Hay im just looking to see how many other people have to go cut, split , dry, and stack wood just to keep them warm in winter. Also what type wood do you get? I Am on my 10th truck load now and im getting close to the end:rant:

Hay im just looking to see how many other people have to go cut, split , dry, and stack wood just to keep them warm in winter. Also what type wood do you get? I Am on my 10th truck load now and im getting close to the end:rant:
I have enough trouble programming my thermastat...:D

I was on wood heat a couple of years ago. My roomate and I tried to burn mostly oak and maple. Drying was mainly a matter of cutting ahead of time to let the wood dry naturally and,of course, mainly cutting dead trees. Splitting was just plain work.

i use wood heat. more reliable and doesn't fluctuate with gas prices too much like oil, etc does.

i get some off the side of the roads. but most ends up coming from other people selling it. since i own a truck, i pick it up myself, and i get it cheaper by buying it whole and split it myself.

i love locust wood. high heat, lasts forever. next oak, then on down the line.

10 truck loads? damn, where do you live? canada?

I live In Idaho by the frank church wilderness, well off the beaten path, I get mostly red fur, pondarosa pine and tammarack(larch) and it is just plain work, im building a dome home with raident floors and heat exchangers solar powerd,

I live In Idaho by the frank church wilderness, well off the beaten path, I get mostly red fur, pondarosa pine and tammarack(larch) and it is just plain work, im building a dome home with raident floors and heat exchangers solar powerd,
That sounds pretty cool.... are you doing the work yourself? What made you retreat that far from the beaten path?

That sounds pretty cool.... are you doing the work yourself? What made you retreat that far from the beaten path?
I Am doing most of it I had A friend help with the air form, well I helped him since he knew what he was doing. I am building the inside walls out of logs and covering the outside with river stone from around the property the one thing I did that is realy custom is the round front door like on the hobbit. and as for getting this far off the betan path well it would have to be when i lived in the city across from some gang members and about 8pm one night 4 rounds from a drive by came in the front window they got the wrong address and a month latter I came home from work late to find A chopper flying above my house and 5 squad cars in my front yard A guy knocked over the pizza hut on the corner and ran into my back yard and tried to force the door with my wife and child inside. after all that I decided I did not want to raise my kids there, so I sold the house left my job as A race car and custom 4x4 builder, found this place back in the sticks and started all over, it has been tough at times but very worth it to me and my wife my kids love it too, now im A E.M.T and wild life artist and I will be happy when I dont have to cut so much wood and I can move into my place(maybe around chirstmass).

I Am doing most of it I had A friend help with the air form, well I helped him since he knew what he was doing. I am building the inside walls out of logs and covering the outside with river stone from around the property the one thing I did that is realy custom is the round front door like on the hobbit. and as for getting this far off the betan path well it would have to be when i lived in the city across from some gang members and about 8pm one night 4 rounds from a drive by came in the front window they got the wrong address and a month latter I came home from work late to find A chopper flying above my house and 5 squad cars in my front yard A guy knocked over the pizza hut on the corner and ran into my back yard and tried to force the door with my wife and child inside. after all that I decided I did not want to raise my kids there, so I sold the house left my job as A race car and custom 4x4 builder, found this place back in the sticks and started all over, it has been tough at times but very worth it to me and my wife my kids love it too, now im A E.M.T and wild life artist and I will be happy when I dont have to cut so much wood and I can move into my place(maybe around chirstmass).
Wow panzertruppen, that is quite the story. I LOVE the round door! Most people would have just sucked it up and been miserable, so good for you for having the courage to change what you could and to risk it all to have a life worth living. Good luck with the building and keep us updated on how it is going.

Panzertruppen,

I would start burning different wood if I was you. The three you mentioned, fir, pine and larch are quite resinous and contain creosote. If you burn them for too long they create a buildup on the inside of your chimney that can catch fire and burn down your house. Either stop burning conifers and switch to deciduous trees or make sure to have your chimney cleaned periodically.

But man does it save me a TON of money. I have a really old house with huge rooms and vaulted ceilings. Running the furnace at all results in a $300-400 propane bill for just one month to heat half the house.

We try to burn mostly Oak, but we like to mix in a good bit of Maple (it burns longer than most) and Poplar ( burns very quickly, but produces a lot of heat).

I don't get too picky about wood though. I just try to avoid the conifers, but most of the wood I get is what is cleared on construction sites around my neighborhood. Its free, and usually piled off to the side where its easy to cut and haul off, so long as it doesn't rain. Then things get real messy.

Apple wood is very high quality, slow burning, smells good.
When we lost our apple trees a few years ago, in a storm, would have sent you a load.

Good luck with your cabin--sounds like an idyllic mountain wilderness.

Well I just burn whats around me, when in the forest, like in rome, I did have A chimmney fire last winter all I could do was just make sure it got air so it did not chug and let it burn out there is no fire dept here well besides me and in winter it is realy hard to get in here.

I love the thought of alternative heat sources. I have often thought of using a waste oil furnace mounted out in the garage. That is a key component of my dream home. Think of it, almost every single person in this country has a car that generates waste oil. (used motor oil) You can heat your home with this. Yes, the furnace is about 3 grand, but think of the savings as sure as prices will continue to grow. All that used motor oil out there that folks are trying to get rid of.

And, it's easier than chopping firewood. Opinions anyone?

007.

I love the thought of alternative heat sources. I have often thought of using a waste oil furnace mounted out in the garage. That is a key component of my dream home. Think of it, almost every single person in this country has a car that generates waste oil. (used motor oil) You can heat your home with this. Yes, the furnace is about 3 grand, but think of the savings as sure as prices will continue to grow. All that used motor oil out there that folks are trying to get rid of.

And, it's easier than chopping firewood. Opinions anyone?

007.

How much gas will you burn going around and collecting the waste oil? Are you expecting others to deliver it to you for free?

I think it's probably a terrific idea if you have a ready source of waste oil, for example if you own an oil change business. Otherwise it is probably not worth the investment.

How much gas will you burn going around and collecting the waste oil? Are you expecting others to deliver it to you for free?

That's the good part for me. I work at a tractor trailer repair shop. I can get all I want. Most tractor trailers carry 40-44 quarts in their engines, the oil tank fills quickly when they are being serviced.

[QUOTE=007]I love the thought of alternative heat sources. I have often thought of using a waste oil furnace mounted out in the garage. That is a key component of my dream home. Think of it, almost every single person in this country has a car that generates waste oil. (used motor oil) You can heat your home with this. Yes, the furnace is about 3 grand, but think of the savings as sure as prices will continue to grow. All that used motor oil out there that folks are trying to get rid of.

And, it's easier than chopping firewood. Opinions anyone?
================================================== ==

About 15 years ago a friend of mine that owns an auto repair shop made an waste oil heater out of a horizontal 55 gallon drum. It had a door on the front, and chimney pipe leading out the roof. It had a copper tube , with a manual valve on it, leading outside to a large container that he poured the used motor oil into. He just let the oil start running into the barrel and ignited a piece of paper to start the oil burning, It sat in the middle of his shop and heated it during cold weather. At no charge.

Try this one - a couple cups of sugar with a couple cups of potassium nitrate (salt peter). just grind it up and mix it together then put it in a can and light it off. A little smokey, but it's nice n warm :)