Out cutting

[David Martin]

It was a nice day here and I went out and cut a load of alligator juniper. DM

If the log had no limb anchors I could split it with one hit using my Hults. If it had limb anchors I used the Council 6 lb.= 1 hit usually.

Some of these logs were 12" across. This wood is not hard to split with either ax. DM

 

[David Martin]

We got it home and stacked in the barn. Now, a question for you knowledgeable ax men... How long will it take this wood to cure enough before
I can use it? I cut it mostly on the 19th, then split, loaded, hauled and stacked it today. My wood barn has no leaks and not much ventilation. So, it will stay dry. My dog gave it a good inspection.Thanks, DM

 

[Square_peg]

Is it green now or was it standing dead wood?

A wood shed should allow as much airflow as possible while keeping the rain and snow off the wood. Skip-sheeting is a good way to do this. This is covering the walls and floors with 1x4's with every other row missing. It used to be common practice for roofs that would be covered with shakes. To contain smaller wood you can leave a 1x3 width gap between the 1x4's.

As I recall your woodshed is covered with sheet metal. Adding several louvers in the side opposite of where the weather comes from would be very helpful. The common conception is that wood needs to dry for at least a year. Western Washington is a wet place but we have dry summers. I've found that wood split small and stacked in a very open wood shed by the end of June will be ready to burn in November. If i put up wood in October it wouldn't be ready until the following August.

So how long it take for wood to be ready depends on your climate and your storage method. Also depends on the type of wood. Juniper is an aromatic wood. Generally these woods should be very dry before burning as burning them green can increase creosote buildup. I think you're in a generally dry climate so I'd be surprised if well-ventilated wood wasn't ready to burn in 6 months.

 

[David Martin]

Ok, thanks. It was green when I cut it. I may not need it this winter. Still it's good to have in reserve.
Air flow. No my barn does not have that feature, unless I prop the door open. DM

 

[thunderstick]

1 year here for curing unless its very cold in the winter and freeze dries wood that has 6 months of curing on it already.

 

[David Martin]

Ok, thanks. I was wondering what you gents thought.
I know it gets hot in there during the summer because rats leave and won't return until September. I suspect it's hard for them to breath in there. So, I usually don't start building a fire until late Oct. anyway. That gives me 9 months. Thanks, DM

 

[David Martin]

On a different subject. I noticed after getting these large limbs on the ground and starting to trim them up. I didn't like using either ax I had
brought. As my Hults & Council are splitting axes and heavy. I should have brought along the Master Quality Wards ax that I'm holding while
sitting on the tailgate. That one is a 2 1/2 pounder and more than adequate for 1-2" limbs. Plus, it's profile allows a deep cut. So, when out
cutting I need to carry one splitting ax and one for limb and general cutting. DM

 

[Square_peg]

That's a good point, David, matching the weight of the axe to the size of the limb. A heavy axe will cause more deflection in the branch. The thinner profile and greater speed of the light axe help it to cut deeper.

 

[jake pogg]

David,around here people burn wood that was harvested dry,dead-standing,immediately.
As opposite of that the green,even Very green birch taken in the spring and totally filled with sap,could be used that same fall provided it's been split at least in halves.
Air movement is the main ingredient to drying,more than temperature(T helps as warmer air can absorb more moisture,but once containing moisture it still needs to be moved away,exchanged).
It's possible that your best drying conditions would be a rick outside,in as open location as it gets,covered with some sheet iron...(that old heavy gauge galvanised corrugated roofing is great stuff).That is vs something clingy like a tarp...Driven moisture from the sides doesn't seem to do harm,it just evaporates again,meanwhile the air circulation is unimpeded.

In an ideal situation one could do like in some regions in Germany,where an extra room is built onto the house around the back entrance(i think...).It's ample enough to have all,or most of winter's wood stacked in it,but also the stove faces into it,through the adjoining wall.That way all ash removal doesn't happen inside the home,but more importantly the stove uses exterior(but pre-heated)air,not using up the inside oxygen,and creating positive pressure inside the house(doesn't suck in drafts like negatively-charged house).

I used to dream of stuff like that when i was young...But now i know better,and am reconciled to the more ...mundane...pedestrian...(maybe even slightly tending to primitive...)

Tonight
Patchy ice fog after 9pm. Mostly clear, with a low around -46. Wind chill values as low as -65. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday
Patchy ice fog before 3pm. Sunny, with a high near -33. Wind chill values as low as -65. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night
Patchy ice fog after midnight. Mostly clear, with a low around -44. Wind chill values as low as -65. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday
Patchy ice fog before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near -31. Wind chill values as low as -70. North wind around 10 mph.

 

[Yankee Josh]

David,around here people burn wood that was harvested dry,dead-standing,immediately.
As opposite of that the green,even Very green birch taken in the spring and totally filled with sap,could be used that same fall provided it's been split at least in halves.
Air movement is the main ingredient to drying,more than temperature(T helps as warmer air can absorb more moisture,but once containing moisture it still needs to be moved away,exchanged).
It's possible that your best drying conditions would be a rick outside,in as open location as it gets,covered with some sheet iron...(that old heavy gauge galvanised corrugated roofing is great stuff).That is vs something clingy like a tarp...Driven moisture from the sides doesn't seem to do harm,it just evaporates again,meanwhile the air circulation is unimpeded.

