MongoMongoson
Feeling the Heat
I wanted to mention, in this thread, one good use for a wood like boxelder. If you burn 24/7 or something close to that... or if you only use wood to supplement a furnace, or if you use your furnace to supplement your burning of wood, this does not apply.
If you arrive at your home, camp, shed... whatever it might be, and it is cold in there, really cold... a wood like boxelder can be your friend. You can burn HOT, and keep it hot for as long as you can shove splits in the stove. I am not talking about over-firing (you could do that if you want to), I am talking about maintaining the maximum safe and reasonable BTU output without building up a giant pile of coals.
At my camp, I can have all the sugar maple I need. The property is mostly sugar maple and hop hornbeam. My wood pile is 2/3 popple (quaking aspen). Why would I do that? Popple makes box elder look like cherry.
If I have nothing but good truly hard wood in my wood pile and I try to get this place warmed up fast, I will end up with a giant pile of coals before I get it warmed up. Coals are great! I love them, at home, or after the camp has warmed up. While I am trying to get this place warmed up, I like something that turns to dust rather than coals.
If you arrive at your home, camp, shed... whatever it might be, and it is cold in there, really cold... a wood like boxelder can be your friend. You can burn HOT, and keep it hot for as long as you can shove splits in the stove. I am not talking about over-firing (you could do that if you want to), I am talking about maintaining the maximum safe and reasonable BTU output without building up a giant pile of coals.
At my camp, I can have all the sugar maple I need. The property is mostly sugar maple and hop hornbeam. My wood pile is 2/3 popple (quaking aspen). Why would I do that? Popple makes box elder look like cherry.
If I have nothing but good truly hard wood in my wood pile and I try to get this place warmed up fast, I will end up with a giant pile of coals before I get it warmed up. Coals are great! I love them, at home, or after the camp has warmed up. While I am trying to get this place warmed up, I like something that turns to dust rather than coals.
