|
|
Post by quercusrobur on Jan 24, 2024 12:05:33 GMT
I think electric chainsaws are improving, but they are still prohibitively expensive compared to their petrol equivalents from what I've seen. I need to actually try a few out really. We burnt mostly sycamore this winter that was seasoned for around 7-8 months and it was absolutely fine (around 16-18% moisture content). It all gets stored on pallets inside a draughty barn. Funny you should say that wood is easier to split when dry - I've actually found that the opposite is true! I always split wood when it's green, as soon as possible after it's been cut into rounds. If I leave it to dry, it is usually a lot harder and some wood, like eucalyptus, is pretty much impossible to split once it's dried out. I split a load of recently fallen ash a couple of weeks ago and even the really big bastard rounds split beautifully  |
|
|
|
Post by technoish on Jan 24, 2024 12:22:46 GMT
This has become a real manly lumberjack thread.
Carry on.
|
|
|
|
Post by quercusrobur on Jan 24, 2024 12:33:30 GMT
I must admit that I do derive a certain amount of childish pleasure strolling around with my razor sharp splitting axe. I like to pretend that I live in a ramshackle wooden cabin deep in the wilderness.
|
|
|
|
Post by henroben on Jan 24, 2024 12:53:59 GMT
I think electric chainsaws are improving, but they are still prohibitively expensive compared to their petrol equivalents from what I've seen. I need to actually try a few out really. We burnt mostly sycamore this winter that was seasoned for around 7-8 months and it was absolutely fine (around 16-18% moisture content). It all gets stored on pallets inside a draughty barn. Funny you should say that wood is easier to split when dry - I've actually found that the opposite is true! I always split wood when it's green, as soon as possible after it's been cut into rounds. If I leave it to dry, it is usually a lot harder and some wood, like eucalyptus, is pretty much impossible to split once it's dried out. I split a load of recently fallen ash a couple of weeks ago and even the really big bastard rounds split beautifully Interesting, maybe a difference in technique? Or the species of wood perhaps? Maybe you just hit them harder than I do I always find green wood a bit sticky when splitting it, while with dry wood I just aim for one of the radial cracks and it just pops apart. I tend to use an axe for smaller logs and a sledge hammer + wedges for large rounds. So maybe my tools are more suited to dry wood? Dunno... Some wood just pops apart regardless of drying. Cedar I seem to remember comes apart very nicely indeed with minimal effort |
|
minimatt
Junior Member
hyper mediocrity
Posts: 1,681
|
Post by minimatt on Jan 24, 2024 13:00:54 GMT
have a 14" bar on a 36v Makita rear handle which gets very little use but can handle anything I'd feel safe-ish attempting. Rear handles feel safer to me than top handles - you're better braced for kickback, but anything below 5" diameter I prefer a recip saw as they have less blood lust.
if you're already on a battery platform I'd say whatever 36/40v rear handle they do is fine, the 18v options are really pruners only, body only options can be had for £200 and up. I'm not your dad, but really don't fuck around without at least face protection
edit: and count me in team green wood easier to split with the exception of willow which is like trying to split a sponge
|
|
|
|
Post by quercusrobur on Jan 24, 2024 14:05:16 GMT
I think electric chainsaws are improving, but they are still prohibitively expensive compared to their petrol equivalents from what I've seen. I need to actually try a few out really. We burnt mostly sycamore this winter that was seasoned for around 7-8 months and it was absolutely fine (around 16-18% moisture content). It all gets stored on pallets inside a draughty barn. Funny you should say that wood is easier to split when dry - I've actually found that the opposite is true! I always split wood when it's green, as soon as possible after it's been cut into rounds. If I leave it to dry, it is usually a lot harder and some wood, like