Fall firewood preparation

Someplace just to show that reel collectors do have a life
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Mike N
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Fall firewood preparation

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Mike N.
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Reeltyme

Re: Fall firewood preparation

Post by Reeltyme »

Ahh Mike, How I remember those days! Cut trees in the spring so the wood will season by fall, cut it up and split it, stack it into face cords, carry it into the house and stack it next to the wood burner, stoke the fire and add the wood all fall and winter (and into early spring) clean the ashes out every so often. Let them cool and carry them out of the house, might as well grab an arm load of wood on the way back in. Man do I miss that??? :loco: I have to admit, a wood fire does feel great on a cool fall day! But I’ll take our retirement home here in Florida! Stay warm!
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Randy McConnell
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reelsmith.
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

Post by reelsmith. »

I used to really enjoy splitting logs.

But, my back no longer allows that.

Nice job Mike.

I like that rock wall !

Dean.
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Mike N
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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I’m thinking of patenting* the masonry brick tarp hold-downs. They’re an efficient way to keep tarps in place despite high winds and are easily removable even with a snow load when you need some firewood.

Mike N

*that’s a bit of wv hillbilly humor
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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Mike, you could have hung some ugly reels off the tarp eyelets, just sayin. Kentucky engineering.
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Mike N
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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I could not split firewood in 2019 because of shoulder surgery, so I’m glad to update this old 2018 thread for 2020. Here are a few face cords of cherry I split this weekend from 150 lb. rounds my sons and nephew cut in the woods near the cabin from a big deadfall. Stored safely under the porch deck. Bring on winter...



Mike N.
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Midway Tommy D
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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I've never gotten into authentic wood burning stoves, furnaces or fire places. Way too much work for me for any funds supposedly saved. Being self employed most of my life I always figured I could work extra and then pay someone to bring the wood to me. I later realized that if I really wanted to provide the flame ambiance for my wife I could eliminate the back draft smoky smell inside the house with a gas log, or even better yet, a faux electric flame. :wink: Heck, I don't even care for fire pits or bonfires because they always make one stink like smoke, even if you're on the windward side. :roll:
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

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Mike N
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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Midway Tommy D wrote: Wed Oct 07, 2020 12:05 am I've never gotten into authentic wood burning stoves, furnaces or fire places. Way too much work for me for any funds supposedly saved. Being self employed most of my life I always figured I could work extra and then pay someone to bring the wood to me. I later realized that if I really wanted to provide the flame ambiance for my wife I could eliminate the back draft smoky smell inside the house with a gas log, or even better yet, a faux electric flame. :wink: Heck, I don't even care for fire pits or bonfires because they always make one stink like smoke, even if you're on the windward side. :roll:
Thanks for posting how much you hate firewood on my positive thread about firewood.
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Paul M
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

Post by Paul M »

I am looking at your firewood pile with envy wondering if there are any figured pieces of hardwood that could be turned into functional art on my lathe.
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Midway Tommy D
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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Mike N wrote: Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:46 am
Midway Tommy D wrote: Wed Oct 07, 2020 12:05 am I've never gotten into authentic wood burning stoves, furnaces or fire places. Way too much work for me for any funds supposedly saved. Being self employed most of my life I always figured I could work extra and then pay someone to bring the wood to me. I later realized that if I really wanted to provide the flame ambiance for my wife I could eliminate the back draft smoky smell inside the house with a gas log, or even better yet, a faux electric flame. :wink: Heck, I don't even care for fire pits or bonfires because they always make one stink like smoke, even if you're on the windward side. :roll:
Thanks for posting how much you hate firewood on my positive thread about firewood.
Not once is the the word "hate" used in my point of view, just exercising my freedom of thought & speech. :D

After spending over 50 years in the home building/remodeling industry, I do, though, cringe every time I see a picture of firewood stacked close to, or up against, a structure. :shock: You're in a pretty high termite infestation area there. The top four causes of termite infestation are moisture, wood, or wooden structures, that come in contact with soil, openings in a home’s/building's foundation, roof, or walls, and general geography. The facts are that firewood, lumber, cardboard boxes, newspapers, etc., around the outside of the home or building attract termites in infested areas. :(

Those two rounds, though, do look like great project blocks for Paul's new found pastime & hobby. :bow:
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

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Re: Fall firewood preparation

Post by john elder »

The heartwood in those cherry logs is likely fantastic fodder for turning or carving! Some of the best wood i ever worked has been from standing dead trees where the sapwood was rotten and protecting some treasures underneath! Way too much to ship to Canada but it might make some great material for one of your neat wood projects, Mike! There’s plenty already on the burn pile!
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

Post by RAM »

Deke (aka Elder) is right. Burning cherry heart wood makes me cringe a bit. Did a big owl out of such.
Great for carving. Alas, don’t carve anymore so go ahead and burn it.

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Mike N
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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john elder wrote: Wed Oct 07, 2020 3:21 pm The heartwood in those cherry logs is likely fantastic fodder for turning or carving! Some of the best wood i ever worked has been from standing dead trees where the sapwood was rotten and protecting some treasures underneath! Way too much to ship to Canada but it might make some great material for one of your neat wood projects, Mike! There’s plenty already on the burn pile!
Here’s some dead fall cherry that didn’t get put in the firebox:





This birch was cut about 100 yards from the cabin. The top is just finished plywood. The second photo is the finished product with birch bark banding covering the plywood edge.






The cabin coffee table is total salvage- a discarded cherry slab & the two table legs are a piece of cherry firewood I split in half.


This walnut bench is Now on the cabin porch.
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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Beautiful!,, I love it all!
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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Really nice!
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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Very nice.
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

Post by butch carey key west »

Mike when we lived in Alaska we felt very rich when we had full racks of fire wood. Since coming back to Florida many years ago we feel rich with a full cooler of Ice. AAH
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Re: Fall firewood preparation

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butch carey key west wrote: Thu Oct 29, 2020 9:54 am Mike when we lived in Alaska we felt very rich when we had full racks of fire wood. Since coming back to Florida many years ago we feel rich with a full cooler of Ice. AAH
Butch
The Keys are one of my favorite places on earth, Butch. But it was nice enjoying the fruits of all that wood splitting (while watching college football) on a bright but chilly Saturday afternoon.
Mike N.
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