Enough wood already !!!!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:46 am

I`ve said we are done cutting wood about six times already, well enough is enough

Don`t know if it`s a sign of things to come or what but this is the most wood we`ve ever cut .

Well better too much than not enough i guess, and besides i`m tired.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:50 am

How does that work?

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:52 am

Mescalero wrote:How does that work?

How does what work?

ollogger · Post by **ollogger** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:58 am

Well how much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood all day?
boy that even harder to type than it is to say!

How many cords ya got now?

ollogger

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:00 am

Guessing about 14 cord not counting the cook stove wood.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:06 am

I think he means the outdoor furnace you show in your second picture.

Here is our wood shed. Holds 6-cords with room for another cord under the lean-to on the back of the shed and another cord on the side of the shed - 8-cords altogether. You can see the fuel-oil tank on the left of the picture. We use it to run a monitor heater now a days and only use the house wood stove during power outages. Still, it's a good idea to keep our wood shed full. Lordy, I hate chopping wood.

Most people here who have a furnace such as shown in your second picture use pellets.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:13 am

The stove is forced air, there`s two 12 inch pipes going from the stove into the house .
One hot air one cold, a squirrel cage fan runs all the time circulating the air through the stove.
There is a blower in the front of the stove that is thermostatically controlled in the house.
When the house isn`t calling for heat the stove is shut tight and just smolders.
It works very well, i set the stat at 72 degrees and the house temp never moves all winter.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:17 am

O.k.
Thanks.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:18 am

Mescalero wrote:O.k.
Thanks.

Forgive me pard i wasn`t trying to be rude in my first reply.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:29 am

I was not the least bit offended.

1894c · Post by **1894c** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:36 am

Pitchy wrote:The stove is forced air, there`s two 12 inch pipes going from the stove into the house .
One hot air one cold, a squirrel cage fan runs all the time circulating the air through the stove.
There is a blower in the front of the stove that is thermostatically controlled in the house.
When the house isn`t calling for heat the stove is shut tight and just smolders.
It works very well, i set the stat at 72 degrees and the house temp never moves all winter. :)

PITCHY-- that is a very cool heating system (can i say cool and heat at the same time), never seen one before... :)

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:48 am

I plan to build 1 more house, and I plan to have radiant heat in the floor through the infamous
interlock system of heat moving through the floor.
It will also use the outdoor furnace system.
But I will still be dependent on electricity to run the pump.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:48 am

I plan to build 1 more house, and I plan to have radiant heat in the floor through the infamous
interlock system of heat moving through the floor.
It will also use the outdoor furnace system.
But I will still be dependent on electricity to run the pump.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:03 pm

Sorry about the double post, my nieghbor came over to help load the generator in the truck for the night watchman at the mining endeavor.
Have to have the equipment watched or it will be vandalized.
The township is not too happy with me for mining in thier fair village.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:03 pm

Sorry about the double post, my nieghbor came over to help load the generator in the truck for the night watchman at the mining endeavor.
Have to have the equipment watched or it will be vandalized.
The township is not too happy with me for mining in thier fair village.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:04 pm

It did it again???????????????

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:09 pm

That floor heat would be a good way to go, this stove sits to close to the house and i had to have it inspected before they would insure my house.
Yep the bad thing about all these type stoves is if the power goes off so does the stove

That is why we have a old fashion cook stove.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:27 pm

Dang Pitchy, thats quite a pile. (can I have it...all?

) I do believe something out of the ordinary is gonna happen this winter and the boys here are the "bestest" in prepardness.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:36 pm

Sixgun wrote:Dang Pitchy, thats quite a pile. (can I have it...all? ) I do believe something out of the ordinary is gonna happen this winter and the boys here are the "bestest" in prepardness.

Yep the woolybears are sporting a wide stripe this year.

Footloose · Post by **Footloose** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:01 pm

You can always use a small generator to run the fan and give you essential electricity during power outages.

I kept my place going a couple of times that way for over a week at a time.
The first time it was off the generator in in my camper. It runs off propane and I had a devil of a time getting it started due to the low temperature. The LP didn't want to vaporize. The second time I used a Honda 2000 set up for LP and kept the tank In the basement with the Gen outside.
It kept the furnace running, the basement heat going. Eventually I had to hook up the wife's computer and a TV as well as the refrigerator. (She insisted.)
I have in floor heat in my basement using a gas water heater and a small pump as well a gas furnace for the main floor.
I like the propane conversion on the Honda 2000, I don't have to worry about gummed up carburetors and I can still use gasoline if I need.

Footloose

Take your time to shoot straight, but do it quickly!

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:05 pm

Pitchy wrote:...set the stat at 72 degrees and the house temp never moves all winter.

Wished I could say that about my computer-controlled forced-air sytem... it probably has a 5 degree swing!

