Telemarketers

Times have changed with having the Internet to research things. Case in point was last evening I got a call (had recorder answer). The fellow told me that I had won one of four prizes, Top prize being a car and lesser prizes being major appliances. I just needed to call a toll free number to claim my prize.

Well, using the number on the caller ID I Googled it. With that I puled up a site that people list calls they have got from shady marketers. Sure enough this number had pages of entries of people that had been called. I added mine to the list and I also filed a complaint with the Do Not Call Registry since I am on it.

In years past there was no way to know things like that. It is like products you want to buy. If you do some research on the 'net for peoples reviews it can help you decide if a product is any good or not. What a tremendous ability for shopper awareness. I am getting in the habit of doing my research before buying anything major. I also try to pass on my experiences once I have bought something and how it holds up. Thus other people can perhaps get some benefit.

Certainly is fun to have computer technology available.

It is truly amazing the information we now have at our beck and call. Think of the steps and time it would have taken in the '80s to accomplish the same thing you did yesterday, if you could have done it at all.

On the other hand, I find that the computer and Internet have done nothing at all to help haul my firewood up the hill to where I can use it. In fact, this technology has cut into the time available for me to do it alone.

bozo wrote:

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On the other hand, I find that the computer and Internet have done nothing at all to help haul my firewood up the hill to where I can use it. In fact, this technology has cut into the time available for me to do it alone.

For me it has helped tremendously from buying the wood stove to acquiring the mechanical mule and cart to haul the wood. Next purchase will be a wood splitter so that I stop whacking of my feet with the splitting maul. It is getting harder to stand up on the stumps I have left. I have seen a nice manual hydraulic 10 ten unit at Harbor freight. People have given it good reviews. I have my wood all split for this Winter so will keep an eye on the price to see if it falls into my range.

I am liking my new airtight woodstove other than the fact it heats the place up too much. With several windows open it is hard to keep it below 80F.(this is with it being in the 40F's outside) It does not need much wood though I think it will need more cleaning of the chimney since it is hard to burn it full out because of too much heat in the house.

Cutting, hauling, burning wood, and the smoke induced asthma attacks are some of my favorite things not to miss. Think if I was to live in a house with wood again, it would have to be an outside unit.

Yeah I can understand that BDQuick. I swore I would not use a wood fire for heating back when I built my place here. I used only electric heat for 12 years. I spent so many years as a young fellow cutting cord after cord of wood. Some to sell but most to be burnt to heat the family home. I was through with that I had thought. However the rising cost of electricity and the problem of heating when power fails has caused me to go back to the woods.

The problem with smoke and dust is a big one. I thought about getting one of the outdoor wood furnaces but they are rather expensive. The savings did not make economic sense. That is why I did not go for a pellet stove either. Those are very clean to operate but you have to buy the pellets. I have no shortage of wood for free* so it was my best option.

*Free other than the cost of maintaining the chainsaw and splitting and hauling tools. Though those things mostly serve a double duty when you live in the wilds.

Heating without electricity is a problem anymore, and would be without an outdoor furnace too. Those would require at least running a fan, and some require a water pump to be running too.

The parents have an old fashioned floor furnace that requires no power. Dad talked about removing it a few years ago, and I talked him out of it for that very reason. Since then they've had 2 different weeks without any power, plus some a day or two here and there. Since the last winter, the power company has done some major updates/upgrades to the power lines running running to their small town. Hopefully that won't have that kind of trouble again for awhile. All of the family down there now has gotten a generator to help out. Something I haven't bought for myself yet, and really hope I never need.

The power outages were the prime reason for going with wood heat when we moved here. (Thermostat wars with my wife also were an ulterior motive for me. ) We looked at pellet stoves, but ruled them out when we learned they required power; there were battery units available for power outages, but they were only good for 24 hours. I usually figure several 3 day outages per year. Sometimes I'm wrong, but at least I'm ready. Still have a generator for the well, but I've got a large pressure tank, so I don't need to run it too often for water.

The old fashioned floor furnaces are great! As long as you don't walk across the grate barefooted when they're operating.

