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New stove but no wood

Started by alan gage, October 30, 2019, 04:07:27 PM

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alan gage

Not really looking for advice, just rambling a little.

Have been heating solely with wood for about 12 years. Moved into a new house a couple years ago and put a big Englander 30 in the basement. It does pretty good but in the really cold weather it can't keep the upstairs warm enough (sleeping in long sleeves and socks). I also miss having a fire to watch in the living room (no TV) so I bought a little Jotul 602. It arrived last week and I installed it this past Sunday. It's an attractive little stove and burns like a  blast furnace. Very happy with it.

But since it was a last minute decision to add the little stove this year none of my seasoned firewood was cut short enough or split small enough, leaving me with no dry wood to feed it (currently feeding it wood scraps from the shop I'm building). I picked up a big load of elm this spring that had been standing dead for a long time with not a shred of bark left. I was hoping (but not holding my breath) that it would be dry enough to burn but of course it wasn't. Been a long time since I've tried to burn wet wood. Sure doesn't work very good.

I hate shortening firewood splits but will probably have to resort to it. Maybe use a chainsaw to cut a whole stack on a pallet at once. I can raid my sawmill slab pile too but it's heavy on softwoods right now and I'd prefer oak or ash.

Oh well, there are worse problems to have. Sure is nice to sit in the easy chair, sip tea and read a book in front of a wood stove again. No complaints from the dog or cat either.

Alan
Timberking B-16, a few chainsaws from small to large, and a Bobcat 873 Skidloader.

doc henderson

No advise here.  I have had a fire in the shop stove (Avalon) the past several mornings.  I am sure if you get cold enough you will find something to burn.  best regards.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

dave_dj1

I suppose that's not the worst problem to have? LOL  Do you have any hardwood dining room chairs? 
I would go the "cutting a pallet" route myself.
It's been so mild here I feel guilty for burning my OWB but in my defense it's new to me so I am using this warm spell to get the bugs out of it.

Don P

I know the feeling. My sweetwife fell in love with a little glass fronted stove in a shop window some years ago. Being a guy, I was good with the old warped homemade thing on the hearth that would take 2' wood. My power miterbox sat on the back porch all winter that year.

doc henderson

and remember, splitting with and axe or maul, warms you twice!   :D   
smiley_chop
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Gearbox

use your compound saw and chop the big wood in half . I have had to cut down to make bundles .
A bunch of chainsaws a BT6870 processer , TC 5 International track skidder and not near enough time

Nebraska

Quote from: Gearbox on October 30, 2019, 08:31:25 PM
use your compound saw and chop the big wood in half . I have had to cut down to make bundles .
You guys are probably better at cutting  odd shaped stuff than I am, but  I shuddered when i read this, ...(this could go in the I did something dumb thread but it's several years ago.)  One of the daughters needed cookies for prom table decorations, they had run out so no problem dad will run home quick and cut some on my compound miter saw. I had some firewood.  Hurrying dad managed to somehow pinch a crooked four inch  piece of ash. It managed to fly into the backside of my hand and bind the blade hard enough to wreck the guts of my saw.  I had enough extra cookies for them but my hand hurt and replacing my saw was more than her dress. No good deed goes un punished. 

Pine Ridge

My outdoor furnace will take 32" wood, woodsplitter will only split up to 24", so i cut mine 16", and my elderly neighbor that i cut his winters wood wants his 12", i almost feel like i need to take a calculator with me to the woods sometimes.
Husqvarna 550xp , 2- 372xp and a 288xp, Chevy 4x4 winch truck

Ivan49

Quote from: Pine Ridge on October 30, 2019, 10:57:09 PM
My outdoor furnace will take 32" wood, woodsplitter will only split up to 24", so i cut mine 16", and my elderly neighbor that i cut his winters wood wants his 12", i almost feel like i need to take a calculator with me to the woods sometimes.
My son and one of his friends came over last winter and cut some wood to fill my woodshed back up. They cut it all 12 to 13 inches long. I was a little disappointed about it but you know I liked it that way. Many pieces that I would usually split I could just pick up and burn like they were

doc henderson

I had my buddy and his son (also friends with my son) over and we split a bunch of wood.  Jim did a lot of splitting since it was fun, and I was busy with the skid loader and crane lifting the big chunks of mulberry up onto the table.  He kept splitting them in triangles and big chunks.  so I told him it is easier to re-split if you make rectangles the size of your fist on end, and it stacks more tight in the stove for overnight.  he said "sure, however you want it done". but still something made him want to make triangles.  :) 8) we did get a lot of wood split that has been in the log.  my new log cradle for splitting worked out well.  his son and mine also tried there hands at splitting with maul and did great!  



