andy10917 wrote:

Andy, for s__ts and giggles I looked up your weather earlier today and was wondering what you are going to do.

I'm going to split wood until it gets too nasty to split wood, and then watch it snow. When it stops on Sunday, I'll figure it all out. Yeah, that's it. Sounds like a plan.

Do you do it the old fashioned way or with a pneumatic splitter. A long time ago I remember my parents got a cord of wood delivered. A guy showed me the most efficient way to split it with an weighted axe (forgot the technical term). I would line them up in rows, 20/30 at a time, and then whack away. I was 19 at the time and swimming in college so it wasn't a big deal. I think I'd need a lot more than Mr. Walker if I tried that today.

I borrowed a 27-ton (pressure) hydraulic splitter. Worked great last weekend until it caught on fire. I hate it when that happens. Turns out it had been stored outdoors and an animal had built a nest of leaves under the shroud and behind the exhaust. I had to order a new pull-start as it melted that, but that was the extent of the damage. Half-hour repair.

It's still a ton of work lifting the 20-inch thick logs onto the damned thing, and this stacking is pure drudgery. But I'm almost there - may another cord or so to go.

They are not kidding when they say wood heats twice - once when you split it and once when you burn it.

andy10917 wrote:I borrowed a 27-ton (pressure) hydraulic splitter. Worked great last weekend until it caught on fire. I hate it when that happens. Turns out it had been stored outdoors and an animal had built a nest of leaves under the shroud and behind the exhaust. I had to order a new pull-start as it melted that, but that was the extent of the damage. Half-hour repair.

It's still a ton of work lifting the 20-inch thick logs onto the damned thing, and this stacking is pure drudgery. But I'm almost there - may another cord or so to go.

Stacking sucks. Getting the logs into the splitter sucks a bit less. How long do you season it before you use it?

I have leftovers from last year. When they're done, I move to the new stuff.

So, what's the update? How much snow have you all gotten?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I have about an inch on the ground in various places. We never did drop below freezing, the low was 33.0.

Total wipe - out here. 14 inches of the heaviest snow i have ever seen. No power still.

[ Post made via Android ]

Heaviest snow is right! I saved a bunch of arbs b/c i cleaned them off 3 x yesterday. That's my natural fortress, can't mess around with those!

I'm down in the Philadelphia area (working) now, but my home is still powerless/heatless, and probably will be until Thursday/Friday. I know many of you have forgotten about this mess already, but it goes on and on for some...

Out of curiosity, where in the Philly area are you?

Mt Laurel, NJ

andy10917 wrote:Mt Laurel, NJ

My division's HQ is in Mt Laurel...PF Chgangs near there

I'm bbaaaccckkkk. 5 nights w/o power. house got as low as 48, wife fled to sister's after 2 nights. mom was finally persuaded to go to my brother's after night #3 - she's tougher than my wife, just wanted to prove to herself she could do it. i decided to grow a beard since i have a 6-7 day head start. can't get the water heater started, but everything else is functioning fine, i don't do shelters...i need a shower.

lawn is a mess with debris, i can smell the Milorganite within the melting snow and warm sun. lost a lot of OM for the future with all the down limbs I've dragged to the woods.

My home is BACK, too. The first thing my wife did was run the garbage disposal - 5-day old cabbage in the disposal was getting a wee bit ripe...

yep, garbage disposal was one of those things we kept using even though we knew there was no power, it was nice to flush that stuff down.

fire-pit, gas grill, coolers, snow, and beer kept me sane. Tonight I'll have a scotch and toast a big FU to CL&P!!