One of these years I'm going to have to pony up for a splitter. I've kinda got my eyes open locally for a used one, dangerous as that might be.

bozo wrote:

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One of these years I'm going to have to pony up for a splitter. I've kinda got my eyes open locally for a used one, dangerous as that might be.

The gas or electric ones all seem rather too expensive, not to mention the maintenance. That is why this one here looked like a reasonable candidate. I notice that the price can be considerably lower according to some of the reviewers.

I've seen these before, and the specs didn't excite me too much. But reading the reviews at both Harbor Freight and Northern have gotten me kind of jazzed about them. Logs up to 6 1/2" are easy, it's the big ones (12-30") that I want a splitter for. I might have to give it a try. It seems to work at about my pace; the reason I don't rent gas models. I generally don't get all my wood at once and then can split it all in a day or two. I stretch it out at an hour or so a day. Thanks for bringing it to my attention again. The safety aspect would be worth the price. And I don't think I could build my own for $80.

Maybe this should be a PM, but since I'm just continuing an ongoing OT conversation, I'll do it this way in case anyone else is interested.

Yesterday I made the 100 mile round trip to Harbor Freight in Sacramento and picked up one of the splitters you referred to. Paid 119.99 for it. Initial reaction: it makes splitting some rounds easier; it makes splitting some difficult rounds possible; it's slow.

If you get one, don't get rid of the maul and wedges, because there'll still be times they're either needed or easier/faster than using the splitter. Smallish (<6"), straight grained rounds I'll still use the maul on because it will be a lot faster. Really large, difficult rounds will probably have to be done with wedges or ripped with the chainsaw. I've used it on a 15" oak round without any real difficulties, and will try bigger. The splitter will, on most rounds, at least start things so continuing with maul/wedges will be easier, I think.

Your rounds do need parallel ends or the splitter has problems with it. And you should keep some spacer blocks handy for short rounds to avoid spending too much time just extending the ram to make contact with the log.

If you have a good scrap iron pile and a welder, you could probably make one, but I've never seen a two speed jack like they use. There was an air powered jack in the store that looked like it might make an interesting replacement if the jack ever goes out.

I'm not sorry I got it, but it is a little more limited than I was anticipating. I haven't figured any way of using Linux to run it, but I'm still thinking about it. But just the safety factor is probably worth it. My aim seems to be deteriorating as I get older, so this may enable avoiding an ER trip in the future and save a toe or two. The thing is so simple and difficult to hurt yourself on you can probably use it down by the still while sampling the output. And while you can use it inside, you probably won't want to. It's certainly not going to bother the neighbors. Thanks for turning me on to it.

Sounds like you have been having fun with the splitter. I would expect that small stuff might be quicker with an maul. Not sure if a standard jack would work like that air over hydraulic, since most of those are designed to stand vertical. I know my regular hydraulic jacks will not work on their sides though a porta power type ram does. Splitting wood with a maul would be my first choice except my back is not what it used to be. After bending over for a while I tend to lock in place. Than I need the jacks to straighten me out.

Hmmm.. that two speed ram on the splitter might make a handy pipe bender with some homemade dies. Thanks for the feedback on the unit, bozo. Hope it gives you good service.

Got a coupon for 25% percent off for any item on Turkey day. I am thinking of getting that splitter. That amount off will cover shipping to the Wilds. Any further thoughts on the one you bought Bozo?

Quote :

Any further thoughts on the one you bought Bozo?

The little wheels it comes with would be OK on concrete (I think; I don't have any to try it on), but off road they are useless; skids might be better. It's rather top-heavy, so on uneven surfaces (which is what I have in place of any concrete) it *will* tip over; be ready for it. For longer distance moves, I just put it on my hand truck. I figured out a really clever way to stow the handles with a bungee cord; when it tips over the handles pop out from under the bungee. Not quite so clever, I guess. I may try to get some spring clips and mount them on the side of the beam, but I'll have to cut 3/4" or so off the handles so they'd fit. I'm sure you can think of something cleverer, if necessary.

