I have been writing Start dates on some of the staples we use in the kitchen to get a rough idea of how much we go through in a typical day.
Oatmeal: 2.5 oz per day (just my consumption)
Dried fruit (added to oatmeal for breakfast): 1.8 oz per day
Instant coffee: 0.27 oz per day or 12 oz in 45 days (just my consumption)
Peanut butter: 1.5 oz per day (combined Mrs ERJ and my consumption). I estimate that I use three times as much as she does, so my use is about 1.1 oz per day.
Firewood
I am burning a mix of ash and hybrid poplar (NM-6 cultivar if anybody cares) tonight. The poplar dries quickly and seems to light well. Some wood, notably Siberian Elm, Box Elder and Sycamore have a bad reputation locally for not drying down quickly. You might think it is dry but it hisses and bubbles when you throw it on the fire. Give me good, honest gofer wood any day of the week.
Chainsaw woes
The Husky threw the chain while I was working and it galled the keels on the chain so they would not drop back into the guides on the bar.
I struggled to pull off of the side-cap, belatedly realizing that I had to loosen the chain-brake and pull it straight off.
Now I have to watch an YT video to figure out how to open-up the brake, which is a band of spring steel, so I can slide it back over the centrifugal clutch. I can see a three-lugged feature that gloves with the same on the handle of the chain-brake. I just cannot get it to turn.
I know I have changed the chain in the past and I don't recall any issues. I wonder what I goofed up.
Walking notes
I walked three miles today wearing my ALICE pack. I have about 45 pounds of sand bags in it for ballast. I think I will be feeling that over the next few days.
I think it is time to shop for a couple pairs of shoes. I have been wearing New Balance 481 and like them. The Asics Venture Gel-8 looks similar but I have yet to try a pair to see how the sizes match-up. I am reluctant to buy shoes on-line until I after I bought a pair in a brick-and-mortar store and have worn them for a couple of weeks. Once I validate that the shoe and size are what I am looking for then I shop around to find the best price and buy a couple more pairs.
Tomorrow is a lifting day.
Last seed into stratification
Well, maybe.
I soaked a few Quercus X humidicola acorns a few days to ensure they were adequately hydrated and I popped them into the stratification media. I also picked some Geneva 935 crabs (a rootstock variety) that had most likely been pollinated by Trailman Applecrab and had been soaked for a couple of days. They also went into stratification.
I still have some peach pits and am thinking about purchasing some Black Locust seeds, European Alder seeds and maybe Manchurian Ash seeds. BL and EA are nitrogen fixing trees. BL can take a lot of dryness and since it is thorny has a little bit of resistance to deer. EU can take a lot of wet and when crowded the stems grow arrow-straight.
Most of the "woods" in my area of operation are in poorly drained areas where it is not economical to farm. If you took a census of trees you would find Eaton County very heavy in Acer saccharinum, (dead) Fraxinus, (soon to die) Ulnus, a smattering of Quercus bicolor and Populus deltoides. The only species on list that is not spread by wind is the Q. bicolor.
Fence-rows lean toward Prunus serotina, Celtis occidentalis, Acer negundo and a sprinkling of oak in the Red Oak clade and some odd-balls like Sassafras albidum. Tree species in fence-rows are more likely to be spread by birds-and-animals than the species found in wet-lands...at least in Eaton County.
It can be puzzling to find dryland species like Northern Red Oak in flood-plains but if you look closely you might notice that they are on an inconspicuous ridge, and likely that ridge is rich in gravel. 18" of elevation makes all the difference in the world when the rest of the area is flat.
I sometimes wonder about the amount of genetic variation in tree species. Surely, not all Northern Red Oak are super-susceptible to honey fungus and root-rots.
The price the upland tree pays when it grows in wet-environs is that it is not very wind-firm. That is usually not a problem for the shorter trees since the flood-plane is bracketed by higher banks but it can be rough for the patriarchs.
It is my impression that Michigan suffers from a poverty of wetland tree species. States blessed by the Ohio River and Mississippi River valleys are much more richly endowed with species. Species like Persimmon, Cherrybark, Overcup, Willow, Water, Shumard, Pin (palustris) and Nuttall Oak, Bald Cypress, Honey Locust and Pumpkin Ash. Mayhaws. Tupelo and Pawpaws (I am within 20 miles of the northern extent of Pawpaws natural range). Pecans and Shellbark Hickories and many, many more.
