Rob_the_Sparky

Yep theft is free but I'm afraid that is what it is if you go down the woods with a saw without permission. The general advice is don't ask for free wood. You might get it if it benefits both sides (saves them a trip back to base for example) but don't expect it. Branches generally go through the chipper so you are unlikely to get those TBH. Best advice though is contact local tree surgeons, just don't start the conversation with "I want free stuff", it might not go well. They are running a company afterall. If it is just for garden burning have you considered pallets? Most are heat treated nowadays and companies commonly have to pay for them to be removed. They are already dry so no time need to dry out before you can burn them, just a bit of effort to cut them...

@OP Don't give up, getting started from scratch in any industry is not easy.

When we need some storage in a hurry we usually turn to pallets around here. They are used a lot by local companies who get stuff delivered on them so have piles of them they are more than happy for you to remove for them (we actually pay people at our place to get rid of them when they pile up too much!). You can soon nail a few together to produce a makeshift log store, just need a roof of some sort and if you have the time to break them up then you can again use pallets! As ever free stuff is good

Yeah, we don't see extremes like you clearly do. You have to do what works for you. Norwegian Wood (a good book) covers a shed design with doors that are removed in summer and fitted in winter to keep the snow out. I have no experience of such a design but it sounds sensible, you get air in summer and keeps snow out in winter. I built log racks out of old fence posts for the verticals and roof supports with slat walls and floor made from planks from pallets. One has a slat roof which works OK, lets a bit of water in with heavy rain but wood dries OK. Other has corrugated plastic roof. Sounds like this sort of thing would be of little use for you in winter. Even here the plastic roof is not lasting, will probably need replacing this year but the idea was to get more heat in there in summer. Not sure what I'll try next. I too keep the wood outside initially, try to keep 2 years of worth of wood on site if I can. 1 year split and under cover to burn and the rest as it arrived, in a stack with a simple cover over the top; old advertising hording (sort of material they make curtain sides for trucks out of) with whatever planks to hand to hold it down, mostly fence posts as they last and are free. In the process of building a 3.6mx3.6m covered area (put the roof up last year) and will be putting a floor in plus some slatted walls in this year. I used to dry half my wood outside in summer and then put it in the garage (then refill the racks) but that was not great with trying to get a car in there as well + made a mess. Wood was very dry as a result though despite the limited time in the racks. Aim for me is not to bring it inside now but leave it all under this new covered area. Longer time to dry but will be outside in winter so may get damp again.

To dry wood you want a lot of air flow (to get rid of the humidity/evaporating water), can't see a lot of that shed but from the photo it looks quite enclosed so drying might be a bit slower than an ideal situation, unless it is more open than it looks.

and there was me thinking you said there was lava in your logs! Now that would be impressive 😁

If your burner is like mine then you will find that with the ash pan empty (or part full) you can still maintain a layer of ash on the grate, although I do wonder if it is partly the design of the fire? I've certain ran mine too hot as the baffle plate is warped to heck (job for later this year) but no problem with the grate. As for the ash in the pan warping the grate? I don't get that. I certainly burn with a solid ash pile from pan but at this point it will be >1" of ash above the grate as well. Might be the design of your stove? I guess they think the grate can not lose heat if there is an ash pile in the pan. Maybe worth a try but I doubt this is the ultimate problem here. P.S. I have a 10 year old Clearview Pioneer and never had an issue with the grate.

If you don't ask you don't find out, just don't expect this to be like a shop, this has to work for them as well as for you and being flexible in your approach will go a LONG way. If they have a use for the logs then it is of no interest to them but if they can save money or make some money then of course it can happen. Even years ago when I was first looking for a supply many firms had a use already for the wood and the price of logs is now higher, although the woodsure tax puts pressure on costs for small outfits selling logs plus many people are just keeping the wood from the jobs from what I hear (I'm not a pro, I'm a home user of logs). As above though you never know if you do not ask, just make sure you ask in the right way...

If you had to get up to fuel your cast iron stove over night then I see the preference for this sort of stove. Seems like a really good solution but oddly one that I have never heard o before in the UK. Maybe it is all the regulations here, if every stove is build individually then how can their design be regulated. That sort of slow release of heat just makes sense if you are heating a house with wood alone.

I too have for a few years kept logs in the garage after air drying over summer with no problems. I've now built more storage outside so I don't have to anymore though.as I prefer keep the cars in there (rarity I know). The only concern might be keeping a load of fuel in an integral or attached garage might be considered a fire risk. I must admit I do not like all the loose bark etc I get off the logs in the garage with the cars but a car full of petrol can also be considered a fire risk so I suspect you can ignore the logs. As above though, if the logs are dried and the garage is not damp then you will get no mold.on the logs. Damp logs in a garage is a no no but dry logs should be fine.

If it hydro locks then yes pretty much going to kill the engine. Just a case of how serious the damage is. Water does not compress so when the piston comes up, if there is enough water in there something has to break, just a matter of what it is. TBH I think the best advice is not to drive through floods unless you know where your air intake is (some are remarkably low) and don't mind that much if the electrics stop you in your tracks until it dries out. Calculated risk but more knowledge of the your vehicle makes the risk more calculated

Cold at top hot at bottom yes is air, there is no water at the top so no heat at the top. Hot at top and cold at bottom is low flow, water is cooling in the rad faster than it is flowing through. Could be a number of causes for that and it is not necessarily a problem. Hot top and bottom (equal temp) is high flow rate. Again not necessarily a problem but could mean you have not enough flow elsewhere. Some rads like this and some hot at top and cold at bottom (or just cold) and you most likely have a balance issue. No I'm not a plumber, just an engineer with crappy plumbing so been looking at the problem for a while!

To prevent condensation you need to keep the warm (damp) air away from your cold surfaces so spray foam seems like a good idea as that will fully cover your cold surfaces. The other way will be to put in a layer of insulation with airflow between it and the cold surface. You ideally want some sort of vapour barrier with this solution to separate the cold air and warm damp air as the insulation will never be 100% sealed but not essential if you have enough air flow. I have no experience with a shipping container, just know the theory. I'm guessing that getting airflow behind the insulation might not be so easy.

My only concern with a pumped system would be what happens if the power fails? If you lose the ability to pump is it safe? No idea how to make it safe but I'd guess there must be a reasonable solution if you plan for this happening.

You could of course just try getting in contact with local companies. Don't ask for something for free, don't be fussy about what type/shape of wood you get and you stand a chance at least. (All dry wood burns and on a wood burner it is hot enough to get a complete burn so no worries about tar from softwoods). I get the majority of my supply this way after making contact a few years ago and after a few tries. Having said that there is less wood available now than there was but if you never make contact you will never know.