The Daily Firewood Picture Thread

[SwampDonkey]

I know how much touching was involved getting 10 cords each for two old farm houses and two potato sheds. That wood had to be handled into big wood sheds and basements or dumped/thrown into piles outside the doors of the potato sheds.

[stavebuyer]

I'm a bit of a math geek. There's 60 cords there.
Each cord takes about 10 logs or 120 blocks. That's 600 logs or 7200 blocks. I picked each one up at least once. So did my wife.
Assuming each block is split in 4, there are 28,800 splits there.  Each one has been stacked on the tractor bucket - once.

If you are keeping up, we are at 43,200 touches so far.
And every piece will get picked up and stacked on the loader bucket again to load the trailer before we deliver.

Total 72,000 touches to deliver 60 cords. And to think some people PAY for gym memberships????

With that volume I would recommend a conveyor to pile and load into dump truck or trailer with a grapple for your bucket. Even if you give away a little extra to compensate for exact measure the productivity and efficiency will more than make up the difference. Thats a lot of wear and tear on the joints!

[Big_eddy]

The boss aka wife aka splitter operator and I have talked about a conveyor many times. It is the logical next addition to our process. If the splits would magically disappear from the splitter and end up on the pile, her splitter throughput would at least triple. Right now she tosses a block in, splits it, then walks to the end and unloads the splits into the bucket. She spends much more time unloading and stacking than loading and splitting. But in her words, she "doesn't want to just stand there pulling the handle". She likes the variety and moving about. So we continue as is. We do like to clean up all the blocks at the end of each day, so once I'm done cutting and building the wall of blocks for the day,  I take over at the splitter exit and load the bucket. When we are both working the splitter, we can process a lot of wood fast.

Eventually I will find or build one. But first on the project list is a splitter build for my son. It will be similar to the Big_E Mk II splitter we are using, but with some improvements to address a couple of things that could be better.

[Nebraska]

Geez and I thought I accomplished something with 15 Chem totes and 4 face cords.  :

[Al_Smith]

Well it's not a mountain just a wood box I burn about 1 a day if it's 10 degrees ,less if it's in the 20's .Problem lately is that danged dead wind blown ash has moisture on the bottom

 

 from being on the ground and doesn't want to fire off real quick .A little help from a window fan takes care of that after a few hours . 

[stavebuyer]

The boss aka wife aka splitter operator and I have talked about a conveyor many times. It is the logical next addition to our process. If the splits would magically disappear from the splitter and end up on the pile, her splitter throughput would at least triple. Right now she tosses a block in, splits it, then walks to the end and unloads the splits into the bucket. She spends much more time unloading and stacking than loading and splitting. But in her words, she "doesn't want to just stand there pulling the handle". She likes the variety and moving about. So we continue as is. We do like to clean up all the blocks at the end of each day, so once I'm done cutting and building the wall of blocks for the day,  I take over at the splitter exit and load the bucket. When we are both working the splitter, we can process a lot of wood fast.

Eventually I will find or build one. But first on the project list is a splitter build for my son. It will be similar to the Big_E Gen 2 splitter we are using, but with some improvements to address a couple of things that could be better.

The key to gaining with the elevator is a push plate on the cylinder so the next round pushes the finished splits past the wedge and off the end. Keeping busy is accomplished with an autocycle valve instead of holding the handle. Be as busy as you want to be. Autocycle and elevator will keep the Big E hopping trying to keep rounds stocked for the Mrs to bust.
Nice operation you have built!

[doc henderson]

I am considering the auto cycle valve, but I like my set up as simple, neat and tidy.  I did not use it in the beginning with a 12 y/o son and his friend occ. helping out.

[paul case]

I made a short video yesterday from the seat of the skid steer about the lil tips I have learned about making firewood with a processor. I hope it is not illegal to put a video up on a picture thread!
Halverson HWP 120 Hacks - YouTube

PC

[Big_eddy]

Well we finished off the log pile and tidied up a bit today. All we have left to split now is about a cord of cherry I set aside. We have a smoker customer likes cherry and it's a lot easier to separate when it's in log/block form, than when it's mixed in the splits pile!

Our next load of logs is "late", but I have a couple of repairs / mods I'd like to make to the splitter, so I guess that's what will be on tomorrow's plan.

