Farwood measuring guide for chainsaws...

[Oldpath05]

Y'all realize it's firewood, right? This isn't finish carpentry. As long as it fits in the stove and burns, it's fine.

I'm one of the idiots who use the bar to measure. My Stihl is 18 inches and I just mark the spot from the butt to the cutt by eye, then squeeze the trigger. Using the excavator to pick up the logs and cut into rounds is awesome, then I use the excavator again to pick up the rounds and toss into the shop for stacking.

An excavator with thumb I presume......

 

[Oldpath05]

If a log doesn't fit in my stove, it goes in the "too long" pile and gets cut next year.

And that's how we handle firewood O n e m o r e t i m e...............Not to mention same size wood is easier to handle, easier to load stove, stacks better vs. 14"-24" in the same pile.

 

[Firemanbuck82]

An excavator with thumb I presume......

Yes, you would be correct, sir.

 

[Dan Hunter]

I use rare earth magnets to then bolt to PVC fittings to create something I can magnetically attach to my bars that define a segment to cut that fits in my wood stove. As an example of the magnet:

https://www.magcraft.com/magcraft-n...PTAejMg5IQ7cMu5lh_GxkxpB10cQ1nVxoCr9EQAvD_BwE

Fits and transfers to every bar I own. Message me for photos. When I'm very tired - which is every time I'm building the wood pile - I love the speed and precision this inexpensive project delivers.

 

[goeduck]

I concur.............How come you only burn 3-1/2 cord, you have another source of heat?

He lives up here in the PNW with a moderate climate. Cold to us is the 30s, usually only the 40s. Rarely in the 20s.

Hats off to you folks up in the NE where it really gets cold.

 

[DieselBound]

And that's how we handle firewood O n e m o r e t i m e...............Not to mention same size wood is easier to handle, easier to load stove, stacks better vs. 14"-24" in the same pile.

Chance are that even handling the few long pieces I may end up with in one season that I handle wood less times than just about everyone else here. Cut -> split -> crate [seasoning happens, tractor moves crate to porch when needed] -> stove

I touch the same piece of wood three times including when I toss it into the stove. I can afford handle a few pieces one more time.

 

[DieselBound]

I concur.............How come you only burn 3-1/2 cord, you have another source of heat?

Yeah, it's called the "sun." My house is oriented with it's axis east<->west, exposing the long end (with the windows) south, toward the equator: farther away from the equator you want to make an effort to realign with it. I would estimate that I burn about 15% less wood per year because of my [passive] solar gain. I can wake up to a mildly cold morning and forgo firing up the stove (or restoking), yet drive down the road and see people with smoke coming out their chimneys. Insulation and solar gain.

 

[DieselBound]

He lives up here in the PNW with a moderate climate. Cold to us is the 30s, usually only the 40s. Rarely in the 20s.

Hats off to you folks up in the NE where it really gets cold.

I'm at the foothills of the Cascades. A bit colder than over where you're at. But, that's night time temps (and, well, there's more darkness during the winter than light), daytime temps don't hang out in the 20s for too long. I've still spent more time breaking water out of animals' waterers than I'd like.

 

[Oldpath05]

Yes, you would be correct, sir.

I can only imagine how good a excavator must work with thumb for cutting up firewood, not to mention all the other things that can be done.

Most of my tree length firewood is 6"-8" on the but, so how many can you easily pickup out of a 8 cord pile and move them out? I refuse to cut wood up in one big pile, so I use tractor with forks and move about 2-3 at once, smaller ones I move 4-6 out to other side to cut up.

 

[Oldpath05]

Chance are that even handling the few long pieces I may end up with in one season that I handle wood less times than just about everyone else here. Cut -> split -> crate [seasoning happens, tractor moves crate to porch when needed] -> stove

I touch the same piece of wood three times including when I toss it into the stove. I can afford handle a few pieces one more time.

Yeah I can see your point, sounds like you have a good system, that move firewood crate is great way to move wood when needed, I myself might switch over to doing it that too someday, especially as I get older.

