Not just an ash man

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TimJ

TimJ

Minister of Fire
Apr 10, 2012
1,231
Southeast Indiana
bearded asil hen 037.jpg bearded asil hen 035.jpg Before I got to this site, I burned nothing but oak and hickory. Since I need wood ready for this winter, I have been after ash, but I knew of a nice cherry that has been down in my woods since hurricane Ike came across the midwest, up from Texas. I think that was 3 years ago. Well, it left 30 feet standing of straight up wood and the rest of the tree is down, but not totally on the ground. I took down the 30 foot piece this eve and cut a quick 6 slabs. I wanted to split some with a maul to see how easy it went but did not get the chance. I measured the slabs and the first 3 were 20" and the next 3 a little over 18"
That's not a bad cherry. How easy is this going to split and how ready will it be ?
 
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Split it kinda small and stack it out in the wide open. I split some over the winter that was cut last summer, and it was 19% on my HF meter. Not sure if I totally believe it, but cherry starts out on the low side anyway. Usually splits decent when it's straight.
 
Cherry cut from standing dead, split ASAP, in sun and wind, in S Indiana... I think you will be ok.
 
Cherry splits really easy with a maul. I usually dont even start the splitter if I have cherry. Great wood to mix with your oak and hickory. Starts easier but doenst burn as long.
 
I'd split smaller, and stack single rows in wind. I think you'll do pretty well this year - cherry is one of the faster drier woods. Cheers!
 
My Cherry didn't quite get dry last year even though I split it small. It still burned OK but was slow to start and could gunk up the glass a little. But if you split and stack now, you'll have two more months than I did. It also sounds like yours has been dead longer.
Splits like a dream by hand! :)
 
Cherry dries pretty quick from my experience similar to Ash. If its straight grained it will split easy. If its twisted grain it will be difficult to split. That tree looks nice and straight though you should be fine. Love the smell of it too when splitting!
 
dannynelson77 said:
Cherry dries pretty quick from my experience similar to Ash. If its straight grained it will split easy. If its twisted grain it will be difficult to split. That tree looks nice and straight though you should be fine. Love the smell of it too when splitting!
Click to expand...

i agree. i've had cherry that was demoralizing it was so hard to split and other rounds that split like a dream. i've split green cherry in the early spring, stacked it, top covered it and burned it the following winter with good results.
 
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The cherry pictured has no knots and straight grained. I'm taking my maul to the woods tonight and I'll have some of that split....... and all of it when the weekend is over with.
 
Get it stacked off the ground.
It may be ready this fall. Do a test burn then & see how well it burns.
Nice size tree, lot of BTUs there ;)
 
TimJ said:
Before I got to this site, I burned nothing but oak and hickory. Since I need wood ready for this winter, I have been after ash, but I knew of a nice cherry that has been down in my woods since hurricane Ike came across the midwest, up from Texas. I think that was 3 years ago. Well, it left 30 feet standing of straight up wood and the rest of the tree is down, but not totally on the ground. I took down the 30 foot piece this eve and cut a quick 6 slabs. I wanted to split some with a maul to see how easy it went but did not get the chance. I measured the slabs and the first 3 were 20" and the next 3 a little over 18"
That's not a bad cherry. How easy is this going to split and how ready will it be ?
Click to expand...


That cherry should split very easy and it is a dandy for sure. Wish I had some like that. At deer camp we used to burn cherry right after cutting it. Burned good so long as you kept a hot fire. As for drying, a year works wonders for it.
 
Cherry sure looks pretty split & stacked. Nice colorful photo.
Looks good & solid & pretty dry already.
Is that all you got out of that tree?

Would help the drying of the bottom rows if it was off the ground, (I know I said that before) But I lost allot of birch a few years back that wasn't off the ground, so the lesson I learned sticks with me. Maybe your area is dry enough & it won't matter.
 
That's the wood from the 6 rounds I cut the night before.................I'll get it all by the time the weekend is over
Stacked it temporary in the woods........need to get the truck back there and get it. I could feel the moisture in it.
 
TimJ said:
That's the wood from the 6 rounds I cut the night before.................I'll get it all by the time the weekend is over
Stacked it temporary in the woods........need to get the truck back there and get it. I could feel the moisture in it.
Click to expand...

WHEW!, glad it's temporary, now I feel better , I like ZAP's saying: GIBR "get it before it rots" :)
Gonna be a nice stack if the is just 6 rounds. :)
 
Nice cherry prize, Tim. If you have a smoker, keep the little chunks. A coworker smoked some salmon with cherry and it was awesome. I think cherry burns best when blended with other species.
 
That should be pretty dry by November. I burn a fair amount of cherry every year. Not the longest burn but darn good heat.
 
I've come to appreciate cherry in the same way you would a different tool in the toolbox: it has it's time, place and uses. The cherry I run into, at least in NJ, has more curves in the grain than Christina Hendricks. It's a serious PITA to split by hand. It seasons quickly, is good for the first load to get a coal bed going and for relighting in the morning. As for overall heat output, it's middle of the road. Again, it has its time and place. As does hickory, ash, pine etc.
 
Tim, I'm a bit curious about the odd shape and size of the splits.
 
TimJ,
I kind of have the same thoughts as Dennis. Why did you split so wide and narrow instead of more square? Just currious.
Take care,
Tim
 
Oh, GOD!!!! Noooo!! Turn it into lumber!!!!! High quality cherry lumber is worth good money. And, it is one of my favorites. I had a small scrgaly tree I cut down, and it took over a year to dry to the point it would burn with out a fight. I'd plan on 2 seasons.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
Tim, I'm a bit curious about the odd shape and size of the splits.
Click to expand...
Backwoods and Timusp , what I do is take a round and split it in the middle and then just start at one end with the maul and work each half. What I am learning is with straight grain wood like I have experienced with the ash and cherry is that it can be hit in any direction and still split. Before these trees I was using mostly oak which I left in bigger triangular pieces. Backwoods and timusp, it is time to give this greenhorn a lesson. I am all ears.
Thanks
 
Thats a pretty picture the Cherry all stacked with the Green background, the splits look good to me you did nothing wrong, they will burn just fine.::P
 
Bogydave, here is the end result. All the cherry is bucked and split and on the truck ready to stack in its own little spot. I can already feel how dry it is. This will be ready come burning time. bearded asil hen 047.jpg
 
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