Burnin Since 1991
Minister of Fire
Thanks for the info. Bureaucratic red tape is very frustrating. Do you know how old the structures are?
Work Done 2025
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A few weeks ago my neighbors tentatively wondered if I might, maybe, if they could hire me...
They, up the hill from me adjacent to my property, have a very nice view. Some big sugar maples are starting to grow up into it. Could I cut them down? I said I'd do it for the wood.
I've already got the shed full, dry on one side for this winter and ash I cut in late summer for next winter on the other side. So this would be for winter '27-'28
I had to cut a few down to make room for the big one to fall, so got that wood too. I cut the big one below where there was some splitting of the trunk into three and used a wedge on the back cut. Turns out there were three trunks ready to go their separate ways. Two of the three trunks went where I wanted, but a third got hung up, falling about 45 degrees off axis into some other tree tops. After I cleared most of the two, I was able to pull the third trunk down hill with my tractor and get it out of the trees it was hung up in. Gravity. I don't think I could have done it without the very steep slope.
I had been splitting it as I went along, but now I just want to get it off the ground and out of the woods. When I finish getting it all out I'll fell another tree in the view and just leave that for the spring. I figure it's better to take it down now before the sap runs in March. Then there's at least one more in their view. I might take that down this fall if it's not going to be a mess on top of the other tree. We'll see.
It's on a rather steep hill, and it's getting a bit freezy. Snowed a little today. I'm about done with cutting. It's slippery enough working on that slope without ice and snow.
They, up the hill from me adjacent to my property, have a very nice view. Some big sugar maples are starting to grow up into it. Could I cut them down? I said I'd do it for the wood.
I've already got the shed full, dry on one side for this winter and ash I cut in late summer for next winter on the other side. So this would be for winter '27-'28
I had to cut a few down to make room for the big one to fall, so got that wood too. I cut the big one below where there was some splitting of the trunk into three and used a wedge on the back cut. Turns out there were three trunks ready to go their separate ways. Two of the three trunks went where I wanted, but a third got hung up, falling about 45 degrees off axis into some other tree tops. After I cleared most of the two, I was able to pull the third trunk down hill with my tractor and get it out of the trees it was hung up in. Gravity. I don't think I could have done it without the very steep slope.
I had been splitting it as I went along, but now I just want to get it off the ground and out of the woods. When I finish getting it all out I'll fell another tree in the view and just leave that for the spring. I figure it's better to take it down now before the sap runs in March. Then there's at least one more in their view. I might take that down this fall if it's not going to be a mess on top of the other tree. We'll see.
It's on a rather steep hill, and it's getting a bit freezy. Snowed a little today. I'm about done with cutting. It's slippery enough working on that slope without ice and snow.
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Been a bit since posting. 2 weekends ago we finished up the masonry work on the chimney. The 3 stepped courses, and then made a form to poor the cap. The GF's 40 something yr old nephew finally left his video game to help. Plays that damned thing non-stop.
Poured the cap and, of course, rain showers rolled in. Placed a square of 3/4 plywood on the flue to act as an umbrella. Tarped of the chimney, secured with tying rope around it, and placing a few bricks on top of the ply. End of this past week, I uncovered everything and removed the form. The top surface shows some light dimpling from the rain drops, and some slurry seeped down the inside of the form onto the side of the top course. It'll clean up nicely though. The dimples are small prints and point at the sky. No worries with those. I'll wait till spring to clean the sides. Weather has been wet and damp cold lately. My body disproves.
Have done a small amount of work in the wood piles. A little here and there. Mostly a bit of organization. Brought home 3 pickup loads of pallet scores. Last load found some hardwood of HD type pallets. About 2x3'' boards of oak, cherry, maple, and popular. I'm thinking of separating the straight stuff and keeping them. The rest will become firewood.
No liner for the chimney yet.... still using space heaters. Only 3 of them. We pick a couple rooms to keep warm. Let the rest go cold.
LP cost is killing me. Live and learn.....I'll survive.
Oh, and been bringing in more wood from job scores. Small pickup loads, all of late no bigger than 8'' dia. Last load was all dead white and red oak limb wood. Most missing it's bark with average of 4-6'' diam. I love this stuff. Cut and split it dries well stacked around the furnace with airflow.
Poured the cap and, of course, rain showers rolled in. Placed a square of 3/4 plywood on the flue to act as an umbrella. Tarped of the chimney, secured with tying rope around it, and placing a few bricks on top of the ply. End of this past week, I uncovered everything and removed the form. The top surface shows some light dimpling from the rain drops, and some slurry seeped down the inside of the form onto the side of the top course. It'll clean up nicely though. The dimples are small prints and point at the sky. No worries with those. I'll wait till spring to clean the sides. Weather has been wet and damp cold lately. My body disproves.
