shagbark hickory

iod0816 · Dec 29, 2011

First year burning the stuff and its been css and covered for over a year... Put some real monsters in now and stuffed it to the brim. Is this wood hard starting? Seems when I got it to 550 to 600 secondaries finally consistently took off...

Wife doesn't like hard starting wood lol so itd be on my do not use when I'm not home wood

gerry100 · Dec 29, 2011

IMHO, it will probably take more than a year of seasoning for this to be prime.

Put a 8" round of shagbark in last night ( not too far from you, it was our coldest night also) and it started OK, of course it's been seasoned about 20 months.

Also very heavy wood I've noticed

wishlist · Dec 29, 2011

[quote
Wife doesn't like hard starting wood lol so itd be on my do not use when I'm not home wood

[/quote]

Keep the shagbark, ditch the wife! Lol... Properly seasoned I have no problems with shagbark.

Jags · Dec 29, 2011

I find shagbark to be awesome stove chow. High BTU. Splits pretty easy. Will typically be ready with a year CSS, but it does start up a bit slower than some wood. Density is probably the key to that. Use a lesser wood to start the fire, then get after it with the hickory.

iod0816 · Dec 29, 2011

Ya that's what I figured with how dense it is... Kinda like black locust in that if it is not a hot coal bed it ain't lighting... Had a only hickory fire last night and it took forever to get going. Much better mixing it up today.

Denser the harder to light is the trend I guess...

Thanks for the replies!

Cascade Failure · Dec 29, 2011

wishlist said:
[quote
Wife doesn't like hard starting wood lol so itd be on my do not use when I'm not home wood

Keep the shagbark, ditch the wife! Lol... Properly seasoned I have no problems with shagbark.

[/quote]

Keep the wife, work on your wood.

Whoa! Hey! Relax!

I meant some species catch fire easier that others. Keep a mix on board for whatever you need. Cedar, ash, pine...wifes are expensive to replace...

Jags · Dec 29, 2011

Cascade Failure said:
...wifes are expensive to replace...

But cheap to rent.
<<<<Runs and hides under desk

iod0816 · Dec 29, 2011

Now leaving her with two girls under three would be worse than waterboarding.... Update as I just loaded three splits hickory, three black birch, one red maple and a cherry up front. Started at two and still burnin! Much better than all monster hickories....

So for those who say loading up your stove with all hickory will burn it out I say nope.

tfdchief · Dec 30, 2011

Jags said:
I find shagbark to be awesome stove chow. High BTU. Splits pretty easy. Will typically be ready with a year CSS, but it does start up a bit slower than some wood. Density is probably the key to that. Use a lesser wood to start the fire, then get after it with the hickory.

+1, you ought to try Hedge :cheese:

Valhalla · Dec 30, 2011

Red oak and hickory are seasoned 2+ years.

iod0816 · Dec 30, 2011

Valhalla said:
Red oak and hickory are seasoned 2+ years.

I've done oak two years and swear by it as all do. Hickory you can get away with one tho. The wood is dry, was just wondering about the "start ability" of this particular wood.

iod0816 · Dec 30, 2011

tfdchief said:
Jags said:

I find shagbark to be awesome stove chow. High BTU. Splits pretty easy. Will typically be ready with a year CSS, but it does start up a bit slower than some wood. Density is probably the key to that. Use a lesser wood to start the fire, then get after it with the hickory.

Click to expand...

+1, you ought to try Hedge :cheese:

Been eyeing a hedge patch... Herd so much about it lately...

Valhalla · Dec 30, 2011

iodonnell said:
Valhalla said:

Red oak and hickory are seasoned 2+ years.

Click to expand...

I've done oak two years and swear by it as all do. Hickory you can get away with one tho. The wood is dry, was just wondering about the "start ability" of this particular wood.

Yes, "start ability" is key for any fuel. I use a lot of natural kindling.
Even some small splits of white pine and spruce as fire starters.

Ken45 · Dec 30, 2011

Always make some smaller splits. They will season faster and be a major help in getting the bigger pieces started.

Ken

Jags · Dec 30, 2011

tfdchief said:
Jags said:

I find shagbark to be awesome stove chow. High BTU. Splits pretty easy. Will typically be ready with a year CSS, but it does start up a bit slower than some wood. Density is probably the key to that. Use a lesser wood to start the fire, then get after it with the hickory.

