Long day for me today. Went back for some more wood. Cut one dead standing and a couple dead down Oak. Noodled a couple of the big Oak pieces, and took down a small Maple that's been hung up on another tree for several days. Almost a full load today. Spent a little more than a couple hours in the woods, then went in the house and did some more muddin'. That took almost 3 hours, and all I got done was a few inside corners. Came out pretty nice. None of the joints I did yesterday were dry enough for another coat. Could have sworn I took more pics in the woods today, but I think we all know what happens.
FWIW, I use a hot set mud for the first 2 coats, the use the lightweight bucket mud to finish. The hot set cures in about an hour, you can do multiple coats in the same day. Really speeds up the process.
Thanks for the tip. I might have done that, but she bought the cheapest mud she could find, so I used that. I'm also battling a SIL who likes to think she can do this, but who in reality is a total hack. She doesn't seem to care, but I have a hard time doing crappy work. OCD I'd like to get the main room nice and smooth so it doesn't look like crap when the paint goes on, but I think some of it is a lost cause already. It's her house, so I can only push so much. You should see what she did in the 2 bedrooms. Imagine a mud snake along the ceiling. Ripples galore, chunks.......I'll stop because she is trying. Very trying.
On a lighter note, I didn't unload that wood yesterday. Went out this morning with the dogs and decided to do it. Bunch of wet on the windshield (it's been raining a lot), so I flipped on the wipers, but that did nothing. I swiped my finger on the inside and got a bunch of water, so looked around and all the windows had a nice coating of water on them. It dawned on me the wood had let go of a bunch of moisture overnight, and deposited it on the windows. Cracked the windows, and it'll air out, but I was slightly shocked at first. Just thought I'd give everyone a little chuckle.
Eureka!!!! ... and you can dry your wood out faster by leaving the motor going with the heat on high... ...
I'm doing some mudding too. I had to get the wood stove cranking to try to drive the moisture out of the room. The corners just aren't curing. I tried "just slapping it on"and stop playing with it ( advice of someone who does it for a living) , for the first coat cuz it usually takes me 4 or 5 coats due to OCD and , well, I have cracks in the corners and wet spots. I think I'm going back to OCD and I won't entertain the idea of doing this for a living. All the darn rain isn't helping. The neighbors must be wondering WTF with it 75 outside and the chimney cranking.
Yeah, and open the windows an inch or so for venting. Bill, so far no cracking, but the corners aren't dry from yesterday. Didn't think they would be. Did a little more mudding this morning, but we're going to friend's this afternoon, so I wanted to get home. I plan to go back in the morning for more mudding and more importantly to get some more Oak. I can s/s later, but want to get as many loads as possible before the snow gets deep, so it's slowly starting to pile up.
Now thats how us michiganders haul wood! I love it! I loaded my blazer like that a lot before the trailer its amazing how much that sub can hold...
Actually spun the tires a little trying to back into place going up a slight incline. These tires need to go. Yeah Pete, I can get about 1/4 cord in there. That's w/o having any in the passenger seat or footwell.
A S10 Blazer is just a S10 with a cap! I'd drop the seats and stuff it up then drop the glove box door and fill it with small pieces of kindling. On the way home I'd go about 1 mph laughing the whole way. I still have the blazer with almost 300000 miles on it and drive it every day 65 miles round trip. 4.3l is a beast of a motor the shocks well that's not so safe but I'm still alive and so is the Blazer. Now we have a 86 k1500 with 3/4 rear and a 35oolb trailer so I get in trouble if I even say we can fit more!
Took another trip to Oakville late this morning, and got 3 small dead ones. Cut a standing dead leaner that hung up on another larger dying leaner which I also cut, which then got caught in another Oak and a small Maple. I gave up and went for the lower hanging fruit.......the stuff on the ground. I figure ma nature will help with those others. Anyway, here's some pics to prove I did it. This was a standing dead that actually fell within a foot or so of where I pointed it. That one loaded into the Jeep.
Here's the 2nd one.....pretty wet and starting to get punky, but I grabbed a few rounds anyway. Nothing very big, and the non-wet ones are very lightweight. Last one that was dead standing.
Lastly was part of a small Maple that's been neglected since I've been very focused on getting Oak. The last Oak is right behind the Maple in the back of the Jeep.