Have done a small amount of work in the wood piles. A little here and there. Mostly a bit of organization. Brought home 3 pickup loads of pallet scores. Last load found some hardwood of HD type pallets. About 2x3'' boards of oak, cherry, maple, and popular. I'm thinking of separating the straight stuff and keeping them. The rest will become firewood.
No liner for the chimney yet.... still using space heaters. Only 3 of them. We pick a couple rooms to keep warm. Let the rest go cold.
LP cost is killing me. Live and learn.....I'll survive.
Oh, and been bringing in more wood from job scores. Small pickup loads, all of late no bigger than 8'' dia. Last load was all dead white and red oak limb wood. Most missing it's bark with average of 4-6'' diam. I love this stuff. Cut and split it dries well stacked around the furnace with airflow.
ctreitzell
Minister of Fire
Not officially…we are guessing around 100-125 years
My buddy with the cherry picker has lived here his entire life; he tells me these barns aren’t more than 100-125 years old…yet, who knows if he is correct?
Hopefully the stack stays up until we use it. I split & stacked what was bucked up today, that was worth another face cord plus. I did have some limb wood we threw on the trailer the other day so that was c/s/s today.
I grabbed the rake and then cleaned everything up before calling it a day. Picture 2121 is the last of the ash, 2122 is another face cord of ash stacked today for a total of 5 plus and 2123 is the area all the wood was dumped.
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I didn't do anything yesterday. Not in the woodyard, chores, or work on the house. Zero for motivation. Been having a little of a hard time with that. I just don't have the get up n go I normally posses. I fell somewhat tired and defiantly drained.
Income has been scarce. Work is slow. Most companies I know have been unusually slow. I just talked to a fella today about jumping on his crew. No climbing for me, just ground work. That's a cut in pay but it's work. Demotivating. At least he's booked till the end of January.
Hopefully, I'll get some stuff done around here today.
Income has been scarce. Work is slow. Most companies I know have been unusually slow. I just talked to a fella today about jumping on his crew. No climbing for me, just ground work. That's a cut in pay but it's work. Demotivating. At least he's booked till the end of January.
Hopefully, I'll get some stuff done around here today.
Hang in there my friend!
Correction ....I did do SOMETHING yesterday, but not much. Spent about an hour working on my axe. I'm hanging a 5lb Jersey head on a 28'' straight hickory handle. Those Jerseys are a bit of a PITA.
It'll be my felling wedge driver. The one thing I'm looking forward to. Finishing a tool to work with.
It'll be my felling wedge driver. The one thing I'm looking forward to. Finishing a tool to work with.
Thanks....I appreciate that.
I really do.
Burnin Since 1991
Minister of Fire
Every little bit is something. Sometimes we need to take those baby steps and count our blessings. Great to hear you found work for a time. Maybe this will lead to something better. One door closes, another one opens.
I've had those same motivational issues. It can feel hard to push but it's really just one foot in front of the other.
Speaking of cutting implements... I broke my maul handle a while back. The maul is a 6 pounder TrueTemper from True Value that I bought in 1991. Going to start working on it shortly and tomorrow I need to work on the edge a little more.
1st time hanging a Jersey axe. I hope it's my last.
They're hard to do for sure. I'll give it a little more attention tonight. Then it's off to slumber land. I have to rise early tomorrow.
They're hard to do for sure. I'll give it a little more attention tonight. Then it's off to slumber land. I have to rise early tomorrow.
Nice. And wow, you had some snow already! Happy Thanksgiving to all.
We put in two loads of ash today and then I checked the trails around the house for downed branches, we only had a few smaller ones that I threw off to the side.
It's still snowing but nothing hard, we've probably received four inches in the driveway so far.
It's still snowing but nothing hard, we've probably received four inches in the driveway so far.
Maybe we will see some down here this week, probably confined to the grassy areas but it’s a start 👍🏼
I heard Tuesday here in CT. There's 2 'models' as the meteorologists refer to them. One favors rain/snow, the European model says snow.
Forecast is saying chance of snow next week here, so I finally got my snowblower prepped for winter, and stacked 6 wheelbarrows full of wood in the shop, then left a filled one by the stack.
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The last stack lasted about 14 days of burning, hopefully this is a bit more.
The last stack lasted about 14 days of burning, hopefully this is a bit more.
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Gonna have to dig my snowblower out too either tomorrow or Monday!
Yea, I’m not sure I believe the weather prediction… but it’s almost December, so no time like the present!
It looks like colder weather is moving in early this year in our area, it would be nice if we had more snow on the ground. Usually the last week of December we get the temps that are coming at us.
Burnin Since 1991
Minister of Fire
Got my CHonda generator finished today. Fresh gas, new fuel lines, fuel filter, carburetor and spark plug. Also some fresh dinosaur juice in the crankcase. I got the snow blower ready last week. Still need to put away the lawnmower.
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