Good info to know, we always had the wood pile away when my dad did it but I hadn't thought of that. Course when I was young we were in northern BC so probably not an issue there since it was a winter thing. No burning in my current place but good knowledge if I ever get a fireplace, since I'm in somewhat warmer areas now. Probably shouldn't chop any myself give my coordination either.
I live in the southeast US and termites are a bitch, they were always in our firewood when I was growing up, and I'm sure they're worse now because our winters are now so mild
My father built our first house on an acreage in 1984. He chose to put in a wood furnace because we were surrounded by trees. One of my strongest memories is being in the basement stacking wood as he passed it down through a hatch he built into the wall of the garage.
What good does that do? The water would refreeze instantly, and then all the driveway would be good for is running a Zamboni on it, as it would become slippery to death.
tbh, as kids/teens, we never could figure out why folks did it, as they also usually had nice lawns, gardens, and veggies, etc. so they had ample time with the hose.
But as I water my gardens nowadays, I understand better the cathartic and therapeutic effects.
So we had crews going by making a new path for a power line through the bush, and there's acres of bucked up poplar in piles. I might head out tomorrow with a tractor and fill a few buckets.
Love me some poplar for the woodstove, that stuff burns hot if it's dry but not old.
I have no idea what kind of axe I have, but it's very old, quite heavy, and the blade is straight and 2 inches max. It's not easy to deal blows accurately with such a small head, and when it bounces off knotty wood, it tends to be seriously scary. But there's nothing better to split whole trunk logs.
The axe was in the house when I bought it. I always thought I should get a lighter one with a larger curved blade and a little less lively, but laziness got the better of me, and now I'm used to that one. It's just a matter of concentrating when I'm using it.
Yeah, the bounce is scary. Def. a steel toed boots kind of job.
A, reasonably sharp, maul usually doesn't bounce, as long as it hits square... but, if the angle is off and the head rotates instead of chops, it can give your arm a bit of a yank.
I had to do it the old fashioned way until I graduated college. :x Now, I'm old and lazy (and it's also Florida weather, so wood is more of a cooking ingredient than a source of heat) so I just borrow a hydraulic splitter for an afternoon once a year.
Yeah, the bounce is scary. Def. a steel toed boots kind of job.
Way ahead of you here: I have no toes 🙂
Actually I would wear steel toed boots if I could, but I can't because the edge of the steel cup quickly starts digging into my funny bits: the front of all my full-size shoes very quickly collapses when I start wearing them and the crease it creates - or the steel thing in safety shoes - becomes unpleasant, if not painful.
So I wear plain old boots. But I do have a large axe gash in front of one of them, and I'm sure glad there was nothing underneath to go spend hours at the ER for.
I lost them to a congenital disease. It's very boring. My only claim to fame is that, unlike most people who get their feet shortened, it wasn't diabetes 🙂
I think that particular piece of medical wisdom comes from the fact that most people who lose toes - big or small - get there because of diabetes, meaning they're sedentary, often overweight, and have diminished feeling in their feet.
I didn't have that problem: my feet were - mechanically anyway - fully functional, and I'm quite active. so I had little trouble adapting to no toes. After two month, life was mostly back to normal.
I do have a few balance issues - mostly leaning forward in certain situations: if I'm not careful, I will plant my face. And the weirdest side effect for me is that my feet are less stable left to right: it feels like walking on a log lengthwise all the time. That was totally unexpected.
I dont know. Whilst David Axelrod was an effective political analyst during Obama's term, I just cant help but feel that Darth Maul would have simply thrown the senate at him
Just heating - and as a supplemental source of heat too: the main heating system is geothermal. But this is an old house with a fiendishly efficient stove. So I burn a few logs in there every day and it keeps the entire house nice and warm without the heat pump doing much.
60 replies
Nice job! Friendly advice:
Stack the ends like this:
It will prevent a collapse (logs roll away to the left and/or right)
Ooh that's a good idea, that. I'll do that for the next batch. Thanks!
And probably shouldn't stack it next to a building. Or are termites not a thing there?
Termites don't tolerate the snow. Below 25F(-4C) they die quickly. In areas with a month or two of freezing temps they don't survive.
That being said with global warming they are steadily moving further north and south latitudes.
Good info to know, we always had the wood pile away when my dad did it but I hadn't thought of that. Course when I was young we were in northern BC so probably not an issue there since it was a winter thing. No burning in my current place but good knowledge if I ever get a fireplace, since I'm in somewhat warmer areas now. Probably shouldn't chop any myself give my coordination either.
I live in the southeast US and termites are a bitch, they were always in our firewood when I was growing up, and I'm sure they're worse now because our winters are now so mild
No termites. And in fact, I have 1.5 cords in a wooden shed behind the cottage, and maybe half a cord in the wooden garage 🙂
Ahh the Jenga method.
Man this brings back memories, I used to stack my father's firewood like that when I was a kid
More wood to chop tomorrow...
Familiar sight. Got some trees left to cut down, some to cut to logs and lots of logs to split. Also got a inguinal hernia waiting to be treated.
Ohhhhh boy.. Been there and totally know that job. So far, the work you've done is glorious.
Picture with a billion woods. Nice.
