In opposite to alaska, we live in a densely populated country. Especially along the traffic ways you don't find old-grown forests. But we kept some here and there. By the way I remember a guy from my home region named Hans-Artur Schütz who climbed Mount McKinley 1990 – a great achievement. It would be great to see your country and mountains.
My Grandparents were born and raised in Germany. They moved here and settled in Philadelphia. Growing up many years ago I recall them having a small doll/action figure type thing of a chimney sweep with a top hat and a ladder. It may have been a Christmas ornament or something, I can't remember. My grandmother would tell me it was good luck to touch the chimney sweep. My Dad would get frustrated, every time we visited they did not allow him to speak English in the house so as to keep up with his German. I was mesmerized by the language. Still to this day when I hear it spoken I can't help but think of my Grandparents. Priceless memories.
Interesting stuff Corvus. I have a gasification boiler which takes longer splits, up to 26 inches( " ). So I cut my wood between 20-24" , just using my eye while cutting. Even in the length of 20-24" I have not had a stack fall over. Before, burning in a stove with 16-18" splits I had a few piles tip on me and learned quickly I did not like that. LOL You may have mentioned it before, but in general. How long do you let your wood dry or season before you burn it in your home? Does everyone try to let their wood season about the same or is everyone at different lengths of time depending on their time and processing?
OK, you've answered some of my questions while I was posting, thanks. Jotul obviously has a presence in Europe...any similar stoves made in Germany, or is the market filled by Jotul, Morso etc? You are heating with a cockle stove, correct? From what I can see, it seems similar to a masonry heater. A mass is heated, then gradually releases that heat over many hours. Feel free to post pics when you get a chance.
Wow. I read your post with a strangely familiar feeling. The chimney sweep thing is common, its an old superstition to touch a chimney sweep for having good luck. To leave the motherland must be a hard incision, especially if you are driven to. So it happened to my family. They fled from Eastprussia loosing everything they owned by the war. That was once a highly developed farmland. My grandfather used machines there that no one here has even heard about, at the time. They spoke with a special accent ( as every region in germany has it's own type ) and with every old aunt and uncle who faded away, the memories and the stories of the "old homeland" faded with them. they hoped to get back there till the 50th but it never happened. One couple from the family emigrated to Australia and found their luck there. Oh it is midnight here – I'll be back soon. Good night old – good day new world!
My wood is ready seasoned in the second year from the tree cut on. But if you have a bigger storage, you don't have to be impatient. I see all types of processing around, but the old-school, with Meterholz fits best for me. Each who fires a serious amount does it that way. Commercial dealers offer technical dried wood, but this is more for occasionally users.
I try to reply in detail tomorrow (hope I find the time). But this for now: Jøtul is Norwegian (but i guess you know that) don't separate them too much from Europe even if they where clever enough not to join EU and the €. ;-) I guess Jøtul makes a huge turnover in germany since beginning.
I have to say you're better educated by burning dry wood unlike many Americans who insist on burning green wet wood.. Have enjoyed reading your insight on burning wood there in Germany..
Corvus, a belated welcome from the central US. Do most families cut & process their own firewood or do they buy it from a vendor? Do you know which chainsaw brands & sizes are most popular for the do it yoursefer? I really enjoyed my one visit to your country. Such friendly, polite & helpful folks. Visited the Porshe factory . At the time they offered two tours... A premium tour for those buying/ picking up their new 911's & the tour that I took! Glad to have you as part of FHC.
First off Corvus, wilkommen. A bit late though. I must agree with jetjr, a truly enjoyable and enlightening thread. Waiting for more!
Its amazing how similar your concept is too my fathers coming from Yugoslavia Montenegro. All they had were stoves to heat with and cook with. I wish I would of taken pictures back then but I was young on how he would stack his wood and the tools he had to split wood. Its great to see the different styles and ttechniques people use all around the world
Your not so far from where I work, in Goettingen. I'm there about 4 or 5 times a year. When I ride the ICE train from Frankfurt to GO, I see lots of wood stacks, and tree round stacks in the woods and behind peoples houses... It seems many folks are burning wood in the rural area's of Germany. I see a lot of really nice custom made built in mason heaters in my colleagues homes as well. So, it sounds like you work for this company... ? If so, have you thought about making a "US version" of the product which is only 18 or 20 inches across for our precut stacks? I like the looks of that product, I would buy some if it were made to the proper size. I'll import and sell it here in the US if you like!! Private message me if interested!
Welcome to the forum Rolf. Seems I'm a bit late on posting because I've been hunting too much to get online. Going to take a little break from that now. Actually I got online last night but before I could finish my post some company came. By the time they left it was bed time. I had questions but just now reading through the posts they've pretty much been answered. If you'd like more information on how we do things, here is a good link: http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/resources/primer-on-woodburning-by-backwoods-savage.6/ You'll see a button to click on that is "Download here." There will be a few pages of this and you may find it interesting. Here are a few pictures from Michigan: We usually start cutting wood around December 1. This is a pin oak that had died. Here is a dray we put together for about $10. We cut in winter than split and stack in spring. Here is wood we cut in 2008-2009. It was all stacked by early April 2009. We'll be burning the last of that wood this fall.
Looks like I'm late lol.. Hello and welcome to FHC! I have a lot of relatives in Germany. I love the way you stack your firewood. It's very neat and organized! There are a lot of different methods here of splitting and stacking the one I use is the 16" long by three rows deep and top covered. We cut at 16" in the woods and bring home wood to split and stack. Here are some pics of the way we cut and stack. I must say I have really enjoyed your thread it's a good read and fun to learn about the way you do things! The wood is stored on our porch a weeks worth at a time to keep it clear of snow and rain. On occasion we haul it out in loads of logs but generally it's bucked to 16" in the field.
Welcome Rolf! My ancestors came from Mittelfranken, Bavaria to Philadelphia in 1732 aboard the ship The Pennsylvania Merchant.
