James Bond had P.... Galore! Rookie has Red Oak Galore!

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Ram 1500 with an axe...

Minister of Fire
Mar 26, 2013
2,327
New Jersey
Just kidding guys.... Me still being in my first year of serious burning, I'm looking for any or all wood to try to get ahead, I have been scrounging since sandy hit us, first, I got some grey skin stuff that burns in seconds, then I payed a hefty price for seasoned red oak when I got my new insert. Worth every penny.....I got some honey locust.....then got some black locust...awesome... Then got some maple, great new neighbor... Now I found enough red oak to last me 4 years or so, I will definitely have to rent a splitter. If i get it all to my property. Please post any comments that you may have about red oak, I want to Learn as much as possible. I know it makes great kindling when it gets dry, I know it smells like sour grapes when when freshly cut......thank you all for any input....
I will send pics hopefully on Thursday. I'm working too much these days....
 
Gonna send you and The feline Galore Flying Circus to the wood shed for this one.
 
Ok, i will start, must be a slow night here, I had a few logs that were very easy to split and browner then most of the stringy red that I have. What do you think that means? Pre dried?
 
What's the difference between stringy red oak and non stringy? Some looks like it belongs in a living room.
Thanks all... I'm just trying to learn...
 
Red oak takes longer to season than other wood.
Roughly 3 years. So if you get is CSS'd by Sept 2013, it'll be ready to burn in Sept 2016.
Not that it won't burn before that, just not well .

Splits easy.
When dry, it's Primo wood

You say you got some maple drying for this year? Good, gonna need it , cause the oak is not gonna be ready !
You'll need some wood to bridge the gap between now & when the oak is ready.
Try to get some more maple soon, for 14/15 ::P

Your Locust takes 2 years , good for 14/15.

Nice score, (we think, pictures soon ? ) LOL

You have a good plan working, just need to get some other wood to bridge the gap until the oak is ready.
Maple, Birch, Ash ... etc... 1 year to dry wood types.::P
 
Please post any comments that you may have about red oak....I know it makes great kindling when it gets dry
I like faster-burning woods for kindling, like soft Maple or Pine.
I've got my Red Oak stacked on pallets, double-row, so I'm going to leave it stacked for three years before burning the bulk of it. I'll probably pull a few splits at two years, split them and test with a meter....
 
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Thanks guys, this next season will be tricky for me but if I keep my nose to the grindstone, I will be in great shape for 2014/2015. The wood is growing on the property...
 
Just some tidbit info. on red oak. In my experience, if you have any you will be keeping longer than 3 years cover the top or the sapwood under the bark will start rotting!!! Good firewood for sure.
 
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Thanks guys, this next season will be tricky for me but if I keep my nose to the grindstone, I will be in great shape for 2014/2015. The wood is growing on the property...
What town are you in?
 
Ok, i will start, must be a slow night here, I had a few logs that were very easy to split and browner then most of the stringy red that I have. What do you think that means? Pre dried?

You may have both red oak and pin oak. Pin is in the red oak family. Smell is a bit stronger. Lots and lots of limbs close together on most of them so plenty of small knots.
 
Ok guys, finally an update, I work a lot of hours, have three kids that play ball so I have limited time to axe some red oak, but I am glad to report some progress, I have pics of all the rounds that I have. I Am hauling Ram by Ram as i can, I split by hand as I can, I do really like to split the big ones, makes me feel like I'm getting ahead....the splits as of tonite, measure 22 ft long by 3 ft high, does anyone know what that is in cords percentage? I appreciate your help.... I have counted 550 pieces of splits that are of good size, I used to split small before coming on Hearth.com.... Thanks for all your help, and this stuff stinks.....let me tell you...thanks again all image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg
 
I'm splitting some dead standing Black Oak (pretty much the same as Red.) The rounds sat for a couple of months before I started to split, and it smells good, kinda like peaches. :)
 
Looking good! If your splits are 18 inches long you've got around 3/4 of a cord. Keep at it she piles up quick!
They are 18 and over, I will have to trim some down.... Thanks for the info of 3/4 so far...I will keep at it as I can
 
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Ram. That's aromatic heaven. Love that red oak.
 
Ram, to figure out how how much you have just multiply length x width x height and divide by 128. 18 inches is 1.5 feet so you have 22 x 1.5 x 3 = 99. 99/128 = .77 cord
 
Thank you... Happy 4th all...
 
Ok guys, finally an update, I work a lot of hours, have three kids that play ball so I have limited time to axe some red oak, but I am glad to report some progress, I have pics of all the rounds that I have. I Am hauling Ram by Ram as i can, I split by hand as I can, I do really like to split the big ones, makes me feel like I'm getting ahead....the splits as of tonite, measure 22 ft long by 3 ft high, does anyone know what that is in cords percentage? I appreciate your help.... I have counted 550 pieces of splits that are of good size, I used to split small before coming on Hearth.com.... Thanks for all your help, and this stuff stinks.....let me tell you...thanks again all

Naw, it doesn't stink. It gives the yard a nice odor. ;)
 
Yes you are right guys, at first I was like why is this wood stinking up the yard, now as intake a whiff it is reminding me of my hard work and what I have....Ty
 
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Ok, question about this bark and split... The bark seems different to me from the red oak, is that because it is a limb or a different type of oak, it smells similar but it Is more brownish in the center. What do you think? Thanks all...image.jpg
 
Ok, question about this bark and split... The bark seems different to me from the red oak, is that because it is a limb or a different type of oak, it smells similar but it Is more brownish in the center. What do you think?
Not Red bark I don't think. Similar smell is pretty strong evidence, but are you sure it's Oak? Medullary rays in evidence on the end of the split? In your first pic, I see a bigger round with similar bark....the one with the hinge splinter sticking out of the top. Is that the one that the splits came off of?
 
Not Red bark I don't think. Similar smell is pretty strong evidence, but are you sure it's Oak? Medullary rays in evidence on the end of the split? In your first pic, I see a bigger round with similar bark....the one with the hinge splinter sticking out of the top. Is that the one that the splits came off of?
I don't know what it is, it was inbetween a huge pile of red oak, and a small pile of beech, it' was in between the 2 piles, not much there, but the bark is noticeably different, it smells when split and is brownish in center compared to the red oak. it was a groan to split but it is 25 inches with a knot or two on the outside so that is why I think I had a hard time with it. It was more stringy then the red oak... Ty for the help
 
Oh by the way, I was filling my Ram for like the 10th time since i started this trek, this morning, hauling the last of the beech there, I say to myself, this is all the beech there is, damm :-(, Scotty taught me to get all the beech I can, I say to myself I'm ready to pack up and the go to work, Ram is full, a neighbor comes over while walking his dog, I say hello, he says I can have the pile in his yard if I want, I say ok, I will get it this week, I go take a look and son of a beech(Scotty style) it is more beech, just when I thought I was all out of it....it's a small pile but looks like its been there for years, I need dry wood till this dang red oak dries, so it's a nice little score while scoring, I guess the moral of the story is to be nice, say hello to anyone while hauling a free score and you never know what can happen when looking and hauling wood.... Thank you God
And I look forward to getting that nice little load in the morning.....i
 
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it smells when split and is brownish in center compared to the red oak....It was more stringy then the red oak.
Does it smell a little nicer than the Red? That, and the stringiness....maybe something in the White Oak group??
 
Red Oak - great firewood, splits like a dream, when it's seasoned it'll keep you warm all winter.

White Oak tends to be stringier than red oak and does have a different scent, not as strong and most people would describe it as better smelling. I've always enjoyed the smell of red oak split though, but that's most of what I burn, so I guess I'm used to it.
 
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