Firewood - How to chop, store and light?

Greenfires

Standard chainsaw cutters are designed to cut across the grain of the wood, and will make hard work of cutting with the grain. You can buy chains for ripping, but probably a bit specialist for home users. And it's much quicker and easier to use a splitting axe. These have a much broader head than a felling axe - they're designed to penetrate the wood and then force the two halves apart, rather than a felling axe which is designed to actually cut out pieces of wood.

Bear in mind that any Forestry Commission woodlands where scavenging permits are issued do not allow any use of power tools, so you can't wade in with the chainsaw! They're also pretty strict about what you can take - usually offcuts or deadfall - NOT anything from stacks where the harvester has been through and piled them up!

SG27

Greenfires wrote: »

Standard chainsaw cutters are designed to cut across the grain of the wood, and will make hard work of cutting with the grain. You can buy chains for ripping, but probably a bit specialist for home users. And it's much quicker and easier to use a splitting axe. These have a much broader head than a felling axe - they're designed to penetrate the wood and then force the two halves apart, rather than a felling axe which is designed to actually cut out pieces of wood.

Bear in mind that any Forestry Commission woodlands where scavenging permits are issued do not allow any use of power tools, so you can't wade in with the chainsaw! They're also pretty strict about what you can take - usually offcuts or deadfall - NOT anything from stacks where the harvester has been through and piled them up!

How does one go about finding forestry commission woodland and getting a scavenging licence?

Gloomendoom

I thought that they had stopped issuing them a couple of years ago. It may be different in Scotland or Wales though.

There was a bit about it in the press at the time. If I remember correctly, health & safety and protecting biodiversity were the reasons.

Greenfires

As far as I recall, there was such a fuss in Wales that they did a U turn and they got a bit of a reprieve. Not sure if it was a permanent move though. They did issue them in a couple of forest districts near us a few years back but weren't doing any last time I looked. Do a search on the FC website and see if anything is going.

dave76

Does anybody know if it is ok to store wood up against the side of a house? We moved house last year and there is a wood burner but so far just used the odd sack of wood.

At the back of the house is what looks to be a purpose made wood store - open sides/front, sloping slate "roof" but it is bolted to the wall (used to be on top of some decking but that was ripped up so currently it is floating with no floor). I am not sure if storing wood tight up against the wall might cause the wall to get damp? Would it be ok if a small gap was left between the wall and the logs?

SG27

dave76 wrote: »

Does anybody know if it is ok to store wood up against the side of a house? We moved house last year and there is a wood burner but so far just used the odd sack of wood.

At the back of the house is what looks to be a purpose made wood store - open sides/front, sloping slate "roof" but it is bolted to the wall (used to be on top of some decking but that was ripped up so currently it is floating with no floor). I am not sure if storing wood tight up against the wall might cause the wall to get damp? Would it be ok if a small gap was left between the wall and the logs?

I'm not sure than it would cause any damp in the house but it would better for the logs to leave a gap to allow air to flow.

suisidevw

Logs under the store should be dry with the sloping roof and therefore no damp. Just keep logs from touching the wall and floor by laying them on a pallet

dave76

thanks - should start using it then!

joc1274

Does anyone have one of these
youtube.com/watch?v=YsdUTI6uH0A

Greenfires

Nope - and wouldn't want to - looks like an incredibly tedious way of splitting. You'll also notice they're only working with very easy timber without knots. Get a decent splitting axe - and a chopping block. Something like a Gransfors-Bruks may seem pricey but will be able to be passed down to the next generation when you're past it!