Author Topic: Woke up with wood  (Read 19965 times)

Offline Conrad

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Woke up with wood
« on: November 21, 2014, 06:57:43 AM »
Firewood that is and it needs to be split!

I've been slitting wood (by hand) to help heat my house for years and the other day a friend gave me a tip to make the job easier.

Stack the wood around your chopping block as in the pic below. That way when you're chopping the pieces don't go flying all over the place and it's easier to keep up a rhythm. Maybe some of you old hands know about this but I didn't. I wish that I had thought of it myself years ago.

[smg id=660]

 :)
ZZ Top- Woke Up With Wood (Lyrics)
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Offline Nosmo

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2014, 07:06:58 AM »
Yep.

pics below

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Offline Conrad

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2014, 07:17:58 AM »
Nice wood ya got there Nosmo!    ;)
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Offline gPink

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2014, 07:22:01 AM »
tough work

Offline connie_rider

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2014, 07:28:00 AM »
I usta wake up with wood.... but not as often anymore...
(Had forgot that old ZZ Top Song)

I had never thought of placing logs around the chopping block either.
We just worked ourselves to death, not knowing proper way to chop wood...
Eventually, I built a hydraulic log splitter...
"Amazing"..

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Offline MrPepsi

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2014, 09:13:38 AM »
Sadly, we can rarely burn wood in San Francisco.
Not that our stupid fireplace is efficient at all.
I miss our wood stove from Oregon. :(
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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2014, 10:13:31 AM »
A really slick method is to mount (Easy Boys!) a tire to the top of the chopping block. Put enough pieces of wood in the tire so they support each other and have at it. Nothing leaves the tire and nothing falls over either- you can split the same piece multiple times.

Brian

Firewood that is and it needs to be split!

I've been slitting wood (by hand) to help heat my house for years and the other day a friend gave me a tip to make the job easier.

Stack the wood around your chopping block as in the pic below. That way when you're chopping the pieces don't go flying all over the place and it's easier to keep up a rhythm. Maybe some of you old hands know about this but I didn't. I wish that I had thought of it myself years ago.

[smg id=660]

 :)
ZZ Top- Woke Up With Wood (Lyrics)
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

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Offline MrPepsi

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #7 on: November 21, 2014, 10:30:59 AM »
Yes there's a You Tube video of that isn't there?
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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #8 on: November 21, 2014, 05:12:02 PM »
Yes. And I think there is a You Tube video of just about everything that has happened on this planet in the last 10 years now. Which is a pretty scary thing IMO. :-)

Brian

Yes there's a You Tube video of that isn't there?
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Offline BMahar

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #9 on: November 21, 2014, 05:21:13 PM »
  I'm still able to use my Wood Stove here in the Sierra Foothills, but who knows for how long.
  I used to use an axe to split the wood but now I have a 27 ton Honda Powered splitter. It's such a wonderful machine !!!
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Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #10 on: November 21, 2014, 06:26:34 PM »
C, you have time to split wood eh?  Got the clutch bled yet?
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Offline Conrad

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2014, 06:50:49 AM »
A really slick method is to mount (Easy Boys!) a tire to the top of the chopping block. Put enough pieces of wood in the tire so they support each other and have at it. Nothing leaves the tire and nothing falls over either- you can split the same piece multiple times.

Brian

Good idea on the tire, Brian. I'll give that a try next time I'm choppin.

I got pretty good at splitting wood with my method above. I had several logs that were larger in diameter than my chopping block in the pic above. Once I hosted those bad boys onto my block I started splitting them starting close to the edges, 'pealing' the outer layers off first. I was in the zone and I must have looked like a Samurai Lumberjack because the large logs stayed put on the block and I just repositioned my feet and continued splitting. I was able to take care of these large logs without even having to break my rhythm.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2014, 06:33:31 AM by Conrad »
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Offline Conrad

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2014, 06:52:34 AM »
  I'm still able to use my Wood Stove here in the Sierra Foothills, but who knows for how long.
  I used to use an axe to split the wood but now I have a 27 ton Honda Powered splitter. It's such a wonderful machine !!!

No doubt a hydraulic splitter makes the job WAY easier but doing it by hand is a great workout.  :thumbs:
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Offline Conrad

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2014, 06:54:18 AM »
C, you have time to split wood eh?  Got the clutch bled yet?

Nope, not yet. I just got my mityvac yesterday and since my bike won't be going anywhere soon (freezing rain today in the forecast) if I get it done in the next couple of days that will be good.
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Offline twowheeladdict

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2014, 01:24:40 PM »
tough work

 8)  I went from two wood burning fireplaces, to converting the one in the formal (wife's) living room to gas.  Our current house has an electronically controlled gas fireplace, with thermostat in the remote.  Easy and no smoke.
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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #15 on: November 22, 2014, 01:48:03 PM »
Hey, not my idea- I saw a video about it and 'saw the goodness' of someone else's idea. :-)  Just passing it along.

Getting, working (bucking, cutting, splitting, stacking and general hauling) firewood is great exercise and it is something a person gets better at with time. Unfortunately where I live, there is no public access to firewood cutting as there is in most states and I do not have any access to significant private woodland. So I buy my wood cut and split; going price is about $180 / $200 cord and I have been burning about 4 cord / year. But now I gots  a new- fangled hybrid woodstove and am finding that not only does it wring more BTU's from a pound of wood but it burns cleaner than I thought possible. Of course I have made a few mods. and fitted a farkle or two so far....  ;D

Brian

Good idea on the tire, Brian. I'll give that a try next time I'm choppin.

I got pretty good at splitting wood with my method above. I had several logs that were larger in diameter than my chopping block in the pic above. Once I hosted those bad boys onto my block I started splitting them starting close to the edges, 'pealing' the outer layers off first. I was in the zone and I must have looked like a Samurai Lumberjack because the large logs stayed put on the block and I just repositioned my feet and continued slitting. I was able to take care of these large logs without even having to break my rhythm.
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

KiPass keeping you up at night? Fuel gauge warning burning your retinas? Get unlimited peace and harmony here: www.incontrolne.com

Offline Nosmo

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #16 on: November 23, 2014, 08:55:45 PM »
A life undreamed is a waste.  A dream unlived is a sin.

Offline Nosmo

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #17 on: November 23, 2014, 09:10:43 PM »
Nice wood ya got there Nosmo!    ;)

Thanks.  Here's how it started.  Big-ass maple, I had the pros drop it and then went to work.  I love my Stihls.

pics below

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Offline Conrad

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #18 on: November 24, 2014, 04:34:19 AM »
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Offline Conrad

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Re: Woke up with wood
« Reply #19 on: February 05, 2015, 08:33:48 AM »
Hey Brian!

Question for you. My woodstove is due for a new catalytic combustor. I see that since the last time I replaced mine that there are two options, steel or ceramic. They claim that steel is more efficient, more durable, and light's off at a lower temp (100 degrees lower). The price difference is ~$70. What's your recommendation?

TIA
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