eucalyptus, is pretty much impossible to split once it's dried out. I split a load of recently fallen ash a couple of weeks ago and even the really big bastard rounds split beautifully Interesting, maybe a difference in technique? Or the species of wood perhaps? Maybe you just hit them harder than I do I always find green wood a bit sticky when splitting it, while with dry wood I just aim for one of the radial cracks and it just pops apart. I tend to use an axe for smaller logs and a sledge hammer + wedges for large rounds. So maybe my tools are more suited to dry wood? Dunno... Some wood just pops apart regardless of drying. Cedar I seem to remember comes apart very nicely indeed with minimal effort Probably to do with the wood I reckon - I tend to split hardwoods like ash, sycamore, field maple, beech & eucalyptus and they are definitely a lot easier to split when green (I've discovered this through long days trying to fruitlessly split rock solid dried rounds!) I never use a wedge, so maybe you're onto something there. I've got a Gransfors Bruks large splitting axe and it makes mincemeat of all but the biggest rounds. Seriously awesome tool, so pretty as well ... sorry, getting carried away. Never split cedar actually, interesting. |
|
|
|
Post by henroben on Jan 24, 2024 15:25:13 GMT
Probably to do with the wood I reckon - I tend to split hardwoods like ash, sycamore, field maple, beech & eucalyptus and they are definitely a lot easier to split when green (I've discovered this through long days trying to fruitlessly split rock solid dried rounds!) I never use a wedge, so maybe you're onto something there. I've got a Gransfors Bruks large splitting axe and it makes mincemeat of all but the biggest rounds. Seriously awesome tool, so pretty as well ... sorry, getting carried away. Never split cedar actually, interesting. Cedar's lovely to split, really easy and smells amazing when burning - seems to like splitting into almost cubic blocks for some reason. Sadly it's all mouth and no trousers when it comes to heating, burns very quickly like most soft woods. |
|
|
|
Post by Dougs on Jan 24, 2024 18:14:08 GMT
A good log to burn on a good base then.
|
|
|
|
Post by quercusrobur on Jan 24, 2024 18:16:27 GMT
Yep, certainly sounds like it. It's usually good to mix hardwood and softwood - softwood to get the fire going with a sprint and the hardwood to put the hard yards in as the day/night goes on.
|
|
nexus6
Junior Member
Posts: 2,526
|
Post by nexus6 on Jan 26, 2024 22:49:29 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by TheSaint on Jan 26, 2024 23:09:51 GMT
I’ve been trying to put my head in the sand and pretend it’s ok but feels like we are reaching a bit of a tipping point on wood burning. Our council were even promoting a clean air night the other day to try and highlight the damage they are doing.
|
|
richardiox
Junior Member
Semi proficient
Posts: 1,651
|
Post by richardiox on Jan 27, 2024 9:10:47 GMT
Way I see it, I usually have the stove on at night, in winter, when fuck all people are out and about breathing it in. If people had stoves burning 24/7 all year I'd perhaps take the public health arguments more seriously.
|
|
Fake_Blood
Junior Member
Posts: 1,642
Member is Online
|
Post by Fake_Blood on Jan 27, 2024 10:03:57 GMT
From a scientific point of view, when an article uses the words “one study” and “up to” you should stop reading. If you extrapolate their statistical deaths to the number of wood and coal burners you had in London 100 years ago, you’d have a couple 100.000 deaths/year.
|
|
|
|
Post by quercusrobur on Jan 27, 2024 10:38:55 GMT
I don't really know what to think about it all anymore. We've got a modern, very-efficient wood burning stove (it's DEFRA approved for use in smokeless zones) and I only ever burn properly seasoned hardwood which I source myself from windfall trees (in my view, this is pretty sustainable).
If that's not enough then I don't really know what else to do.
|
|
richardiox
Junior Member
Semi proficient
Posts: 1,651
|
Post by richardiox on Jan 27, 2024 10:49:03 GMT
Drive a tiny bit less to offset any guilt about your wood burner.