If bending over locks your back up, you may want to rig a way to get it up off the ground a foot or so; after an hour or so my back starts to feel it. Don't want it *too* high, though, or you'd be lifting the rounds too much, with the same results on the back. Couldn't have anything to do with our age, could it?

Both the height and stability issues might be solved with a pair of bigger wheels (wheelbarrow wheels?). I'm still cogitating on that.

The operating instructions say to use the handles alternately. Didn't make much sense when I read it, but I tried it and it doesn't work all that well. I use the "fast" handle until substantial resistance is felt, then switch to the "slow" (power) handle.

The suns out, I'd best go out and use the thing. Have fun!

Thanks for the follow on info, Rory!

bozo wrote:

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If bending over locks your back up, you may want to rig a way to get it up off the ground a foot or so; after an hour or so my back starts to feel it. Don't want it *too* high, though, or you'd be lifting the rounds too much, with the same results on the back. Couldn't have anything to do with our age, could it? ...

No, it could not have anything to do with age. I ascribe it to the fact that wood contains oils and other chemicals that will , with prolonged exposure, cause the spinal bones to seize. Any life time woodsmen will attest to this fact. Now it can be ameliorated with some refreshing lubrication freely administered just after the wood working. But alas.. that is something that is affected by aging. For some reason known only to medical science, Doctors discourage using this lubrication for people over a certain age. Or at least my DR. keeps doing so.

I believe your theory has merit, but it's not limited to just the spinal bones. For instance, if I drop a round on my foot (the drop insuring close contact for the transference of the aforementioned chemicals), I find it difficult for a number of days to use that foot. This does not happen if I drop something else, say a pillow, on my foot. I think most long time woodsman will have experienced this.

Perhaps you need to find a new doctor.

I would love to find a Dr. that would tell me what I want to hear. However the only ones you find out in the Wilds of Arkansas all tend to be mean and lacking charity.

Well, I ordered the splitter today. Looking forward to trying it out. Hope everyone is having a Great Thanksgiving! I have a stuffed Cornish game hen roasting for my meal. Seems rather puny compared to the big turkeys of the past, but it beats frieze dried.

Sounds like doctors everywhere, actually.

Make sure you've got some jack oil handy, it seems they put just enough in at the factory. I keep getting air in the low speed cylinder.

Cornish hens are every bit as good as turkeys. Not as many leftovers, though. And the drumsticks are smaller.

My wife always wants to go out for holidays, so no leftovers here either.

I had 2 meals of left over turkey. Figured mom would send some home with me, but she didn't. We had the local meat locker smoke our turkey, and it was delicious.

/drooling on keyboard.../

bozo wrote:

/drooling on keyboard.../

If you hurry might still be time to get a great cyber monday deal on a new keyboard.

Nah, I've got one the great old IBM keyboards. I can just throw it in the dishwasher when it gets too sticky.

I had no idea they would stand a run through the dishwasher. Guess I wouldn't be brave enough to try it. The dishwasher is great for cleaning just about anything though.

Got to admit I've never had the nerve to try it, although if it was wrecked anyway I 'd try it as a last resort. But I have read some from people who have. just go easy on the soap.

Just got in my log splitter this afternoon. Must say it is a clever thing. I had spent some time last week cutting up some oak (had some logs uncut left to dry over the Summer) 17 inch long to test the thing out. 17 inch is perfect size for my stove and the splitter handles up to 18 inch.

So I loaded up a 12 diameter round and had at it. It split with out problems. Most of the smaller sections of it I could split with just the fast speed side though I found standing at the base and using the jack handles alternately works fine. Will have fun splitting the rest up when it warms up a bit outside. It was 16F this morning and only made it up to 38F this afternoon.

Thumbs up from me.

38F sounds pleasantly warm, to someone on the front lines of the Mondo Chillers. If I ever win the lottery, going to spend a couple of months of summer in Alaska, winter somewhere south like Arizona, and in between visit family in Iowa. Although this plan might interfere with hobbies like truck pulling.