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:49 pm

Good work Mr P. Rewarding IMO.

We just have two stoves in our house that keep us toastie. We recently got a heat pump fitted but I prefere the wood stoves. As long as I have a match I can have heat.

N

6pt-sika · Post by **6pt-sika** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:55 pm

I often wish I had never sold the old circa 1914 Frick Traction engine I used to own !

But since I sold the engine I have NO REASON to cut and or split firewood !

Now the only time I use a chainsaw is to cut fall downs outta my trails and push the stuff outta the way with my little JD4300 with the bucket on the front !

Sorry thats a picture from the snows of January 2010 .

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 2:20 pm

Yep a person could heat the house and run a generator with that traction engine in a emergency.

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 3:13 pm

Nothing beats wood heat in my opinion. I have a heatpump (mostly for AC) an oil furnace and 2 airtight wood stoves. The smaller stove is in the basement and I use it when it gets colder out and the furnace doesn't run much because the larger wood stove is keeping upstairs warm. If I don't fire up the little one I could run the risk of freezing pipes etc downstairs. I sometime light it up when it is not too cold just to warm the floors and keep the furnace/heatpump from running. I cut and split my own wood about 10 cords per year. I have all my wood for 2013/2014 winter cut and piled outside now.

COSteve · Post by **COSteve** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 4:44 pm

Could someone enlighten me as to why one would want the heater mounted outside, please. Seems that first, you're wasting a lot of heat from the heater shell, second, the heater assy is subjected to the elements, and third, you have to go outside to load the wood.

I'm not understanding why that's preferable to mounting the same heater into the basement or heater room inside the house and bringing in a supply of wood. Seems to me that you'd make more efficient use of the BTUs the burning wood produces.

I'm sure there is a good reason for a setup that way, I just don't understand what that reason would be. Please enlighten us 'slower' readers.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:19 pm

Steve, the snow sits on top of the stove and never melts, it`s that well insulated.
It only has to be filled with wood twice in a 24 hr. period, once at night and once in the morning.
It`s been sitting there for 20 years with no harm to it.

6pt-sika · Post by **6pt-sika** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:27 pm

COSteve wrote:Could someone enlighten me as to why one would want the heater mounted outside, please. Seems that first, you're wasting a lot of heat from the heater shell, second, the heater assy is subjected to the elements, and third, you have to go outside to load the wood.

I'm not understanding why that's preferable to mounting the same heater into the basement or heater room inside the house and bringing in a supply of wood. Seems to me that you'd make more efficient use of the BTUs the burning wood produces.

I'm sure there is a good reason for a setup that way, I just don't understand what that reason would be. Please enlighten us 'slower' readers.

I first saw these wood heater jobs at the North Carolina State Fair maybe 25-30 years ago . One of the big selling points or so I thought was you never had to carry the wood etc into the house thus cutting down on the mess !

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:31 pm

Pitchy, it looks like you are all set for the coming winter

smokenrust · Post by **smokenrust** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:43 pm

The pic of the Frick that 6pt-sika posted, reminded me of what my uncle told me about a relative in Dakota.
After the threashing season was over with, this fellow would run the steamer into a shed along side the house and that was his work shop too. He would leave the house door open to the shop when it was warm in there.
He also had that engine set up to run lines to the heaters in the house and kept the house warm that way.
When he needed to power a line shaft in his shop, he would just build up steam for that.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:44 pm

smokenrust wrote:The pic of the Frick that 6pt-sika posted, reminded me of what my uncle told me about a relative in Dakota.
After the threashing season was over with, this fellow would run the steamer into a shed along side the house and that was his work shop too. He would leave the house door open to the shop when it was warm in there.
He also had that engine set up to run lines to the heaters in the house and kept the house warm that way.
When he needed to power a line shaft in his shop, he would just build up steam for that.

How much better could it get than that.

COSteve · Post by **COSteve** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:49 am

Thanks Pitchy, now I understand the reasons. I learn something new here every time I visit this site.

JB · Post by JB » Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:46 pm

COSteve wrote:Could someone enlighten me as to why one would want the heater mounted outside, please. Seems that first, you're wasting a lot of heat from the heater shell, second, the heater assy is subjected to the elements, and third, you have to go outside to load the wood.

I'm not understanding why that's preferable to mounting the same heater into the basement or heater room inside the house and bringing in a supply of wood. Seems to me that you'd make more efficient use of the BTUs the burning wood produces.

I'm sure there is a good reason for a setup that way, I just don't understand what that reason would be. Please enlighten us 'slower' readers.

