I have lived and worked in woodlands and forest all of my life - and always with wood fires. The cottage I live in now is 100% wood fire heated. I harvest my firewood locally and sustainably, and aim to burn my logs efficiently. But it is more than this - I love the lifestyle. Getting timber and kindling with friends, splitting and stacking wood for the log store and then the fires. The skill needed to season logs and light a fire quickly, and how to get the most heat from the fewest logs - it can take a lifetime to master. And the joy of campfires and cooking on them. This channel shares what I have learned, and am still learning.
It was a huge pleasure to write, 'The Wood Fire Handbook' in 2012.
Sharing the early history and development of ax is enlightening. It encourages me respect and appreciate my ax tool. Thank you so much for your kind words Vince, I too is doing kindling, for my family, and to prepare our fireplace to keep us warm in a cold Region in the Philippines. Blessings.
Yes - the elm in the hedges around me grows to about a 6" diameter and then the Scolytus beetles find the young tree and introduce the Dutch Elm disease. Tragic, but makes great firewood! Vince
Do you measure the handle length by holding the axe out, and having the end just reach your arm pit? I'm 5"10 and looking at a spliting axe with either a 28" or 36" handle. Cheers.
I am not at home at the moment so can't check that. Although I have never measured that way. I like the splitting axe handle to reach my waist, around my belt, when the head is resting on the ground. Then I will get a good splitting speed when I swing the axe and the head will not hit my legs if I mis-hit a log. I am 5'11" and the Fiskars X27 handle is perfect for me. I will check the lengths and let you know when I get home. All best, Vince
Hi, I am finally back home and done the measurement. My axe has a full length of 36" - and I am 5' 11" and it feels just right - for my swing and safety. I hope you get an axe sorted out that suits you. All best. Vince
RU-vid’s algorithm recommended this video. There was something about this video that seemed familiar, so I went to find the book I read last year! The Wood Fire Handbook! It’s great to put a face to the author. Glad to have found your channel
Large wood lasts longer all that little stuff you have burns very quickly if yo need your home 80 F and hotter theres something wrong with you? 12 " and up sugar maple / oak off the stump in summer is DRY for the the winter AFTER it gets to 40 F below here burn little stuff like that you will be up 4 times a night sleeping at 60 /65 F is common sense if your wood heater wont keep youwarm yiu need a bigger heater/ better insulation/ common sense people selling firewood dont want you to use LESS wood lol
It is interesting and perhaps the most important thing that we all need to find what suits our own home and climate. I have gone for massive insulation and small fires and it's good to hear that you too have a system that works for you. All best, Vince
Morning, thanks for that comment. I have attached a link to a bit I did with the BBC about some gold we got off of a shipwreck - it was a wonderful adventure. All best. Vince www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06nntdn
I dropped an elm last autumn and yesterday tried to split it with my Fiskars axe. The axe either bounced off or got stuck. I've never known anything like it. Just bought a maul online, but I may have to cut the logs even smaller. Tough stuff.
I had the same - cut some elm to about 10 inches, my Fiskars X27 wouldn't even touch it. So I halved the logs to about 5 inches and it still wouldn't split them. The best I could do was to 'peel' them smaller by taking chunks from around the outside. Amazing wood. All best Vince
You forgot one important factor... the SIZE of your wood stove. My wood stove takes 2ft. logs... that's 24 inches. If I burned small crap like yours it would burn up in less than 2 hours With big logs It can burn 4-5 hours, and the stored heat in my house lasts another 2-3 hours.
The principals of drying are the same, and dry logs are more efficient - even with the big crap! All you say is fine and true, the logs will just take longer to season.
@@WoodFiresWithVince Wrong: That's because I can store my entire years supply of firewood in the room where my woodstove is. I like to call it the furnace room. The wood stove acts as a kiln and dries out the wood in no time while at the same time humidifying the rest of my 2-story house.
Great channel. I have just spilt a 10-15ton OAK tree that fell over my drive with the Fiskars X25 (I also have the X27 but not used it yet) - brilliant. I also have a splitting maul but it is just too heavy to use for any length of time. At first I thought I would cut it with my own chainsaws but realised it was too high (25ft in places) so called in a professional tree specialist to cut it into manageable lengths, £600 well spent as the danger would have been significant for me trying to cut it at height.
Absolutely right - I would not have climbed the oak either! That is a totally professional job and I read a while back that most throats cut with a chainsaw happen to people working at height. And apart from the safety angle - with the price of firewood now you will have easily got your money back in logs!? I would say give your X27 a good go too - they are really good - although just a tiny bit heavier would have been perfect for most British firewood species. All best. Vince
great vid, new to wood stove heating . i bought a moisture meter, i noticed logs already split are fairly dry inside, but the bark is attached and very high moisture 30% - 40% measuring on the bark on the logs on the bark . i see these videos, people don't measure the bark? i assume that's not ok to use?
