Show us: your log burners and open fires

[figbat]

 

[MrGrumpy]

Ours is hardly ever that clean

 

[figbat]

Ours is hardly ever that clean

It does stay pretty clean in use, I use a glass cleaning pad for any residue that does show up, usually if a log is positioned too close to the glass.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Someone told me coal was banned? The egg shaped ones are still allowed though. Bought some the one and only year I ran out of wood. I will never forget that year it took me months to recover from the trauma. It was years ago but i still have black bin half full of it. Can't bring myself to use it . Saving it for....

We can still use it here if we want - we are not in a smokeless zone. Legislation changes soon as you will be aware (same for commercial log suppliers) and we have already switched to the little 'egg' thingies - they are not as hot as coal but burn a lot longer and obviously more cleanly.

We still use the term 'coal' here out of habit - a bit like 'pull the chain' instead of 'flush the loo'.

 

[Reynard]

Have you seen/used the little Stihl mini-chainsaws that are battery powered?

A friend has one and it is a cute (?) and effective piece of kit.

Yes, but far too small for the amount of work I do, alas.

My petrol-powered Stihl has a 14 inch bar and works brilliantly. I wouldn't mind a slightly larger saw actually, but I'm a rather petite lass, and it's that trade off between cutting power and being able to actually handle the thing...

 

[rogerzilla]

I live in suburbia - despite this, there are lots of wind-felled trees on public land after any decent storm but, as I live by a river, it's virtually always willow. Useless as firewood even when it eventually dries out. I have 70 nets of kiln-dried ash a year delivered. Nets are easier to move about. My parents get free logs from a friend with a huge wood - it's all windfall, usually years old.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Yes, but far too small for the amount of work I do, alas.

My petrol-powered Stihl has a 14 inch bar and works brilliantly. I wouldn't mind a slightly larger saw actually, but I'm a rather petite lass, and it's that trade off between cutting power and being able to actually handle the thing...

Crikey! I can't even get Lovely Wife to go and get the logs from under the house - spiders apparently. Mind you she seemingly has an aversion to most outside the house tasks.

And most inside come to think of it.

She is lovely though.

In all honesty, I find chainsaws scary things. I don't really like watching them being used especially when people use them without those protective leggings/trousers or whatever they are.

 

[straas]

I prefer the look of logs burning, but you quickly get bored of getting up and adding another log.

Ovals are great, get them lit early - turn it down and go and make dinner. Nice and toasty by the time you come back in.

 

[straas]

In all honesty, I find chainsaws scary things. I don't really like watching them being used especially when people use them without those protective leggings/trousers or whatever they are.

I often work alongside tree surgeons, every single one either has a scar or a story - and that's with the gear.

It is surprising you can just pick one up from screwfix without any knowledge on how to safely use it.

 

[uphillstruggler]

Don't burn too much at once, some manufacturers won't guarantee their stoves if you burn eucalyptus because the oils in it makes it burn incredibly hot. I use it sparingly in mine. Like most woods it needs splitting as green as possible, because when dry it is very very tough.

thanks for that, ive just got a full load from an old friend who cut one down.

its a pain to split, even with the log bomb

 

[rogerzilla]

Use a splitting maul and lay into it. It doesn't cleave easily because it's fairly fibrous and the grain is twisted, so even a hydraulic log splitter might have trouble. The sawn rounds need to be no more than about 8" thick, or you'll have a really, really hard time.

 

[uphillstruggler]

Waitrose sell logs made out of used pressed coffee grounds, I haven't tried them yet but I'm intrigued, so will have to buy a bag.

ive been saving the capsules from Mrs UHS's coffee maker, does two things. firstly I mixed the grounds with standard candle wax and some syrup in the summer and made mozzi candles, worked a treat and smells quite nice too, gonna mix some with flour with the grounds and water to make a log for the wood burner to see how that turns out.

the second thing is that removing the grounds from the capsule means we can recycle them

 

[Ridgeway]

What are you folks using to measure moisture content ? If at all

I use a calendar

3 years in the forest, 1 year at home and then 48hrs inside the house but you guys live on a damp island so probably need a different method

 

[rogerzilla]

I have a moisture meter. It must be used on the fresh face of a sample log you have just split, so you get the correct level inside the wood.

 

[Gunk]

It does stay pretty clean in use, I use a glass cleaning pad for any residue that does show up, usually if a log is positioned too close to the glass.

Dry newspaper will clean the glass