I love to collect wood for winter burning.
Anyone else?
Seems like a lot of work I suppose,
but man, stacking against the winter is good pastime!
I guess most of youns live in climates where it never gets cold… :
Here is what I have so far:
Some oak (hardwoods are a rarity in these parts), some ancient juniper, spruce (my mainstay) and a little fir.
Nothing like splitting wood to get a thirst on.
Cheers.
I still have a lot left from last year when I really got after it. To me, it’s one of those things I dread until I actually get after it. Then it’s kind of fun.
I’m always amazed at how people can stack wood freestanding, with no walls or braces of any kind. I tried and tried but finally game up and only stack bags of wood pellets now.
You have to alternate the direction of the wood with each new layer. Even then, it will fall sometimes.
man, that stack reminds me of when I was a little kid and my old man was still here - he’d split, I’d stack, during the afternoons in August. Odd how a sight like that brings you back.
pinnah - I’d bet sitting in front of the fire looking out the window at some of the views you have is nothing short of heavenly.
Dude, it gets all the way down in the 50’s here!
Ah, I wish I had a fire place for the winter time. I’d love to be drinking some nice ale while watching it snow storm outside. I actually like winter. Not a big fan of below zero, but most weather down to it as long as it’s not super windy. Snow is just fun, plain and simple. Even more fun to ride a bike in.
We have a tiny bit of wood stored for the fire pit, it’s just for summertime evenings with drinks and marshmallows. The rest of the wood I have is for smoking, cherry, apple, madrona and the like.
Also, I joke, but I do love my old school tile fireplace (Clay Craft - 1925).
For me and wood, I can’t store that much, don’t have that much near me, but I have two firewood lots near me, so they get to store and season it.
I’ve got about a cord and a half left from last year, since it didn’t get real cold. We’ve got a small house and a big woodstove. If you fire it up when the temp is above about 35F, you need to open every window in the house.
I thought that was a pretty rude question, until I read your post. :o
Lots of fireplaces here. At sea level it gets down to the mid 50s at worst. On the tops of the Maunas (Loa and Kea) there is often snow from October through April. Sub zero weather up there is not uncommon in winter. My house is about 38 miles from the summits of both.
Most people who live at elevation 1500’ or higher have fireplaces. It’s too expensive to heat your home any other way here. On this side of the island we burn mostly ohia wood. On the dry side of the island they burn mostly kiawe wood (Hawaiian mesquite). Both smell really good when burned. My house is at 375 ft. but we are planning on building a fireplace in the future. We have an outdoor fireplace that is lit a lot.no matter what time of the year it is.
:), me too. I think that is the reason I like it so much.
Ya, that is one ugly stack job, and a bit of an embarrassment.
Mostly due to all the variety, and that juniper is not made to stack,
but is sure puts on a glorious aromatherapy burn.
Splitting is good work. Although I just did this with that crappy axe I had:
Funny…see the only decipherable words on the handle? Um Yea.
I have been dreaming of one of THESE BEAUTIES,
but man…$200 smackas for an axe?
Whoee Tom, I used to be able to burn madrone and a little manzanita…some cypress later on. You guys have wood man.
I almost posted got wood for wood? Just for you. ;D
Late last Fall. There’s another stack behind this one. Splitting wood on a cool Fall day is quite therapeutic IMO. As you can see my brewing assistant likes to ride in the wheelbarrow… Cheers!!!
what was even more funny, when I clicked “unread posts” a minute or so ago, the first three thread titles were:
“Got wood?”
followed by
“Jerky”
followed by
“When to add lactose?”
not kidding. should have done a print screen had I thought of it,
back to your regularly scheduled thread…
Well, I am the ECOPUNK…I burn shudder Coal . Here is why,
BFEwhyomin has a huge abundance of this fuel. It is about $60 per ton at the tipple.
Time I get it home factor in another $20.00 a ton…total $80 a ton from the mine to the
stove. I do not have to seek deadfall in the forest and then cut it and remove chunks
to the truck, then split it , then stack it, then carry it into the house to burn.
All I do is shovel it on the truck, shovel it off the truck in a pile, bring a wheelbarrow
at at time into the garage as needed.
Then on the burn end, I just add to the previous embers (which last 2-3 DAYS) shake
the ashes out the bottom of the stove and dump em then go on about my buziness.
Lot less handling than wood and a lot more heat value per ton.
You’re not alone. The previous owner of my house left a coal fired stove in the basement to heat that area of the house. They also installed electric baseboard (the basement is finished). I spend about $230 for a ton of Anthracite coal to heat the basement for the winter. The alternative is to spend about 800 on electricity to keep it toasty down there. I’ve gotten used to the thought of burning coal and I have to say, it provides amazingly comfortable heat.
Edit - Blah, just checked current pricing and the coal is up to 275/ton. Demand must be up!
The trickis to start with a alternating direction column at each end, separate out the half logs for this purpose and build a couple of big Jenga towers with that then go at it with the less regular chunks in between.
(grew up in Vermont with wood as primary heat source, stacked ALOT of wood as a teenager. All teenager/wood jokes implied)
Me too ( grew up in VT that is - Windsor ). We never had wood as a heat source though, which explains my inexperience.
I still have about a cord +/- leftover from last year. I burn it in a firepit behind my property from time to time.
I also have a gas fireplace indoors that really warms up the first floor of the house.
Cool. I was up in Starksboro/bristol/burlington coridor