 

[Oldpath05]

I use rare earth magnets to then bolt to PVC fittings to create something I can magnetically attach to my bars that define a segment to cut that fits in my wood stove. As an example of the magnet:

https://www.magcraft.com/magcraft-n...PTAejMg5IQ7cMu5lh_GxkxpB10cQ1nVxoCr9EQAvD_BwE

Fits and transfers to every bar I own. Message me for photos. When I'm very tired - which is every time I'm building the wood pile - I love the speed and precision this inexpensive project delivers.

You should be tied enough tomorrow night to post some pictures, after the firewood pile has been built, welcome to the PFCA, Precise Firewood Cutting Association!!!!! membership is free after you buy, make, build, construct a precise firewood measuring guide, demonstrations are welcomed.

 

[Oldpath05]

He lives up here in the PNW with a moderate climate. Cold to us is the 30s, usually only the 40s. Rarely in the 20s.

Hats off to you folks up in the NE where it really gets cold.

I'm waiting to put my hat on, been the warmest and driest October here I can remember, no cold air, no snow yet, but like the old saying says, dont like the weather, wait a minute.............

 

[pmsmechanic]

Chance are that even handling the few long pieces I may end up with in one season that I handle wood less times than just about everyone else here. Cut -> split -> crate [seasoning happens, tractor moves crate to porch when needed] -> stove

I touch the same piece of wood three times including when I toss it into the stove. I can afford handle a few pieces one more time.

I used the same system. My crates are heavy duty pallets with 4' sides added. A piece of 2x4 across the top to hold it together and I was in business!

Only I used an allthread to measure the length because..... well just because!

 

[goeduck]

I used the same system. My crates are heavy duty pallets with 4' sides added. A piece of 2x4 across the top to hold it together and I was in business!

Only I used an allthread to measure the length because..... well just because!

I need to work a pallet type system into my routine, I am handling the wood many more than 3 times, maybe 5 or so. At least 4

 

[DieselBound]

Yeah I can see your point, sounds like you have a good system, that move firewood crate is great way to move wood when needed, I myself might switch over to doing it that too someday, especially as I get older.

With a name like Oldpath05 I figured you were already old:laughing:

I'm getting up there in age. It was the thought of getting MORE up there that had me really thinking about this: in general I tend to think/analyze things to near insanity. Since we're committed to a wood stove, and that we can glean all the firewood we need from our property, I wanted to make the work as efficient as I could. I also HATE stacking wood: maple doesn't exactly split into nice wedges as does say evergreens (only have a smattering of fir and hemlock; which reminds me I've got a big clump of hemlock down still waiting for my saw!), it takes too much thinking, for me, to get to stack nicely- I'd free stack (and then there's the issue of removing pieces w/o stuff falling all over).

 

[DieselBound]

I need to work a pallet type system into my routine, I am handling the wood many more than 3 times, maybe 5 or so. At least 4

Don't want to sidetrack this thread any more, so anyone looking for crate info or how I use them are welcome to PM me.

 

[John_Mc]

Don't want to sidetrack this thread any more, so anyone looking for crate info or how I use them are welcome to PM me.

Why not start a thread with some photos on that subject?

 

[crazyal]

Y'all realize it's firewood, right? This isn't finish carpentry. As long as it fits in the stove and burns, it's fine.

I'm one of the idiots who use the bar to measure. My Stihl is 18 inches and I just mark the spot from the butt to the cutt by eye, then squeeze the trigger. Using the excavator to pick up the logs and cut into rounds is awesome, then I use the excavator again to pick up the rounds and toss into the shop for stacking.

I do similar. I don't have a thumb for my backhoe so I just cut the rounds so they fall into my trailer. My wood stove can take up to 19" of any size and 21" as long as they aren't too large pretty easily so I don't spend much time trying to be too accurate. While it get's cold here my house is extremely well insulated and I only go through 2 to 2 1/2 cords a years and maybe 100 gallons of heating oil (back up heat while at work).

 

[DieselBound]

Why not start a thread with some photos on that subject?

I piggy-backed on an existing thread that I thought was suitable:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/387529-pallets-field-post4906749.html#post4906749