Gray Wolf's solution to bordom maximas

[gray wolf]

Hi guys ! This is Wise Owl, da wife.

After all the stress from my trouble with my teeth and then GW's SS check not showing up today I think he went over the edge...

I caught him with my trusty camera smelting in the cabin. Yup, that's right, he was smelting down some old lead bullets that he bought from a friend. Solid lead so it's ok to do this. He has his new dipper in hand, a muffin pan and sitting in front of the woodstove with the door open.

I know he is bored from being cooped up and I know he is worried sick about me and then no check today to pay bills with, so.....well

Here, you got to see this. Now this is a definite example of not being able to get out and smelt or cast bullets. :razz:

[Bloodman14]

Dang, GW, I've never been that bored!:holysheep

[montana_charlie]

Aww! He just wanted to heat up that new Rowell ladle he bought.

Kids and new toys, you know...
CM

[PatMarlin]

Works for me ..:mrgreen:

[Von Gruff]

Wise Owl, In these trying times many shortages we are encouraged to limit waste and by using the heat of the fire to melt a little, Gray Wolf is actually doing the right thing by the planet so kudos to him for clear headed thinking. [smilie=1:

:drinks:

Von Gruff.

[Lively Boy]

now i wish i had a fireplace/wood burner

[Wayne Smith]

Exactly, I agree. The Rowell ladel in a wood stove would work well. I grew up in Maine (Palmyra) with wood heat, I think 8-11 full cords of wood a year my Dad once stated. I knew nothing of casting then but I remember coming in from playing in the snow, Mom putting kitchen chairs in front of the wood range, opening the oven door, and us putting our feet on the door with the dry heat rolling over us like a wave. Wonderful feeling!

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

I don't care how bored I get, I do NOT see myself sitting in front of a wood stove snorting lead fumes...

THAT IS DANGEROUS TO EVERYBODY IN THE BUILDING.

Rich

[waksupi]

I don't care how bored I get, I do NOT see myself sitting in front of a wood stove snorting lead fumes...

THAT IS DANGEROUS TO EVERYBODY IN THE BUILDING.

Rich

Not dangerous. He's melting it, not boiling it. No fumes, or air borne particles.

[redneckdan]

That stove is drafting hard enough I highly doubt he is getting lead fumes into the house.

[oldhickory]

Smile!..You're on, "Candid Camera!"[smilie=s:

[gray wolf]

I would never do anything to harm myself or my family.
There are no lead fumes at the Temp we melt at. If I don't get smoke from the stove in the house I doubt I am getting anything else. I would like to say " hey get a life "
But I am not that kind of guy.
Sometimes on a cold morning I open the door to the stove and sit right in front of it.
Yum--Yum it feels so nice and warm. The draft from the stove takes it all up the chimney and outside.
But thank you for your concern, we can never be to safe.

[beanflip]

the pics are priceless!

[steg]

I do all my smelting in an old pot bellied stove out on the deck outside, and later on when I have them in ingot form I do a premelt for my lee bottom pour pot in a wood stove located in the back section of my loading room, the stove is at least 20 feet away from the actual loading area, it makes it a lot easier to keep up with the bottom pour pot when your casting in a 10 cavity, 190 Gr boolit, or one of Rick's molds from skiesunlimited, after pouring I wait a few seconds and take the entire works out with a pair of pliers, sprues and all, and just keep going. when the casting sessions over and the buckshot balls are all cut off, the sprues go back into the woodstove to become ingots again Works for me and their's no fumes due to the draw of the chimney......................................steg

[starmac]

LMAO if you get fumes, you would be opening doors and windows to get the smoke out. lol

[Wayne Smith]

Obviously some people never lived with a wood stove.

[BD]

What's dangerous is if you forget about the ingots you have "preheating" on the top barrel of your two barrel wood stove rig while casting. It's pretty hard to get that big sheet of lead off the barrel and into the pot.

The thing I really miss is coming in from the woods, dipping my trousers and backing my a** up to the stove at the end of a long day.

