Production

While we are gearing up firewood production for our own winter use, we are also ramping up production for the bundle project. Moving outdoors while the weather is holding clear and dry for a couple of days will speed up the process.

We have moved the portable Super Splitter out of the production area of the barn so it is closer to the log landing.

While one person is cutting the wood into 16 inch pieces, another one can be chopping the larger pieces into halves or quarters with the wedges and sledgehammer in order to make the heavy pieces light enough to lift up onto the platform table of the splitter. Quarters can still weigh too much to lift and will be split smaller if needed.

The person running the splitter will then whittle the pieces down further into manageable sizes. Wood that is split smaller than  four inches by four inches, looks smooth and straight without pitch seams or obtrusive knots are stacked into a crib. This will be firewood that will eventually make it into bundles that are delivered to local stores.

Once full, the crib will be moved with the tractor into a secure spot in the barn for the wood to complete the drying and curing process. The wood that is not straight, pretty, has big knots or has evidence of ants or other creepy crawlies, gets stacked on the ground next to the splitter where the sun will bake and cure the wood (and drive out all the insects) before moving it across the river to the wood shed for our own consumption.

All this production will be moved back inside the barn with the chance of rain in the forecast this weekend.