Turning old wood from a shed into neat firewood

[Logdaft]

1 hour ago, Rob_the_Sparky said:

P.S. getting hold of wood is not hard or expensive if you are not fussy about what you burn.  

Just picked a wee drop up from the beach as I can`t get to my usual source because of restrictions, will use it in the fire pit, every little bit helps .... handy having the panniers! 

Edited May 20, 2020 by Logdaft

[Dazza95]

I'm 25 and relatively new to processing my own firewood and whilst it is hard work, I enjoy it and find it very rewarding.

 

As well as putting yourself on the tip site, I would definitely ring/email a few local tree surgeons as others have said and ask if they will sell you any wood. I did this and now have a great arrangement with a local firm (run by husband and wife); they let me know when they have some wood and will drop it off on their way home. I do pay for it and always give them some wine but it still works out cheaper than buying seasoned wood in.

 

I've been browsing on this forum for a long time now and have learnt lots of useful things, such as, softwood is absolutely fine to burn.

 

Here's a photo of some field maple I had dropped off recently - I've nearly finished splitting all of it by hand with a 6lb maul. I must admit that I found it pretty daunting at first but soon got used to it.

 

Good luck!

Edited May 21, 2020 by Dazza95

[Rob_the_Sparky]

Yeah that is pretty much the arrangement I have with a local tree surgeon/landscape gardener.  He gets wood he doesn't want (excess that he will not turn into firewood) so drops loads at mine on the way past.  That is the sort of quantity I typically get at a time as well but does vary, have had a large trailer load delivered just depends on the job and whether he wants it.  It works well as I'm not fussy about what I take.

 

I get a work out sometimes when he delivers particularly twisted or knotty stuff but it all burns  

 

P.S. I started out with a maul from Screwfix (6lb?) but even after taking a bit of time to put some sort of an edge on it is not as good as an x27 splitting axe,  worth investing once you have learned with a cheap tool.  I then use wedge and big sledge for the really knotty stuff - that is where the workout starts.

[timbernut]

I appreciate the offer so much! thank you! 
 
I don't feel too comfortable just giving away my address like that though ☹️ As an alternative, could I message you from time to time to pick your brain on tips questions queries etc? 

I shouldn’t worry too much if I were you, I gave Trigger my address a long time ago and he’s not robbed or murdered me yet!

[eggsarascal]

30 minutes ago, timbernut said:

I shouldn’t worry too much if I were you, I gave Trigger my address a long time ago and he’s not robbed or murdered me yet!

... but me truck and saws have gone missing...

[Steven P]

We all have to start somewhere and while a shed isn't generally ideal fire wood, you can still learn from it. If I had nothing, a shed to take apart I would buy a bow saw, a cheap hatchet ad a sharpening stone. Most of the shed wood will be pretty much kindling only. Use the saw to cut it to length, the small axe to split it, and the sharpening stone to keep the axe sharp.

 

If the budget was a little bigger, get a Fiskars X10 (?) axe, a saw again and a Fiskars sharpening tool.

 

Then you can start to add to that as your budget gets bigger and you get larger logs to split - I have an X17 I think and that will go through most things, I have a maul and hate it (it has never spit anything, breaking the wood through brute force).

 

Next step up is replace the saw with sometihjng with some power - ask in the chainsaw section for advice there but lke all tool advice there are snobs who will want you to have the best and the lucky who have got away with a 2nd hand chansaw for £10 for the last 100 years. Chainsaw is a big investment by the time you get protectinve clothing (trousers, eye protection, maybe a helmet, gloves, ear defenders) added to the cost.

 

Norwegian Wood is a great book to read

[trigger_andy]

On 22/05/2020 at 20:26, timbernut said:

I shouldn’t worry too much if I were you, I gave Trigger my address a long time ago and he’s not robbed or murdered me yet!

Yet.......  

[trigger_andy]

23 hours ago, eggsarascal said:

... but me truck and saws have gone missing...

Im slowly working my way around everyone. I'm getting the new guys as soon as they join before they get any wiser and making a killing. 

[eggsarascal]

1 hour ago, trigger_andy said:

Im slowly working my way around everyone. I'm getting the new guys as soon as they join before they get any wiser and making a killing. 

Do you need a helper?

[AHPP]

Do you need a helper?

You struggle to start your own vehicles. What bloody use will you be starting other people’s?