Morning.  Up early.  Gonna smoke some ribs today.  I might be able to take a quick morning ride before I light the charcoal.

JM

raining

pissed down all last night and half the morning here too...  and I mean pissed down.

Bacon and firewood today.

Slept late. 

Drove into town, bought bacon.

Cooked bacon outside on the BBQ (rain stopped by then).

Ate bacon (a fairly infrequent activity in this house).

Listened to the "bacon is not a healthy food" lecture (actually I was aware that the lecture was in progress.... listening is probably overstating my part of the interaction  ).

Split and stacked firewood all arvo.

There went Sunday.

Quote from: ungeheuer on September 22, 2013, 04:59:10 AM
pissed down all last night and half the morning here too...  and I mean pissed down.

Bacon and firewood today.

Slept late. 

Drove into town, bought bacon.

Cooked bacon outside on the BBQ (rain stopped by then).

Ate bacon (a fairly infrequent activity in this house).

Listened to the "bacon is not a healthy food" lecture (actually I was aware that the lecture was in progress.... listening is probably overstating my part of the interaction  ).

Split and stacked firewood all arvo.

There went Sunday.

...and I bet the wood didn't lecture you.

Do you split by hand or with a hydraulic splitter?

I only ever split by hand.  I kinda enjoy it.

Weird eh.

NeighboUr has a hydraulic splitter which has been offered to me to borrow... but other than the inevitable one or two ball-breaking impossible pieces.... I'm happy swinging the splitter by hand.

Quote from: ungeheuer on September 22, 2013, 05:11:47 AM
I only ever split by hand.  I kinda enjoy it.

Weird eh.

NeighboUr has a hydraulic splitter which has been offered to me to borrow... but other than the inevitable one or two ball-breaking impossible pieces.... I'm happy swinging the splitter by hand.

I've split plenty by hand...

but when you have 8 cords staring you in the face and it has to get done to be ready for the heating season...

there's nothing like using up some fossil fuel to get it done.

No rush around here.  I get to split firewood in winter (albeit the last day of winter) for burning next winter.

My neighbour thinks I'm nuts.

He may even be right  

Quote from: ungeheuer on September 22, 2013, 05:11:47 AM
I only ever split by hand.  I kinda enjoy it.

Weird eh.

I prefer to split by hand too.  Don't know why, but I enjoy doing it.

JM

Remind me, how much is a cord in measurements the rest of us use?

JM is nuts too 

Isn't a cord 4x4x8'?

Quote from: Monsterlover on September 22, 2013, 05:24:12 AM
Isn't a cord 4x4x8'?

Yup...128 ft³

A cord is a lot of wood to split by hand but not nearly as much when you start burning it

I've perfected the "read the grain" one whack split technique.  Certainly makes it easier and more therapeutic.

Unless there's a know.  Then it's time for the 25lb maul.

JM

Quote from: ducpainter on September 22, 2013, 05:25:09 AM
Yup...128 ft³

3.6 cubic metres.

Yup, 29m³ is a fair bit to get through....

Quote from: the_Journeyman on September 22, 2013, 05:29:54 AM
I've perfected the "read the grain" one whack split technique.  Certainly makes it easier and more therapeutic.

Unless there's a know.  Then it's time for the 25lb maul.

JM

Yeah, if you pay attention to the gain the wood splits itself  

My boys are wise to me now, but I used to play the pick an easy piece and whack it in half with one blow trick.... pick a gnarly piece and offer them the opportunity to emulate my incredible prowess  .

It really depends on species.

Oak, Maple, and Ash are pretty easy generally.

Yellow Birch and Elm...you won't freeze because it will take all winter to do it and you'll end up with kindling.