 

[jimbarry]

I'm a bit of a math geek. There's 60 cords there.
Each cord takes about 10 logs or 120 blocks. That's 600 logs or 7200 blocks. I picked each one up at least once. So did my wife.
Assuming each block is split in 4, there are 28,800 splits there.  Each one has been stacked on the tractor bucket - once.

If you are keeping up, we are at 43,200 touches so far.
And every piece will get picked up and stacked on the loader bucket again to load the trailer before we deliver.

Total 72,000 touches to deliver 60 cords. And to think some people PAY for gym memberships????

All you got left to figure out now is how many calories you burned.  

[jimbarry]

... I hope it is not illegal to put a video up on a picture thread!...

video = motion picture 
;) 

[mike_belben]

He burned ALL THE CALORIES!

[doc henderson]

cleaning up from the winter.  making the junk stuff I give away for non woodstove heat applications.  fire pit ect.  



 

my buddy Tim at the splitter/conveyor.  

I use some of the junk wood on the outside of the retort to make lump charcoal on the inside containing oak.  

[GRANITEstateMP]

chunked up some bigger wood today, that wasn't processor friendly.  Got a few more logs to do, then pre split with the skid steer, and once we get a good pile, we'll finish on the regular splitter

[thecfarm]

I just came in from sawing some wood that was almost 18 inches across.
Does take longer to saw up, but does add up fast.

[Wlmedley]

chunked up some bigger wood today, that wasn't processor friendly.  Got a few more logs to do, then pre split with the skid steer, and once we get a good pile, we'll finish on the regular splitter

What kind of wood are you splitting?

[Magicman]

 

 
OK Guys, here is what I started the Winter with.


 
And here is what I am down to now.  Two more fires and I will have to wheelbarrow a few more sticks up from the woodshed.  The forecast is for 29° Saturday, 25° Sunday, and 34° next Monday.  Yup, I had better grease da wheel and git ta rollin'.  :


 
It snowed out by da mailbox. 


 

[jb616]

I can tell you ain't from around here (Michigan)     2-4" today, but there's hope because the latest I ever seen it snow was the middle of May  say_what

[Magicman]

Well I bit da bullet and wheelbarrowed an entire load up.  Come on March Winter, I'm ready for ya. 

[cutterboy]

This morning I cut an ash tree down into the brush and vines and thorns. I had to cut my way through that mess to cut up the tree and take out the rounds. I knew this was going to be a lot of work, and it was, but I got a nice pile of firewood.


 

 

 

 
It started raining right after lunch so didn't get back to it but tomorrow looks good for cutting wood.

[GRANITEstateMP]

chunked up some bigger wood today, that wasn't processor friendly.  Got a few more logs to do, then pre split with the skid steer, and once we get a good pile, we'll finish on the regular splitter

What kind of wood are you splitting?

That pile was about 1/2 ash, and the rest was a mix of red oak, maple, a birch, and a beech or 2

[Wlmedley]

All the ash around here died a few years ago .I had about forgot what it looked like .

[beenthere]

This morning I cut an ash tree down into the brush and vines and thorns. I had to cut my way through that mess to cut up the tree and take out the rounds

Can you not pull that downed ash out of the brush and brambles with the MF ? Save diving in there with the saw to fight it and then hand carry out the firewood.

[cutterboy]

beenthere, I have to go through a field to get there and the ground is too soft for the tractor. If the ground dries out a little bit I can get my CubCadet with the dump trailer in there to haul the wood out.

[Al_Smith]

It's about over with .Fact I let the fire go out .If a cold snap comes again I'll light it back up .The ash around here are long gone but ash doesn't rot up like hickory on the ground it will still be good for several years .It's just a little tough on saw chains cutting on the ground and hard as a rock .You get a lot of chances to use the file to say the least .
It doesn't take long to fetch a trailer load and what needs to be split use a sledge and a wedge .However my little buddy, Stihl 024 is going to need a new chain and clutch drum ..325 chain is one size I don't have many loops plus clutch drums galore but none that size .Stihl for reasons unknown only list the rim drives as rim drives with no OEM numbers but they do with a sprocket drum .So it looks like a drive is in order to my friendly Stihl dealer to pony up some money .I think the flea bay sellers are putting out false information on what fits what and an 026 doesn't interchange with an 024 .Got a nice one of those that doesn't work .