Because the stove is located away from your home, you eliminate fire hazards. Outside burning removes the threat of chimney fires, dangerous carbon monoxide build-up or oxygen depletion which affects your indoor air quality. You also don't have problems with smoke, ashes, soot, etc. on the walls and ceilings.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 4:14 pm

JB wrote:
COSteve wrote:Could someone enlighten me as to why one would want the heater mounted outside, please. Seems that first, you're wasting a lot of heat from the heater shell, second, the heater assy is subjected to the elements, and third, you have to go outside to load the wood.

I'm not understanding why that's preferable to mounting the same heater into the basement or heater room inside the house and bringing in a supply of wood. Seems to me that you'd make more efficient use of the BTUs the burning wood produces.

I'm sure there is a good reason for a setup that way, I just don't understand what that reason would be. Please enlighten us 'slower' readers.
Because the stove is located away from your home, you eliminate fire hazards. Outside burning removes the threat of chimney fires, dangerous carbon monoxide build-up or oxygen depletion which affects your indoor air quality. You also don't have problems with smoke, ashes, soot, etc. on the walls and ceilings.

The maker of this style stove is no longer making them and a lot of insurance companies won`t cover them because they are to close to the house.
The water boiler type are located away from the house and are approved.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 10:02 pm

I don't know about you, but I feel the same way about wood as I do about ammo ... The more I have the better I feel. A fellow will always use it so it is better to have too much than not enough. Just looking at your wood pile, Pitchy, makes me feel good.

BAGTIC · Post by **BAGTIC** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:06 am

We finally got a small generator to run our outdoor wood stove circulating fan as we also want electricity for lights, TV and especially refigerators and freezers. During power outages we do our cooking in microwave as generator handles that okay. Electric ovens and ranges are out.

If some outdoor wood furnace manufacturer, hot air or hot water, would incorporate a thermal electric power supply they should make a bundle. It could be hooked to a deep cycle battery that could provide start up power and then recharge itself.

If your crawlspace is naturally dry, no seepage or groundwater, or drainage from roof drains it is possible to seal off the crawl space insulate the inside of the foundation and use the entire crawlspace as a hot air plenum.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:44 am

We have to resort back to the old ways to survive, modern equipment is a failure waiting to happen.
My friends, we may see a necessity to become real self sufficient real soon.
Sears catalogs for you know what in the out house may not be out of the question.
God have mercy on those that relied on corn cobbs.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 4:03 pm

Pitchy wrote:Sears catalogs for you know what in the out house may not be out of the question.
God have mercy on those that relied on corn cobbs.

Well, I've used a lot of stuff in my time, and I'll take a corn cob over some of that glossy paper any day.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 4:56 pm

KirkD wrote:
Pitchy wrote:Sears catalogs for you know what in the out house may not be out of the question.
God have mercy on those that relied on corn cobbs.
Well, I've used a lot of stuff in my time, and I'll take a corn cob over some of that glossy paper any day.

No corn cobbs only pine cones

DixieBoy · Post by **DixieBoy** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 7:51 pm

Thought I'd jump in and uplift this conversation a bit.

It's been years, back when I was a teenager, since I cut firewood. But I had the same thought that Kirk D expressed
about that woodpile you've put together Pitchy. That is a really satisfying sight. I used to always feel great after hours
of cutting firewood. I know that some of the "fun" goes out of it when we get older, but that's still a satisfying sight. - DixieBoy

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 8:25 pm

Thanks pard, i like cutting wood in the fall after the leaves start falling and the temps drop.
I hate cutting wood when it`s hot and buggy.
We even snag a tree or two in the winter if the snow doesn`t get to deep.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 12:12 pm

My father and I did pretty much all of our cutting in the winter, the colder the better. We had nothing but Trembling Aspen in our area (we called it White Poplar). Long about January, we would head into the bush. Dad would cut a bunch of green Aspen, I would limb it and then Dad would cut it into firewood lengths and throw it into a pile in the bush. After a while, we would set to splitting it. At 20 or 30 below that green Aspen split like glass. We would then let it dry for a year or two in a massive pile we had out behind the barn. Each Saturday in the winter, we'd load up the back of the pickup and drive it over to the house. Dad would fire it in through a basement window while I would be inside piling it in a neat pile, about 8 feet long and 6 feet high. That usually did us for one week.

P.S. Pine cones sound a little rough. Ouch!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 12:25 pm

At our prevous home we had a barrel stove in the basement. There was a door we could open and we would also throw the wood in and stack it in rows in the basement.
I like this outdoor stove better though and eliminates the chimney issues though i ran a steel pipe through the basement wall under ground into a big steel chimney that was a couple feet away from the house.
Be time to start up the outdoor stove soon.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:35 pm

By gum, we had a barrel stove in the basement as well, along with a wood fired forced air furnace for the rest of the house. Eventually, we ripped out the wood burning furnace and went to an outdoor stove/hot water heat system.