Interesting observations! The logs will dry faster on the split face and I would say that your logs are probably not yet fully seasoned. The bark itself usually has more heat energy per kilo/pound than the actual wood - so once dry it is good to burn. Mastering you logs is probably the secret to enjoying good wood fires - I hope it all goes well for you. Best wishes, Vince
I do a bit of camping in the summer and like to stock up on my firewood for my trips away. I do chop the wood up into similar piece's you have . I store them in the garage, is that okay to do ?
The big thing is to have some airflow, particularly if the wood is damp when first stored. I would say only gather dry wood or store it under cover outside until it is dry - and then it is fine to store in a dry garage for as long as you like. There is the consideration of bringing insects into your garage. I find elm to be so full of woodworm I do not bring it to the house until I am going to burn it. Also of course, firewood for camping does not need to be as dry as 'house wood' as there is no issue with damaging a chimney or flue. Enjoy your trips away - all best wishes. Vince
Yes thanks - everybody knows the logs need to be dry/seasoned, but many don't really appreciate the staggering waste of heat energy needed to boil away the remaining moisture - every 1% moisture reduced is a real bonus! Thanks for your comment. Vince
Yes I would think that is right. Gathering sticks would work best if you only had stone or bronze tools. Plus they had peat and dried animal dung as options. Even now, if you have the time to go out and get sticks, and the space to store them, they are a good option. Thanks for the interesting question. All best, Vince
That sounds good. Yes most fruit is in plastic here now - sometimes strawberries come in wooden 'punnets'. I do also save my ice cream sticks - and by the end of summer there are loads! All best wishes, Vince
Hi, I have recently found your videos as I am in the process of have 2 trees felled. A eucalyptus and a conifer both around 65ft. I was wondering if you have any suggestions on how we can use the logs? Do we chop them down and leave to dry for firewood? Or if there other ways you would use them? Many thanks for any advice
Hi Peter, Unless there is a small mobile bandsaw operator, or someone who could use those trees, it might well be that firewood is your best option. If that is the case, then get the trees crosscut into logs and split them - then probably best to get them stacked under cover but with plenty of air-flow through them. In general eucalyptus is a good firewood, conifers less so - but all are fine if dried out well - 'seasoned'. If you are in the northern hemisphere, then you now have all summer to season the firewood! Good luck with it all. Vince
Good luck with all that - I did have another thought, some eucalyptus species are cross-grained making them difficult to split. So maybe cut those logs a bit shorter and have a good splitting axe ready! Enjoy it all! Best wishes, Vince
If the wood and kindling are bone dry then starting is really easy. I have a rolling three year wood store and just use the small bits of wood that chip off when I’m splitting as kindling. Like you I but a quarter log in the back, but then drop a small sugar cube sized bit of fire lighter in the front and light it. Then prop the small bit of wood vertically in the flame and put two or three logs horizontally across the small bits. Then shut the door and fully open the front vents at the bottom. It draws air up from the bottom, forcing the flames up the kindling and through the upper logs. Within half a minute the whole thing is roaring. The whole process takes about as long as boiling a kettle.
All good thoughts - it is a fine thing to have really mastered the fire and the stove - and three years of logs in store is the icing on the cake! All best, Vince
Glad to see you using that old cedar fencing! At one time I had quite a lot of it and it all got made into kindling! HA HA I would use my band saw to cut it to the right length and then it would split so easily!
G'day mate, great video. Just found your channel from the big gum trees in Victoria, Australia. Hope that I might be able to initiate something like this one day. I also really appreciate your other videos, especially the gentle and generous tips, as well as the love of old axes and belief in getting the best out of a long forgotten tool. Cheers mate.
If I didn't live in Old England I would want to live in your part of the world - I have been over to gold prospect three times and loved Victoria. Have a good winter. All best. Vince
Thank you! You made my day! Now I will be able to split my wood pieces into small chunks, for decoration purposes. Sometimes one does not think of the obvious things in the first place, so I am glad that I found your video.
I'm another statistic, I cut myself quite badly with a shaving sharp hatchet while making kindling. Luckily the hand surgeons are really good and after a year my hand is about 90% of what it was before the accident. Lessons to be learned is that you never are as precise with an axe as you think you are and never for any reason have a body part in front of a sharp edge. There are always another way of doing things and if you can't think of it leave the task for another day.
Really glad they were able to fix you up - I guess it is worth remembering that axes were a main battle weapon for much of our history! Thanks for adding your story. All best. Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVinceThank you. Using a froe seems like an excellent idea and seems easier and quicker than using a hatchet unless the grain is perfectly straight. I will look to see if I can find one.
@@WoodFiresWithVinceI'm thinking about making a mallet from oak, that will probably be heavy enough. If not I can make it as a dead blow mallet and fill it with lead pellets. All the best!
