Fire Thread! - Stoves, Wood, Axes, Chainsaws

Attacking one of my cords of well seasoned. Heating oil is getting a bit low and deliveries are delayed because of the weather, need this to feed the wood burning boiler to stretch out what oil we have. This was one of many trolley full!

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Hibernating wasps.
Normally each year as you thrash log store to death I normally find a few hibernating wasps - This year -nowt.
Saying that I will probably find loads of them - I do check each log before it goes into house log bin as there is nothing worse than chasing a wasp that's just woken up.

Do not under any circumstances buy sweet chestnut logs - the ash they produce is enormous. -Have to clean fire out every 3 or 4 days as it's full.
 
My log stores were full to brim by August last year, so I stored some of my more freshly cut logs 'open air' next to my car port. They made a neat stack, but I thought as they were newly cut, and hardwood, they would do fine to season without a roof, especially the plan is to burn them winter 24/25.

Now my stores are fairly depleted for this season, I started moving them under cover. Found that some of the logs have actually started to go punky and rot, even though they are less than a year since cut down, and have been stored with good airflow. I also split some big rounds of conifer that have been sat in the garden but raised up off the ground again to try and prevent any rotting, and that was literally wet in the inside once split. I know we've had a wetter autumn than usual, but I don't think I'll ever season logs not under cover again if I can help it.
 
dl8860 said:
My log stores were full to brim by August last year, so I stored some of my more freshly cut logs 'open air' next to my car port. They made a neat stack, but I thought as they were newly cut, and hardwood, they would do fine to season without a roof, especially the plan is to burn them winter 24/25.

Now my stores are fairly depleted for this season, I started moving them under cover. Found that some of the logs have actually started to go punky and rot, even though they are less than a year since cut down, and have been stored with good airflow. I also split some big rounds of conifer that have been sat in the garden but raised up off the ground again to try and prevent any rotting, and that was literally wet in the inside once split. I know we've had a wetter autumn than usual, but I don't think I'll ever season logs not under cover again if I can help it.
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I learnt that lesson last year.

Once it’s dried off, whack the suspect wood against a decent bit to see if you get a good “clonk” noise.

Alas, once the wood has gone spongey, it’s not worth burning as it’ll give off next to no heat.
 
Terminal_Boy said:
I learnt that lesson last year.

Once it’s dried off, whack the suspect wood against a decent bit to see if you get a good “clonk” noise.

Alas, once the wood has gone spongey, it’s not worth burning as it’ll give off next to no heat.
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It was only about an inch diameter around the middle of the piece so I scooped it out along the length.

Now trying to work out if what I have will last until I stop burning in a couple of month's time.

It's definitely not as glamorous as some people think this woodstoving malarkey. If my house had better insulation (grade ii listed timber frame) and I wasn't on ridic expensive oil central heating, I would much rather just put the central heating on I have to say.
 
dl8860 said:
It was only about an inch diameter around the middle of the piece so I scooped it out along the length.

Now trying to work out if what I have will last until I stop burning in a couple of month's time.

It's definitely not as glamorous as some people think this woodstoving malarkey. If my house had better insulation (grade ii listed timber frame) and I wasn't on ridic expensive oil central heating, I would much rather just put the central heating on I have to say.
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Agreed, we've an open fire and I've had to open up one air bricks that had been blocked off by a previous owner, but we get a terrible cold draught from it which kinda defeats the object of having a fire. Then there is the clearing up the mess, which gets dust everywhere especially if smokeless coal is used.
We've now invested in dusty bin ash vacuum which makes life much easier...
 
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Just been out and moved some logs about - Took them from main log store which surprisingly is still half full - normally by this time of year I have started on another so doing well.

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Moving the logs to the bench by the back door -saves getting cold and wet going out into garden.

I am really really glad I refurbed the old wheel barrow - just greasing wheel has made a difference.

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Also been trying those hot bricks - The hot bricks are messy -they drop bits of woodchip all over the hearth - burning wise just OK - The round Lidl ones are cleaner and I think they burn better - To me they are expensive compared to a load of logs.
 
Over the weekend I did another batch of kindling with the kindling cracker

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Then decided to, finally, get round to putting guttering round the second log store, so, of course , it hailstoned

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Then decided to shift the remaining logs from the big store into it, to get more exposure to the sun and free up the big store for the next batch of home processed timber

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Full to the brim

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And still enough left over to go into the third store

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How much are people paying for logs at the moment. I paid £130 for a builders bag of oak, birch mix seasoned in November. I'm near the bottom of my log pile.
 
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