BD

[PatMarlin]

Everyone should have a woodstove these days. Depending on anyone else for heat with no wood backup would scare me more than any lead fumes ever could.

[Von Gruff]

I just put a new one in this summer to be ready for the coming winter. It will oump out much more heat than the older pot belly we had in wint less wood. I have this winters wood in and a big start on next winters. I also bought a 5 ton electric log splitter to save my shoulder from the axe work I have had to put in over the years.

Von Gruff.

[azcruiser]

In the 60s and 70 back in CONN used to heat my house with wood since oil was scare for a while and I was broke was 5'9 169 lbs.now live in AZ since 1980 only used the heater 2 days this year
not broke anymore still 5'9 but I'm 229lbs .Wood stoves are good for your health and heart .

[mroliver77]

I have never paid a heating bill in my life! Wood stove all the way! I have a large stove in main room and a smaller in the kitchen. Lots' of the winter I have a window cracked open or a shoe in the storm door to let some heat out. I put new windows, doors and house wrap with siding on the place a couple years back. Three cords max. I have a 64 ford truck bed trailer and put 6 big loads on the porch early winter. My floor is not as clean as GW by spring time though. ')
I put in a furnace 5 yearsago and it has never been lit. I never even put propane in the tank!
Jay
Lead fumes? Are we ever gonna get past that?

[PatMarlin]

Lead fumes have been directly responsible for horrible development of a third eye Jay so be careful!

We go through about a solid face (1/3) cord every week on average, but that includes the shop.

[gray wolf]

My floor is not as clean as GW by spring time though. ')

Now hold on here!!!!!!!
My floor is so dirtier than yours.

[azcruiser]

Now if one of the forum members could come up with a way to burn wood and air condition my house in the summer when it's 110f + outside that would
something I would be interested in

[Wayne Smith]

Everyone should have a woodstove these days. Depending on anyone else for heat with no wood backup would scare me more than any lead fumes ever could.

Pat, it's dependent on where you live. Around here I would pay more for wood than gas. No local source available based only on labor!

[mroliver77]

Pat, it's dependent on where you live. Around here I would pay more for wood than gas. No local source available based only on labor!
Wayne,
You have no farms or right of ways etc that will allow you to cut firewood?
If I had to purchase wood, good split oak goes for 150 cord. 3 cord = $150.
We let folks cut around our fields to keep it from encroaching into the crops. It replenishes faster than we can clear it. Whats it sell for locally for you? Mebbe we need to bring a truck load down.
Jay

[starmac]

If you have to buy wood it cost more than gas in most places. If you cut it yourself it can be a huge difference. Wood works for a backup when the electricity is out nearly anywhere.

[mroliver77]

Lead fumes have been directly responsible for horrible development of a third eye Jay so be careful!

Dang, I thought it was a nasty zit!!
Jay

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Now if one of the forum members could come up with a way to burn wood and air condition my house in the summer when it's 110f + outside that would
something I would be interested in

I'm sure it could be done . . . they use propane to runs A/C units, refrigerators too!

Just need someone smarter than me!

[Wayne Smith]

Around here all of the wood I've seen sold is a "face cord" - a true cord is 4'x4'x8' - that's what my Dad sold. A full pickup truck is slighly less than a full cord cut into firewood length. I'd have to buy from NC and have it delivered to get a true cord. Given the gas prices that would be too expensive too.

Unfortunately our fireplace faces the thermostat, or the other way around. When we used it the rest of the house froze. Even moving the thermostat to the other side of the wall would be a small help as it is at the entrance to the kitchen - no door there.

[azcruiser]

When I was in Sweden or Norway a shooting buddy showed me picture's of them running their cars
on what he called wood gas during the war ? Was a Volvo that had a trailer behind it with the gasifier look pretty cool.

