The mother-of-all wood shacks

Another month another wood-shack-cum-shelf structure thing.

I've created a bigger version and started to fill it up with logs. I'm trying to make these logs bigger with a view in mind that I can use the smaller stuff to start the fire and get the room hot and then I can sling on a big log to burn slowly and more coolly and thus just keep the temperature nice for a whole evening.

I'm unsure how many wood/logs I'll need for a late autumn/winter/early spring season. I don't want to be rationing them and I don't want to run out in the middle of a cold snap. Therefore I'm going with the theory that too much is better than too little - it's not like wood goes off or anything is it?

Once this latest wood-shack is filled up, I'll be making the mother-of-all-wood-shacks and filling that as well.

I'm not a hippy

I may be a tree hugger but I'm not a hippy and so I've been buying lintels not lentils.

The lintel is part of my new clay fire back kit that I've bought recently. It sits on top of the fire back and helps create a non-turbulent air flow up the chimney - all technical stuff. Installation is scheduled for Easter time, hopefully it'll warmer then and I'll have a few days off to complete the job.

Talking of tree huggers, it looks like someone has been hugging my trees. My normal source of logs in the woods seems to have been raided by someone other than myself (the cheek of it!). I concluded that setting a bear trap was a bit over the top and so have gone for the tripwires and mines instead.

Update (01/03/09): Here's a pic of the fire back, unfortunately I can't put logs on it when it's sat in my bedroom!!

Bigger is not always better

Back in early posts I mentioned that I initially went for the really big logs and now I'm paying the price.

Whereas the small logs just need a little sawing and spilt really easy - the big logs are just too big to saw (I'd be sawing all day!) and they are a devil to split with my little axe. Been asking around for anyone with a chainsaw but no luck.

I think I'll persevere with what I've got but the message going foward is to get small managable logs.

The Axeman Cometh!!

A new year and a new toy - a hand axe.

I'd been eyeing it up for a while at my local Wickes until I could no longer resist it. I've been YouTube-ing videos of axe use and I'm ready to go.

This weekend I built a wood-shack-cum-shelf structure thing and filled it with newly sawn and axed logs. And I still have all my fingers!!! They are now sited in accordance with some web page advice I got about seasoning wood, in that the wood should be open to air/draught movement (to remove moisture) and should be warmed by sunlight to help seasoning/drying.

My mum popped round and I proudly showed her my achievement (like a schoolboy with a good report), she commented that "You've cut them a bit small, they'll burn really quick".

Thanks Mum - back to the drawing board.

Fun guy

I'm no expert on fungi, spores and mould (where's that bloke from Ghostbusters when you need him) - all I know is there's a strange smell in my garage not unlike mushrooms.

I do remember when I researched wood seasoning - it suggested not storing "green" wood, i.e. wet wood, in a garage - I poo-pooed it at the time.

So with Alanis Morrisseette's "it's the good advice that you just didn't take" ringing in my ears I start the slow process of taking all the wood out of the garage and stacking it on my patio. Apparently (after google research) the damp wood, still air and relative darkness of my garage is the ideal environment for mould growth.

Even my prize dartboard has taken a mould hit, at least I have an excuse for missing the treble 20 now.

Pressies

Well it is Christmas.

I've treated myself to a few things that will help in my new career as a log burner extraordinaire. These things are: a) a grate, b) an ash pan (to sit under the grate), c) a small shovel to help clean up the ash, d) a bow saw (to cut down logs into "backpack" size).

I didn't wrap them or anything, just surreptitiously hid them in my garage (so the wife don't see em).

P.S. I'm popping out to collect wood every weekend and my garage is filling up nicely.

On the 1st day of Christmas...

Well, it's the 1st of December and did I find a nice log fire behind the "1" on my advent calendar?

Did i eck!

I've had to face up to the fact that: a) it's too expensive to get the "fire back" installed considering all the normal Christmas expense, b) it would mean that the fire would be out of action for a few days/week, c) it would mean a delay on putting up the Xmas decorations and all that.

Sob, sniff, let's hope we don't have a cold winter.