I guess many good things are forgotten and have to be relearned, this is new to most people with wood stoves. The scouts were great back then - I was taught to light fires up in trees to prepare for a flood event - a skill I have never yet needed! All best. Vince
A good middling firewood, nice and clean and should dry out fairly quickly. My main logs have been sycamore for the last month - mixed with a little oak. All best. Vince
Fantastic channel and great advice! I would be interested to know how you rate seasoning firewood out in the open (uncovered) compared to the more traditional (in the UK) covered stacks. It seems to be far more common on the continent and elsewhere to just stack firewood out in the open and fully exposed to the elements so why wouldn't it work in the UK, is our climate too damp? I am considering trying it but being in Yorkshire I am a little sceptical😂
Morning Jon, yes I have noticed in France, Greece and central Europe that split firewood can be left out, often still in the woodland between trees. But, we don't have their summer - not yet anyway. So I would always leave the sides completely open, but put a basic roof on, which does need to be slightly above the logs for airflow. I would stay with the rule, air through- rain off. All best. Vince
That is a fairly difficult thing to do, I am thinking to make a video on log identification one day. But the most important thing is that a log is as dry as you can get it, whatever the species. All best wishes, Vince
It is a trivet. My first stove, a small Jotel, had a crack across the top that I think was from putting a cold kettle on it. I am told that you can put kettles and pans directly onto the wood burner - but they are so expensive I am not going to risk it! I bought mine online from a stove company. All best, Vince
I am away from home at the moment travelling, the joy of retirement is the freedom! I am back in early March and am hoping to make a video on overnight burning - it is so bad for the home if it is done badly. I have more ideas than I ever seem to have the time to film - sorry I am not more productive as I do really love everything to do with wood fires. All best, Vince
Thank You for this video. I couldn't agree more with Your words: One needs firelighters that really work. Every time I use frying pan I wipe any leftover fat, be it lard, butter, vegetable oils or olive oil, with a tissue and store it in a jar. I even wipe empty sardines tins or butter wrapping paper. It never let me down. Wast not want not. Cheers.
Well, that is interesting and very practical. In the old days nothing was wasted. I do sometimes pour a little leftover fat onto the cardboard firelighters - I don't remember if I said that in the video! Thanks for your thoughts, All best, Vince
That is such a good question and so important. I only burn during the day and evening. Overnight burning is the cause of most problems in stoves and chimneys and takes real skill to get right. For me the big question is why. If you live in a really cold place ok, if your home is not well-insulated ok. But it is so easy to light a fire, I just set a new one in the morning. Plus I have a large brick chimney which acts as a massive storage heater. I think my next video will be about this question, All best with what you choose to do, Vince
Yes it does have a grate above an ash pan. It is a Clearview Vision 500. I have chosen a multi-fuel stove to have the flexibility to use other fuel - for if I got injured, or really ill or something. I believe they are a slightly less efficient burn than a true modern woodburning-only stove, but I try and make up for that by drying my logs well and maintaining a careful air flow in the stove. They are great stoves and I have used them for over 20 years now. I hope that is helpful, all best wishes. Vince
Vince, I suppose I should post this on the kindling vid but after watching your froe use i tinkered with the idea. £50 or thereabouts was pricey (for what the item actually is). I then looked into the forest master (stump mounted) splitter. Got myself one and i am very impressed. Still need a beetle or club but very quick nonetheless. Still looking for an old froe though🙂
Yes froes do seem to be more expensive than a simple blade on a stick actually warrants! But a good one lasts for ever I guess. I have seen but never used a chopping block mounted blade - I do hear that they are very good. All best. Vince
There's a reason why nobody talks about this: people just don't understand it enough to see its importance. I know, that sounds mean and cynical. But it also happens to the case: simply put, we're just naturally bad at interpreting statistical information. That's why there are such things as casinos, adjustable-rate loans, and the lottery. The idea that small amounts gather seems intuitively obvious to us, yet, in practice, it somehow still remains ever beyond our conceptual grasp. My neighbor, smart as he is (and old enough to be my Dad), throws uncovered, unseasoned logs into the burner to fuel his boiler. He does this all winter long. I've mentioned to him the considerable numerical disadvantage of doing so, to which he snaps, "It'll still burn." Understanding efficiency is tough. The ability to think at scale is just not natural equipment for us human beings. We have to _learn_ to appreciate, well, appreciation. Hopefully we start to do this sooner than later!
Now that is a thoughtful reply! Thank you. And you are right - plus most humans feel instinctively lucky I believe - hence happily gambling where the odds are 14 million to one . . . I like the statistic that a person is much more likely to die while watching the lottery results than win it! I was once told a quotation you might not know and is apposite. Apparently Einstein once noted something like, "Compound interest is the 8th wonder of the world. Those that understand it earn it, and those that don't pay it." Tragic that your neighbour burns wet wood - such a waste. All best, Vince
Froes - sometimes spelt 'frow' - are great. They seem fairly easy to buy on the internet, and I have known people to ask a blacksmith to make them one. Although that seems the expensive option! The beetle in the video is beech and too light, I need roughly the same shape but about 30% heavier. Good luck locating one. Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince thanks a lot. I’m French and actually it s named « departoir » here. I didn’t know this name either! And yes I can buy online … from Germany… crazy world! Thanks a lot for great video and tips. Looking forward to try this new tool!
@@WoodFiresWithVince in the meantime I ordered a splitting base blade for 18€ and comes from GB 👍. The froe is around 100€. Will see how this little thing works for kindling
