Since moving into the Lair I've barely cut any wood at all. My chains are all fairly dull from cutting at D&L's place for their use, I had one session since then and now I'm reluctant to use the chainsaw till I get them sharpened because you take off a lot of use from a chain by getting it really, really dull.
For all that I've been watching my consumption over the past two weeks, and as I expected/feared it's faster than I hoped. So while the weather is still bearable I need to take the matter more seriously. Yesterday I finally cobbled together a sawbuck, to allow me to bring logwood home and cut it as I need it. M bought himself a full-size bucksaw and lent it to me, and I gave it a try. Cut up a log well enough, but I have to say for all the noise they make (I hate noise these days) chainsaws are much to be preferred.
Of course as a credentialed survivalist I have an emergency backup woodpile, consisting of several discreditably large stacks of old pallets. But those really are for emergencies, like when I let the regular pile get too low and then get the flu or something. For now, I'm going out to S&L's place with the trailer after shit-shoveling and pile it full of a bunch of already cut juniper they've been after me to haul off. Your garbage is my winter heat.
Your Monday Rule 5 puzzle for Nov. 25
7 hours ago
4 comments:
Take it from the voice of experience.
Cutting winter heat wood when you need it is a much different experience than cutting it before you need it.
It's a lot harder to shovel off a woodpile than a driveway...
Q
Joel,
What state do yo live in?
I found your blog yesterday and was wondering where you were at.I'm thinking about getting some property out in the Oregon juniper country. I'm beginning to think I'm running a little late with things that are going on in the world, but I guess I could just sit around with my head up my butt like 95% of the rest of the people in the country and think all is good but I feel that I need something of my own. I will never own my house I'm in now. If you were in my area I could sharpen your chains on your saw by hand. I learned to do that working in the woods. You need to find a retired timber faller and have him teach you how to do that. It is a good skill to learn and not to hard once you get the hang of it.
Take care
I'm having a little wood anxiety myself this year. Only localized global warming this fall makes me think I +might+ have enough split for the entire season. My backup is standing dead burr oak about 25 yards from my door, but I don't looking forward to processing it during a February blizzard.
What the Hell. The big propane tank is almost full, and it's only money, eh?
I know you're a chain-saw pro, so I'm a little reluctant here. but I do most of my own sharpening with a 12-volt Dreml-like tool. I have the chains sharpened by a shop, then resharpen them myself until my freehanding adds up to angles too far from factory specs. That's usually two-to-four times. Then they go back to the pro.
I can't saw or cut much of anything, so I'm trying to figure out what to do with most of a load of split wood that is simply too long to fit into my stove. Cutting each piece in half with my little hand saw seems hardly possible, but I guess I'll manage it somehow. Next year, I need to be much more specific about the SIZE of the wood. sigh
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