Click to expand...

+1, you ought to try Hedge :cheese:

I have. Many times. Got a special pile set to the side for "oh crap" weather. But - if I could only burn ONE species of wood - I would pick hickory for a few different reasons.

ScotO · Dec 30, 2011

hickory and locust burn similarly, they are a bit hard-starting but once going they put out the heat....but if I had to choose being stuck with one species, it would be locust, hands-down. I have around 9 cord of locust stacked for next years' and the following years' overnight burns, I can load the stove up on a hot bed of coals at bedtime and still have a great coal bed almost 8hrs later when we get up in the morning.......some smaller spits to get it going, large lumpers for keeping it going a long time......in fact I have three or four more monster locusts to cut down as soon as the ground freezes, which may not happen this winter here in central PA, the way the weather has been thus far... :mad:

tfdchief · Dec 30, 2011

Jags said:
tfdchief said:

Jags said:

I find shagbark to be awesome stove chow. High BTU. Splits pretty easy. Will typically be ready with a year CSS, but it does start up a bit slower than some wood. Density is probably the key to that. Use a lesser wood to start the fire, then get after it with the hickory.

Click to expand...

+1, you ought to try Hedge :cheese:

Click to expand...

I have. Many times. Got a special pile set to the side for "oh crap" weather. But - if I could only burn ONE species of wood - I would pick hickory for a few different reasons.

Wouldn't argue that Jags. Hickory is some fantastic stuff. The only thing I hate about it is, that around here, it is a sure thing that the red headed ash borer is going to make a wood powder mess of it.
I burned nothing but hedge for many years, as that is all I had to cut. It is hard to process, sparks like crazy when the doors are open, but throws an incredible amount of heat and lasts like coal. Not the perfect wood by any shot. But anymore, I kind of like what I have had for the last 10 years or so.......a variety.

iod0816 · Dec 31, 2011

tfdchief said:
Jags said:

tfdchief said:

Jags said:

I find shagbark to be awesome stove chow. High BTU. Splits pretty easy. Will typically be ready with a year CSS, but it does start up a bit slower than some wood. Density is probably the key to that. Use a lesser wood to start the fire, then get after it with the hickory.

Click to expand...

+1, you ought to try Hedge :cheese:

Click to expand...

I have. Many times. Got a special pile set to the side for "oh crap" weather. But - if I could only burn ONE species of wood - I would pick hickory for a few different reasons.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't argue that Jags. Hickory is some fantastic stuff. The only thing I hate about it is, that around here, it is a sure thing that the red headed ash borer is going to make a wood powder mess of it.
I burned nothing but hedge for many years, as that is all I had to cut. It is hard to process, sparks like crazy when the doors are open, but throws an incredible amount of heat and lasts like coal. Not the perfect wood by any shot. But anymore, I kind of like what I have had for the last 10 years or so.......a variety.

Ugh still finding those suckers in my stacks and boy do they leave a lot of dust... Had a handful in the house too, mature flyers not larvae... Squish as they are not quick!

tfdchief · Dec 31, 2011

iodonnell said:
tfdchief said:

Jags said:

tfdchief said:

Jags said:

I find shagbark to be awesome stove chow. High BTU. Splits pretty easy. Will typically be ready with a year CSS, but it does start up a bit slower than some wood. Density is probably the key to that. Use a lesser wood to start the fire, then get after it with the hickory.

Click to expand...

+1, you ought to try Hedge :cheese:

Click to expand...

I have. Many times. Got a special pile set to the side for "oh crap" weather. But - if I could only burn ONE species of wood - I would pick hickory for a few different reasons.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't argue that Jags. Hickory is some fantastic stuff. The only thing I hate about it is, that around here, it is a sure thing that the red headed ash borer is going to make a wood powder mess of it.
I burned nothing but hedge for many years, as that is all I had to cut. It is hard to process, sparks like crazy when the doors are open, but throws an incredible amount of heat and lasts like coal. Not the perfect wood by any shot. But anymore, I kind of like what I have had for the last 10 years or so.......a variety.

Click to expand...

Ugh still finding those suckers in my stacks and boy do they leave a lot of dust... Had a handful in the house too, mature flyers not larvae... Squish as they are not quick!

Good news is, they won't harm the wood in your house, but they sure are mean looking little suckers :coolgrin:

shagbark hickory

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