In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Filling the fireplace wood pen

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by jo191145, Jan 28, 2025.

  1. jo191145

    jo191145

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    Got the conveyor unfrozen. Learned a lesson. Don’t leave it full of snow if you plan on using it anytime soon

    IMG_3534.jpeg IMG_3538.jpeg

    Inspector General calculating cubic footage storage in relation to logs on the ground.

    IMG_3540.jpeg IMG_3543.jpeg


    So close. A few more small logs and the fireplace pen should be restocked. Then it’s time for Black Locust Palooza.

    IMG_3544.jpeg
     
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  2. T.Jeff Veal

    T.Jeff Veal

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    Looking good, Joe. I had the same problem with our conveyor, except it's was rain that froze under the belt
     
  3. MikeInMa

    MikeInMa

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  4. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

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    Love that set up every time I see it!
     
  5. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

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    That got my attention. :binoculars: Please tell me the dog climbed up there on his own?


    Looks like you have a bit more snow there than here. Loving the frozen ground.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2025
  6. jo191145

    jo191145

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    Ive had a little ice under the belt. Not bad, just lift it from the side and break it free. Depends on how much ice of course. It could be a major pain.
    This was snowmelt that ran down the conveyor and coated the bottom drum entirely in ice as it refroze.
     
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  7. jo191145

    jo191145

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    That’s what happens when you have a puppy with a cat for a friend. They learn to climb :)
     
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  8. Dok440

    Dok440

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  9. ole

    ole

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    wait, didn’t somebody just fire your inspector general?

    I hope he gets a new job chasing rabbits!
     
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  10. The Wood Wolverine

    The Wood Wolverine

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    X2!
     
  11. jo191145

    jo191145

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    Underneath the oak I just removed was a couple small maples. Took just enough to fill the pen. Tops to both trees are still out there.

    IMG_3545.jpeg IMG_3547.jpeg IMG_3550.jpeg
     
  12. Chud

    Chud

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    Did you sell all the wood that was in the pens? It seems like it was yesterday when you filled them up. :thumbs:
     
  13. theburtman

    theburtman

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    I was thinking the same.
     
  14. ole

    ole

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    I just sold a face of oak that was high 20’s on the meter. My customer didn’t care he was desperate. I begged him to mix some dry with it.
     
  15. Chud

    Chud

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    I wasn’t insinuating anything about readiness to burn. Just surprised the mountains are gone and he already made another. If they were in the pen for 3 months he’s got 99% of the sellers around me beat.
     
  16. The Wood Wolverine

    The Wood Wolverine

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    Mighty fine job. :dex: I'm envious, as others, every time I see the pics. Doesn't appear to be any squeaking wheels in sight.

    :woodsign:
     
  17. jo191145

    jo191145

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    Yes, this small pen is for a customer that heats with his fireplace. Told me he wanted 5-6 cord every year which is what the pen holds. Also needs to be 18” not the standard 16”. I’ve known the guy around 35 years, built his fireplace, knew he used it a lot never knew it was for more than just ambience. Anyway the first year he bought my standard 16” wood and said it’s too dry. So I made this pen of 18” for him with fresher wood that’s only seasoned one summer. It’s probably exactly what he’s used to buying. And for a fireplace I can understand it, wide open burn you don’t need really dry wood. He only wanted two cord as he had 3 leftover from last year still,,,,,he may have been buying face cords from his old supplier, not sure. He’s the quiet type :) I’ll see what he orders next year. If he only wants two again I’ll sell the rest which will be two years dried on the open market.

    Last year I sold an 8 cord pen of dead standing oak, split for a year but only covered one month before sale. It was a wet year and I was hoping it would dry open. That was less than stellar, about 25% in the middle of the pile. Water collected in the middle and never dried out. Much of that was because I hadn’t made the Grizzly bars for the splitter yet. All the chaff falls right into the center of the pen and holds water real well. The outer layers of the pen were dry, the middle wet. Customers still liked it.
    This year I sold the 8 cord pen next to it that had been covered a full year, same time as the other pen. That stuff was so dry I should’ve worn a mask to load it. Dusty dusty dusty. All the chaff was dusty. Super lightweight dead oak. It was probably too dry for most Ct customers. It’s dead oak so not the best wood, not fresh cut, lost some caloric content. I keep my prices a little low because of that.
     
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  18. jo191145

    jo191145

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    When all the wheels have already fallen off they tend to be less squeaky :)
     
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