I know a guy who almost died from that - nicked an artery in his arm and kept bleeding on the inside after they stopped it on the outside. He stopped splitting and burning wood after that.
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lee economy.
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I don't intend to give it up either. I "manicure" my wedges when necessary, but don't use them as much as a splitting axe and hydraulic splitter these days anyway.
If we lose power, propane isn't delivered, we have heat.
It just feels too good to give it up too.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I haven't used a sledge and wedges since I got the hydraulic splitter. That thing has been an absolute godsend! Got it at Lowes as a return for a loose hose fitting. Half price! Bought it on Cindys birthday, so we always call it her birthday present. I don't split anything much under 10" unless there's a dire need for the wood to dry quickly. Plus, we cut almost exclusively standing deadwood, so that helps. We also take everything down to broomstick/shovel handle size. No sense leaving kindling in a the woods! That makes for a lot less splitting. Those that get logs delivered or that only leave the branches and tops in the woods don't have this option.
L Ross
Well-Known Member
Love standing dead wood for fire wood as long as it is not providing wood pecker and cavity nester habitat. That's why we frequently cut Elm. Typically they get about 14 to 18", die of Dutch Elm disease, provide Morel Mushroom habitat for two years, maybe three. The bark falls off and we cut and split them. A hydraulic splitter is a blessing as some times Elm can be stringy. The split chunk when banged together sound like bowling pins. With the bark off it makes for a nice clean wood box in the house.
Recently our hard woods have been invaded by another Asian gift, the Emerald Ash borer. As a result all of my White Ash trees are infected and are dead or dying, necessitating a salvage harvest. That has left us with way more wood than we can possibly use. We have a small wood burner in the lower level of our walk out ranch style home where we spend the majority of our time. Unless it is below zero and windy we usually maintain a small fire so as to not drive us out with excess heat. We cut, split, and stacked a bunch of ash but are using up our Elm first.
We needed to clean up the cornfield used as a landing for the log buyers late last Winter and we had four loads altogether that looked like this.
L Ross
Well-Known Member
Just sad cruising the woods and seeing all of that pale tan checker board bark of a dying ash. I really, really should go cut a couple of dead straight 18' long logs, split, wax, and store them to dry for canoe gunnels, snow shoes frames, axe and hammer handles etc. Don't know if I can summon up the gumption for those future projects, but if I wait too long there will be no Ash left to give me the option.
JonB
Halcyon member
I split (hydraulically) everything I bring home, I stick with logs the size of my arm, up to 24" diameter, anything larger I don't have the equipment or desire to deal with. Seems everything I get is green and was alive and growing a week prior, that's why I split it all. About all logs come from the City Compost site, either storm downed trees or the City cutting boulevard trees or logs from a tree trimmer.
I love that we are talking wood and splitters here in 'lee ecomony' LOL.
I love that we are talking wood and splitters here in 'lee ecomony' LOL.
Rick H
Well-Known Member
Makes perfect sense to me, after all, I wear Lee brand jeans on occasion and heating with wood is economical soooooooo.......what's the problem?
JonB
Halcyon member
For several years after 1999, I was cutting in a friend's swampy woods. 100 acres. An area in the center had many large white oak, dead standers. So yes, I did the same with broomstick size. I even saved some 6' "broomsticks" for tomato stacks...and almost 20 years later, I still use some of those "broomsticks" in the garden.
This is one of those, a dry, standing dead, white oak stump base, that's a 20" bar. Cutting dry white oak, takes a sharp chain, as many of you may know.
ABSOLUTELY on the ash - a shame and a boon at once.
I try to cut as much of that as I can so we can at least put it to some respectful use, in deference to letting it rot and serve no purpose. I know that's the natural process, but that danged bug that killed them was not indigenous - it was introduced, so hums be damned. Other trees still die more naturally and contribute to humus.
I don't seek out larger trees either any more. I get what no one else wants and cut as small as 1" to 1 1/2", up to 12", MAYBE 24" if it's available as blow-down or standing dead-wood. My little Jotul 602 likes a dense pack of smaller stuff anyway.
I've read all the Btu charts over the years, and heard plenty about how pak and hickory are the best woods, but in my personal experience, ASH is king for putting out long-lasting heat and it seems to dry faster if you do get some that's still live.
