Questions from a green log.

Welcome, Jack.

The best advice for wood buring is burn dry wood.

What kind of wood stove did you get?

 

JackHammer, welcome. There's been a lot of good information posted in this thread already so I can't add too much.

It seems like it was just a couple of years ago since I was a total noob to wood burning. I grew up in a household with a brick/masonry open fireplace. My dad was a fairly educated wood burner, but from what I've learned here, my dad could have done better.

It wasn't until I retired and moved north that started getting into wood. The first thing I learned was that axes are not really the best tool for splitting wood, I don't have access to really big stuff, most of the wood I get around me is less than 18" across. I started with axes but quickly moved on to a 6lb fiberglass handled maul... much better! These pictures show the kind of wood I usually deal with... A lot of dead standing oak..




I made a saw buck out of a couple of pallets and it's worked great for years...



I throw the logs on there and cut to length.



When I first stated my firewood adventures, I had an old, finicky, Jonsereds 49sp, my wife insisted I buy a more modern saw. I knew I didn't need a pro level saw, but I wanted more than a disposable saw. I got a nice deal on a Husqvarna 450, so that's what I've been using for years. I have't had to drop a live tree yet as I've been clearing out the dead fall in the woods behind our home.

A couple more things to keep in mind as you gather your wood. Find a way to store it off the ground. There's many different ways to do that.... pallets, cement blocks with landscape timbers, plastic pallets, large wood sheds... I went with what I had access to, pallets, dump find tin, and scrap wood make nice drying racks.
An inexpensive moisture meter is a nice thing to have when you're first starting out. I found on a Harbor Freight for $10.
Split your wood as soon as you can, store it off the ground, give it time to dry in the sun and wind.....

Good luck.
ErikR

Oh, I eventually went halves on a splitter with my buddy... He uses it, and when I need it, I drag it to my place. My easier on my old bones.

 

Welcome Jack. Where in the snow belt of Ohio are you located?

 

I got one of the new EPA secondary style stoves. It isn't a fancy brand but should do just great for my needs. I am reading a lot in those threads...

 

Chardon, Ohio. The snow is not too bad most of the time.

 

I'm on the other side of the line in stark county. Sure not like it used to be in the way of precipitation.