Work Done In 2026

[BKVP]

I picked up a 1 Y/O BK princess back at the end of winter. Slowly been working on the basement install. Hearth is done, next will be to punch the pipe through the wall and up the side of the house. It will be getting a wood chase to conceal and help keep the flue temp warm. The new chase will tie into an existing wooden chase that currently only penetrates the roof (it serves the BK King’s flue pipe). The portion from the roof up will be stone veneer and the chase up the side of the house to the soffit will be cedar shake. Busy end of summer/fall for me. Also for the first time it will be a nice warm 100% wood heat winter!

Please make certain to get as much vertical rise prior to going horizontal and use (2) 45's of black double wall pipe.

Read the manual carefully with regard to recommendations.

Otherwise, good progress!

BKVP

 

[Dieselhead]

Please make certain to get as much vertical rise prior to going horizontal and use (2) 45's of black double wall pipe.

Read the manual carefully with regard to recommendations.

Otherwise, good progress!

BKVP

Thank you. I have almost 3’ vertical and have 2 45s, all in double wall. Once it goes outside I have plenty more vertical that’s for sure… 🤣😳

 

[Turbo89]

I got a chance to buck up some of that oak today, 2 hidden nails, 3 tanks of fuel later and I made a dent in the pile. I also moved a bunch of splits out by my splitter, then split and stacked about a cord of mixed maple, ash and oak rounds using the splitter.

Probably another day’s work to finish bucking and noodling this big oak.

 

[Dieselhead]

I got a chance to buck up some of that oak today, 2 hidden nails, 3 tanks of fuel later and I made a dent in the pile. I also moved a bunch of splits out by my splitter, then split and stacked about a cord of mixed maple, ash and oak rounds using the splitter.

Probably another day’s work to finish bucking and noodling this big oak.

View attachment 348918

The black stain of chain death I see in one of those rounds. Always a tell tale on oak metal is close by.

 

[Turbo89]

The black stain of chain death I see in one of those rounds. Always a tell tale on oak metal is close by.

Yea, I saw the marks but they were all the way through the log, so I just took it slow when I got close. I actually grabbed it noodling twice, but it was a light tap that I was able to file out quick. Hopefully no more surprises…. But there’s some big pieces left to noodle.

 

[BKVP]

New house, new shop, new King 40!

 

[Dieselhead]

New house, new shop, new King 40!

Looking sharp! What pedestal is that? Is it new? It does not look like the ultra..

 

[BKVP]

It's the Classic base w/o holes in front. We did away with holes 3 years ago.. we used 5 holes in King's and 4 holes in Princess models for 46 years, but consumer input was "get rid of the holes". We also increased height 1" and went 2" wider.

BKVP

 

[Murray01]

New house, new shop, new King 40!

I wish I had of gotten the nickel or brass door on our Princess, really makes the stove standout.

 

[BKVP]

I wish I had of gotten the nickel or brass door on our Princess, really makes the stove standout.

Conversely, a black framed door doesn't "steal" the look of the flames when burning on medium high and high burns.

BKVP

 

[stoveliker]

But the Ni frames the flames well ;-)

 

[BKVP]

All our gold and nickel doors are plated nickel first. Then for the satin doors, the bright nickel is fed thru scarafier to give brushed look. Gold doors have gold plated over the nickel and polished. The nickel keeps gold from blueing.

BKVP

 

[Turbo89]

Got a few hrs this afternoon, so I did my oil change, then put 4 tanks of gas through the big saw in the big pile, noodling and bucking. After that I split and stacked a big pile of ash that was blocking my log splitter, so I can roll it out to this massive oak pile.

 

[djlew]

It's been pretty tough for me using my 8lb Fiskars maul to get some of my larger rounds chopped up. I see some folks have better luck with a bit more agility using the 6lb. Regardless, I bit the bullet and got 2 Estwing E5 wedges that will hopefully help me a bit better in getting these larger rounds split. My wood shed is a total mess right now and the most effective thing to clean it up is getting the rounds split of course!

Not outside work, but I also got some of my gaskets on my Jotul 602 replaced so I should be in good shape this season and hopefully burn a bit more efficiently so the stove isn't eating up wood.

 

[stoveliker]

Don't try to get big rounds in half. Just start splitting off splits or slabs from the side first.

I do all my wood with the very light x-27 splitting axe (not at all a maul) by starting from the sides if I have to.

 

[djlew]

I've had more success going at the edges for sure, I even saw some techniques where you introduce a wrist flick to kind of pry it off. It works pretty well, but I usually still end up getting to an uncomfortable part of the round!

 

[NickW]

Bobcat is functional; OH door, all electric, and garage door opener is all done in the pole shed...

Tomorrow is a dump run, some errands, miscellaneous chore day and evening debris burn. Will start the pole shed loft Thursday. One of these weeks I'll move firewood into the new storage bins in the garage, css the pine and oak from July, and get rolling on cleaning up more of the June '24 storm downed tree's.

🙄

 

[Turbo89]

I got a little time after work to finish my chinesium F380W (72cc Stihl 038 magnum clone) base gasket delete, port and polish then tested /tuned it on the remaining big oak.

This thing is a beast now; it’s pulling a 25” bar at 11,500+ rpm in big oak while I lean on it. I cut some slabs off the 32” round i have left in about 30 seconds per cut. I wish I had done this sooner.

 

[weee123]

Ran the splitter some and made a nice pile of red oak. Have to knock down a small cherry and big dead oak before I can stack more since the way I have to fall them will be into my new stacks.

 

[djlew]

Looks great @weee123!

Despite the potential for some storms, I am hoping I get a window this weekend to try out these Estwing 5lb wedges. Really eager to see how they do. Then I'll probably fire up the handy cheap Harbor Freight splitter and go to town. I know this is Work Done, but Work "To Be" Done is inspiring as well.

 

[NickW]

Pole shed loft/mezzanine is done. 9x24 storage space will get a bunch of stuff out of the way 😃.

 

[Turbo89]

Pole shed loft/mezzanine is done. 9x24 storage space will get a bunch of stuff out of the way 😃.
View attachment 349099

I put one in my shop a few years ago, great addition! I lined the walls below it with workbenches and then put a storage room under the stairs, and shoved my air compressor in it.

 

[weee123]

Lookin

Pole shed loft/mezzanine is done. 9x24 storage space will get a bunch of stuff out of the way 😃.
View attachment 349099

Lookin real good!