do? Hope you don't have withdraws ?
Looks like a little cutting out there to do yet

Great pictures
Very nice set up

 

[Seanm]

Thanks for posting the pics, very enjoyable to view. I love the tree over your truck box. Man you must have been grinning bucking that one up. Were you able to keep backing the truck up as you dropped rounds into the bed?

 

[blacktail]

That beech sure is pretty wood.

 

[firefighterjake]

It may be wrong to say so . . . but you have some great looking wood there.

 

[jeffesonm]

Got your self a bunch of nice looking stacks of wood there. Not buring 600 gallons of oil is a huge savings. Small word of advice, stacks against trees have a way of falling over if the wind starts pushing the trees around.

I think the stove will have paid for itself in the first year. Next year will cover the chainsaws and chimney liner and then I'll be in the plus column. I did have one long stack between two trees fall already, so I've been been more careful about making sure the base is level and not stacking them so high or spanning such a big distance between trees.

I'd say the soccer Scoooore! but would run out of room for the post You've been busy. Feels good to be 3+ years ahead , eh? Now what are you gonna do? Hope you don't have withdraws ? Looks like a little cutting out there to do yet Great pictures Very nice set up

Well can't let the gas in the saw go bad so I'm sure I'll keep cutting There is one big oak left next door to cut, and I still have a bunch to split and stack back there. Also a standing dead locust in the front yard I should probably take down before it takes itself down somewhere I don't want.

Thanks for posting the pics, very enjoyable to view. I love the tree over your truck box. Man you must have been grinning bucking that one up. Were you able to keep backing the truck up as you dropped rounds into the bed?

Huge grin on my face, and yup, just kept backing it up. Figured no one but you guys could really appreciate that.

 

[PapaDave]

Jeff, when I began reading, my first thought was that this would make you a prime candidate for the "You Suck" club.
By the time I finished reading, you're a shoo-in.
So, officially, you suck. It's a term of endearment. We love ya', man.
Nice scores, and a good plan. When you get more, post the pics, please.
This is the stuff that doesn't get old or boring.

 

[thewoodlands]

Very nice work.

 

[USMC80]

Great pics! You've been hard at work for sure.

 

[thewoodlands]

Jeff, when I began reading, my first thought was that this would make you a prime candidate for the "You Suck" club.
By the time I finished reading, you're a shoo-in.
So, officially, you suck. It's a term of endearment. We love ya', man.
Nice scores, and a good plan. When you get more, post the pics, please.
This is the stuff that doesn't get old or boring.

I just spit my coffee out after reading the U Suck club remark.

 

[Woody Stover]

Super scores, and great work.
Keep an eye on those stacks in the woods; When the wind comes up and the trees start blowing around....

 

[PapaDave]

I just spit my coffee out after reading the U Suck club remark.

zap, many here belong to that club. It's meant in jest.
If I offended, I apologize.

 

[jeffesonm]

No offense taken, all in good fun.

 

[thewoodlands]

zap, many here belong to that club. It's meant in jest.
If I offended, I apologize.

No, I knew what you meant. What would NH say, Cheers.

 

[ChrisNJ]

Geez your a wood processing madman, looks great, and I would love to get some of that Beech, how does it split? Smooth I am thinking.

 

[Jags]

Man - looks like you have this wood get'in thing figured out. Nice job.

 

[jeffesonm]

Cat is enjoying the new stove too..

 

[TimJ]

jeffesonm, you got er done and your gettin er done
good job

 

[Applesister]

Great pics, Jeff, thanks for sharing! the panoramic shot shows a really nice looking woodlot. And a great view. Looks like all hand split. I like seeing the stacks in the woods, it seems to have an old world fairy tale charm.
I paid 3.90 gallon so at my cost for fuel 600 gallons @ 3.90 = 2340.00 in savings.
Great looking pickup truck too!

 

[Blue2ndaries]

Wow, that's some nice work. Will definitely pay dividends in years to come, not to mention peace-o-mind knowing you are ahead.

 

[Woody Stover]

Cat is enjoying the new stove too..

Ahhh, blessed heat!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Jeff, those pictures really tell some stories. I too admired how you backed that truck right under the ash. Nice touch! I also like the woods because it appears you don't have a lot of low brush to contend with so easy to get to the wood.