Anyone Else Been in this Situation?

Many have had to burn less than perfect wood
Myself included

You're on the right track but it will take time.
No need to beat yourself up, just a steady work plan, CSS when you can.

You'll be surprised how it stacks up when you keep after it.

"You burn what you got, seasoned or not."
Inspect & clean the chimney monthly & you'll be fine.
Many of use have had t to do the same

 

I learned many years ago its much easier staying ahead than getting ahead.That's why I still spend 2-4 days monthly in spare time cutting/splitting/stacking year round.If I feel like it,dont have too much other things going on & the weather is decent (temps above zero/below 90 without storms,strong winds or lightning) that's where you'll usually find me.

 

Like many have said we have all been there and it really sucks trying to gather up burnable wood just to get you through another week or two. I'm about 4 yrs ahead and I want to stay there if at all possible, so much better all the way around....no fuss no muss with the stove that way

 

+1

We all busted A$$ getting ahead,
I don't know any other way ?

Well
Maybe buy 15 cord of CSS'd wood.
But then you'd miss all the fun & still not have seasoned wood for this season.

Now you know & have learned the same way we did.
That knowledge is a big motivator to get & stay ahead

 

I try to spend as much time here and there as well. I find myself splitting by hand when the kids have friends over. Something for me to do to relax and still keep a watchful eye on them and hear them.

 

I bought this place last year; knew I'd have a lifetime of wood to burn but I was starting from zero. I cut some standing dead and cleaned up a couple fallen trees in the backyard and burned that but it wasn't enough to get me through the winter we had.

I'm in a lot better shape now... I've been hitting it really hard since the winter broke, and I'm close to having my 3 year plan in place. It can be done. I've put up 12-13 cords so far, all hand split.

Sounds like you have access to plenty, and you have a good plan. Make it happen!

 

The same year I bought the nc-13, I bought a couple bundles of oak slabs to cut up and use for campfire wood sales.
Now everyone knows that you have to have DRY wood epa for these stoves, and everyone goes through a learning curve with the epa stoves. By that, I mean that the "dry" wood I had been burning in my pre-epa stove just fine was nowhere dry enough to burn in the nc-13!
End result is that I used a lot of the oak slabwood that by mid-winter was dry enough to maintain a fire in the nc-13. Of course, the smaller size of the pieces helped the drying and burning process greatly. The campfire wood sales did not fare that well during the summer months...can't figure why not? Clean, dry, easy to handle and I make the bundles large. But at any rate, I had more leftover than I thought at the end of summer, so I just used it for the winter trips to the cottage and the nc-13.
All this being said, if I was to find myself in the situation you describe, I would try hard to find somewhere; either a mill yard or even someone with a portable sawmill; and ask for the slabs/waste material. The bundles of oak slabs I bought were $35 (I think) and they measured out to almost exactly a full cord of tightly wrapped and bound slabs! That should help this winter.
Good luck.

 

Most of the slab wood will be green from the mill, it will dry pretty quick if you put stickers between the slabs in a good windy spot.

I am some 4 + years ahead - good thing as I just got blindsided by a medical difficulty( joys of age)that put me in the ER Thur morning - future is in limbo at present it being a holiday weekend.

 

Holy chit man is everything ok?

 

Temporarily- they ain'y started building one them pine boxes for me just yet. Guess I'm bit to mean an ugly. Be awhile before I have any information as to what, why and the like, Holiday weekend only basics operating. Functioning at about 50% right now.

 

You have a good positive attitude, that's 80% of the battle.
No owner's manual for getting old.
Good luck & get well.

 

I use a lot of what I've determined is Red Maple and yep, it dries quite well in a year, and burns well. Just got done using my fall "shoulder season" stash of that.
I have another stash for the spring.
Chris, take care of yourself and remember, we're pullin' for ya'.

 

Thanks didn't mean to hi-jack anything just sayen a reason to get a decent distance ahead. Them pot holes in the road can be a bit nasty at times.

 

As mentioned:
- Pallets
- Standing dead. However, even though the bark is falling off, on some trees anything larger than 4-5" in diameter will still be wet, especially oak, & will need to be split & given time to dry.
- Split the pieces smaller so it can dry faster.
- Stack the wood in sunny & windy locations if possible, covering the top of the stack while leaving the sides open to air.
- Stack off the ground so air can pass under the stacks & to prevent the bottom of the stacks from rotting. Pallets work well.
- Gather year round until you have 3 + years on hand.

Hang in there and you will be ahead of the game before you know it.

 

Luckily this year I have a nice 2 cord of dried hemlock. Burns quick and fast and its so good at getting fires started even the misses can start fires pretty easily.

 

I may just take you up on the offer if things turn worse

 

I am here just message me.