Who would rather NOT have help with their firewood?

[Wagnerwerks]

This is the first year without help from my Dad, and I’ve been behind all year. It’s not that I can’t do it by myself, because I do. But it’s just not the same without him.

I understand that completely. My grandpa used to cut almost all of our families firewood. and included three families with fairly large homes and himself. he's been gone for a while now but it just has always been a little different. My dad is kind of picking up his torch but I have to make sure that I do my part 2.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I definitely miss my Dad helping with firewood. Some of my fondest memories from childhood and through my adult life was being in the woods with my Dad cutting, splitting, stacking etc...

 

[Dustin4185]

I definitely miss my Dad helping with firewood. Some of my fondest memories from childhood and through my adult life was being in the woods with my Dad cutting, splitting, stacking etc...View attachment 228613

That's why when my kids ask if we can cut or split wood, I try to make an effort to do a little even when I am dog tired. I remember going to the woods with my dad and grandfather as well. My 10 year old son loves trying to split with an axe or maul even though he just isn't quite strong enough for the 20" stuff I cut. I will give him the shorts and usually half them for him. He will sometimes spend 30 minutes on one piece, BUT he will get it split! To see his eyes light up and chest stuck out when he "one hits" a chunk makes it worth it. My daughter is even younger and tries, but is rarely successful. I have her split kindling with one of those upside down wedges you set the wood on and hit with a hammer to drive it down. Less chance of her getting hurt too bad. Either way, it is better than them being inside playing video games or the iPad!

 

[Funky sawman]

A couple things that piss me off with helpers is random lengths and most of all un square cuts. Trying to split a block of wood that's cut at an angle and keeps falling over really gets my boiler bubbling!

 

[Cigmaker]

Solo operation here as well. I cannot stand odd length wood! I'll be out tomorrow will definitely drop some pics of my little operation.

 

[srb08]

I helped a guy once and he ended up getting divorced because of it.
I prefer to cut and split by myself.
I'll take any help around, for hauling and stacking.

 

[USMC615]

I helped a guy once and he ended up getting divorced because of it.
I prefer to cut and split by myself.
I'll take any help around for hauling and stacking.

...that was a pretty good saga with that knucklehead!

 

[Wood Chopper]

I helped a guy once and he ended up getting divorced because of it.
I prefer to cut and split by myself.
I'll take any help around for hauling and stacking.

Yeah that was nutty


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PA Plumber]

Have one fella I have ever cut with that was decent. We use the same brand of wood stove so the length was a non-issue.
Was cutting with others last fall helping with a little felling and storm clean up.
Dropped a tree and was just starting to block it. A young man jumped in and started cutting close to me on on the same stick I was on. Nope. Shut my saw off and stepped back.

 

[Spike60]

At 90, my Dad loves to help when he comes up. Unlike most of you guys I didn't learn from him. He learned from me as I was the first in the family to burn wood. Wasn't something you did in surburbia, but we did have a fireplace that got used around the holidays.

He "warmed up" to the wood burning idea pretty quick once I started. Always wants updates on where I am in the wood shed. Anxious to start the new picker load. "Don't do it all without me."

 

[bowtechmadman]

Enjoy that time with him...unfortunately it ends far too soon.

 

[PA Plumber]

We cut wood growing up but relied on complete luck when it came to felling trees.
Cut and run, literally...Have been hit by the tops of trees felled by my dad and uncle.
Learned a little about how to fell trees in the mid 2000's. Have dropped hundreds of trees by now and done a few felling jobs.
I know it's dangerous, but would prefer to cut by myself so I'm not looking out for others all the time.
Wood fits in the stove and it's a lot easier to stack when I'm doing the cutting.
At crotches, I consider how it will split/stack when making the bucking cuts.

Here is a pic of 12 cords split and stacked with another two cords ready to be split.
Most of this I did by myself. Kids help split and stack a little.

 

[PA Plumber]

Here's a very short video from a trail cam.
Skidding firewood in...just me.

 

[Cigmaker]

White oak and beech

 

[Wood Doctor]

View attachment 229840 View attachment 229839
White oak and beech

Note how nicely Cigmaker's stock is cut to correct length and has square ends just right for splitting. This is the opposite of what usually you see with so-called "free" wood that Funky Sawman (post #44) and I have dealt with and am currently dealing with at drop sites or with tree removers.

I like following loggers who pull out whole trees from the work site and then I buck cut from there. These trees are usually two small for the loggers to sell to the local sawmill that wants really big stuff. I then buck cut all the pieces to the correct length for the stoves and fireplaces, and they have square cut ends rather than trapezoids and parallelograms that my log splitter hates. Waste is then minimized as well.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I don't like "help" with any of my projects, unless the helper has something I just don't have like specialized knowledge or a third arm. The worst ones are those who think that, because you aren't doing something the same way they do, you are doing it wrong. My FIL is a great guy who would do anything in the world for you, but don't you dare commence hunting or fishing in a different way than he does, you'll never hear the end of it! Totally serious, he took one look at a friend's deer stand and feeder setup and for the rest of the season carried on about what an awful hunter that guy is and I shouldn't let him come out to my place.

 

[OutrageousBob]

I really never get help on the chainsaw side of things. My son helps with the splitting, hauling and stacking. Got to say I really appreciate my hearthstone heritage due to the 21” log length. I really don’t have to and I’m not.

 

[onlybrowning]

View attachment 233768 I really never get help on the chainsaw side of things. My son helps with the splitting, hauling and stacking. Got to say I really appreciate my hearthstone heritage due to the 21” log length. I really don’t have to and I’m not.

Hearthstone Heritage is a nice stove. I’ve got the Mansfield, which is similar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Homemade]

I do the sawing/gathering with friends. I do the splitting, stacking, hauling in the house, starting the fires and adding the fuel 90% of the time alone. In the last 10 cord I produced. The wife helped stack in the house or stack outside maybe 1/2 a cord.

But back to people who I don’t want to help is my father and father in law and a guy who helps us fell trees, but usually just drives tractor. The dads don’t have the vision to get into a rhythm of what to do. And the tractor driver is a self proclaimed chainsaw expert, ready to correct any poor technique he may think your doing. If you pinch a saw, you might as well leave it behind to save yourself a lecture on how you should have cut the log to prevent the pinch.

 

[Spike60]

Can't stand "helpers" that appoint themselves "project foreman". Got a rule that works in the family, and try to apply it elsewhere. Whoever's house it is, is running the program, (within reason.) Everyone else is there to help get 'er done.