Discovering my freedom in Minnesota

Thanks Carl. I am very excited to have this sitting on my property. I will need my own lumber but to have the ability to barter with it is a plus. There’s a couple of people that have inquired already. I need experience first. Most of all, I get to learn something.
It funny to think this is my definition of freedom. It’s freedom from being dependent on the outside world.

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So I’m putting up some firewood, yeah, I know it late but I’m 2 months ahead of last year. As I’m splitting the wood, the bark is coming off the wood. I was throwing it aside for fire starter in the winter. My wife came out and said, “That sells for good money on eBay”. So now I’m saving good sheets to supplement our income.


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The 4 way splitter adapter I made. It’s ugly but works.


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Hi Bill…Did I give you a hydrostatic drive when you was at my place? Looks like you could make a power feed for your mill using it. Looking good Bill…hope to visit you someday.

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Hey Gary, nice hearing from you!
I remember you showing them to me but I don’t think I had money for any.
A power fees would be awesome for the mill. I imagine something like that should have plenty of power to move the carriage. It really doesn’t take much effort, as the blade does all the work.

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Bill…If you want give me a mailing address I will send you one, (no charge) if you can’t use it on your mill I’m sure you can find another good use for it.
Gary

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I got a chance to use my sawmill for a project. I like the fact of not having to run to town to get lumber. I’m real happy how the boards turn out.

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Awesome looking greenhouse Bill. Looks like you have gotten more use out of your sawmill already than I have of mine in the last several years.

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Now your cooking Bill. Trees sure are amazing ! I can’t wait to see what comes out of your greenhouse.

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I could never afford wheels on my saw horses like you got. :smile:
image

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Thanks Jim, this thing is so easy to use, even I can operate it.
I told the wife yesterday, It’s nice needing lumber and just go to the sawmill and cut it rather than running into town. Going to town for lumber takes about a half of a day.

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Jeff, I’m not sure if I will be able to grow anything in the greenhouse this fall but should be able to get an early start next year.
What I will put in it this Fall will be firewood. I’m hoping it’ll dry the wood a little quicker than just sitting outside.

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Yes Don, this is my all purpose, from ‘woods to jobsite’ lumber utility machine. It’s ergonomic design gives one the ability to work all day long.

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Wow! Bill that turned out nice. Like we talked, you may have to strip between the boards if they shrink much. Are you going to use green house film, or regular plastic? For winter wood drying you could use black, that would really make heat.

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HAHAHA :smile:

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Yes Al, I suspect it will shrink…a lot. It is wet Aspen. Honestly, if I can keep tomatoes in here until the end of October, I’ll be happy. After that, I don’t think it’ll be used until late March, early April. This may be the only year to store wood.
If the spaces get too big, I could always chink the gaps next year.

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Hi, Bill!
9.8.2017
If you want the maximum drying capability for wood drying by the sun, assuming the net longside is aiming southwards, put clear (ultraviolet quality) over the support net area.

Put up an equally curved support net 1/2 foot inside the outer clear plastic one.
Cover it with black plastic from 1/2 foot abowe ground and up to near the top bend.

This will form a hot air “battery” driving the hot air up in under the roof.

In the rest of the “room volume” you loose-load wood 1.5 foot above the ground.

No general ventilation in the upper warm ends or anywhere else in the upper region!
Under the one and a half foot high internal “grill floor” the recirculation happens from under the piled wood to the half foot above ground starting black curved plastic.
The height difference aims at eavening the return air mixing with the fresh new air entering from the windward gable. One day one gable, another day the other gable!

This makes up a closed hot up – cooling down circulation loop.

Recirculation boosts the general temperature, which is a fundamental factor in drying the wood.

And of coarse a part of the warming and ever more humid air in the circulation has to be exchanged!

New air intake preferebly a foot above the ground at the windside gable of the green house.

Old damp (humid rich) air out at the “lee-side” gable half way up of the wood pile.

Temperature meters inside and outside aswell as humidity meters outside and inside the green house makes for effective handling…

Ventilation may need to be closed when external humidity exeeds the inside humidity…

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Vertical board and batten is a good solution for shrinking and expanding siding.

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use screws, not nails…still some will split

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Hi, Billy!
10.8.2017
When pre-drilling appropiate holes for the screws, no splitting occure!

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