I get a Bunch of 3" wide x 1/2" Thick strips of Heat treated Plywood from work.. Is it Okay to use as Kindling?? or does Plywood make too much Fly Ash?? i'm not gonna use it as a Primary fuel for the stove but thought about it as Kindling... Any Thoughts??
Ply Wood in a Cat Stove???
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Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Don't use it in a cat stove. The chemicals in the glue may poison the catalyst. It's not worth the risk.
This is why my shop stove is a non-cat.
This is why my shop stove is a non-cat.
I personally wouldn't burn it in ANY stove. Those same chemicals that can poison a cat can poison a person. Also consider that using it for kindling is the "cold" stage of the fire. That glue can stick to more than just wood.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Not so fast. Often, pallets are treated with pesticides, antifungal, and even fire retardant chemicals. Pallets are not risk free for the cat.
Oh and regular smoke will kill you too. I am not worried about emissions, just stove damage.
As far as I know, But now after seeing Highbeams post I may question that.... They have an "HT" stamped on them.... I'll ask the guy that orders them..
fire_man
Minister of Fire
HT on a pallet is heat treated for fumigation purposes. Required intercontinental shipping. Just heat.
Plywood glue is usually urea or phenol formaldehyde, indoor/outdoor water resistance.
I wouldn't burn it at wood stove temperatures. In an incinerator maybe.
Plywood glue is usually urea or phenol formaldehyde, indoor/outdoor water resistance.
I wouldn't burn it at wood stove temperatures. In an incinerator maybe.
Grisu
Minister of Fire
Second that one: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4795&page=164
(Seasonal Arsenic Exposure From Burning Chromium-Copper-Arsenate-Treated Wood)
Highly Toxic ??
Heat Treated.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Highly Toxic?
They can be heat treated as well as chemical treated. Also, the nails holding them together may be galvanized. Zinc is major poison to a cat.
There's a big difference between the formaldehyde in plywood glues, which is a simple organic substance that burns at 800 degrees, and chromium copper arsenate, which contains two highly toxic metals and a third that is a minor nutrient but toxic at elevated levels.
It's still probably not a great a idea to burn glued wood products like plywood, especially as kindling where the temperatures may be too low to ensure complete combustion (wood burns at a temperature high enough to evaporate formaldehyde, but not initially hot enough to break it down), but burning CCA treated wood and vaporizing those metals is definitely a bad idea. Note, however, that some plywoods are treated with CCA or other preservatives, especially marine plywood.
Treated pallets will either say "HT" for heat treated (also makes it very dry, for excellent kindling), or "MB" for methyl bromide fumigation (toxic).
Highbeam has an excellent point about zinc coated nails. Definitely remove them. I don't have a cat stove, but I remove them anyways because I spread my ashes on the yard, and don't want nails there.
Woody Stover
Minister of Fire
Thats My intention to Burn Cord wood, I was just thinking about quick burning Kindling..... Now I dont even want to burn the Plywood strips in the Outside fire pit cause I'll slowly be preserving my insides without knowing it 
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Woody Stover
Minister of Fire
Get some dead, straight, easy-splittin' Tulip Poplar or other low-BTU wood, and make some small and medium kindling sticks. One of these hand-held mauls makes quick work of it. But I saw a slight amount of blue paint smears on a few split sticks; Gonna hafta grind the paint off the splitting faces of the maul head...yes, I'm particular about my cats.
Woody Stover
Minister of Fire
The 4# head on the Estwing makes it easy, has enough arse to plow through. But you could just grip further up on an ax to get a similar effect...
Oldman47
Minister of Fire
For easy cheap kindling visit your local lumber yard and ask them for scrap wood like cut off ends and such. It is usually kiln dried soft wood that can be easily split to a size you like for kindling. Even a damaged board is often cut to a shorter standard size to become a good board of that length. The twisted, knotty POS they cut off makes great kindling.
Grisu
Minister of Fire
I have not found it necessary yet to split a nice piece of firewood into smaller pieces just to make kindling. What I do is after a splitting session to collect any small pieces in a bucket. Those dry easily until I need them. After cutting wood, I also go through the brush with a branch cutter and collect smaller branches and twigs. That way I can even use some of the "wood waste".
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
My favorite is cedar fence board tops. Like when the fence guy buys 6 foot boards and ends up with a 5 foot fence. Those little cedar cutoffs split easily and light easily.
The bulk of my kindling is just nice pieces of cordwood split down smaller. I fill a four foot hoop with it once a year.
The bulk of my kindling is just nice pieces of cordwood split down smaller. I fill a four foot hoop with it once a year.
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