Saturday, August 19, 2017

Sawbuck

20170819_105812I got up today with plans in mind, things I needed to get done before relaxing for a while and then watching the Packer's preseason game tonight.  I made a plan last night, and plans somewhat, and there's always tomorrow to get a bit more done before going back to hell work on Monday.

20170819_105835I wanted to get the few branches I scavenged last year cut for firewood.  Last year I got a good deal on an electric chainsaw and used an old wooden folding chair to raise the wood while I cut it, and my foot to keep it stable.  That chair broke last year so I needed a new way to hold the branches for me to cut them safely - and safer than I was.  Just a short search on the internet gave me lots of ideas.  I saw one idea that I could run with so late last night I went out to the garage and drew up a rough idea.  I wanted to make it smaller than the ones I'd seen because it won't be used often and I have to store it in an already filled garage, but it also had to be big enough to be stable and safe.  This morning I headed to the lumber store for a few cheap 2x4's and got to work.  I didn't take many pictures during the process, but I got these few.

20170819_112544For the size logs I plan to cut I think this will work nicely.  I have a lot of smaller stuff pictured here, most collected with a hand saw in mind.  But I would think it would be safe for up to a 6 inch branch or trunk, properly trimmed, sectioned, dried and placed.  I'm not in need of much, after all.  And tomorrow I will put a flat edge on the bottom of the legs and a side brace, probably a 1x2, on the bottom of the far side.

I really do think that I want to put in a permanent fire pit next year.  The one we have is a very old one we got as a gift, but not leaving it out in the elements has let it last these many years with maybe half a dozen uses in a good year.  The ones I see advertised are 36 inches in diameter and I would like to find one that is closer to 24 or even 30.  I'm not trying to spit roast anything here, and the space to put it in isn't that large.  In fact, technically, it isn't legal for us to have a fire pit because we don't have a space the required length from any structure.  I think it's like 30 feet, if I remember right, and our lot is only 40 feet wide.  It's one of those city ordinances that is really only enforced if needed, thankfully.

20170819_114022I see a permanent fire pit in the back yard as getting used much more often because of the convenience, if nothing else.  It would also be a good place to drop the random sticks and dry yard waste I pick up rather than leaving a stick pile out for the city to pick up eventually.  I like the fact that we don't put any leaves out to be picked up in the fall - we mulch them into the lawn or collect them and mulch them into the flowerbeds.  We also compost our organic kitchen and yard waste (in my super cool compost bin I built) and use it in the garden.   We even put out our garbage only every other week, when they pick up recyclables too, while most use smaller bins and put it out every week.  Sure it's too little and too late to save this world, but I like to think we're doing more to help than most.

2 comments:

Blue Witch said...

And you'll be able to use the ash created by the burning as nutrient for your plants too!

Hope all is well for you both.

And tell your climate change denying senators that The Universe is trying to tell them something will you? ;) Shame more people had to suffer to try to get the message across to them.

Scoakat said...

Hi BW!
Yes, I've added the ash to the compost before, but stopped when I noticed lots of charcoal bits in my garden soil. I have a new container for the ashes so should be able to sort that out better to remove the unburnt chunks. (Why is unburnt not a word? Neither is unburned. I'm using it anyway.)

We have been well, thank you! In life outside of work, anyway. Hope you are doing well, too! Haven't heard much from you lately.

Politicians. Hmm. The universe needs to give then a sign, something like a meteor to the head. I doubt much else will knock any sense into them, unfortunately. My wife did bring up the possibility of Trump trading his resignation for no charges in the Russian investigation. Not sure how I feel about that. I don't want him in office but I do want him to pay for his actions. And then we'd have that other idiot in office, Pence.