[mroliver77]

I can set my furnace on continuous fan. It will move the heat from the stove throughout the house. My goal is to get an add one for the furnace and move the mess outside. I want doors large enough to throw stumps and railroad tie halfs into.
The fellow that runs the local auto body shop built a stove out of a 275 gallon fuel tank. The RR took out the tracks for miles in the area. They had a machine that clipped the ties in half. They brought him a pile mebbe 30'X50' ten foot high. The halfs fit perfectly in the stove. Heavy 8 inch sewer pipe for a stack and a well designed deal to pass stack through the roof and he was set for years. He said as long as the stove was burned hot he had no creosote problems whatsoever. With his setup a chimney fire would have not been a problem.

[PatMarlin]

Pat, it's dependent on where you live. Around here I would pay more for wood than gas. No local source available based only on labor!

Yes- I realize some areas some fuels are to costly for economic monthly heating, but I'm more concerned with a backup situation.

Everyone should have a wood stove with at least a cord or 2 stacked and ready to go. It will heat your home and family in an emergency, and you can cook your meals and purify water with it.

The last thing you want is to be caught up the creek if the plug or gas line is pulled on your utilities.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Amen Pat!

[Wayne Smith]

Yes- I realize some areas some fuels are to costly for economic monthly heating, but I'm more concerned with a backup situation.

Everyone should have a wood stove with at least a cord or 2 stacked and ready to go. It will heat your home and family in an emergency, and you can cook your meals and purify water with it.

The last thing you want is to be caught up the creek if the plug or gas line is pulled on your utilities.

If I lived where it got cold, like you, I'd agree. I shoveled snow here for the first time in 18 years this past winter. Most winters we could get by with long johns and good quilts - no kidding. We moved here from Concord, NH and I know cold and winter. Air conditioning is more important than heat here.

[PatMarlin]

We us the smallest 110v window swamp cooler I installed in the wall hear on the east end of the house. That thing keeps this place cool on low speed. Mountain dry climate.

I get to where I hate summer anymore and like winter and other seasons the best. Just can't take the heat, and heavy humidity kills me. I had a hard time breathing at night in SE Asia.

If I were a rich man, I'd be fishing on the coast all summer... :mrgreen:

[songdog53]

Been cutting wood for fireplace all my life or so it seems, i'm sure was out of diapers before used chainsaw. I heat with wood and have gas heater for back bedroom for when gets really cold but then doesn't get that cold down south that often. I can see if have to cut and haul it from long distance from home would be more expensive. Course mine is at hand and diesel for tractor to pull wood wagon and splitter to tree isn't that much. I just love my wood fires, i know is lot of work but then it is mighty warm.

[PatMarlin]

Wouldn't have it any other way.

This has been the easiest year for firewood. My Bro-inlaw gave me some fruit (Pear) bins they use on the farm. Holds about 1/3 cord of cut firewood just thrown in. I cut up by bin load, and forklift it to the front porch. Done.

[steg]

Wood goes for around $100.00 a cord around here "forrest run" delivered, to old to go and cut my own anymore, but I stack it in the round and split as I need it, one of those little Harbor Freight electric splitters, they are great, mine is seven years old and all iv'e done to it is replace one hydraulic line, I split in the back room and the bark is about 3 inches deep now, every once and a while I go through it and burn the larger pieces of bark, my dog loves to play in that room, a lab pup, he's not much help and makes it a lot harder to do, he's always underfoot, but he sure breaks the boredom of living alone, been a widower for 11 years now and still miss her..........steg

[PatMarlin]

Steg-

That HF splitter, is it electric with a screw feed wedge? You mention hydraulic? What model type do you have?

[Von Gruff]

I bought a 5 ton electric-hydrolic splitter on a stand at the end of this last firewood gathering season and Had about 15 cubic meters already split and that will do for this winter. The firebox on my fire is 20" x 12" x 12" so can get reasonable sized bits in it and it throws a great heat. Nothing like a wood fire and while cutting the rounds is easy enough the electric splitter will save my shoulder a lot of pain next season.

Von Gruff.