Having grown up in Florida's warm climate, a fireplace was something of a novelty. Living in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it's a necessity. A benefit of having a lot of wooded acreage is the constant supply of free firewood, however you still have to work for it. We are presently getting our wood from fallen trees on the east side of the property, where Harrison has already had them cut into 2-foot-long logs. We take Mema's truck down the path and then load up the wood to bring it back to their tool shed and the very cool gas-powered log-splitter. If the logs are longer than 2-foot sections, they won't fit on this splitter and they can be quite heavy.
The splitter uses a greased piston and hydraulic force to slowly ram the log onto an iron splitting wedge. I'm not sure of the pressure exerted but it's measured in tonnage, and it's awesome to hear the wood crack and split! Some logs require more than one split so they are a reasonable size for a fireplace. Also worth noting: You can't cut down a fresh tree and expect to the still damp wood to burn well...you must plan ahead and stockpile your logs allowing them plenty of time to dry out before tossing them into the fire and enjoying the warmth of carbonizing wood. Always remember to stand away from the splitting wood and wear eye protection!
No comments:
Post a Comment