Critters, Rafters & Ripping Boards 101 | Firewood Shed Build Pt. 13

Welcome back to So Basically Homesteading! In Part 13 of the Firewood Shed Build Series, we start off with a quick look at the wild critters around the property and the kind of trouble they can cause in our garden beds.

Then we dive right into the main project — installing all of the remaining rafters we’ve prepped. But we’re not done yet! We still need to cut one more rafter and tackle all of the purlins that span across them. That means it’s time for some serious ripping, cutting, and planning.

☕ Don’t worry — we squeeze in a coffee break with the dogs before jumping into a Wood Ripping 101 segment. I walk you through:
Setting up feather boards for safety
Dealing with blade flex
Reading and managing wood grain
Ripping long boards safely and cleanly

🪵 After that, I give the Amazon Kindling Splitter another try (surprise: it’s not terrible), and I compare it with the Kindling Cracker from New Zealand — which is safer and better for larger chunks of wood.

00:00 (Sneak Peek)
00:22 (Intro & Critter Problems)
03:04 (Back from Lowe's with Loot)
04:08 (Weather Report & Rafter Install)
10:06 (Coffee Break /w Aussies & Setter)
11:00 (Douglas Fir Boards & Upcoming Work Overview)
14:16 (Cutting the Last Rafter)
17:36 (Measuring what's needed for Purlins)
21:04 (Ripping Purlins)
24:06 (Table Saw Safety, Tips & Tricks for Ripping)
29:24 (Sorting the Purlins by Size)
32:09 ( Cutting the Purlins to Size)
35:16 (Kindling Splitter Re-Review)
28:26 (Kindling Cracker Comparison)
41:50 (Overview of Work Done & Goodbye)

Whether you're here for DIY building, tool reviews, or just watching real life unfold on a suburban homestead with a bunch of dogs and a lot of sawdust, you’re in the right place.

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