Columbus Day Plans?

[CountryGent]

Good God man, go fishing…

It has been ages since I've fished. Not a bad idea.

(Today has largely be recovery from a rather boisterous Saturday. Sometimes I do very silly things. But tomorrow should be better.)

Happy birthday! Me too!

Happy birthday. (Presuming "me too" meant that, not also a colonoscopy. )

 

[Stomper]

Happy birthday. I don't think there is such a thing as a "happy colonoscopy", so I won't say that.

Depends what you're into, Rico…..

 

[The Heretic]

split & stack firewood.

if i get the truckload (1/2 chord) done and my back/energy is up to it, then cut some more logs.

rinse and repeat until I can't do it anymore, run out of room or run out of logs near the house.

I will probably run out of room first, but I want to get those logs cut up, split and stacked, so maybe I will put any overage in the shop.

59 years ago, there were a LOT of trees to cut on October 13th
My dad sure could have used my chain saw back then

 

[ob1]

Depends what you're into, Rico…..

Careful man...that could morph into the next Oregon holiday.

 

[Jason999]

I work, so my life remains unchanged. If I feel up to it I may try and figure out why my wire feed welder isn't feeding.

 

[Pops1911]

Good reminder Heretic. I got a load of wood delivered yesterday. I'll start splitting it today. Also wifey reminded me that the laundry needs attention too.

 

[jbett98]

I work, so my life remains unchanged. If I feel up to it I may try and figure out why my wire feed welder isn't feeding.

Could be you need to replace the liner.

 

[bbbass]

It is always a weird day here; wife has to work because Oregon doesn't close the schools, but I don't because it is a federal holiday. More times than not I end up shooting. No idea about tomorrow, but I am still left to my own devices.

Anyone else have a odd free day tomorrow and, if so, any plans?

I'm still tired from a weekend of dealing with a dead fridge and the new one not fitting in the old space... had to remove a top cabinet. I'd like to go shooting, but not on a holiday. I'm retired so I can go anytime during the week. So I'm just gonna hang out and try to secure my online accts with better passwords. Trying Bitwarden but it will take me some time to get used to all this.

 

[The Heretic]

Good reminder Heretic. I got a load of wood delivered yesterday. I'll start splitting it today. Also wifey reminded me that the laundry needs attention too.

I got a heavier maul for some of these rounds - if it doesn't already have a crack in it (a lot of the maple cracked down the middle) then a 1'+ diameter maple round really requires a hard fast slam with my light splitting axe, the new one has a longer handle and is 2# heavier - but it feels twice as heavy. It does the trick though. The Fiskars splitting axe is better than the conventional maul I have - it is more of a chisel shape, easier to swing and faster and drives in better. But for really tough stuff, the 8 pound Fiskars maul works better - just much harder to swing.

 

[bbbass]

I got a heavier maul for some of these rounds - if it doesn't already have a crack in it (a lot of the maple cracked down the middle) then a 1'+ diameter maple round really requires a hard fast slam with my light splitting axe, the new one has a longer handle and is 2# heavier - but it feels twice as heavy. It does the trick though. The Fiskars splitting axe is better than the conventional maul I have - it is more of a chisel shape, easier to swing and faster and drives in better. But for really tough stuff, the 8 pound Fiskars maul works better - just much harder to swing.

One of my friends brought a Fiskars to elk camp.... really a fine tool!!!

 

[oremike]

I use an 8 LB maul for every day splitting, for the tough stuff it's sledge and wedge time. Tougher than that, chain saw.

 

[The Heretic]

One of my friends brought a Fiskars to elk camp.... really a fine tool!!!

So far they have worked well for me. I've had one of the super splitters for years and abused it - left it outside for years. The handle color has faded and some kind of surface oxidation on the plastic from UV, but no weakening or cracks. The way the axe head is attached has shown no weakening, despite many multiple bad strikes. I got a spare so I have a spare, and to let others help, and not have to haul it around between multiple splitting locations. But then I felt I needed the maul for the really tough stuff this season.

