Work Done 2025

[Dieselhead]

I moved wood to the house from the stacks today. Here is a load of mixed nardwoods

One of the spruce piles I pulled a tote worth out

I pulled moisture readings from some spruce on a fresh split face, I split this end of November/beginning of December if i remember correctly.

The higher of the 2 was a larger size split I pulled from the top of the pile that was under the tarp (top covered)

 

[MRD1985]

Bring that tractor by my place will ya 😂

 

[Dieselhead]

Bring that tractor by my place will ya 😂

I put some hours on it today, firewood duty then the seemingly perpetual excavation project I fill my limited spare time with. It was a great day for it minus being mainly in the shade with a steady breeze.

 

[clancey]

Beautiful day here today and I would not mind having one of those red tractors...It would help with traffic jams...lol lol Have a nice day everyone and keep plugging...clancey

 

[MRD1985]

Brought in the first load of wood, trimmed all of them to the length I want. 95% ash with a touch of silver maple. I initially cut them to load EW but after using the stove north south I really like how it burns so while it was time consuming it will be worth it. I’ll have a lot of cut offs I can just burn at different times for some quick heat too. Now no guessing on which way to load. Suck part is I’ll be doing that most of the winter I think 😂. Also cut some kindling from pine, and collected a FULL wheelbarrow load of pine cones for fire starters for next season. I probably have at least another full wheel barrow load out in the yard but I have plenty for a while I think.

 

[shortys7777]

Its not much, but 2 dead oaks came down out back from the storm. Cut one up tonight.

 

[all night moe]

Its not much, but 2 dead oaks came down out back from the storm. Cut one up tonight.
View attachment 341074

Love dead wood oak. My heated basement with some air circulation drys that stuff out quick like. Cut and split of course.

 

[all night moe]

This past week.... we had 1 days work on the schedule. Tues morning rain and an emergency of a crew member, pushed that to Thurs. Thurs we showed for the job. I called it off. Far to windy for the dangers involved. A big red oak split down the center about 25'. On the fenceline of a backyard and along busy railroad tracks. One side leaning to the tracks with the other over the yard and fence. Wind gusts forecasted up to 20mph for the entire day. Did a little prep work and came up with a plan. We ratchet strapped it together about 10' up. The wind would push it closed allowing some tightening of the strap. Then we removed 3 sections of stockade fence.

Plan was to, drop a codominant honey locust under the yard half of the oak. Drop a dead black cherry with a stick of dead American elm resting on it. They were interfering with an oak limb for a clean drop of the oak. After all that the oak was on deck. Drop the yard half and then, with 2 ropes set, pull over the remainder of the oak. All went as planned that following day.

I came home with a truck load of honey locust and red oak. Oh, and that 6'' stick of elm. Bucked it all up but, haven't had time to split yet.
Yesterday I scored a black ash not far from home. Spent the day helping the gent clean up his yard for the wood. Brought home a big load of limb wood and leaders. There' still another load there for me. More leaders and the truck wood. I didn't have time to buck any of it up. Just offed into a pile.

Today is the chimney rebuild....

 

[thewoodlands]

Since they're saying we'll finally get some rain coming in starting tonight, we put in a bunch of shoulder season firewood. It was warm out today so I washed the wife's car and took the dog for a walk.

 

[all night moe]

Yesterday didn't go quite as planned. It worked out for the best regardless. My buddy arrived around noon and we set up all the tools, ladder, mixing tub, and the like. Then we headed to the local building supply house for 2 bags of mortar and two 8x13 clay flue tiles, which was out of stock. The only other local yard is closed on Sundays. Any other place would have been close to a 2hr round trip. We decided to just prep everything and have it ready to go for the next go around.

We tore down the chimney to the roof line. That's where the mortar became solid. Two flues were completely cracked in several pieces. Even though the mortar on the bricks was solid, the bond was gone. It popped off the bricks with minimum effort. We had decided on the rebuild opposed to repointing. We tarped the hole in the roof using bricks and hook ladder for weight. The winds were quite dusty the whole time. My 32' ladder barely made the top of the scaffold. We were glad to be done for the day after cleaning up.

Yup, it worked out well this way. My options are open for the liner replacement. It all depends on affordability. I'm happy that the chimney will be solid at the end.

 

[Rusty18]

 

[Rusty18]

As left by original home owner. On its way to the scrap pile and a new ss insulated 6” going back in its place.

 

[shortys7777]

As left by original home owner. On its way to the scrap pile and a new ss insulated 6” going back in its place.

Wow. Did they actually run the stove with that as the stove pipe?

 

[NickW]

Yesterday I turned one of my ash shovels into a coal sifter. 5/16" holes 1/8"+/- apart. Worked good.



Also finally installed the outlets in the walkout wall in the basement and putzed with some other stuff. Been fighting the weather the last few days, so miscellaneous odds and ends got accomplished along with some cooking/baking.

Saturday I got the skidloader back from the shop. It was multiple control valve issues. I used it some yesterday and it works, but with the weather managing the back hill was difficult so I parked it until things dry out. Cutting and hauling timbers for the boardwalk today.

 

[Rusty18]

Wow. Did they actually run the stove with that as the stove pipe?

yes. Previous…and current owner both ran stove with that set up.

 

[thewoodlands]

With more rain coming in, we put more shoulder season wood in today. Tomorrow we'll put in a few loads of ash, instead of burning the beech at night, we'll burn ash.

Two pumpkins did get a new face today.

 

[heavy hammer]

wood score from a few weeks ago been busy but finally got some time. Also filled the garage up this afternoon with wood and kindling rain and coldder temps are comming.

 

[Dieselhead]

View attachment 341461View attachment 341460View attachment 341459
wood score from a few weeks ago been busy but finally got some time. Also filled the garage up this afternoon with wood and kindling rain and coldder temps are comming.

Black locust to boot, great stuff 👍🏼👍🏼

 

[heavy hammer]

I moved most of this winters wood closer to the house to make room for the log piles I have to cut and split

 

[heavy hammer]

Some of the work I have done to get ready for the next year.

 

[GG Woody]

Some of the work I have done to get ready for the next year.

Nice collection!
How many cords do you think you will burn in a year?

 

[heavy hammer]

 

[heavy hammer]

Maybe about 5 depends on how cold of a winter plus I like a warm house.

 

[all night moe]

Last Sunday we started the chimney rebuild. Got 2 8x13 clay flues set in and bricked up to almost half of the second.
When we reach the top, this coming weekend, we're adding about 8-10'' of more flue. The last 3 courses will be stepped out twice then back in once before the concrete top is made. Give it a bit of character for this 1830s house.

Sat, I brought home the second and last load of my ash score. Lil shy of a cord it seems.

Yesterday I split a face cord with the Fiskars. Red and white oak, honey locust, pignut hickory, and some norway maple. Some rounds popped apart fairly easy. Some made me work for it.