Wood Stoves

[caleb]

I'm afraid my old 445 may have given up the ghost. Total loss of power under load, weird idle all of a sudden, smelling not good. I left it at the saw shop for further evaluation and ended up walking out with a new saw.

I got a Husqvarna 562xp with an 18" bar. I think the shop put full chisel chain on it. Boy does it cut.

I took the new saw straight out to keep working on the oak deadfalls, like this natural domino started by an old standing dead tree that took out two more live ones on the way down.

Layer one:




Layer two (what was underneath):




It's so nice to have a reason to be out in the woods right now.

[Too Tall]

Dewd, awesome work. The he!! with the gym, this is the best.

How do you like the pull start and re-start on that saw?

[caleb]

How do you like the pull start and re-start on that saw?

Seems good to me, but I'm certainly not a saw connoisseur. Cold start seems to be 3 primes, choke, button, two pulls, turn off choke, and then it starts. Hot start is one or two pulls.

In the abstract, I thought about buying the 70cc version (572xp), but that would have been serious overkill. The 562 is a beast.

[ides1056]

That is a tangled mess of trees. You schlep it out by hand?

The photo screams tick check to me.

[caleb]

That is a tangled mess of trees. You schlep it out by hand?

The photo screams tick check to me.

There's a gravel road 20 yards behind where I took those photos. I'll schlep it out to the road with a wheelbarrow.

One of the good parts about this spot is I haven't seen a tick yet. I'm not sure why, as there are other spots not far away where I'd be picking off dozens in an afternoon. I also spray everything below my waist with permethrin, which might be helping.

[ides1056]

They do congregate in clusters, and no two years are the same. I too spray my clothes with Sawyer if I find they are abundant where I am working.

[j44ke]

That looks like fun. We've been picking areas of bittersweet to clear out, and there are almost always ticks in those areas. I wonder what the correlation between ticks and invasive plant species is. I know it is something like 80% for Asian Barberry - as in remove barberry and your tick population drops by 80%. I think Bittersweet must also provide cover for mice and retain moisture in the rotting logs it creates by inevitably pulling down trees.

Oak woodlands sometimes seem magical for their lack of ticks. Don't oaks usually leaf out later than other trees? So perhaps oak woodlands are dryer before the leaf cover comes in and shades the ground. And I think oaks put out enzymes to retard growth of non-oak trees.

Our neighbor to the east sold off his red and white oaks. Our side of the wall has a lot of aging poplars. Even on good days, an old poplar (some of these are 80' tall at least) doesn't need an excuse to lay down, and without the wind break provided by the ancient oaks on our neighbors property, they've been lying down pretty regularly. That's okay, but they usually take down hickories oaks and maples, trees I'd like to keep, and then also any nearby saplings that would be nice to have for infill. I'd need a helicopter to get the knocked-down hard woods out of there for firewood. But I'm not short on firewood.

[monadnocky]

Just ordered my 5 cords for next winter. Plus I have plenty of ash that Eversource is going to leave me when they cut it down (my property, but in their right-of-way for power lines).
Should be good to go. Flue cleaned last week... that's the best $150 I spend every year.

Edit: Oh, and I'm pulling the Jotul out of seasonal retirement today. Because it's frickin' freezing here. With snow squalls.

[JoB]

I love red oak. the smell of cat pee must be strong at your place!

[ides1056]

I started cutting firewood beginning with trees I cut last year, Ash and Red Maple. Several cord of Red Oak and Sugar Maple are in the shed from a year ago, and a few more of other hardwoods already split in a pile. I have enough large deadish ash to get through this year. My tendonitis has resolved over the winter- skiing does that. I think I won't rely on the maul as much this year, and I won't cut 25 cord again. I checked out the cordless Stihls, and found they are popular with loggers to keep in the skidder.

[caleb]

I love red oak. the smell of cat pee must be strong at your place!

I've never really understood why the smell of oak is so polarizing. To me, it just smells like wood. I hadn't heard anyone compare it to cat pee, but now I'm probably going to start smelling it.

I started cutting firewood beginning with trees I cut last year, Ash and Red Maple. Several cord of Red Oak and Sugar Maple are in the shed from a year ago, and a few more of other hardwoods already split in a pile. I have enough large deadish ash to get through this year. My tendonitis has resolved over the winter- skiing does that. I think I won't rely on the maul as much this year, and I won't cut 25 cord again. I checked out the cordless Stihls, and found they are popular with loggers to keep in the skidder.

25 cords - yowser! That's a pile of wood. I'd say you deserve a year (or decade) off if you want it.

[JoB]

i think some oak smells stronger than other. and it's pretty much gone in a day. Enjoy :-)

I've never really understood why the smell of oak is so polarizing. To me, it just smells like wood. I hadn't heard anyone compare it to cat pee, but now I'm probably going to start smelling it.




25 cords - yowser! That's a pile of wood. I'd say you deserve a year (or decade) off if you want it.

[caleb]

Just a few flakes to celebrate the end of the classics season:



I think halving the rounds on the spot is sort of the wood cutting equivalent of getting a compact crank. It's not something to exactly be proud of, but nobody regrets it.

[j44ke]

Keeps your back in one piece.

[ides1056]

I do it so they don't roll out of the trailer.

And because I can.

[caleb]

Hauled a couple loads of splits in yesterday.

[72gmc]

I’m proud of my compact crank!

< Looks around nervously, sits back down >

[j44ke]

I’m proud of my compact crank!

< Looks around nervously, sits back down >

It’s that truck that does it. I’m always tempted to strap a sheet of plywood to the roof of my Volvo when I go to the gas station just so I feel more comfortable.

[caleb]

It’s that truck that does it. I’m always tempted to strap a sheet of plywood to the roof of my Volvo when I go to the gas station just so I feel more comfortable.

As a guy who splits time between the Hudson Valley and northern France, you're going to soon need a diesel dually.

Because coordinating with your trainer to haul both horses to the jumping competitions is a pain in butt.

[caleb]

Not working as a mob enforcer, just pounding wedges.