I have three more long (30') maple logs and some shorter ones I need to cut up, that will be tough to split, so I am glad I have the maul too. I have one 3' fir log that was easy to cut, but is tough to split, and one 3' diameter maple log to cut and split. Going to have to roll over the big maple log because no way am I going to get it off the ground and I am using a 20" bar too.

I figure I will get at least 2 more chords from these logs. That should be more than enough for the winter. Last year I used 1.5 chords until I almost ran out sometime in January and started using the furnace instead. Really saved on the electricity bill. Plus, every year, a tree or two falls, last year 3-4 from the snow/ice storm we had. I still have a couple of those to cut up IIRC.

I have probably 5-10 chords or more, in logs sitting nicely stacked, on the back acreage that no one will come cut and haul off for free, and now it is probably too late in the weather season for me to go back there - probably too muddy with the rain we have been having. I will probably sell the property next year and then those logs can go to someone else. Some fir, mostly maple/alder and some cedar.

 

[bbbass]

We used to have a min of 10chords of lodgepole and tamarack or red fir to get thru a winter. Bleeding cold about 20 yrs ago!!!

I hate white fir.

Hardwoods are tough to cut and split IIRC. In San Diego I had to take down an old oak, and I could barely get a saw thru it! Made good long lasting heat when mixed with a bit of faster burning wood to get it going...

 

[The Heretic]

We used to have a min of 10chords of lodgepole and tamarack or red fir to get thru a winter. Bleeding cold about 20 yrs ago!!!

You're on the cold side of the Cascades, and soft woods/conifers burn quick - less BTUs per chord volume because they are lighter, so you need more wood. Hardwoods are denser and burn slower, so more BTUs per chord. The logger took most of the conifer logs, only leaving a few behind, the rest is mostly hardwoods that have so little market value that they just left them to rot.

Hardwoods are tough to cut and split IIRC. In San Diego I had to take down an old oak, and I could barely get a saw thru it! Made good long lasting heat when mixed with a bit of faster burning wood to get it going...

Oak seems to be the hardest, but I mostly have maple and alder - which grows here like weeds. I use any conifer for kindling and to start the fires in the woodstove, then once it is going I use the hardwoods which are much harder to split into kindling and harder to get started, but if dry will burn well.

 

[bionic knees]

I had a smoking hot wheel bearing on my toy hauler when I got home Saturday evening, I opened it up this morning and the retaining nut was off completely. everything but the wheel bearings and seal are going to be ok so today I am thanking my lucky stars that the wheel assembly didn't come off somewhere between Prineville and home!

 

[The Heretic]

I had a smoking hot wheel bearing on my toy hauler when I got home Saturday evening, I opened it up this morning and the retaining nut was off completely. everything but the wheel bearings and seal are going to be ok so today I am thanking my lucky stars that the wheel assembly didn't come off somewhere between Prineville and home!

I have one front wheel on my flatbed that gets hot when I drive it. I am thinking that for some reason maybe the brakes are dragging, but I keep forgetting to check it. Thanks for reminding me; going to do out and jack it up and see if it turns freely.

 

[No_Regerts]

I got a heavier maul....

I need glasses. When I first saw this, I saw "beaver maul" and thought

 

[No_Regerts]

I grew up near the training areas around Ft. Lewis. My dad was in the Army and would get permits to cut sections of trees that fell across the road. Permit said we could only have the wood that obstructed military vehicles from passing. Damned if the tree didn't keep sliding out into the road every time we cut a section. Must be because the tree got lighter?

 

[Flopsweat]

Happy birthday. I don't think there is such a thing as a "happy colonoscopy", so I won't say that.

Doesn't matter, he's not going to give a crap. Today, however...

 

[nammac]

Doesn't matter, he's not going to give a crap. Today, however...

Always treaded myself to a nice juicy burger with all the fixins, russet tater fries and a nice cold 22 oz IPA, after the procedure. No better way to reintroduce food to the digestive system…