If that field is west of the stack, and it appears it is, you must get a lotta wind through those splits. Heck, you might even be able to get Oak dry. 😏
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- Thread starter thewoodlands
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kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
Gearhead660
Minister of Fire
You are correct. And that is all oak. We get lots of west wind but our summers get quite humid.
Always looking for easier.Bucket,forks,wire baskets,and just added a hydraulic quick attach so I don’t have to get off my tractor to switch. Wood goes in baskets and never handled again until it goes in the house. Even then I move it with a pallet jack and just hand it thru the window. You can put an empty basket on the forks and use it like a cherry picker.
Here's one. Lay the splits down against a wall and ram into them with the ends of the forks to split. The top half of the round will stay on the fork and you can just dump it in the trailer, you won't have to pick it up. 😏
Yeah, that's what I thought when I lived in WI...then I moved here, and the scattered super-humid days I knew up there became a lot more common. 😓 My brother is still up there so I keep an eye on the weather.
But I remember one summer here that had a record string of 90+ degree days, several 100+ and it went on for months. That was the best wood-drying summer ever. Many afternoons (humidity is lowest then, of course) it was about 20%, when the norm is closer to 50%. If it's in the 90s and it's under 50% here, you think it's a pretty nice day. 😏
I think that during that hot drought, once the ground gave up all its moisture, daily humidity levels went way down. Just a theory, though..
I got out there late, but at least got something done. I came across a fallen Red Mulberry and cut it up since it was blocking my way through to some dead, dry wood lying around that I'm grabbing to help fill my two SILs' sheds for next winter.
The root system was half rotted, but the tree looked alive when I cut it, and had live twigs coming from the main trunk. I guess some roots were still working on the opposite side, down in the ground.
Got about 2/3 quad trailer load, but woulda been a full load with the top that I haven't cut up yet.
Hey, can I still call this "yaller wood" if it's Red Mulberry? 😉
The root system was half rotted, but the tree looked alive when I cut it, and had live twigs coming from the main trunk. I guess some roots were still working on the opposite side, down in the ground.
Got about 2/3 quad trailer load, but woulda been a full load with the top that I haven't cut up yet.
Hey, can I still call this "yaller wood" if it's Red Mulberry? 😉
Got this load home.
One more to go and I'm full.
One more to go and I'm full.
Huge Dead Ash came down Friday that landed on neighbor's yard. They don't want the wood. Spent yesterday cleaning up what landed on the neighbors yard. Started to buck up those top branches today. Split a couple of pieces and they are at 26% at the moment. Lot of work left.
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What you can do with a 50 year old auger frame, a pair of 70 year old bed frame rails, some pieces of scrap steel of unknown vintage and a sheet of 1/2" plywood - make a flat-bed trailer!
In case anyone needs inspiration for a cheap wood hauler...
I save and repurpose everything... My wife finds it annoying sometimes with all the crap I refuse to throw out 😜
So the boys and I just took down a white ash that's been on it's last legs for several years. It was between the house and detached garage. Took about an hour and a half to trim so no branches hit the garage, hook up the chain and aircraft cable to pull with the truck, take down & trim & cut into logs, haul the brush and clean up.
30WCF
Minister of Fire
Cut down a couple small gum trees and a Bradford pear. I hate Bradford pear. It just crumbles when you split it and dries pithy. The gum wasn’t so bad. Needed to make room to get a pine down without deflecting it onto my building, and I hate both of those trees. I have a habit of cutting down every gum tree and Bradford Pear on my property if I find an excuse.
From now on, I’ll keep the gum, and leave the Bradford to rot where it is.
From now on, I’ll keep the gum, and leave the Bradford to rot where it is.
30WCF
Minister of Fire
Hey, it looks like the bottom of that branch went through the entry door, but I don't see any real damage! Whew, that was a close one!
