Wood Handling - Too Much! And your number??

[ArsenalDon]

This may belong in the wood shed, and I am positive this idea is not new.....just new to me and popped into my head while I was CCS a cord of pine Saturday.

I realized I must handle each piece of wood close to a dozen times before I get to enjoy it in the fire, so...with this thought in mind here is a countdown to burn.

1= Cut the round
2=Load round on to truck
3=unload the round from the truck
4=stack the round
5=move round for splitting
6=split the round and move the piece to the wood drying pile
7=move the split to the dry wood burnable stack
8= load split on to wood carrier to take into garage as part of a 2 day supply to burn
9= move split from garage to stove to burn.

Now I realize everyone's number is slightly different because of the setup they have in their home, sometimes there are more (sometimes after I cut the round I roll it toward the place where I will be loading which adds another count to the handling process and some of you lucky folks will have setups that have less steps, still it surprised me as I thought about this.

What is your number?

 

[ArsenalDon]

Ha Typo...meant CSS of course

 

[Woody Stover]

I've started trying to take rounds I've cut to where I'm going to stack, which is in a number if different spots. I really need to put more thought into how I can handle the wood less. Will be watching this thread with interest...

 

[wkpoor]

Anyone who burns for yrs has thought about how to reduce the steps. One thing I did was to get a grapple. Cutting rounds in the field and moving them is hard and time consuming.I gather and store the supply before processing in log form. I can move the logs right to the stack area for processing. When they have a season to dry outside I then move the wood into a fully enclosed shed, soon to be sheds, right next to the stack area. The whole process happens in a very small area. From the shed I move the wood to my walkout basement in a golf cart with a box on the back. I can move several days worth in one load on the cart.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Because we have access to standing dead trees that are already seasoned (<20% MC) we are able to skip a few steps.
However, if we're in a rush to empty the truck, we'll add a step in between steps 3 and 4, and we'll stack the rounds temporarily before splitting them, but ideally we'll follow the steps below.

1- Cut the round
2- Load round on to truck
3- unload the round from the truck
4- split the round
5- stack splits in the woodshed
6- bring splits into the house and burn

Having access to trees that are pre-seasoned is really a nice asset.

 

[ArsenalDon]

Because we have access to standing dead trees that are already seasoned (<20% MC) we are able to skip a few steps.
However, if we're in a rush to empty the truck, we'll add a step in between steps 3 and 4, and we'll stack the rounds temporarily before splitting them, but ideally we'll follow the steps below.

1- Cut the round
2- Load round on to truck
3- unload the round from the truck
4- split the round
5- stack splits in the woodshed
6- bring splits into the house and burn

Having access to trees that are pre-seasoned is really a nice asset.

Finding per-seasoned wood would be amazing. You must live in an area of low to no pressure wood gathering.

 

[velvetfoot]

I buy logs, so:
1-Cut rounds
2-Split rounds
3-Transport splits to drying area
4-Stack
5-Transport splits from drying area to garage
6-Stack
7-Bring in to house to burn

 

[Jon1270]

In my (urban) area many scrounges are already bucked by the tree service that took them down. I have been hand-splitting the rounds on site before they ever reach my vehicle, which knocks off a few steps. I'm still working out the routine at home, but I think I have enough space just outside the back door to stack 2 years worth of wood and never have to handle it again until it's time to bring it inside for use; no moving it from a drying area to a storage area. That's the plan, anyhow...

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I buy logs, so:
1-Cut rounds
2-Split rounds
3-Transport splits to drying area
4-Stack
5-Transport splits from drying area to garage
6-Stack
7-Bring in to house to burn

Hey Velvetfoot, don't mean to be picky, but unless you have one of those Star-trek transporters, step 2 would be considered two steps, (1) loading and (2) unloading a truck or trailer of some kind.
But then I guess it's all a mater of how you break up the different steps. I guess your step 2 could be broken into 3 separate steps, where by you (1) load the vehicle, (2) transport the wood in the vehicle, (3) unload the wood. In which case Don and I would have to add another step to our lists.

