Friday 13 January 2012

Firewood

Chopping logs

Log pile (on fence section to allow air circulation)
A friend delivered about half a ton of logs yesterday, and I spent a fair amount of this morning chopping them and stacking them for seasoning. Seasoning means allowing the logs to dry out - freshly cut wood may contain up to 45% water by weight, and it is unsuitable for burning. Partly this is for the obvious reason that a lot of the energy content of the wood goes to turning the water into steam rather than giving out heat, but also because the fire burns cooler, and the smoke contains heavier molecules of partially burned fuel. These can condense in the chimney, corroding the lining and forming a tarry coating which is much more prone to chimney fires than the dry soot produced at higher temperatures.

Apparently wood can be seasoned in the open, but I intend to cover this pile (somehow) when I've finished splitting the logs. In the meantime, I've stacked the log quarters with the bark side upwards, which should allow the rain to run off without soaking in.

The pile of split logs in the second photo is about half the amount I was given. The rest is made up of smaller diameter pieces, which I won't split at all, and much larger ones. The wider ones I may not be able to split, and some longer ones need to be sawn in two first. Chopping and piling the first half took a couple of hours, and I left the remainder for another day because my arms were tired and the axe wound in my leg was starting to hurt.
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4 comments:

  1. Resolute Reader13 January 2012 at 18:47

    Axe wound? I hope you get it seen too, rather than try and make your pown poultice out of garden rubbish.

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    1. Matt13 January 2012 at 20:11

      Yes, I had a minor "axe"-ident.

      If you hit the log near the centre, all is well - the log splits neatly, and the axe slows down and stops on the block. If your aim is off and you hit near the edge, the axe takes a little chip off the side of the log, and is deflected sideways but not slowed down much. This is bad news for any legs you might have in the way.

      I have a two-inch break in the skin of my shin, fortunately not very deep. I'd almost brought the axe back under control but not quite when it made contact. From then on I adopted a much wider stance when swinging the axe.

      Axes are only 8th on the list of dangerous tools here, although they would probably be higher if the statistics were per-use rather than total accidents.

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  2. Anna15 January 2012 at 22:49

    I read to the end and was amazed at how subtly you mentioned your hurting axe wound. Hope it's healing well.

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    Replies
    1. Matt16 January 2012 at 12:26

      Thanks, it seems to be healing fine. 'Tis but a flesh wound. :)

      FWIW, here are Matt's Axe Tips:
      * Its better to swing accurately than very hard.
      * You want to be hitting a surface about 3' off the ground, so if the log you're splitting is a foot long, a 2' high chopping block is good.
      * If a log has a branch coming out of it, or a knot where a branch used to be, the wood is much stronger there. Cutting through a knot is very difficult, so it's best to cut perpendicularly to the direction of the branch, i.e. splitting the log into a side with the knot and a smooth side.
      * green wood splits more easily than seasoned wood.
      * when your arms are tired, your accuracy gets much worse and you should probably stop.
      * shin guards, cricket pads, or home-made cardboard leg armour might be a good idea.

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