Soldato
Fire Thread! - Stoves, Wood, Axes, Chainsaws
Soldato
Another glorious day and WFH, so ....
Last pile of splits to be stacked in the store
Other large store
Looking a lot tidier !
Last pile of splits to be stacked in the store
Other large store
Looking a lot tidier !
Soldato
All we need now is a massive thunder storm and stong wind to see if it does the job 
Soldato
Funny you should say that - thunder storm warnings (and high 20s temperatures) forecast for the weekend ! :O
Can I start by saying WOW. That store is incredible and really well done!Just picked this up second hand
Will give it a test run at the weekend
Good work with the splitter, might be something I consider but need to get to the point I've got enough rounds stocked up first for it to be a problem. Also do find a bit of axe/maul work very therapeutic!
I've been telling myself I'll build a store since last autumn and grabbed a bunch of pallets from work. Kinda slipped off the radar with other jobs but need to get back to it and then stock it - else the cold weather will be here and we'll be buying seasoned splits at £150 a bag again rather than me getting to play with my chainsaw!
One bonus, had some radiators delivered 2 weeks ago and they came on a pallet, which has a bit of a 6 foot frame structure around the rear of it - half the job done for me, although not quite wide enough can use than as my base/middle and then maybe put some sides on it which I can overhang each way... I have 6 other pallets of various shapes/sizes too, so not far off. Certainly don't need to buy much lumber to get it built and bulk purchased a roll of felt the last time I put some on the shed roof!
If anyone comes across some way of easily 'mulching' garden waste - more like shrub cuttings than grass clippings, then I'm thinking of some kinda press to make my own fire bricks. It seems never ending with green waste and here I can't easily get it to the tip (small car & 16 mile round trip), so we buy 'green bags' for the council to take it away. They're £3.60 for 10 and we can easily fill 5-6 most weekends when things are growing! It's felt like an utter waste of money so I've ripped a bunch of the stuff out to stop it growing and needing to maintain it, rather than having some nice big shrubs.
I planted a Pyracantha hedge which is fantastic, the cuts & trims from that burn really well when dried (you'll see lots of the leaves on the floor & the tiny few branches cut on the right) but storage of enough of it is a pain. Also full of thorns so not that handy for stocking the stove with during the winter. Burns very fast but really cleanly. Common name 'firethorn' and always throught that was due to the way the thorn tips dig in and break off so they really itch & burn, but do wonder if some of the name comes from how well it burns. Intense and hot flame. It would be almost good enough to use as a natural firelighter!
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Soldato
I don't know about making wood to burn but we had a shredder once and the results made good compost - You can try laying shrubery out on lawn and run a mower over to break it down then put in bin a few bits every week.
We now cut shrubs/trees /plants down very short starting at edges then working down -it takes long but if you add in cutting stuff after it's easier to do it on bush/tree. - Big stuff you keep -
Had the chimney sweep in this morning so another job crossed off list - He said it was OK - Fire seemed to be burning well.
Next job is ring log man and see if he has any and how much.
We now cut shrubs/trees /plants down very short starting at edges then working down -it takes long but if you add in cutting stuff after it's easier to do it on bush/tree. - Big stuff you keep -
Had the chimney sweep in this morning so another job crossed off list - He said it was OK - Fire seemed to be burning well.
Next job is ring log man and see if he has any and how much.
Soldato
Can I start by saying WOW. That store is incredible and really well done!
Good work with the splitter, might be something I consider but need to get to the point I've got enough rounds stocked up first for it to be a problem. Also do find a bit of axe/maul work very therapeutic!
I've been telling myself I'll build a store since last autumn and grabbed a bunch of pallets from work. Kinda slipped off the radar with other jobs but need to get back to it and then stock it - else the cold weather will be here and we'll be buying seasoned splits at £150 a bag again rather than me getting to play with my chainsaw!
One bonus, had some radiators delivered 2 weeks ago and they came on a pallet, which has a bit of a 6 foot frame structure around the rear of it - half the job done for me, although not quite wide enough can use than as my base/middle and then maybe put some sides on it which I can overhang each way... I have 6 other pallets of various shapes/sizes too, so not far off. Certainly don't need to buy much lumber to get it built and bulk purchased a roll of felt the last time I put some on the shed roof!
If anyone comes across some way of easily 'mulching' garden waste - more like shrub cuttings than grass clippings, then I'm thinking of some kinda press to make my own fire bricks. It seems never ending with green waste and here I can't easily get it to the tip (small car & 16 mile round trip), so we buy 'green bags' for the council to take it away. They're £3.60 for 10 and we can easily fill 5-6 most weekends when things are growing! It's felt like an utter waste of money so I've ripped a bunch of the stuff out to stop it growing and needing to maintain it, rather than having some nice big shrubs.
I planted a Pyracantha hedge which is fantastic, the cuts & trims from that burn really well when dried (you'll see lots of the leaves on the floor & the tiny few branches cut on the right) but storage of enough of it is a pain. Also full of thorns so not that handy for stocking the stove with during the winter. Burns very fast but really cleanly. Common name 'firethorn' and always throught that was due to the way the thorn tips dig in and break off so they really itch & burn, but do wonder if some of the name comes from how well it burns. Intense and hot flame. It would be almost good enough to use as a natural firelighter!