I try to cut as much of that as I can so we can at least put it to some respectful use, in deference to letting it rot and serve no purpose. I know that's the natural process, but that danged bug that killed them was not indigenous - it was introduced, so hums be damned. Other trees still die more naturally and contribute to humus.
I don't seek out larger trees either any more. I get what no one else wants and cut as small as 1" to 1 1/2", up to 12", MAYBE 24" if it's available as blow-down or standing dead-wood. My little Jotul 602 likes a dense pack of smaller stuff anyway.
I've read all the Btu charts over the years, and heard plenty about how pak and hickory are the best woods, but in my personal experience, ASH is king for putting out long-lasting heat and it seems to dry faster if you do get some that's still live.
JonB
Halcyon member
I also love burning Ash. And I loved burning the Dead standing white oak shown above...I had a supply of that for over ten years, but that's all gone.
Today, I just burn any of the hardwood I get at the compost site, and I mix in some soft Maple when I find some nice logs, but that sure burns fast...I like it what starting a cold stove.
Today, I just burn any of the hardwood I get at the compost site, and I mix in some soft Maple when I find some nice logs, but that sure burns fast...I like it what starting a cold stove.
As for actual "LEE economy," I've had the privilege of working with almost all the old reloading stuff; Lyman, RCBS, Pacific, Hornady Redding, Bair and others. Growing up, my dad quite an assortment. One of my favorites, was the old Tru-Line Junior turret presses. Once I was on my own, I was over 2k miles away and living on a GI's pay, so a good man in a Salinas, CA gun shop heard me out over the course of a few visits and set me up with a RCBS "kit" that had all of what I needed (and more), plus a LEE Turret press, which was new at the time. I think it was $47 for the press and one turret.
After about ten years, I was making somewhat better money and "graduated" to a Lyman turret press (love the concept) and used that for about a year. My best friend fell i love with that press and offered it to him for what I paid (well over $100) and ended up unbolting it from my bench right then and there. I went back to my LEE Turrent press and am still using it. I got a Lee single-stage, O-type press once on special for under $30. I use that for sizing bullets and lengthy decapping sessions.
So, since 1982, when I bought the Turret press for $47, and the O-type LEE press for $30, about ten years later, I've reloaded tons of excellent ammo for Under $80' worth of presses.
I still kick myself for passing on used, $15 LEE Turret presses I've seen at gun shows. I've picked some up, kept the extra turrets and sold the presses with one turret, making the extra ones free to me. I've also bought a few and given them away to get someone started. Funny thing - my dad, who's "good" reloading presses I cut my teeth on as I grew up are all still around, but when I checked on his place for the first time a couple years ago, what did I find mounted and set up on his bench, but a LEE Turret Press. He opted for the 4-hole press though.
I've seen some level of "false economy" in original LEE 2Cs and 1Cs, but they were still a good value, even if some were stinkers, but I have seen nothing but value/economy from their presses I use. Note that I do not, have not, don't an to use any of the automated functions for indexing their turret presses and none of the other fancy stuff.
I'm still waiting to see who will be the first to offer Blue-Tooth, Phone Synching and USB charging ports on their casting pots....
After about ten years, I was making somewhat better money and "graduated" to a Lyman turret press (love the concept) and used that for about a year. My best friend fell i love with that press and offered it to him for what I paid (well over $100) and ended up unbolting it from my bench right then and there. I went back to my LEE Turrent press and am still using it. I got a Lee single-stage, O-type press once on special for under $30. I use that for sizing bullets and lengthy decapping sessions.
So, since 1982, when I bought the Turret press for $47, and the O-type LEE press for $30, about ten years later, I've reloaded tons of excellent ammo for Under $80' worth of presses.
I still kick myself for passing on used, $15 LEE Turret presses I've seen at gun shows. I've picked some up, kept the extra turrets and sold the presses with one turret, making the extra ones free to me. I've also bought a few and given them away to get someone started. Funny thing - my dad, who's "good" reloading presses I cut my teeth on as I grew up are all still around, but when I checked on his place for the first time a couple years ago, what did I find mounted and set up on his bench, but a LEE Turret Press. He opted for the 4-hole press though.
I've seen some level of "false economy" in original LEE 2Cs and 1Cs, but they were still a good value, even if some were stinkers, but I have seen nothing but value/economy from their presses I use. Note that I do not, have not, don't an to use any of the automated functions for indexing their turret presses and none of the other fancy stuff.
