Cool Firewood Splitting Tip - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

PaulC · #16 10-20-2008, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howitzer

I'd like to get in down to twice.

1. Carry gear to cutting site
2. Cut wood
3. Load wood
4. Unload wood
5. Split wood
6 Stack wood
7. Move stacked wood from seasoning area
8. Stack wood
9. Light fire

10. Clean out the fireplace

Chad300tdt · #17 10-20-2008, 05:43 PM

Speaking of cleaning out the fireplace ... does anyone know how much ash is too much for a compost heap or flower beds?

Chad300tdt · #18 10-20-2008, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howitzer

Now that the Ash Borer has taken out 1/3 of my woods I'm going to do some serious cutting I already cut almost everyday during the winter but I'm going to make some serious stacks with my new neck. The new plan is to drag logs out of the woods to my barn and cut and split in a more controlled environment with no rocks to dodge, ruts to get stuck in, raspberrys to get tangled in....all that in close proximity to the beer.

That sounds cool (not the bugs)... I wish I had a larger property with a barn. I have just under 2 acres and need to truck in most of my wood.

It's surprising how many people are willing to give free wood once they find out you use it though. Of course it's in the form of downed trees, but I have several sources waiting for me to rent a trailer to go and pick it up.

catmandoo62 · #19 10-20-2008, 08:08 PM

i own about 30 acres on a river,when i see a dead tree i mark it and then the next year after the bark falls off then i cut them down,they burn nice and long and don't crack and pop,and you don't have to deal with the bark.

TMAllison · #20 10-20-2008, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catmandoo62

i own about 30 acres on a river,when i see a dead tree i mark it and then the next year after the bark falls off then i cut them down,they burn nice and long and don't crack and pop,and you don't have to deal with the bark.

Its a lot easier in the Gold Country out West; the dead Oaks are the ones with no leaves.

Gpa's house has a 48" wide fireplace with a 30" grate. If Gpa can pick it up and carry it in it doesnt get split. At 76y/o he's slowing down a bit so the wood pile has dwindled to about 75' x 5' x +24" or so.

kip Foss · #21 10-21-2008, 06:00 PM

To warm yourself with only one piece of wood, carry it to the top of your house, and throw it to the ground. Repeat the above until warm.

You guys in the north have got it easy. You can split wood with a maul. Come to S. Tx. and I will introduce you to live oak. My dad had a cord wood business and nothing short of a 40 ton, 2 speed splitter would get through seasoned oak. If there was a knot in it you have to split it half way with a chain saw and then use the splitter.

Medmech · #22 10-22-2008, 04:35 PM

One more tip for efficient wood cutting, don't stop until you run out of gas, run the saw dry then do your chain work, bar tightening, oiling, drinking admiring your work yada yada. You would be amazed at how much more you will cut if you keep it cutting at full throttle.

kknudson · #23 10-22-2008, 04:57 PM

Howie, is that when the Chains saw runs out of gas, or I DO.

PS what if it's my electric one. I have a gas and a 'garbage picked' electric pole saw version. Why do people throw things like this out ? All it needed was a new chain. AND I am impressed with what this little 10" electric saw can do, along with the wife being able to use it.

Medmech · #24 10-22-2008, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kknudson

Howie, is that when the Chains saw runs out of gas, or I DO.

PS what if it's my electric one. I have a gas and a 'garbage picked' electric pole saw version. Why do people throw things like this out ? All it needed was a new chain. AND I am impressed with what this little 10" electric saw can do, along with the wife being able to use it.

My favorite saw is a 16in Stihl 012 (modified) it keeps up with saws up to 031, after that the bigger magnums make it look like a toy.

Fulcrum525 · #25 10-22-2008, 05:27 PM

The tire thing is certainly interesting, one word of advice though, don't miss and hit the tire or the axe could bounce.

Chad300tdt · #26 11-18-2008, 09:57 AM

Well I got around to making the chop block with my old tires.

I stacked two appropriate stumps I had and ringed them with two tires to keep them aligned. I slit the bottom edge of the "retaining ring" tire and nailed it to the top stump.

It works great. I have hit the tire a few times and the axe doesn't rebound like you'd think. The tire actually flexes and absorbs some of the axe blow.

I have it inside my woodshed right now which has made splitting kindling pretty nice.

retroguybilly · #27 11-18-2008, 11:00 AM

I have a bunch of oak rounds that are a bit wet, and are hard to split. I always cut a slot in their ends with my chainsaw and then put the wedge in the slot.

Check out those little, cheapie Poulan chainsaws sold by Walmart and KMart. They have a 5/16" chain rather than the 3/8" chain that the larger saws have. Man, they cut like a ba@#*d and they are really bulletproof.

SwampYankee · #28 11-18-2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chad300tdt

Well I got around to making the chop block with my old tires.

I stacked two appropriate stumps I had and ringed them with two tires to keep them aligned. I slit the bottom edge of the "retaining ring" tire and nailed it to the top stump.

It works great. I have hit the tire a few times and the axe doesn't rebound like you'd think. The tire actually flexes and absorbs some of the axe blow.

I have it inside my woodshed right now which has made splitting kindling pretty nice.

Damn Chad, you're hardcore! My future splitting just got a lot easier since my father's Honda powered 20 ton RamSplitter with 4-way splitting head just arrived via Yellow Freight. I've got 2.5 pallets (supposedly equivalent to 2.5 cords split) of BioBricks to try this winter that I got out of the manufacturer for distributor cost.

Of course, it's a moot point if I don't get that friggin' insert back together and installed.

Mistress · #29 11-18-2008, 05:22 PM

Hire someone....

SwampYankee · #30 11-19-2008, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mistress

Hire someone....

Our truck driver sells firewood on the side. Two years ago I was looking for some Christmas cash so I helped him with cutting and splitting (since his aformentioned adult children were useless). He had a customer who was an attorney who liked to play the rugged, outdoorsman-type on the weekends but didn't like the work part of it. I helped him cut to length and split a couple cords at the guys house. The pieces could not be over 12" long and no bigger around than a fist and stacked in his granite stone woodshed next to his back door. He charged the guy like $350 (it was double his standard split cord price) a cord but he was willing to pay it so he could stoke his woodstove when he had friends over.