Putting up wood

[Acer]

Sounds funny but was wondering how you guys put up wood.

I fell, it buck it where it lands, load it in the hauler, take it to the "to be split" pile where it remains until the 3 1/2 pound portable splitter makes short work of it, then into the shed. Might have to upgrade the splitter.



Dean

[ennismaple]

We drop the tree, skid the whole thing to one side of the clearing where we top it so we can burn the branches, skid the log and top to the other side of the clearing where we cut, split and throw it on our pallets. The pallets sit until late September when we come pick them up with the tractor and pile them in the woodshed.

[KenWP]

Sounds easy comapred to mine. All my wood almost is hung up in semi vetical piles. I have to figure out how to get the piles apart and cut off the branchs and then I stack the logs in piles untill I have what I feel is enough cut for the year and then we cut them into 16 inch lengths and then haul it to the house in a JD cart with my little tractor. It then gets split with either a large splitting axe or a maul and wedge and then stacked either in the shed or out side. I have to have 13 or 14 full cords at least to cover the winter. Sugering ony needs a cord and half it looks like the rest burns in the house. This year I have a better idea what not to split as I actually split the wood too small for the house and it burnt too fast.

[Brad W Wi]

I cut mine in the woods after tapping season, and stack it where it dropped. It's stacked out of the way on runners and covered over the top with old tarps. After the next year of tapping I then bring this cut wood up to the sugar shack and split and stack it under cover for the following spring. 2 years old and well seasoned. I then turn around and start cutting right away. I cut limb wood down to 2 inches in dia. There isn't much limbs to get rid of and I pile them and burn them up in winter. It works for me.

[RUSTYBUCKET]

A tree cutter that brings me chips will drop off loads of softwoods and an occasional load of hardwoods. I do have one sugarbush that needs thinning though. The trees will be cut, topped and bucked into 4' lengths. I'll use the tractor to haul them out, recut them to firebox length and split with a splitter.

Russ

[bucksyrup]

I just cut the tree down and take the firewood to sell and everything that does not need to be split i take to the sap house and stack inside.

[maple flats]

I drop then then haul them to a central working location where they are bucked, split and then stackind where they will dry for the next 1.5-2 years. I keep enough wood done up for the next season and at least half of the following. Right now I have about 8 full cords stacked and I will likely use less that 5 next year, especially if i get the RO I am trying to work into my equipment list. I also have a sawmill and all of my slab (hard and soft) gets bucked up and split if needed and is burned mixed into the rest of my firewood. I try to mix about 1/3 soft with 2/3 hard on every firing.

[KenWP]

I had such good luck with the small cedar trees I cut last year for running the evaporator and not haveing to split the stuff that my boss has been collecting lots of branchs and such this year on purpose for the task. It was fast to use as I just had to grab a bunch out of the pile and not bother splitting it. When I ran out I had to split big stuff which can be a pain when its raining.

[Stickey]

I have always pondered the true definition of "seasoned wood"- been told a year, a season, cut in spring-stack in fall-burn in winter. I have a outdoor wood boiler, so seasoning doesn't really apply to me. I just stuff it full of whatever I can get my hands on for free and minimal effort. For for my first year of sugaring I was able to retrieve a couple of cord of standing dead pine, it burned wicked pissah. I am splitting pine now for next spring, leaving it in a heap outdoors to let the rain wash the sap out and I will stack and cover before frost sets in.

[hookhill]

We have done it fifty different ways throughout the years. This year we cut and sold a bunch of popple pulp off the property but left the tops in the woods. Many of the tops leafed out which helps with the drying. Once we get done with our commercial firewood those tops will cut pulled to the skid road, bucked, put on a trailer and stacked in the field. Then in the fall the will go into the sugar shack. Best.

Jim

[TapME]

if its clean and will burn it has a home in our rig. Cheap is always good too. We made 45 gallons off of and old mobile home this year and that wood burned great. Beats taking room in the land fill. If its not used in the house for heat then the evap gets it.

[3rdgen.maple]

I use to say if you can cut it with a chainsaw it will burn in the arch. Well hookhill I gotta say you are a better man than me. I cut down some popple and stacked it in the sugarhouse. Well when I went back in there this weekend I decided not to do that anymore. Man that stuff has an awful smell too it. When I opened that door it hits you in the face. Does it still stink when it dries out? I hope so.

[michiganfarmer]

I buy pulp logs by the semi load

[hookhill]

Yea that popple does have a funky smell. The smell should taper off after drying. That popple has made some good sugar wood for us. It is a nice combination of fast burning but with more btus than spruce or pine.

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

my Wood is only kept for a year, after that the bugs always seem to invade it the second year.. so anything now we cut and split is used up with in 6 months to a year of drying.. Ive had wood stored and cover for like two years, why it was so lite because insects ate and nested in it. no more included red oak and maple wood and some black gum (which must dry for at least 6 months before splitting it)

[red maples]

I read somewhere that its easier to split right after you cut down the tree...blah. slightly dryer aged wood is way easier to split because it get natural crack from the drying process.

[Thad Blaisdell]

Actually the easist wood to split would have to be right after you cut it down, in the middle of winter below 0 degrees, frozen solid. That wood pops right open like a can of tuna.

[red maples]

yes that is true. it does pop. when its frozen. warm you up too.

[batsofbedlam]

my Wood is only kept for a year, after that the bugs always seem to invade it the second year.. so anything now we cut and split is used up with in 6 months to a year of drying.. Ive had wood stored and cover for like two years, why it was so lite because insects ate and nested in it. no more included red oak and maple wood and some black gum (which must dry for at least 6 months before splitting it)
If you completely cover your woodpile, it cannot get air to dry off condensation and will rot. Try just covering the top of the pile to keep the rain off and leave the sides of the piles open to the air.
I usually try to keep 3 years ahead on wood and have never had a rot or insect problem.

[red maples]

when I ripped down my old shed I saved all the playwood sheeting ans cut it all in 1/2 lengthwise to cover all my wood pile. the only thing I have is ants that eat the wood. except for the pine then its ants and pine sawyers. I let my wood bake in the sun for a few months and then cover it up tight for the winter. and its dry as a bone!!!

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

yup thats what i do, never covered sides only the very top layer gets a piece of tarp over it.. don't have any trouble splitting any wood, doesn't matter when i split, my splitter knocks it all apart with ease, however only wood i cant split is black gum, it must sit for at least 6-12 months depending on circumferences before you can have at it, if trying to split fresh it splitters so bad and will not split and will just explode into a mess of wood, once dry and split it burns super fast and is like dried out pine.

Black gum also called (Tupelo, pepperidge, SOUR GUM)
http://www.baylink.org/wpc/bgum.html

[Randy Brutkoski]

Shag Bark Hickory is almost impossible to split as well.

[Randy Brutkoski]

Does Black Gum have bark like a cherry. I have 1 in the yard and i have always wondered what it is.

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Never tried any shag bark, got some pig nut/hickory here but i never cut any down to try to split or burn. the bark is very course looking but is weak on the gums but the inner wood is tough and is like twined grains.
right now the gums here are producing tons of purple berries that my chickens seem to love to eat and the wild birds have been all over them to..

pic's of gum bark..ones a larger tree than the other.

smaller
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/bator001.jpg

bigger
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/bator003.jpg