 

[ArsenalDon]

The idea is not how many steps to CSS but how many times you physically touch a piece of wood up to the burn,....that is what amazed me

 

[velvetfoot]

No, I buy a triaxle load at a time and they pile them up at the end of the driveway. When I cut so many rounds that I can't get to the pile, I split the rounds. I bring the splitter out there and back every splitting session. I transport the splits with a trailer behind a lawn tractor.
I'd like to keep the splitter at the pile, but I'm afraid it might get stolen, since it's at the road.

Edit: Oh yeah, I've run out of stacking room, so unless I stack on the driveway (again), I'll be preparing a space in the back.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Finding pre-seasoned wood would be amazing. You must live in an area of low to no pressure wood gathering.

I guess it probably is pretty low pressure compared to some of the hoops other people have to jump through that I've read about in this forum.
It's due to the mountain pine beetle. So the wood I'm burning may not be oak, but what it might lack in BTUs, it more that makes up for in abundance, ease of access and the fact that it's ready to burn.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

No, I buy a triaxle load at a time and they pile them up at the end of the driveway. When I cut so many rounds that I can't get to the pile, I split the rounds. I bring the splitter out there and back every splitting session. I transport the splits with a trailer behind a lawn tractor.
I'd like to keep the splitter at the pile, but I'm afraid it might get stolen, since it's at the road.

Edit: Oh yeah, I've run out of stacking room, so unless I stack on the driveway (again), I'll be preparing a space in the back.

Gotcha

 

[velvetfoot]

The only bummer, I bet, is that the softer wood is lighter and requires more area for storage.

 

[ArsenalDon]

I guess it probably is pretty low pressure compared to some of the hoops other people have to jump through that I've read about in this forum.
It's due to the mountain pine beetle. So the wood I'm burning may not be oak, but what it might lack in BTUs, it more that makes up for in abundance, ease of access and the fact that it's ready to burn.

Ah got it. export some of those beetles please....we have too much ponderosa pine here.

 

[westkywood]

Usually for me its:
1- cut wood
2- load wood in truck
3- unload wood from truck
4- split wood
5- stack wood ( let ferment at least 3 yrs )
6- bring about 5 days of wood in house
7- put wood in stove
8- shovel ashes in to bucket
9- when buckets full, dump in concrete bin
10- end of season, shovel ashes out of bin

And the cycle begins again.

 

[ArsenalDon]

8- shovel ashes in to bucket

Did not think about ashes....guess it does count into how many times I handle a split

 

[Woody Stover]

In my (urban) area many scrounges are already bucked by the tree service that took them down. I have been hand-splitting the rounds on site before they ever reach my vehicle

People don't care if you tear the hell out of their lawn?

 

[ArsenalDon]

In my (urban) area many scrounges are already bucked by the tree service that took them down. I have been hand-splitting the rounds on site before they ever reach my vehicle​

People don't care if you tear the hell out of their lawn?

This one confused me too. If I owned a tree I would never allow someone else to take it or to come on my property to cut it up

 

[Woody Stover]

This one confused me too. If I owned a tree I would never allow someone else to take it or to come on my property to cut it up

I wouldn't allow anyone on my property either, but this state is like the sixth largest hardwood producer. Tons of trees here and lots of people looking to get rid of wood out of their yard. Tree guys charge to dispose of the wood.

