This person's woodyard nirvana...kinda....sorta

Nice!!!
A proper load of SS wood there.
I like the path too. Grew up in a EWP grove. Very few smells are as good.
You have plans to drop a tree over that path if/when wood gets scarce?

 

No plans, unless one of those big oaks die off.

Mrs MikeInMa grew up in the white house seen across the street. The path was used going back and forth. I added the stones over time.

 

Nice little area you have tucked away for your stacks. Always nice when an older saw fires after sitting for an extended period.

Just dont burn that pine!

 

It'll be destined for a campfire.

Gooey stuff that EWP, this time of year.

 

I think its gooey just about any time of the year. Not that i cut a lot of it, just always remember it being gooey! Spruce sap in the Summer is worse!

 

Today's class involves frass and other detritus.

I am working through racks of what I'm calling shoulder wood, a mix of elm, ash, apple, and mostly red maple. Scrounged - My next score? Hopefully!

As I've worked through this, and other similar racks, I've been using an old snow brush to remove the piles of frass from the splits. Given the amount, it's best to keep it away from the deck.



I figured it wouldn't hurt my compost, so I was brushing it on my compost bin. It'll find it's way below the bin cover.






I came across a few splits showing the critters holes.




Anyways.... I'm not concerned about the bugs or their crap. But just a reason for me to have a little distance between woodyard and house.

 

Yup rather common sight in my stacks. It is a pain in the frass for sure!

 

Emptied another rack this morning.


That makes 9 racks(3 cord) emptied for the season. With a full rack on the deck, we've burned through 2.66 cords of wood. More than I expected, given the warm winter. But, I've also been conscious of burning SS wood, during the day.

I've burned 2 stacks of oak, the rest a mix of ash, elm, apple, and red maple.

I'll pull that empty rack out of there, rake it all out. I'd like to raise the entire rack a few inches, on blocks. Just to improve air flow underneath.

 

I get what I believe are powderpost beetles in my stacks of red maple all the time. More in the top of the stack than further down for some reason. I find if the maple is well seasoned they have done their eating and are long gone when it is time to bring the wood into the house. I still bring just a day's worth though just because, hey you never know.

 

Before filling up that empty rack, I decided it would be proper to clear up that empty space and the space next to it. But, there was wood on it. Not any more.

I moved a recently empty rack to put the splits on, temporarily.





So, it was time to move that 2nd rack outta the way.


When I did, I noticed a strip of wood left behind.


Sure enough, it was from the rack. A couple years too late. I only had those for 30+ yrs.


I raked up the area, cleaned it up before pondering.


That rack up and on the left, is similar to the ones I pulled out. That wood was stacked 12/2020, so it'll be ready 23-24. I just may not involve it with this project.

The racks I pulled out, were ~4 inches longer than 8ft, due to the orientation of the end 2x4. The rack here is upside down.


I laid down an 8ft 2x4 and I think I'll replace both racks with new cinder blocks and 8ft landscape timbers.

.

I'll need 4 landscape timbers and 6 cinder blocks. A task for a different day.

 

Always a work in progress. Mike, i have some reclaimed PT lumber hanging around (among lots of other things). 2x8's mostly. There yours if you wants. I can check sizes later. Have another deck demo coming up and i know there will be 2x6 & 2x8 8' coming from it.

 

I'll have a need for materials for at least 5 racks. Let's see where I am when the CT gtg takes place!

If my math is right, ripping a 2x8 lengthwise results in 2 8ft 2x4's, or close to it.

 

Yes, you can do that. Not the exact size but works. Brackets sized for 2x4's/4x4's wont fit but some simple tweaking makes them fit.

 

MikeInMa moreover, older stuff had better, read more toxic, and last longer than new one also.. IME

 

X2 old school PT lasted in ground contact, the new stuff doesnt. I scrounged some 4x6 landscape timbers last year fro a raised bed and only one had some surface rot. Not sure how old they were. Getting used in a shed build ive got coming up.

 

Yessah... all the more reason I need to get my racks a bit higher, improving air flow underneath, as well as getting any wood further away from the ground.

I won't be composting or camp firing any PT wood, regardless of age. I'll find a distant corner of the yard to leave it to rot.

 

ripping older wood: take the good finish blade off first!

 

Chainsaw

 

ah!

 

I picked up some rack materials: cinder blocks and PT landscape timbers.

The morning showers let up. No reason to not get after it.

Much leveling and re-leveling. The rack on the left had been on the right.


I should have left that rack where it was. It's a few inches too long. It needs to sit level on that block.




So, that means dealing with the rack it butts up against, which was going to be dealt with, when emptied. Might as well be now.

Restacking onto the new block/timber rack from the one on the right.


All empty (reverse angle picture)


Both racks adjusted and releveled


Time to empty the tubular rack placed there temporarily.


The brown ends below, are sitting on the new block/timber rack. It's CSS 3yrs. The viewable ends had been facing inward, so no gray sun-bleached ends.


Reverse angle of rack that was emptied to be adjusted.


'twas a good morning's effort for me.

A couple glasses of water, a couple Aleve, and now a shower.

Time to locate and collect new inventory to fill that rack and 2 others that are empty.