That was a good day.
Not an easy day, but a valuable day. One filled with a lot of work, good barbecued food, and connection with friends. It took six hours of almost constant work (other than lunch) to cut the lumps of wood into burnable wedges, and while I thought there wasn't going to be too much, we ended up with a pile large enough to last us probably three years. Although, we will give a lot of it to the neighbors who helped us anyway.
We borrowed a "klapikone" from the neighbors, which is a 2200W hydraulic splitter. And, one of the helping friends also brought his, so we had two machines running. One was a bit smaller, so it was used for the smaller logs that the women could carry more easily, and the other was for the huge lumps that required two people to do it safely.
Essentially, it is a slow, but high-pressure driver that pushes the wood up against a splitting point, and breaks it down the middle. Normally, birch wood would just crack away easily, but this was not only filled with a lot of nots, but also very fresh, so it was a bit harder and more awkward, as well as a slower process to get the job done. There were a lot of fibers that we had to cut away with a small hand axe.
You can see me using the machine in the next image, where there is a safety feature where one hand has to hold the on button, while the other pulls the lever to start the press, to make sure the hands are out of the way. For the large pieces, it is better to have a friend help and in some cases, two friends, as the large cut pieces fall away, and are heavy.
It was a workout.
I don't know how people do it with an axe only.
Smallsteps got in on the action, spending time pressing the button whilst others managed the rest of it. She was pretty chuffed to be so useful and it was pretty cool for her to be included and hear her having adult conversations with the neighbors. Afterward, when everyone had left, I had a talk with her about the day and she was saying how great it was. I pointed out that housework when done together, is a lot of fun, even if it is hard work.
Yesterday, I spent the day building shelves and making space in the garage to store the wood, but was told today that the wood should stay outside through the summer to dry first, as there is so much moisture, and then we can put it in there later. We still won't be able to use it (unless the summer is very warm) until winter in late 2025, but we have wood to get us through until then anyway.
So now, stacked up about a meter and a half high, three meters wide, and four rows deep, is what is left of three birch and a small maple. There is a tarpaulin over the top to keep most of the rain off, but I will have to adjust it a bit later to make sure there is enough airflow underneath to let it dry properly.
When we were sitting eating together, we were talking about doing these things more often, and how in the past, a lot of the houses in the area were built with a group of friends helping each other. Next on the list is one of the helping couple's decking, which we will assist with - as even though I can't do much of the precision work, I can at least help lift things into place.
It really was a nice day spent together in the sun, very dirty, covered in sweat, and watching what we set out to do, get done. There is something satisfying about seeing the pile of cut logs diminish, while the pile of cut wood grows. And, there is something even better about getting to the end of the day, with a sense of accomplishment together.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Those really are the BEST days!
It really was good. I even joked about starting a commune - well, a cult ;)
People often call me a real cult, at least I think that's what they say.
lolol
That's hilarious.
Nice! I absolutely think the very best form of exercise is working on projects like this. I definitely push myself harder than I would in normal working out to get the job done, even if I'm nearly exhaustion... and the sense of satisfaction is way bigger than just completing a workout. I'm glad your daughter got to help out, that's great. I'm sure she'll remember it in the wintertime when you use that firewood.
For sure. Practical muscle ;)
I think this is probably the case, especially in a group situation where everyone is helping out. And then as "host and beneficiary" I have to continue regardless of whether I want to or not :)
Seeing as how a lot of wood split easily in the movies and videos online, I think those are dry/dried ones already. Yours is not only fresh, but had a lot of water inside them. If it was already hard work with the machine, I wonder how traditional wood cutters would deal with it. I guess they might let it dry first before even trying.
They would normally cut the wood in the autumn or winter when there is no water running through the trees, then pile them and leave them in the forest to dry. Only after that would they cut them like this.
When there is something in common that unites neighbors, that’s good. Nice to see this. Your daughter looks like she's busy doing something very important :)
She really loved the day and felt like what she did mattered :)
Getting done all you have planned is an awesome feeling. That pile of wood looks awesome. I am looking forward to cutting some in the coming weeks for next winter.
How much do you normally use per winter?
We use almost nothing in Barcelona , first because temperatures barely go below 5°C and second because we use generally use the heating system. But I do not plan on having a heating system in Portugal and temperatures are slightly lower in winter there although we will not plan to be there many days in winter.
I will have to ask some friends to figure out what can be my consumption.
Truly works when done together is truly fun...even if it's hardwork. I can relate to this. My family as a whole we do farm together every weekend and this creates more unity and love within ourselves and things are much more easier when we work together.
When everyone benefits from working together, it is even better.
Yeah it is....
Lots and lots of logs.. Are they for fireplace use only or outdoor cooking as well?
fireplace and sauna. We have a gas grill and charcoal sometimes.
Wow, you have all the trees that you need already and your neighbors are so lucky to receive some.
Happy to know that you expose your daughter with these immersive activities. Makes them active and could become a team player early on. Good job bro! 👏
Wow, it looks like that machine would be great for chopping a lot of wood. Our work would be much easier if we used that.Here in our place, we use an axe when chopping wood, so after finishing, you really sweat a lot.
We did a bit by axe, but it is hard work, especially with wet wood. Once it is dry though, birch splits easily.
I had house chores today as well. I cleaned the garden and around the house. It took almost 4 hours, but it is worth it as I won't have such house chores till autumn :)
It is definitely nice to get them out of the way.
Sounds like a lovely day rewarded with some great food at the end of it. Interesting machine for breaking up the wood.
It would take me weeks to do the same with an axe. I just wouldn't have the energy!
Smallsteps looks so engrossed. She got the hand quickly too, if she pushed the right buttons. When you include the family in such activities you have a lot to discuss later. Great bonding.
Balancing optimism with realism is such a tough yet necessary skill. It's fascinating how our outlook shapes our experiences. I've learned a lot from this good free
Wow
The woods are really much but I’m glad you had an amazing meal at the end of it all to help you ease your stress
It is my first time to see that kind of machine Sir @tarazkp for chopping wood. It makes life comfortable. We use axe or a bolo knife in my country.
Wow! That's a pretty tough day. You guys deserves a can of beer 🍺🍻.