 

[lopiliberty]

1. Cut wood
2. Split wood and load the splits on the truck
3. Stack the splits from the truck
4. Bring wood into the garage
5. Bring wood into the house beside the stove
6. Load wood into the stove

 

[charly]

I'm going to go the pallet route here on my farm.. have forks on my tractor... Want to drop the pallets off right where I'm doing my splitting and handle my wood once onto the pallet... Then when I need the wood I have a cement floor area in a foyer area at the back of my house that I can set the pallet on,,, roof over head etc,, out of the weather,,, back door right there to bring the wood in... So I'd handle the wood once to stack it and once to bring it into my house or the wood stove.. My buddy has been doing it for 3 years now and loves it... I'll frame the pallet so I can stack one pallet on top...I figure the pallets are 40 x 48 inches and plan on having the wood stack 2-3 foot high..I have plenty of fields I can leave them out in to dry in the sun and wind... then just move them to my wood storage garage for the winter and bring them to the house as needed.. Maybe get a flat bed trailer that I can load 3 pallets at a time on as well.. Handling the wood less would be nice.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

The only bummer, I bet, is that the softer wood is lighter and requires more area for storage.

The wood I generally go after is lodgepole pine, which ain't oak, but as far as "softwoods" go, it's near the top of the BTU charts, so I go through less then you might think. BTU wise, according to this chart, lodgepole pine is slightly higher than "hardwoods" like silver maple, birch. cherry, elm and green ash.
Between the house and shop (about 2,000 sq ft in total), I usually only burn 4 cord per year.

Ah got it. export some of those beetles please....we have too much ponderosa pine here.

You know, we have a fair amount of ponderosa here too, and the beetles have gotten to them as well, but I don't cut much of it. I live in a area of mountains and valleys, the ponderosa trees are usually found down in the valleys where most people live and the dead ponderosa trees are generally on, or blocked by, private lands and fences, so there is poor access to them. The Lodgepole trees on the other hand are up in the mountains a ways, and can be found in dense groves. As long as I can find a level area to back my truck in I can work the same area for a few years at a time.
I just recently found a new spot I hope to work for a few years, the last spot I was in me and another guy worked for the last 4 years. There was still a lot of dead trees in there, but they were getting to close to the river, and the (broken link removed to http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/dos/dist_docs/Docs/Firewood%20Permit%20-%20Personal%20Use%20-%20Expiry%20March%2031,%202013.pdf) say we are not suppose to cut trees with 50 meters of any lake or stream.
The other thing about ponderosa trees is they tend to be very big in diameter, and again, our permits have rules that don't allow us to cut trees over about 16" in diameter at breast height. Anything bigger is suppose to be reserved for wildlife. That works out fine for lodgepole, because they are such long straight trees, but not so good for ponderosa trees.
I have been known to bend that trunk diameter rule a bit sometimes, but I won't cut trees near a waterway. I find the trunk diameter rule a little silly, we can only get access to a tiny fraction of the dead wood out there, for every dead tree we convert to firewood there is probably a million others out of our reach that the wildlife can easily use.

 

[DMbekus]

Fortunate that I have wood lot with house. This is my 1st year seriously burning wood and went through the 2 dry cords I had very rapidly. Only thing saving me from buying wood or using more oil is I have quite a bit dry standing dead wood.

Last year's method:

1. Call oil company
2. Pay bill

Dry standing dead wood :
1. cut tree up
2. Split wood where tree is. leave right where it is
3. Load wood into wheel barrel and bring into house as needed (stove is in walk out basement)
4. unload wheel barrel in house
5. into stove

Other trees down by storm or marked:

1. cut tree up
2. Split wood where tree is (Sometimes drag logs/pieces by hand if in spot cant get tractor to)
3. Load wood into cart behind tractor
4. unload near house
5. Load wood into wheel barrel and bring into house as needed (stove is in walk out basement)
6. unload wheel barrel in house
7. into stove


having the stove in the basement has worked well. In that I bring wood in by the wheel barrel load and the mess is less of an issue.

 

[Jon1270]

People don't care if you tear the hell out of their lawn?

I don't do any significant damage. I just carry in my Fiskars and split wood that's already been bucked before I got there. I have a plastic sled that doesn't hurt the grass; it's not like I'm driving on the lawn. One of the nice things about scrounging in urban areas with tiny lots is that a road is rarely more than 75 feet away.

Tons of trees here and lots of people looking to get rid of wood out of their yard. Tree guys charge to dispose of the wood.

Exactly.