Northern weather

[Rufus T. Firefly]

...grating lasted 3 years before burning through...........especially black locust........

Cause and effect right there. Nothing makes heat like that black locust!

Then again, the metal that grates are made out of is not what it used to be and I think that the ones at the fireplace stores are made in where else, China. I've lost a few links in my cast iron grate in the back and I'm not burning locust here in VA., but mainly oak and poplar with some maple and cottonwood mixed in.

[robert.]

"Cause and effect right there. Nothing makes heat like that black locust!"
Osage orange.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

"Cause and effect right there. Nothing makes heat like that black locust!"
Osage orange.

Well, I don't have any experience with osage orange, just 50 years with black locust and 30+ acres in Pa where it grows like a weed. Dense and harder than nails; you have to drill holes in it and it doesn't rot - my sheds are locust post construction and they have been in the ground over 50 years now. PA Turnpike and PennDOT used to use locust for guardrail posts; 20 years in the ground, pull them and put them back in reverse direction. Used to get boards cut to use over wells. Blade for the chain saw lasts about 6 hours and throws sparks now and again.

12 degrees this morning........

[robert.]

same with osage. bugs wont eat it. For years it was used as nails on tall ships. Osage wont rot sitting in a stream. There is a claim a ton of osage will burn hotter then a ton of coal. Osage makes great wood for archery. Bois d'arc. All of the osage trees east of mississippi came from Lewis and Clark (supposedly) Black locust is great for archery also. I'd like to get a piece 70 inches long.No I'm not asking you to mail me one. Shipping would be more then the cost of a piece.

[healey36]

Seven degrees here, wind-chill minus-three.

Gotta be careful taking down locust...it has a tendency to splinter under stress. An acquaintance got a helicopter ride to Shock-Trauma when a locust he was cutting splintered and kicked back, pinning him against the side of an old shed. Crushed his hip and broke his leg above the knee. He was an arborist by trade so I presume he knew what he was doing, but sometimes you get careless.

[E7]

Best chain saw out there safety wise, particularly when you are working ALONE is a pole saw. Unless you need really long bar length, they are (opinion) the way to go. I have trimmed and cut up tons of trees in my last job with a saw attachment for either an Echo or Stihl (my memory is shot) weed whip. They also make dedicated (one use) pole saws with larger bars. I have a personal model with a 15 foot reach. You still have to be careful, but you are a long way from the chain!

Rich

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Gotta be careful taking down locust...it has a tendency to splinter under stress. An acquaintance got a helicopter ride to Shock-Trauma when a locust he was cutting splintered and kicked back, pinning him against the side of an old shed. Crushed his hip and broke his leg above the knee. He was an arborist by trade so I presume he knew what he was doing, but sometimes you get careless.

Never seen locust splinter.....must have been something odd there.

[rogruth]

I have no experience with chain saws of any type or size.
Are you saying that broken chains are a major hazard?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Best chain saw out there safety wise, particularly when you are working ALONE is a pole saw. Unless you need really long bar length, they are (opinion) the way to go. I have trimmed and cut up tons of trees in my last job with a saw attachment for either an Echo or Stihl (my memory is shot) weed whip. They also make dedicated (one use) pole saws with larger bars. I have a personal model with a 15 foot reach. You still have to be careful, but you are a long way from the chain!

Never used one - can't see using a pole saw to take down trees out in the woods. I have a 16" Stihl that's more than enough saw for anything that I should consider cutting - bigger stuff gets me to call in friends with bigger saws. Bigger stuff also equates to more work dragging, lifting, splitting, so that stuff gets given to the Amish.

Are you saying that broken chains are a major hazard?

Possible to snap back at you and hit you in the head, wrap around your leg, etc. Tends to teach one to stay offset from behind the saw,

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Well, that little outdoorsman-type discussion will motivate me to run right out and chop some wood.
Not.
Instead, I think I'll continue to just go to the grocery store (at the risk of your disdain and laughter, of course ) to buy little neat bundles of neatly cut log-things. Dare I say I'll also get one of those treated made-of-something-or-other wrapped "logs" at our local hardware store (!!!!) Flip up the paper edge and you're all set for a cozy chemical-motivated fire.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Well, that little outdoorsman-type discussion will motivate me to run right out and chop some wood.

Really too late to do that now anyway.

............I'll continue to just go to the grocery store (at the risk of your disdain and laughter, of course ) to buy little neat bundles of neatly cut log-things.

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

Dare I say I'll also get one of those treated made-of-something-or-other wrapped "logs" at our local hardware store (!!!!)

Just don't poke at it like I did...almost burned the apartment we lived in down

The outside of the chimney got so hot I had to douse the fire with water.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

...I'll also get one of those treated made-of-something-or-other wrapped "logs" ..........

Maybe light that and use it on the bear,

[J. S. Bach]

Maybe light that and use it on the bear,

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Your reactions are perfect, guys = fun conversation . And well worth the self-inflicted shame.