|
|
askew
Full Member
Posts: 6,795
Member is Online
|
Post by askew on Jan 27, 2024 10:51:35 GMT
You folks are funny.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mr Wonderstuff on Jan 27, 2024 11:08:27 GMT
From a scientific point of view, when an article uses the words “one study” and “up to” you should stop reading. That's my motto for anything in the media. "Potentially", "Could", "May", "One person" are keywords which is when I stop reading any article. We need our wood burner as it's bloody cold in this stone terrace cottage even with the radiator on. |
|
|
|
Post by TheSaint on Jan 27, 2024 11:15:29 GMT
From a scientific point of view, when an article uses the words “one study” and “up to” you should stop reading. If you extrapolate their statistical deaths to the number of wood and coal burners you had in London 100 years ago, you’d have a couple 100.000 deaths/year. That's true but the individual studies are mounting up yet I have yet to see one that claims they aren't producing dangerous levels of particulate polution. |
|
Fake_Blood
Junior Member
Posts: 1,642
Member is Online
|
Post by Fake_Blood on Jan 27, 2024 11:24:42 GMT
From a scientific point of view, when an article uses the words “one study” and “up to” you should stop reading. If you extrapolate their statistical deaths to the number of wood and coal burners you had in London 100 years ago, you’d have a couple 100.000 deaths/year. That's true but the individual studies are mounting up yet I have yet to see one that claims they aren't producing dangerous levels of particulate polution. I don’t see how you perform a study that proves a negative result. How are you going to determine a dangerous level when the health effects manifest themselves decades later, and even then, how are you going to isolate it from other factors common to people that burn wood these days? I’m coming at it from the angle that the effect must be so small to have gone undetected for millennia, because we’ve been burning wood for a while. |
|
KD
Junior Member
RIP EG
Posts: 1,329
|
Post by KD on Jan 27, 2024 11:36:13 GMT
I can only come at this from working on industrial sites and recycling, I'd imagine health and safety would make us mask up in pretty heavy duty breathing gear to work near the same smoke and fumes. Maybe researching that aspect might give more answers as stoves get more popular and practical things like a terraced street using them would be a bit worse than the odd spaced out house.
|
|
|
|
Post by technoish on Jan 27, 2024 11:49:21 GMT
I don't know why the articles don't do something on ways to further reduce emissions, such as chimney filters. Restaurants with open fires need to have them, we just need a mass consumer version!
On same note, I will be looking to get rid of the gas hob when we do any refurb.
|
|
Fake_Blood
Junior Member
Posts: 1,642
Member is Online
|
Post by Fake_Blood on Jan 27, 2024 12:43:09 GMT
If we had an influx of thousands of cheap dosimeters instead of CO2 meters we'd be talking about concrete, granite and bananas instead of gas hobs.
|
|
|
|
Post by quadfather on Jan 27, 2024 17:34:28 GMT
I see the guardian have been stirring the pot again |
|
nexus6
Junior Member
Posts: 2,526
|
Post by nexus6 on Jan 27, 2024 18:21:52 GMT
Fanning the flames...
|
|
|
|
Post by Dougs on Jan 27, 2024 23:54:09 GMT
Stoking the fire, some might say.
|
|
|
|
Post by technoish on Jan 28, 2024 9:01:29 GMT
Air quality imgur.com/a/5uAqkmCLink is to the data from the air filter in our bedroom, upstairs. The small mid afternoon spike is from our wood burning stove. The massive late afternoon one is from cooking... |
|
minimatt
Junior Member
hyper mediocrity
Posts: 1,681
|
Post by minimatt on Jan 28, 2024 9:57:27 GMT
do you recommend a particulate monitor techno? i'm thinking of sourcing one albeit for sawdust reasons
|
|
|
|
Post by technoish on Jan 28, 2024 10:15:49 GMT
It's the one inside our Philips air filter and humidifier I'm afraid, not separate!
Another point here being of course that Im not measuring the outside air!
But the cooking emission impact is pretty intense - if I do some proper steak charring, or also bacon actually, the air filter air quality alarm goes off! This is on opposites sides of a three story 200sqm house. Maybe I need to upgrade the extractor!!!!
|
|
minimatt
Junior Member
hyper mediocrity
Posts: 1,681
|
Post by minimatt on Jan 28, 2024 10:23:51 GMT
ah fair enough, thanks anyway interesting comparison with the cooking |
|
Fake_Blood
Junior Member
Posts: 1,642
Member is Online
|
Post by Fake_Blood on Jan 28, 2024 10:33:52 GMT
Your bacon also seems to produce a spike in pollen, which is worrying.
|
|