In an ideal situation one could do like in some regions in Germany,where an extra room is built onto the house around the back entrance(i think...).It's ample enough to have all,or most of winter's wood stacked in it,but also the stove faces into it,through the adjoining wall.That way all ash removal doesn't happen inside the home,but more importantly the stove uses exterior(but pre-heated)air,not using up the inside oxygen,and creating positive pressure inside the house(doesn't suck in drafts like negatively-charged house).

I used to dream of stuff like that when i was young...But now i know better,and am reconciled to the more ...mundane...pedestrian...(maybe even slightly tending to primitive...)

Tonight
Patchy ice fog after 9pm. Mostly clear, with a low around -46. Wind chill values as low as -65. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday
Patchy ice fog before 3pm. Sunny, with a high near -33. Wind chill values as low as -65. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night
Patchy ice fog after midnight. Mostly clear, with a low around -44. Wind chill values as low as -65. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday
Patchy ice fog before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near -31. Wind chill values as low as -70. North wind around 10 mph.

View attachment 1272258

Damn.... That's cold... How much insulation do your walls have? Your roof?
I leave my wood stacked single row outside through two summers and one winter. I bring it in to my wood shed in the fall of the last summer after a dry spell and it works out good. But it's red oak and takes forever to dry properly. I agree about the metal roofing rather than tarps. I've been using tarps but am going to switch. They work okay but they do leak/trap water and therefore moisture.
About standing dead. I stayed in Tucson Arizona for a short time on a road trip. We stayed on the mountain for about a month camping. And due to fires the previous year everywhere you looked was standing dead! It was some of the driest wood I've ever burned!

 

[Ernest DuBois]

a rick outside

Of all this is the best, the best absolutely. Saving some longer pieces to split into boards and use as covering stacked shingle-like in tee-pee form, no need to anchor sail-like metal sheets which are still an improvement on tarps.
Interesting housing on the foward brace.

 

[Hairy Clipper]

Alaska's Copper Basin 300 Dog Sled Race on January 11, 2020 started with temperatures at -59°F., which is mighty chilly and rivals the temperatures during the 1925 Nome Serum Run, although, during the Serum Run when there were gale force winds. The coldest I have ever experienced here in Minnesota was the winter of 1969/70 we were up on Lake Winnibigoshish in Itasca County and the morning temperature was -39°F. I was glad the stove in the fish house started, but, it still took a while to get it warm inside.

 

[jake pogg]

I stayed in Tucson Arizona for a short time on a road trip. We stayed on the mountain for about a month camping. And due to fires the previous year everywhere you looked was standing dead! It was some of the driest wood I've ever burned!

Yes,fire-killed trees are something else yet,in terms of dryness (and hardness)...But the all-important factor is humidity...David is also in that neighborhood,pretty high up on the Divide.
I copied that weather info from NOAA site,and in humidity column for my area,
Galena AK
64.73°N 156.93°W (Elev. 131 ft),it had N/A...I'd not be surprised that humidity is also very low for David,in his neck of the woods.

The coldest I have ever experienced here in Minnesota was the winter of 1969/70 we were up on Lake Winnibigoshish in Itasca County and the morning temperature was -39°F. I was glad the stove in the fish house started, but, it still took a while to get it warm inside.

Ironically humidity also determines how cold we Feel,by transmitting our body temp. away from us...For Hairy in Minn.,and you on the Atlantic Seaboard,it's pretty scary...All these spectacular negative numbers are nothing in terms how fast you get cold in the swamps of Minnesota or out on the boat off the Maine coast,i'd bet...
Wind,too...note how them wind-chill values instantly go from 40-ies to 60-ies,and that's only 5 mph wind...But as opposed to us staying warm wind is actually great for drying,which is All about air exchange.

How much insulation do your walls have? Your roof?

Josh,for once in my life i'm styling...These are polyurethane SIPs,full 6" all around(even the floor,except for the side-walls which are "only" 5"(i ran short).
These were damaged and/or remnants given to me by our local School District(as a "support our Village Idiot project".
And even though i applied them not as intended/engineered,and didn't have the appropriate goop and putty for the joints,they're still bomb-proof....

Interesting housing on the foward brace.

I cheated,Ernest...Braces aren't even tenoned,let alone housed,they're inlaid from outside as a big flat dovetail...That one looks ok by accident,there must be pressure on it closing the gap

 

[David Martin]

Yes sir, we have low humidity here. Usually around 10%. And that makes a difference. It really dries plants and wood out.
Looking ahead at our weather, which I watch close. We have ice & snow in our forecast for Wednesday night. Gees, I hope our power holds.
Thus, I'll be getting another wheelbarrow load up to the porch. DM

 

[jake pogg]

Nice wheelbarrow,David!
I'm envious,mine has only one wheel....I do miss using it,it accommodates a nice amount of sticks.
But for the season am reduced to kid's sled...that's about a daily doze in it...