In my experience, Elm is VERY slow to dry-but if you find dead elm trees that the bark has begun falling off, but not becoming "punky", it makes excellent firewood. Sycamore... Ok for starting fires, but not much good for anything else, it burns fast, leaves a lot of ashes, not a lot of heat. And, the only good thorny locust is a dead thorny locust. They're just TOO invasive. They burn ok, but tend to pop and spark a lot. This is all burning in a wood stove, I don't have any experience using a fireplace.
ReplyDeleteWhen taking the chain off of that Husky loosen the chain quite a bit and take the bar off. That side plate is a pain to deal with and is not intended to be removed for routine maintenance.. Husky makes a good saw and I have had two of them but I have stuck with Stihl for a long time now. Much easier to service and maintain. Yesterday I was out cutting and splitting next years wood. We have no snow here in the UP and every day has been above freezing. I have never seen this before. Usually the snow is knee deep now. ---ken
ReplyDeleteBack when I was a kid I had to walk through shoe-lace deep snow three miles to school.
DeleteThat never impressed anybody until I added "We walked on our hands to save shoe-leather.
Kids nowadays have no idea how tough things waz.
Stihl saws all the way. I have an MS290 from 2001 that has thousands of hours on it (have heated primarily with wood since then). Other than cleaning the air filter and replacing the bar every 4-5yrs, it has been trouble free.
ReplyDeleteIt is by far the best performing machine tool I’ve owned given the many hours of use it has incurred.
In my tree service I bought either Husky or Stihl, which ever was cheaper. There's not a dimes worth of difference between them, both XLNT.
ReplyDeleteThe chain brake handle that sticks up at the front of the body sets the brake, when pushed forward by instantly decreasing the diameter of the brake band on the clutch, sprocket housing. By pulling the handle to the rear, it will increase the diameter of the brake band, making reassembly easy, peasy.
I have three husky saws of various sizes. If the chain brake was set and you forced the side plate off you may have tweaked the release mechanism! I’m a little short on balance on rough ground so I set the chain brake if I’m going to take more than one step with a running saw!
ReplyDeleteGood point Howard. I should start doing that myself . Getting old requires some new techniques . Thanks.--ken
ReplyDeleteRE: Shoes. I have learned, very painfully, that when I discover a brand/model/etc. that I like quite a bit I will buy several pair of them because the manufacturer will discontinue them in a year or so. I have also learned that your approach is correct - purchase the first pair in person, and bring your feet along to make sure the fit is good. All subsequent "spare" pairs may be purchased online provided the seller has a good return policy because in mass production of shoes by a minimally trained herd there will be variances in size which affects fit. If I order 6 pair online I can guarantee needing to send at least 2, and usually 3, back because of the size/fit variance (and this is especially true with American-made New Balance; why it is the case I do not know, given the current state of mechanization and measurement there shouldn't be that much variance in any brand, but there is). To that end, when they arrive I spend at least half a day indoors with each pair to ensure they really do fit properly.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had foot troubles for 15 years or more, due to genetics (inherited flat feet) but good support and good soles are essential for anyone. If those models and brands work for you, good, but be mindful of the insoles provided. Most I’ve seen are junk. You may want to try aftermarket soles. In my usage, some work better with one shoe than another, I sometimes need a different sole for a different shoe.
ReplyDeleteI don’t run or walk miles like you. Soft sneakers don’t give me support, I need a sturdy boot. Currently wearing Timberlands.
I also note that sneakers and hiking shoes I used to wear broke down support-wise, in about 6 to 9 months and needed replacement.
Southern NH
Hi Brother! I am an actual factory Stihl trained tech and am intimately familiar with Husky saws as well. I can talk u thru this problem but not via typing lol. If u want my help let's figure out how to speak on the phone and satisfy your desire for privacy too. Thanks for the Blog; I love your work!
ReplyDeleteRE: Buying online
ReplyDeleteBe aware that what look like the same, may not be the same. This is the same of what the big box stores do.
IOW: They sell seconds but conceal that from the buying public.
'Seconds' are the units with minor defects from production runs. Not bad enough to destroy, bad enough to reject.
Erj you want to watch those chains, if they are falling off the bar they are too loose and there lies danger. Sometimes the guide teeth that run in the bar get bent, straighten or grind them to fit.
ReplyDelete