I'm still waiting to see who will be the first to offer Blue-Tooth, Phone Synching and USB charging ports on their casting pots....
L Ross
Well-Known Member
If you find some maple, (preferably sugar maple), in the compost pile, and you can find some that is a little punky, you know with the water stain stripes in it, save it for smoking fish.
White oak is the reason I own a 660 with a 32 inch bar. Got tired of having to double cut and fanagle to get a log cut. Still have to double cut them on occasion.
I got a hold of some live oak this year. Very uncommon here, but ice storm took out one in an older gentleman’s yard that lives down the road. He knows I will cut trees on occasion so he asked if I wanted it worked up half and took the other half down. Ended up with over 2.5 cords of it. Stuff burns slow and heats really good. We burn a lot of white and red oak here in Mississippi, I’ll burn sweet gum poplar, anything. Hickory if I can find it. Most all I get is damage trees or stuff that will otherwise be left to rot. I usually cut it from about 3-4 inches and up. The rest is just too much trouble to pick up and stack and get it home. Although it does make getttigm a hot bed of coals much easier.
I got a hold of some live oak this year. Very uncommon here, but ice storm took out one in an older gentleman’s yard that lives down the road. He knows I will cut trees on occasion so he asked if I wanted it worked up half and took the other half down. Ended up with over 2.5 cords of it. Stuff burns slow and heats really good. We burn a lot of white and red oak here in Mississippi, I’ll burn sweet gum poplar, anything. Hickory if I can find it. Most all I get is damage trees or stuff that will otherwise be left to rot. I usually cut it from about 3-4 inches and up. The rest is just too much trouble to pick up and stack and get it home. Although it does make getttigm a hot bed of coals much easier.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Ash is good firewood and has the advantage of being able to be burned green. I thought it was about the best there was until I got cutting Ironwood or Hop Hornbeam if you want to use the correct name. This stuff, when dry is the hottest, longest lasting wood I've ever seen. Nothing else comes close, not eve White Oak, Hard (Sugar) Maple or Ash. Only issue is it never seems to get more than 20 foot tall and anything over 16" at the base is likely rotted out in the center. Bees love these older trees. Wonderful wood, makes a fantastic pole on a wagon, very dense and hard.
Elm is another thing altogether. We have an enormous population of Elm here. I don't know the exact species, but if it's out in a field by itself, they get huge. If they grow in clump, they will all die when about a foot through. The ones in the fields that livestock rub on seem to do better than the ones in the woods. Local legend has it that the oils in the livestock skin help defeat the Dutch Elm Disease. I don't think it's exactly that, but they do seem to help somehow.
Wish I had more White Oak. Lots of Red Oak, but not much White Oak. I'd also like to see more Hickory on the farm. Just don't have a lot while other places nearby are overrun with it. I think ,maybe some prior owner here may have logged the hickory off.
I have a 28" bar for my Sachs 133 and Husky 2100. Both are down at the moment, but the bar and chain are there for when I get them fixed. Most wood here could be handled with a 16 or 18" bar, but 20" balances so much better IMO, plus I don't have to bend over so far! Not having to bend over is getting more important to me these days!
Actually, this thread reminds me I need to get my splitter up into the garage and get it warmed up for an oil change. Honda engines are bullet proof, but even they benefit from an oil change!
Elm is another thing altogether. We have an enormous population of Elm here. I don't know the exact species, but if it's out in a field by itself, they get huge. If they grow in clump, they will all die when about a foot through. The ones in the fields that livestock rub on seem to do better than the ones in the woods. Local legend has it that the oils in the livestock skin help defeat the Dutch Elm Disease. I don't think it's exactly that, but they do seem to help somehow.
Wish I had more White Oak. Lots of Red Oak, but not much White Oak. I'd also like to see more Hickory on the farm. Just don't have a lot while other places nearby are overrun with it. I think ,maybe some prior owner here may have logged the hickory off.
I have a 28" bar for my Sachs 133 and Husky 2100. Both are down at the moment, but the bar and chain are there for when I get them fixed. Most wood here could be handled with a 16 or 18" bar, but 20" balances so much better IMO, plus I don't have to bend over so far! Not having to bend over is getting more important to me these days!
Actually, this thread reminds me I need to get my splitter up into the garage and get it warmed up for an oil change. Honda engines are bullet proof, but even they benefit from an oil change!