Yesterday I went out a bit late, but figured the holiday would be appropriate to take down "Big Red," the "president" of all Red Elms I've seen here so far, at 24". I grabbed the big saw and went down there but saw that to be able to get the quad trailer in and out easily, I'd have to come at it from the other side of the ravine. I went around, but saw that I had to get a bunch of sticker bushes, fallen trees and a couple of saplings out of my way first. So I went to plan B, get more dry wood for my SILs...that's always plan B on any given day. 😏
I was going to post the resulting 2/3 quad trailer load as "the least work anyone did today." 😆
Today I started earlier, cleared my quad path, and then "Big Chompy" came out to play. 😏 I didn't start working on the wood, but opted once again for plan B...another 2/3 quad trailer before darkness set in. Like thewoodlands says, "It all adds up." 👍
I was going to post the resulting 2/3 quad trailer load as "the least work anyone did today." 😆
Today I started earlier, cleared my quad path, and then "Big Chompy" came out to play. 😏 I didn't start working on the wood, but opted once again for plan B...another 2/3 quad trailer before darkness set in. Like thewoodlands says, "It all adds up." 👍
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Mighta been a couple months ago, don't recall. Maybe a few inches? Abnormally warm winter, besides that one cold snap. We've had freezing rain a couple times though--That's the worst! 😯
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The way our winter started, I thought we were in for a old fashion winter. We had some cold weather and then the warmup with rain, we've been dealing with ice on the driveway for what seems like two months but the three point sander does a nice job.
Looking at the base, that appears to be all meat except for a small wet rot spot. Also nice of it to fall where most of it is up off the ground, making it easy to cut rounds from underneath. 🤗
Yesterday I continued to clear the path down to Big Red (post 193.) Got a nice 9" Red Elm that was in my way, dumped the first quad load on the floor of her shed, and beat it back home before the rain hit. Pic shows just a bit of the top bucked.
There's also a pic of some dry Oak top I'll grab later. It's also a "Where's Waldo" (two Waldos.) Not sure they will come through--resolution may be reduced on posted pics, plus I had the pic resolution turned down on my phone. I'll jack that back up I guess..
The 028 I found lying in the road came out to play yesterday. Nice of the guy to put a new bar and chain on for me (cheapie, but what the heck.) It's a boat anchor--good arm workout. 😏
I kept an eye on marketplace and craigslist for a "lost saw" ad, but I guess he needed an excuse to buy a new saw. 😏
Then a pic from a different angle of the dead White Oak I've been lusting after. Too much other down wood too deal with right now, though.
There's also a pic of some dry Oak top I'll grab later. It's also a "Where's Waldo" (two Waldos.) Not sure they will come through--resolution may be reduced on posted pics, plus I had the pic resolution turned down on my phone. I'll jack that back up I guess..
The 028 I found lying in the road came out to play yesterday. Nice of the guy to put a new bar and chain on for me (cheapie, but what the heck.) It's a boat anchor--good arm workout. 😏
I kept an eye on marketplace and craigslist for a "lost saw" ad, but I guess he needed an excuse to buy a new saw. 😏
Then a pic from a different angle of the dead White Oak I've been lusting after. Too much other down wood too deal with right now, though.
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Tried to zoom in on the Waldos and enhance them. First time I've really gone into the camera menu, so that was fun. 🤓
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I grabbed the load of splits that new-burner guy made Saturday with the Fisker ax, plus the 6 and 8# mauls that arrived earlier in the day.
The only whackin' sticks he has so far are a regular 8# maul and a regular ax, so once his technique got a little better he was lovin' the X27, and tearin' up the wood. He said he'd pick one up ASAP.
I didn't have the heart to tell him that the green White Ash is gonna be about the easiest splitting he's gonna do. 😏 But there were a few gnarly ones so he got a little taste of what awaits..
This is from the huge piles across the street that I'll be working on, probably 'til the day I die. 😉
Yeah, I just moved and stacked one quad load again, but bigger loads are possible when I'm driving on the road, and don't have to make it through the woods without spilling em.
The only whackin' sticks he has so far are a regular 8# maul and a regular ax, so once his technique got a little better he was lovin' the X27, and tearin' up the wood. He said he'd pick one up ASAP.
I didn't have the heart to tell him that the green White Ash is gonna be about the easiest splitting he's gonna do. 😏 But there were a few gnarly ones so he got a little taste of what awaits..
This is from the huge piles across the street that I'll be working on, probably 'til the day I die. 😉
Yeah, I just moved and stacked one quad load again, but bigger loads are possible when I'm driving on the road, and don't have to make it through the woods without spilling em.
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