My father built our first house on an acreage in 1984. He chose to put in a wood furnace because we were surrounded by trees. One of my strongest memories is being in the basement stacking wood as he passed it down through a hatch he built into the wall of the garage.
"some"
That is a lot. My back hurts just looking at all of that.
Did you carry water as well?
One of my most grounding phrases
Captain America is apparently a member of this community
Don't take from his pile
Please rest your back and dont do hard work for a while.
To see if i still feel
I couldn't stack it all away
That unforgiving chill
I always have a blast chopping wood
Nothing like chopping wood to clear your head. Well, maybe shifting snow with a snow shovel...
Back in the day, when water wasn't metered, folk would sit on a lawn chair in their garage, and water the concrete driveways. Good times!
What good does that do? The water would refreeze instantly, and then all the driveway would be good for is running a Zamboni on it, as it would become slippery to death.
Yes!
So was it to create a private skating rink? 🙂
tbh, as kids/teens, we never could figure out why folks did it, as they also usually had nice lawns, gardens, and veggies, etc. so they had ample time with the hose.
But as I water my gardens nowadays, I understand better the cathartic and therapeutic effects.
So we had crews going by making a new path for a power line through the bush, and there's acres of bucked up poplar in piles. I might head out tomorrow with a tractor and fill a few buckets.
Love me some poplar for the woodstove, that stuff burns hot if it's dry but not old.
Axe or Maul?
Neither actually 🙂
I have no idea what kind of axe I have, but it's very old, quite heavy, and the blade is straight and 2 inches max. It's not easy to deal blows accurately with such a small head, and when it bounces off knotty wood, it tends to be seriously scary. But there's nothing better to split whole trunk logs.
The axe was in the house when I bought it. I always thought I should get a lighter one with a larger curved blade and a little less lively, but laziness got the better of me, and now I'm used to that one. It's just a matter of concentrating when I'm using it.
Yeah, the bounce is scary. Def. a steel toed boots kind of job.
A, reasonably sharp, maul usually doesn't bounce, as long as it hits square... but, if the angle is off and the head rotates instead of chops, it can give your arm a bit of a yank.
I had to do it the old fashioned way until I graduated college. :x Now, I'm old and lazy (and it's also Florida weather, so wood is more of a cooking ingredient than a source of heat) so I just borrow a hydraulic splitter for an afternoon once a year.
Way ahead of you here: I have no toes 🙂
Actually I would wear steel toed boots if I could, but I can't because the edge of the steel cup quickly starts digging into my funny bits: the front of all my full-size shoes very quickly collapses when I start wearing them and the crease it creates - or the steel thing in safety shoes - becomes unpleasant, if not painful.
So I wear plain old boots. But I do have a large axe gash in front of one of them, and I'm sure glad there was nothing underneath to go spend hours at the ER for.
I can't tell if you were kidding about the not having toes thing
Not kidding 🙂
If you're okay with sharing, what happened?
I lost them to a congenital disease. It's very boring. My only claim to fame is that, unlike most people who get their feet shortened, it wasn't diabetes 🙂
Bit off-topic (?) but Is it true that keeping your balance becomes harder without the big toe?
Everybody's circumstances are different.
I think that particular piece of medical wisdom comes from the fact that most people who lose toes - big or small - get there because of diabetes, meaning they're sedentary, often overweight, and have diminished feeling in their feet.
I didn't have that problem: my feet were - mechanically anyway - fully functional, and I'm quite active. so I had little trouble adapting to no toes. After two month, life was mostly back to normal.
I do have a few balance issues - mostly leaning forward in certain situations: if I'm not careful, I will plant my face. And the weirdest side effect for me is that my feet are less stable left to right: it feels like walking on a log lengthwise all the time. That was totally unexpected.
I dont know. Whilst David Axelrod was an effective political analyst during Obama's term, I just cant help but feel that Darth Maul would have simply thrown the senate at him
The thumbnail looks like a beaver if you squint. So of course my brain went "wow, that beaver has internet in his lodge?"
What is that, about 2, 2.5 cord? Hard to tell from pic.
That would convert to 9 M3 .... It sure ain't that much.
My guess ..... 4 meter long shed made of 12cm boards, 40cm logs ...... I'd say just under 2 m3 (so 0,6 cord)
There was about 3 cords on the ground (7 trees) and I'm not half-way done. So maybe one. Probably less 🙂
Looks like way more than that, good work either way.
I thought you had to lay bark facing out.
I thought bark up. And logs in line with the dominant wind direction. But as long as you cover it and allow for ventilation it will dry.
I'm not doing any of that. I have enough dry wood to last me 2 years, so even if I do nothing, this lot will be dry by the time I need to use it.
I too have always 3..5 winters worth (one can hardly have too much) but I keep it covered and ventilated to avoid chances of rotting.
It's not perfect, so you have to do it again tomorrow. /s
Is this strictly for heating / cooking, or do you make use of it for other stuff?
Just heating - and as a supplemental source of heat too: the main heating system is geothermal. But this is an old house with a fiendishly efficient stove. So I burn a few logs in there every day and it keeps the entire house nice and warm without the heat pump doing much.
This is satisfying, I actually love chopping wood, I'm kind of jealous because it's been a long time since I've had to chop any
That's a lot of wood
Takes me back to doing this after school. God I'm glad I have an electric heater.