Thanks, very kind
I am pleased with it although it did make we swear a few times .... Agree with the axe - I do enjoy it but some of the rounds were very tough and it just seemed such mountain of timber to split - impatience and the offer of a reasonable splitter (and staring to get on a bit) made the decision for me but will still be doing the odd.bit by hand
That radiator pallette does look like a good starter for a store - let us know how you get on
I also keep any decent sized training and let them dry in tugs in the garage - anything else goes on the green garden waste bin, leave blower on mulch mode and into the compost bins or (my favourite) have a burn up in the incinerator
It's the cardboard I would like to look at doing something with, mulching down and using for briquettes as it burns very quick, smoky and leaves. Lot of ash thrown in as it is (usually goes in the incinerator)
Soldato
Here you go.
Cardboard Crusher Makes Cheap Firewood
Why spend money on firewood when cardboard will do? That's what Phil Orlowski wondered, and he did something about it. He modified a small hydraulic press to convert cardboard -- and other ...
www.farmshow.com
Soldato
Getting ready for winter. £20 worth of logs.
That now cost £120 - Really gets me the price of logs now.
Topping up a part used log store -about three barrow loads then start on empty log store at top of garden - might just fill half of it but I do have a load on order (well my name down for a load) that will be around Nov or Dec delivery.
That now cost £120 - Really gets me the price of logs now.
Topping up a part used log store -about three barrow loads then start on empty log store at top of garden - might just fill half of it but I do have a load on order (well my name down for a load) that will be around Nov or Dec delivery.
Soldato
Yes it is and part of the reason I'm stepping towards processing and seasoning my own !
Soldato
Yep - £120 and I am sure the next load will be the same.
When we had our first log burner we could get it for nothing- then they wanted money for it -Most of the stuff I had needed cutting and splitting and now the price has rapidley gone up- Bloke I had these from buys it in and he said he paid £130 a ton - then he cuts and splits it and dries it for a year.
I go to him because it's the right size for my small log burner -Other places send it out way to big then I have to cut and split which at 79 is a PITA.
It would be a lot cheaper for me to just buy heating oil but then you are heating parts of house you don't use.
I do have thermostatic valves but you can't beat a wood burner.
This by the way is cheaper than other local suppliers.
When we had our first log burner we could get it for nothing- then they wanted money for it -Most of the stuff I had needed cutting and splitting and now the price has rapidley gone up- Bloke I had these from buys it in and he said he paid £130 a ton - then he cuts and splits it and dries it for a year.
I go to him because it's the right size for my small log burner -Other places send it out way to big then I have to cut and split which at 79 is a PITA.
It would be a lot cheaper for me to just buy heating oil but then you are heating parts of house you don't use.
I do have thermostatic valves but you can't beat a wood burner.
This by the way is cheaper than other local suppliers.
Have you tried these?..
www.penntree.co.uk
They sell seconds (slightly out of shape) for much cheaper on their eBay shop.
I’ve been using them for the last few years and they’re great.
Hotblocks - Our British made Wood Briquettes - Penntree
Hotblocks Wood Briquettes main description
www.penntree.co.uk
They sell seconds (slightly out of shape) for much cheaper on their eBay shop.
I’ve been using them for the last few years and they’re great.
Soldato
Just ordered a pack of 12 just to try them - There are a lot of others for sale - some soft wood and others hard wood and bit's in between.
Do they contain any chemicals to make them burn (not bothered just asking) - do they use any glue to hold them together or can you rub them between your hands and they fall apart?
These sort of things could be handy when neither of us can hump logs and stack them or bring load in to burn.
Do they contain any chemicals to make them burn (not bothered just asking) - do they use any glue to hold them together or can you rub them between your hands and they fall apart?
These sort of things could be handy when neither of us can hump logs and stack them or bring load in to burn.
No idea about the chemicals or glue, but they certainly don’t fall apart when you handle them.
I like them because they burn hot, last a while and leave almost no ash.
I tend to stack them in the inglenook and they’ll last for ages, and as you say it saves humping loads of logs from outside.
I like them because they burn hot, last a while and leave almost no ash.
I tend to stack them in the inglenook and they’ll last for ages, and as you say it saves humping loads of logs from outside.
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Soldato
I am lacking space as it's a small bungalow - got loads of log stores but they are outside and not waterproof.
We will see.
We will see.
X-post from man jobs:
Sole parent this weekend so lost yesterday to a mega trip around London (not sure how either of us made it, 40k steps and she is only 3/no buggy); so today was meant to be a lounging day. My brain couldn't switch off and she regains energy at an alarming rate, so we started the log store. 3x 100m leftover 2.7m posts and I had 6x 75mm 2.4m posts. I also had a bunch of ~1.2m gravel board off cuts which I ripped in half for 7.5cm battens. Need to grab a nail gun as I really CBA screwing the rest of it.
I will do a living roof as this is the view from the kitchen window essentially.
The downside of my ultra low cost approach is that the current structure weighs about 200 kilos
Just realised it is super sturdy as scaffolding to do my fascias/gutters on the porch, so potentially has an interim use lol.
Sole parent this weekend so lost yesterday to a mega trip around London (not sure how either of us made it, 40k steps and she is only 3/no buggy); so today was meant to be a lounging day. My brain couldn't switch off and she regains energy at an alarming rate, so we started the log store. 3x 100m leftover 2.7m posts and I had 6x 75mm 2.4m posts. I also had a bunch of ~1.2m gravel board off cuts which I ripped in half for 7.5cm battens. Need to grab a nail gun as I really CBA screwing the rest of it.
I will do a living roof as this is the view from the kitchen window essentially.
The downside of my ultra low cost approach is that the current structure weighs about 200 kilos
Just realised it is super sturdy as scaffolding to do my fascias/gutters on the porch, so potentially has an interim use lol.
Soldato
Good job