 



 



 

Zane is 6 foot 8 inches and counting.  his dad may, or may not be the one that adapted a keg as a still, and definitely brews beer.  ;) smiley_beertoast mulberry.

Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

hedgerow

Years ago when I sold wood most of my customers wanted 12-16 inch long wood and smaller splits. I ran two Lincoln stoves in my house and one in the shop.Seemed like I always was out in the timber in the coldest , deepest snow part of the winter trying to cut some dead wood to keep myself warm as I had sold all my good fire wood. Don't miss selling wood. Now days if the guys helping me make it a little to long or short or the splits are a little small or big the Garn doesn't care and I keep my mouth shut as I am glad to get the help. As I tell them no one gets fired on these jobs. 

alan gage

I've gone the chop saw route before. I thought it was pretty boring work but apparently Nebraska found a way to spice things up. I've had a couple pieces bind and catch but thankfully no damage to man or machine.

Biggest problem I have with cutting down my already dried splits is what length to cut them? The new stove maxes out at sixteen inches. Fourteen inches would be about perfect. My current splits are around 19". If I cut them in half I end up with 9" splits which will leave a lot of empty space in the little stove. If I cut them to 14" I end up with a bunch of left over 4-5" chunks that will be a pain to pick up, store, and carry, but they would pack into the stove nicely. I suppose that's probably the route I should take. I've got a 42" bar for my 660 and the splits are already stacked on a pallet. Should be pretty quick work, at least if everything goes like it's supposed to, which it always does, right?

Oh, and then after cutting them to length I'll need to re-split them all at least twice. I got spoiled by the big monster that gobbles up big splits and forgot how much more work it is to process wood for a small stove.

Been running the little stove on construction scraps whenever I'm home (early morning and evenings). Highs have been around freezing and lows in the low/mid-20's. Scraps are quickly running out and it will be nice to burn some hardwoods. Those 1" thick spruce cutoffs don't last long.

Alan
Timberking B-16, a few chainsaws from small to large, and a Bobcat 873 Skidloader.

btulloh

Any standing dead trees around?  Some are just right and ready to burn pretty soon after splitting.

HM126

doc henderson

Is 14 inch the largest dimension?  My stove will take 22 inches wide and 16 inches front back.  I like most to be 16 inch so I can load front to back, and not get a stick half in and get in a bind with a fire going.  the little chunks can go in a plastic tote.  we put our regular wood in a tote.  It is heavy and hard to lift, but we carry it to the door and it slides easily on the stamped concrete floor to the side of the stove.  so the little chunks can go in a toe, and if behind the gun may help them dry faster.  if walking and walking in the forest and find a 4 inch branch and throw that in your truck and make it the length you want.  that is what we did when we first got out stove.  they make a manual kindling splitter the you load from the top and hit with a sledge.  my buddy made his own.  or could add a wedge to your splitter that makes small splits.  good luck, it sound like a nice problem to have. more than one stove to enjoy, and sounds like a happy wife!
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Al_Smith

When I sold firewood it was all 16" stuff .I had one lady who had this free standing "fire place " which looked like an upside down funnel with the flue out the top .It could only take about 12" stuff .No big deal I just cut through a face cord stack and made 8" stuff .It didn't take that long .

A-z farmer

I agree with Btulloh on the standing dead trees .
Around here on our farms we have lots of standing dead elm trees and as long as the bark is off the limbs are dry and hard.We also have a lot of standing dead cherry trees that are almost petrified and burn right away.my uncle lives in the old farm house with a cook stove from the 1950s and it only takes 14 inch max length wood .He retired last year and now has more time to burn wood and we never seem to get enough ahead for him .

alan gage

Today the weather finally forced me to get serious about wood for the little stove. I tried plan 'A' of running a chainsaw through a stacked pallet of wood to get my shorter pieces. With a 28" bar on the 660 it was almost embarrassingly quick easy. I don't think I'll bother to explore option 'B'.  

I had to run each piece through the splitter twice, and sometimes three times, to get it small enough. But it didn't take long at all for a couple wheel barrows full. That should hold me until this weekend when I can get serious about it with the skidloader. Stove is now humming along very nicely with ash and oak splits. A much longer and steadier burn than the 7/8" spruce scraps.

Alan
Timberking B-16, a few chainsaws from small to large, and a Bobcat 873 Skidloader.

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