Small Woodland Owners' Group

Steep Learning Curve

Camp fires, shelters, wild food, making things, children and more....

Postby Rich » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:05 pm

Hello All,

We attended our first SWOG gathering on Sunday, the squirrel meet (meat!) an excellent introduction despite the subzero temperatures! Everyone was so friendly and willing to share their knowledge with a couple of complete newbies, it was both inspiring and informative. So thanks! And hopefully you'll be equally tolerant of the stream of 'dumb' questions I'll be posting here as we try to find our way through the undergrowth!


If we have time, we would like to try and coppice a small area close to the house this year. This is mainly overstood hazel with a lot of dead fall of chestnut amongst it. It would be nice to regenerate this area and make a small craft area and bodging camp.


Cheers

Rich and Penny


1st dumb question!

What is the best way to cut and stack firewood for next year?

The dead wood I've been cutting into log sizes in situ and wheelbarrowing up to the porch and my 'semi' constructed log shed, this won't take much filling, so what about all the mountains of wood that won't find permanent shelter? I've noticed that in the adjoining wood, they have cut it into poles about 6 foot long and stacked in piles in the rides with a tarp over, maybe this isn't going for firewood, but it would seem to me that the smaller it's cut the better it dries? But I guess the downside is it takes up more room and time stacking. Just really wondering if we were to sell the excess of firewood is it better to log and split as you cut it or wait till it's seasoned for a year or so?

Cheers

Rich


________________
Richard Hare
SWOG website editor

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www.swog.org.uk
Rich
 
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Postby tracy » Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:03 pm

Rich, it was lovely to meet you guys the other day and we look forward to hearing how you get on with your woodland.

There are no dumb questions! Its much worse to do all kinds of things the hard way, before finding an easy way. I just wrote a looooong post and lost it so I know what I mean!


Be good to collect what everyone knows about drying and stacking wood - and I could then collate it into an article...


Things we have found out


1. Split wood when it is green, much easier

2. stack it up on bearers

3. doesn't have to be covered - helps to keep the rain off, but needs air to circulate to dry it

4. birch needs to be striped as it rots quickly- run the chainsaw along the edges to break through the bark -lets the sap out. (Do this by running the saw on the OPPOSITE side of the log to where your legs are and be careful of kickback)


Mike has written some good stuff on our blog about it.


http://peplers.blogspot.com/2008/10/firewood-and-beetles.html


http://peplers.blogspot.com/2008/10/firewood-processing-video-and-autumn.html


http://peplers.blogspot.com/2008/12/catching-up.html


http://peplers.blogspot.com/2008/12/clearings.html


Hope this helps!


tracy
 
Posts: 1313
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:30 pm

Postby Rich » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:25 pm

Thanks for the tips and links Tracy

More great sources of information!


Rich


________________
Richard Hare
SWOG website editor

[email protected]
www.swog.org.uk
Rich
 
Posts: 448
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:36 pm


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