I come in early, and leave early, so the worst is that it has made me come in sweaty and on time. It is 1.4 mi away but there are a few lights that can add 10 min to the drive. DC metro traffic is the worst, well terrible anyways.
Yeah, cordless tools make job so much more efficient. So long as they are charged they are on the ready and you don't have to spend time setting up with cords. With no cords in the way there's no worry about cutting cords that pull on your tools or limiting your freedom to go from room to room where you would usually have to re plug. I never realized how much of a pain all that was before cordless. Remember the drill chuck key that was tethered to the cord getting stuck on a part of the latter or whatever and stopping you just shy of the length needed to drill? Seemed to always happen with the cord when drilling where you needed just one more inch! How bout the circular saw slowing down and you think the wood is just tough or binding the blade, only to notice the cord is once again caught and/or dragging. Another thing I discovered with cordless was the impact drill...a real game changer when setting screws! Where has this thing been all my life?? But you do sacrifice a little beefiness and power with some tools and applications. At this point I only have 2 batteries so Mwalsh9152 may have a point when it comes to the power sucking circular saw and hoarding, though I'm still thinking I should get one for around the house projects.
I can remember being a teenager...1983 i think. First time working with my dad and older brother doing roofing/gutters. Dad uses a Black&Decker drill for the gutters. I had to climb two stories with the corded drill to attach the downspout to the gutter. Chuck key dangling and all. Couple years later he got a Makita cordless drill...WOW, game changer. Perfect for gutter as we would drill 1/8" holes for riviting together. Ive used Dewalt since 1993 when i got a 12v which was the highest at the time. Later got the 18v set in 2000 i think. Stolen out of my truck. Got the six piece 18v set. HD incentive gave me another tool of my choice. Got the jigsaw. I had never used the impact and was always the cordless drill user. Love the impact now. In 2006 my circular saw fell nearly three stories off a roof. I go down and hit the trigger and its worked! Plastic cracked, slightly bent, but all i was doing is cutting plywood. Reminded mt of the old Timex commercial..."it takes a licking, but keeps on ticking" With two batteries fully charged give it a shot if you get the saw. Check CL/pawn shops/ebay for decent used. The bare tool (no battery or charger) is usually reasonable.
Went to that small wild lot this afternoon and took more of that Black locust. This time some very heavy gnarly sections and I cut up some smaller branches. Got some branches of Walnut too. The logs have been down for a while so I was easily able to strip the bark off and brush the wood clean. Under the bark was the all familiar layer of soil ridden with ant nests and worms.
Nice, I bet those big logs were heavy. I was impressed with the ones I picked up by the noise they make when you drop them or rap them with something metal. Ping! Like they are stone or something.
Yeah, I estimate 130 to 150 lbs apiece and they are like iron. Too bad so many crotches, but hey that's the kind of wood a low level urban scrounger gets
Those locust logs clean up nice! How did you move them to your car? They would smush your shopping cart!
I found it split pretty easy although I didn’t have any crotches to deal with. Try splitting from the branch side from the outside first.. after you cut your standard rounds from the long side. I don’t know why I’m giving advice, I’m a rookie.
The trouble I've had with black locust crotches, is that the branches extend far into the trunk, and I have to split around them, not through them. This pic is the best example I have, the foot sticking out of the piece on the right.
well, ive joined the car hoarding thread. The PU was still in the shop so i went to the mini honey hole this afternoon with our Murano. Had a moving blanket in back for saw, tools etc. I decided to take a log home so i could post. Hole in one red oak round! I wouldve taken more, but the wood isnt coming here. PLEEEEASE don't tell Ms. buZZsaw i did this! Hey we're wood hoarders and we figure out how to get it done!
I dragged, toppled end to end, and then I also carried. The shopping card is only used when I need to transport small logs or branches that are far from my car. Yes these logs would be too big and heavy for the cart.
Haha, I know the Car hoarding thread is so cool! That log looks like one of them Swedish torch logs where you stuff the center hole with kindling and rip some vertical kerfs then light and you have a stove to boil a pot of water, or a one log campfire.
funny you mentioned that Urban Woods , as the thought for a Swedish candle went through my mind. A torch has the kerf cuts and a candle the hole with small hole at bottom for draft...used for cooking. Dont know how well it would work at this point as all the oak is still rather wet inside. Even the couple of logs that mustve been standing dead when felled were wet. I made one out of spruce and just burnt it last weekend. Mostly smoldered with minimal flames. Ill try a birch or maple round for next Summer.
I always knew you were one of us in spirit, now it's official! Nice log, I've brought home worse scores.
Yeah definitely let it dry out buZZsaw BRAD, in the mean time find something useful to do with it while it seasons. Perhaps offer it to your wife to make a tall arrangement of dried flowers? but don't stand it up directly on your floor, put something in between because it still has moisture that will sweat and mold up the floor or worse and warp it. Another thought is maybe scrap the firewood idea altogether and open that hole up wider with your chainsaw, put potting soil in it and place it in your yard as a unique natural flower pot that's also biodegradable! This may be the gardener coming out in me and perhaps that's not your thing, but I'm only suggesting you consider the possibilities before splitting and stacking it.
funny, i seem to save "holy" logs for projects that never materialize. Planters, birdhouses, Swedish candles etc.
