At Home In The Woods

[Obed]

Last night my wife took moisture meter readings of the wood we have been burning. The hickory and poplar (I guess it's poplar) read 20%. A piece of pine read 30% toward the outside (bark side) of the log and 20% on the side opposite the bark side. The outside of the pine log was very wet when I pulled it off the pile so I'm not surprised that the outside of the piece of firewood had a higher moisture content than the opposite side.

I believe 20% is good seasoned wood. 30% I think could stand to be a little drier. These firewood pieces came from the 20 ft long logs that have been sitting on our log pile for about 2 years. I'm guessing that I cut up, split, and stacked these pieces 2 months ago. Apparently wood can season without being cut up and split.

 

[Obed]

I have a great video for you to watch if you don't like heights...

Climbing A 1,768 Foot Transmission Tower | Artifacting

Wow. That got my heart pumping.

 

[tony Cecil]

Obed

Over the last twenty plus years, we`v just burned wook in a regular fireplace---although a really large one---I`v always just started the fire, and then gotten a nice sized one going, and, once hot enough, just kept it that way..

About three years ago I put a cap on the flu, that was like a `prairie wagon`....when doing so, the flu looked to me to be relatively clean, so I`v never had it cleaned....Your flu might need to breathe a bit more, as it looked to me to be pretty restricted with the little vents etc.....Whatever be careful up there, as it may be a bit harder to work than you think..

I think a regular old rotary walk behind will work fine, just take your time, and don`t expect stuff to work like t v .....I just hand turn mine, and it takes me a week...and each year it is just as hard as the previous year Tony

 

[Obed]

Today I bought a used utility trailer I found on CL. It is a 5'x8' tilt trailer with 15" wheels and a 3500 lb axle. I paid $400 for it which is about going rate. The 15" wheels are a real plus; some of the trailers this size come with 12" wheels.

I debated whether or not to get a 5x8 trailer or a 5x10 trailer. The 10' trailers were quite a bit more expensive, almost double.

Now if I could just find some time cut some firewood...

 

[Tororider]

Nice score on the trailer, I am sure you will find many uses for it. I agree about the tires. You can easily make removable plywood sides for hauling mulch and the like.

 

[dstig1]

That should work great.

 

[gwjd]

make sure the ash bucket cools off well away from the house ....

 

[Danno1]

Last night my wife took moisture meter readings of the wood we have been burning. The hickory and poplar (I guess it's poplar) read 20%. A piece of pine read 30% toward the outside (bark side) of the log and 20% on the side opposite the bark side. The outside of the pine log was very wet when I pulled it off the pile so I'm not surprised that the outside of the piece of firewood had a higher moisture content than the opposite side.

I believe 20% is good seasoned wood. 30% I think could stand to be a little drier. These firewood pieces came from the 20 ft long logs that have been sitting on our log pile for about 2 years. I'm guessing that I cut up, split, and stacked these pieces 2 months ago. Apparently wood can season without being cut up and split.

If you want to know the true moisture content, take the piece of wood you want to test, split it, then use the tester on the newly split surface.


.

 

[PAGUY]

Today I bought a used utility trailer I found on CL. It is a 5'x8' tilt trailer with 15" wheels and a 3500 lb axle. I paid $400 for it which is about going rate. The 15" wheels are a real plus; some of the trailers this size come with 12" wheels.

I debated whether or not to get a 5x8 trailer or a 5x10 trailer. The 10' trailers were quite a bit more expensive, almost double.

Now if I could just find some time cut some firewood...

I hate to cause you more work but I were you I would put it in the garage and on a nice day pull it out and wire brush the rust areas and paint with rustoleum. I would also check those wheel bearings and perhaps regrease them before any road trip off your property.

You know what with a wife like you have maybe it would be a good project for her.

 

[dstig1]

If you want to know the true moisture content, take the piece of wood you want to test, split it, then use the tester on the newly split surface.


.

And if you want even more fun, measure along the grain, across the grain and across the end grain to see just how different the readings will be. It is an electrical resistance meter and wood with moisture in it conducts electricity just slightly, but also slightly differently in different directions due to the cellular structure of the wood. I think most meters are calibrated to measure along the grain, but the instructions should say.