Tips for foraging for wood

werdnareklaw

If you can locate a timber merchant, timber importer or a factory that manufactures timber products and has a kiln for drying wood, chat them up

ericonabike

I’ve had my wood burner for about two months now and it’s been fed a constant diet of pallet wood. Despite dire warnings from some sources re ‘burns too hot/too fierce/emits poisonous fumes’ it’s been absolutely fine. The stove needs restocking once every couple of hours or so, the glass stays clean and there is very little smoke [we have a smoke exempt model anyway]. All the pallets have been got for nothing from a local industrial estate. I’ve also used the wood to make a sawhorse and two ‘coffers’ to store the cut wood. At time of writing I have two dozen pallets awaiting dismantling and cutting. They may not look as cute as a log store, but free fuel looks good to me! At this rate I expect the stove to have paid for itself in two years’ time.

werdnareklaw

ericonabike wrote: »

I’ve had my wood burner for about two months now and it’s been fed a constant diet of pallet wood.

Pallets are fine apart from the nails! I have a big horseshoe magnet from an old cinema arc lamp to clear them out and leave the ash

highrisklowreturn

What are you using to cut them up? This is my problem - I need to get them small enough to go into a 1 ft opening.

werdnareklaw

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

What are you using to cut them up?

I use a cheap circular saw from B&Q, avoiding the nails!!!

Williwoodburner

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

What are you using to cut them up? This is my problem - I need to get them small enough to go into a 1 ft opening.

To produce enough wood to run a stove takes a lot of time, effort and equippment.
You will need a saw horse, chainsaw, bow saw, silkie saw, gloves, goggles, helmet, files for sharpening saw blades, maul, hand axe, wedges, sledgehammer and a large stump for splitting logs upon.
I think some people are under the impression you can go for a walk in the woods, collect a few sticks and it will be enough.
It wont, in the winter my brother and I spend days chopping, sawing, splitting, and stacking.
As for using pallets, you would need an awful lot if that was the only source of wood.
I think most people would find burning smokeless a better option.
But if you're up to the task and can source enough wood, it is good exercise and strangely satisfying to produce your own fuel.

Regards

Willie.

suisidevw

My dad and I went and did some logging and foraging last week :beer::

werdnareklaw

Williwoodburner wrote: »

You will need a saw horse, chainsaw, bow saw, silkie saw, gloves, goggles, helmet, files for sharpening saw blades, maul, hand axe, wedges, sledgehammer and a large stump for splitting logs upon.

And a hydraulic log splitter from Machine Mart

Williwoodburner

werdnareklaw wrote: »

And a hydraulic log splitter from Machine Mart

I use a maul, its quicker, guess when I get older my have to get one.

:beer:

Willie.

werdnareklaw

Williwoodburner wrote: »

I use a maul, its quicker, guess when I get older my have to get one.

Quite, I'm old!!!