Fire wood

[JohnT]

I love the fall, but winter is just around the corner.

Spent some time on Saturday splitting and stacking some fire wood. This is about 2/3 of what I go through during the winter...

Anybody else in the "gosh everything is stiff this morning" club????

 

[PierreR]

We are 20F this morning. I live in oil country. so all heating is natural gas. When I was young, we burned wood exclusively. Averaged 14 to 20 chords a winter. I miss the smell, not the work!

 

[cmason1957]

I certainly am. Took grandkids to the St. Louis Zoo yesterday. Pushed stroller up and down those hills for four hours, didn't see half of it. Then took grandkids for ice cream. Grandson loved it.

 

[cmason1957]

Forgot to add this picture.

 

[Steve_M]

Stacked my wood a few weeks ago and yes tough to move after that.
Steve

 

[montanaWineGuy]

I have 6 to 7 cords all split and stacked ready for winter. I'm serious about fire wood. I've 2 other stacks of rounds about 6 cords each. My cut wood stays out in the open 2 years before I consider it ready to burn. Stove pipe problems can make for a miserable winter or worse an out of control cabin destroying fire.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I have 6 to 7 cords all split and stacked ready for winter. I'm serious about fire wood. I've 2 other stacks of rounds about 6 cords each. My cut wood stays out in the open 2 years before I consider it ready to burn. Stove pipe problems can make for a miserable winter or worse an out of control cabin destroying fire.

What type of stove are you using ?

I actually made a fireplace insert that will heat up the entire house using a 500 cfm blower - I got the designs from here because at the time they were not taking any orders because they were 2 years back logged -

http://mb-soft.com/juca/indexf.html

 

[tmmii]

The time and effort doesn't seem any cheaper than natural gas going through a furnace. Am I missing something?

 

[vacuumpumpman]

The time and effort doesn't seem any cheaper than natural gas going through a furnace. Am I missing something?

It is alot cheaper = yes more work than turning the thermostat on

I am also into survival groups - how to live off the grid if needed to. I hope never need those skills that I acquired as a Boy scout leader and other groups.

 

[JohnT]

The time and effort doesn't seem any cheaper than natural gas going through a furnace. Am I missing something?

Let me ask..

Does a natural gas furnace invoke images of champagne, a bear skin rug, or a scantily clad wife???????

So much for the furnace......

 

[Steve_M]

Hmm seems that could be dangerous?

Steve

 

[montanaWineGuy]

The time and effort doesn't seem any cheaper than natural gas going through a furnace. Am I missing something?

Wood is free around here, w/ $20 permit. I try and cut only fir and tamarack, such that it drops on the road. And I only cut 20" or larger so I can roll the rounds. When it's been out in the summer sun for 2 years, it is easy to split with an axe. Yeah, it's still a lot of work, but it's a gym membership for free.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

What type of stove are you using ?

It's a Hearthstone. Very efficient. Rarely is any visible smoke leaving the stove pipe. A clean and complete burn, such that I rarely have to push a brush thru the stove pipe.

 

[tmmii]

Let me ask..

Does a natural gas furnace invoke images of champagne, a bear skin rug, or a scantily clad wife???????

So much for the furnace......

Wife?

The random tinder girls haven't brought up the furnace issue yet. [emoji23]

 

[bkisel]

My home in CT had a classic brick fireplace in which I first burned wood for ambiance. Several years after living in the house I added a wood burning stove onto the hearth, used the flu for exhaust, and burnt wood to supplement heat from my oil fired furnace. In year 2K wife decided the wood burning stove was ugly and went to propane gas logs in the fireplace for backup heat and ambiance on a wintry Friday or Saturday night.

Our new home in PA has one of those zero clearance built in blower type fireplace that is good for burning wood or setting up with a gas log set. Just several weeks ago, for the first time in my life, I bought a face cord of firewood. We lit our first fire last Friday or Saturday night. Enjoyed the flickering flames and occasional crackle noise coming from the fireplace. Liked the efficiency of this fireplace what with its shrouded fire box providing extra heat (even more with the blower turned on), feeding with outside combustion air and having a glass door front. A gas log fireplace kit might be in our future but for now the new fireplace is being broken in/cured with firewood.

PS. Ready for next fire. Maybe tonight or tomorrow night?