Tips for foraging for wood

ericonabike

On the basis that 'work is what you don't enjoy doing' I don't find dismantling and sawing up pallets to be hard work. It takes me back to my childhood, when I used to love 'helping' my dad do the same. I don't run the fire 24/7 - I leave it to run out overnight, clean it first thing then relight when the temp starts going down a bit - we're retired so at home a fair bit. As for nails -I recycle them: something else my dad used to do! I now have a lifetime's supply of three inch and two inch nails. To make the job a little less brutal I've ordered a demolition bar [http://!!!!!!!.com/cbg4wzr] for a late Xmas present...

suisidevw

As per the above, all that timber above will be chainsawed and split by hand. It may take a couple of days, but it'll be enough for a couple of seasons of constant burning (usually left in overnight) which is used to power a back boiler. My dad and I enjoy it, it keeps us fit and is good bonding time

bernithebiker

suisidevw wrote: »

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

I use about that much wood in a week.....!!

bernithebiker

werdnareklaw wrote: »

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

Be really careful with that. Eventually, you WILL hit a nail, and it won't be pleasant.

Sabre saws are quite good for this and alot safer. Smashing the weaker parts with the back of a splitting axe works quite well too.

shegar

bernithebiker wrote: »

I use about that much wood in a week.....!!

Yea I found that when we had a wood burner it cost an absolute fortune to run, not a cheap form of heat, unless you get it for free.......

werdnareklaw

bernithebiker wrote: »

Be really careful with that. Eventually, you WILL hit a nail, and it won't be pleasant.

It's a TCT (tungsten carbide tip) saw but most of the TCTs have
vanished When I see sparks, I know

suisidevw

Obviously all the above is completly free, wood burners run for free for over 20 years!

Berni, if you use that much (next to the caravan) wood in a week, you must be running 100 20kw wood burners The diameter of the logs and depth of the stack is pretty good

bernithebiker

suisidevw wrote: »

Obviously all the above is completly free, wood burners run for free for over 20 years!

Berni, if you use that much (next to the caravan) wood in a week, you must be running 100 20kw wood burners The diameter of the logs and depth of the stack is pretty good

I'm running a 44 kW Guntamatic wood boiler/furnace, thing. It has to heat a small chateau, so it's burning most of the time. I use about a small trailer load per day, depending on how cold it is.

Fortunately, we have 38 acres, over 1/2 woodland, so it's all free! I'm saving 4000 Euros per year on fuel, (oil).

highrisklowreturn

Where do you live bernie, in France?

bernithebiker

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

Where do you live bernie, in France?

Yes, Quimper, Finsitere, Brittany, France, The World.