A lot of people in this village go out to harvest dry-standing wood this time of year.They like it for how bone-dry it is,but also for exercise,to get out of the house.
But the cost of running a snowmachine is very high,people been living here a long time,and nearest wood is 12 and more miles away...as nice as it is to get out,see some country,and maybe set a trap or two while you're at it.

I stock up on firewood logs in the spring,after the ice clears out of the river.Ice run shears off the banks in many places,lots of trees get undercut and fall into the river,and eventually make their way down to me,many of them limbed by the ice,and reasonably seasoned.

So my wood is all here in the yard,but of course there's never the time to process it before i actually need it...So it commonly turns into a mining operation,where before bucking some feet of overburden must be removed...(while also watching out for assorted non-wood obstructions like those couple of old steam engines in the photo that wood got piled up against...).


Pine marten is camping under the house.He pops up to see if i'm finally done screwing around outside,so he can get on with his business.He won't stand for me going outside the door,so photo through my dirty window...

 

[David Martin]

Thank you and we enjoy your photos from half way around the world.
I keep track of my wood usage by the cubic feet hauled in that wheelbarrow. I'm now at 1 1/2 cord used and this will likely carry me close to Ground Hog day. So, we are sitting good with another 1 5/8 cord in the barn. It looks like we'll have enough, unless we start getting more winter blasts. Thus, I'm watching what Punxsutawney Phil has to say. And of course I like getting out in the forest and looking for Big Foot. DM

 

[jake pogg]

I keep track of my wood usage by the cubic feet hauled in that wheelbarrow.

That's very smart.It really helps to have a clear idea of your usage,for all sorts of planning purposes.A responsible thing to do for sure.

And of course I like getting out in the forest and looking of Big Foot. DM

You sure are blessed with not only how very beautiful your there country is,but also with how passable,travelable much of it is...
Last February i cruised around thereabouts with my girlfriend in a rental car(first time in the South West for both of us).We zig-zagged across NM/AZ border back and forth,all on small roads,stopping where we could for a break often in a State-landish kinda areas.
I watched folks load and off-load four-wheelers and saddle horses,taking off for obviously fairly considerable distances...In your photos one sees it very well-it's just open,hard,packed,rolling country...I can only Imagine how far you can go,and how relatively easily/painlessly.

Alaska is a total opposite.It's practically IMPASSABLE.(All of the very many types of terrain with very few exceptions,maybe some glacial morains,or some of the flatter/wider beaches).
We can't just take off crosscountry,it's too boggy,or thickly forested,or steep,or cut-up...
This time of year maybe open more than others,for travel over the snow by snowmachine,but you're still quite limited as to where you can or can't go...

So your high desert there was very magical place to visit,if only to see it from the road,and only to imagine how one Could get about...You're very lucky!

 

[David Martin]

Thanks. I'll let you ax men know toward my wood usage as winter goes along. DM

 

[Square_peg]

David,around here people burn wood that was harvested dry,dead-standing,immediately.
As opposite of that the green,even Very green birch taken in the spring and totally filled with sap,could be used that same fall provided it's been split at least in halves.
Air movement is the main ingredient to drying,more than temperature(T helps as warmer air can absorb more moisture,but once containing moisture it still needs to be moved away,exchanged).
It's possible that your best drying conditions would be a rick outside,in as open location as it gets,covered with some sheet iron...(that old heavy gauge galvanised corrugated roofing is great stuff).That is vs something clingy like a tarp...Driven moisture from the sides doesn't seem to do harm,it just evaporates again,meanwhile the air circulation is unimpeded.

In an ideal situation one could do like in some regions in Germany,where an extra room is built onto the house around the back entrance(i think...).It's ample enough to have all,or most of winter's wood stacked in it,but also the stove faces into it,through the adjoining wall.That way all ash removal doesn't happen inside the home,but more importantly the stove uses exterior(but pre-heated)air,not using up the inside oxygen,and creating positive pressure inside the house(doesn't suck in drafts like negatively-charged house).

I used to dream of stuff like that when i was young...But now i know better,and am reconciled to the more ...mundane...pedestrian...(maybe even slightly tending to primitive...)

Tonight
Patchy ice fog after 9pm. Mostly clear, with a low around -46. Wind chill values as low as -65. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday
Patchy ice fog before 3pm. Sunny, with a high near -33. Wind chill values as low as -65. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night
Patchy ice fog after midnight. Mostly clear, with a low around -44. Wind chill values as low as -65. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday
Patchy ice fog before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near -31. Wind chill values as low as -70. North wind around 10 mph.

View attachment 1272258

Stay cozy, brother.

 

[Square_peg]

And of course I like getting out in the forest and looking for Big Foot.

Save your efforts. I can assure you he's not there. But it's still nice to get out and hike.