Just chip away at it, and you'll have a pile in no time at all. A milk crate holds about a cubic foot of standing wood, so split up 5 crates worth a day, and in two months you'll be looking at 2+ cord of wood.
In years past I did lots of mountaineering. I would look at Rainier and see how big my task ahead was. Really it was just one more step followed by one more.... It doesnt have to be a big job, just lots of smaller jobs on a regular routine. I have a bad back but with the help of my splitter I manage to put up 6 cord a year because I like the work. If you make it a routine of just a little bit each day youll be amazed at how far you can go. When the work is all done its time to sit back with a cold brew and listen to the heat snap, crackle and pop the wood!
Mounties to the rescue! Great advice Sean and saskwoodburner And yooperdave agrees- so it must be a gooder idea!
If I were in your shoes I'd cut dead or smaller trees, rather than focus on a few big trees. I would also not cut oak, which is very slow to dry. Oak is great if you have a few years to dry it, but not great for next winter. There should be a lot of smaller or down wood in the woodlot if you haven't been cutting. Get what is quick and efficient.
As others have suggested, putting up some quick drying stuff now is a good way to go. Many here, including myself, started out this way - it might take more of it, but it will still heat your home. And I guarantee, a dry softwood will throw more heat than a wet hardwood. The key is dry. I've been in violation of one of the 'rules' myself: I don't have an EPA stove. But I do have dry wood, and that's all I need to run it cleanly. [EDIT] Meant to comment on the dead locust - that could be a gold mine of dry primo firewood for you. Gather as much softwood as you can, and save some of that (if it's already dry) for the really cold nights.
Not sure about your area but my part of Virginia has a lot of oak that is easily accessible. If you have to burn oak that is not dry enough, try mixing with some dry softwood. Not ideal but I've done it and it can work. And if we have a GTG in VA I would make every effort to attend!
So true with about any task. For me, it is the rule for cleaning up a mess. I run out of energy fast so I have to set a pace or nothing gets done at all.
My neighbor told me an important mantra once when I was overwhelmed with a huge task. He asked me "How do you eat an elephant?" ... the answer is one bite at a time. For me, I split about 2 wheelbarrow loads of wood in a session before I need to take a break. I use a 6lb maul, so it wears me out quick but it just blasts apart the rounds. Sometimes I only hit the pile once in a while, sometimes I will do a couple sessions in a day. It all adds up, and progress is progress big or small. Keep at it girl, hold your head up and you can do anything.
It's not either/or with the lumber/firewood production, especially with deciduous trees. No matter how efficiently you try to produce lumber with them, you're only going to see 50% of the wood as lumber. Guess what? The rest (the whole top & slabs) is firewood.
The percentage will vary a lot depending upon the size of the log being sawn. 50% means a very small log.
I have a good bit of firewood up and would last a few years if I didnt cut at all. That has made me a little more laid back on cutting. I usually wait a while then cut a whole bunch in a few weeks to catch up for time lost.
That number was quoted from industry sources, in fact. Not radical when you consider the slabs, pith, sawdust, and top. My speculation would be that the big factor in variation would be open/forest-grown.
I wish I was closer to you we could start squirreling away stacks to get you set--what part of va are you in?
I am telly-less lol--assume you mean the newscasters or such who love to label anything that don't walk--will look you up...
