Best way to dry kindling?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Jay777

New Member
Jul 2, 2008
163
Metro-West MA
I'm a new woodburner, so please bear with me :)

I had a cord of wood delivered, not nearly as seasoned as I might've wanted (shock), and while I was stacking it, there were many smaller pieces of wood or large pieces of bark that I thought I should separate out to use as kindling. So I've got a small pile of scraps that aren't seasoned yet. Is there a standard way to dry these out? I've also been collecting small deadwood branches, which seem like they'd be useful, but they're already dry and I pretty much just put them in a big paper yard-waste bag.

Thanks for any advice.
 
I just put that stuff in a strong cardboard box and stack the boxes in the shed. It's always been ready by winter. Banana boxes work great, they're a standard size and strong.
 
I spread the bark out on my concrete patio for a few days to a week, depending on how sunny it is. Then I put it in a trash can until winter. I also put bigger pieces of bark on top of my wood pile to act as a roof for it.
 
If I have time, I take the small stuff up to the roof and carefully place each piece out on the shingles so that the sun bakes it. I rotate each piece every 3 hours so that it gets baked on both sides. This is to be done only from July 1 to Aug 11, and only during the days that will have a full moon at night and no rain in the forecast.

If I don't have the time, I throw the crap in a barrel and keep it under roof, and it will season just fine.

P.S. I never have time to use the first method. :coolsmirk:
 
Okay, the moon is wrong for tonight, but I'll get everything ready to go up on the roof. Thanks!

(and I'll pick up a metal garbage can somewhere too...)
 
use a trash can or cardboard box to store them in a dry place (basement, shed, etc..)
 
I have two of these car top carriers that somebody left, brand new, at the landfill one day. I toss splitter scraps in them for kindling. I have a third from a neighbor that I keep the saws and PPE in.
 

Attachments

  • kindling 1.jpg
    kindling 1.jpg
    23.9 KB · Views: 260
  • kindling 2.jpg
    kindling 2.jpg
    42.5 KB · Views: 275
Status
Not open for further replies.