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This is "my finished project that is made of wood" that I completed this past weekend so I thought I'd add it to my portfolio. By my records this is the 34th year in a row that I've built one of these. That's not counting more than a half dozen my father recruited me to assist in when I was a lad.

You'd think with all that experience I would have construction dialed in but each year's model seems a little more difficult than the previous one. I'm thinking of taking on an apprentice very soon.

My wife claims she really likes them but somehow, by the time spring rolls around, she's managed to destroy the previous build.

Construction is pretty straight forward. I just cross cut my rough stock into the desired length. I've seen some guys mark out the length but I've found I have pretty consistent repeatability just by eyeballing it. After I've got the length I want I 'rip' the larger diameter pieces along the grain. I use a wedge shaped tool with a wooden handle. It leaves a nice natural texture to the wood that doesn't require any further machining.

The wood I used this year is mostly doug fir and alder with hemlock and maple accents. I prefer a weathered look so I don't apply any finish.

Thanks for looking.

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· Banned
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Oustanding rustic apperance !
 

· In Loving Memory
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I gave up on those kind of project many years ago, but somehow I still keep getting roped into helping with them.

Looks good and should provide a nice warm feeling!
 

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Wow!!! You need to send that first pic to a jig-saw puzzle company. What a shot!!!
 

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Mine is empty :(
But yours looks great, nice symmetry.
 

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Wow, weird, I did the same project but I didn't get any pics of the build.
I second Hawk9 when he says that would make a GREAT jig-saw puzzle picture!
 

· In Loving Memory
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I love to sit by a fire so that's a pleasant sight. The place we moved to doesn't doesn't have a live fireplace. It got gas logs.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 

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It always feels good to get the first heat out of your wood. (three heats to a wood pile - 1 piling 2 burning 3 taking out the ashes)
 

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Outstanding use of the old gravitational joinery technique. 34th year, no doubtingly a master in our midst.
 

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Just what woodcox said. Who needs a finish when you have such great natural edge?

Oh and yes, as the guys above said, that first picture definitely screams "jigsaw puzzle"!
 

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I'm not to far behind you on similar yearly projects. I've noticed in recent years the enthusiasm gets less prominent. But, it now heats my shop as well.
 

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Did you take on this project of your own accord ?
 

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Interesting color variations mixed with random grain patterns. (Laughing)
 

· In Loving Memory
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I too create these often. Have heated with wood since 1976. My dad and I bought a hydraulic splitter in 1976 and I used it all afternoon today! I burn way too much wood (and some tough stuff) to split with wedges and a maul. I get a lot of huge diameter logs given to me cause others have no way of splitting them. Love my splitter!
 

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I too must take on a project such as this. Your use of different geometric shapes to create a uniform, but intriguing surface is superb. I find myself silently staring at the multitude of circles, triangles and half moons, fascinated by their skillful placement.

Oh and +1 to the jigsaw puzzle!
 

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That's a cool project and I really like your description of it. It looks like allot of back braking work but, it's defiantly worth it. Great job.
 

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Ah, yes, the joy of 90 degrees indoors when it's below zero outdoors! We don't like the mess of our indoor woodburner, but we certainly do like the warmth!

This is definitely a wood project and a work project, so it must be a woodworking project!

With more than 30 acres of downed timber, we'll be warm for many years. Too much snow right now to cut and split wood, but then with only two seasons in Wisconsin (shovel and swat), one can always have an excuse: it's either too snowy or too hot and mosquitoey to cut and split wood.

The various species create a nice contrast. Ours is all oak: white, red, and scrub.

How many face cord do you burn each winter?

L/W
 

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I never suspected there were so many woodpile aficionados. Charles, the older I get the more I admire those gas logs. Sandblastguy, I get an extra heat stage between your #1 and #2; an electric pad on the small of my back. MonteCristo, not on my own but according to my wife it needed to be done and I could tell by her tone of voice that the odds of continued marital bliss were stacked against me if I didn't get it done. Woodbutcher, maybe I'll try something like this next year:


gfadvm, I wish there had been those hydraulic splitters back in the day. My dad had access to a large lumber mill dump. I spent many a Saturday as a teenager with a bucket of wedges and an 8# double jack peeling away at 4 and 5 foot hemlock butt swells. To this day I hate hemlock. Doug fir splits much easier.

Ladylefty, I go through about 4-5 cords a year. It was mild this year, so not so much. I laughed at your 'shovel and swat' seasons. My dad grew up as your neighbor in Minnesota. He always claimed his favorite season there was the three days between when the ice melted and when the mosquitoes hatched.
 

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They say the cutting, splitting and stacking of firewood warms you twice.
 

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Must get very cold over by you
 

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Pictures like that make me glad i live in SouthTexas. Good call on not adding finish, haha.
 
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