Firing up the Furnace

[Bill Grumbine]

I wanted to wait until I got home from GA to do this, since the people left here at home were not real enthusiastic about maintaining the fire while I was gone. But it is done, and the oil burner is officially shut down until further notice. I always feel a little guilty when I stoke the thing, since I am burning wood for which others would string me up if they saw it going in the firebox door. It is mostly stuff that has gone bad, or is not worth turning compared to what I have in the turning stock, but today I had to chuck in a sizable piece of maple burl. It had gotten buried under some lesser stuff, and spalted to the point of being unusable, even if I stabilized it. The guilt will wear off when I step into a nice long hot shower though, knowing that it is wood fired and not oil. :D

Bill

[John Shuk]

Good luck Bill.
Keep us posted on this thing. I'd love to hear what you think after using it a while.

[Andy Hoyt]

Hmmm. I wonder if he ever finished that wood storage bin?:D

[Tim Morton]

I just put in a pellet stove this year. Not quite like burning free wood....but it is my contribution to getting off the oil grid. And my house is always toasty warm!!! I doubt any of these pellets would make good turning blanks either:D

[Bill Grumbine]

Well the fire is doing well, and Tim, I know just what you mean about getting off the oil grid. Our neighbor went the pellet route, but then he doesn't have tree people dropping logs off in his yard! :D We both have old stone farmhouses, but I think his has better insulation around the windows.

Right now I am burning up some old telephone poles that used to be a major landscape feature here. I am keeping a close eye on them, but a chimney fire is not a worry, since it is all outside. I do need to get some wood cut, but I also have a show coming up! So now I have to go make shavings, and hope that it doesn't snow before I get to do all my chopping!

When I get a decent woodpile, I will take some pictures.

Bill

[John Shuk]

Careful Bill,
Some of the really old poles are Chestnut. Much too nice to burn.