First Post - First Real Score with Bugs and Pics.

[Auzzie Gumtree]

Long time 'stalker' first time poster.

Recently moved to the mountain area near Melbourne Australia. It gets a little cold here so I have installed a couple of wood heaters. This led me to this wonderful site and also the art / hobby / obsession of wood collecting.

One of the neighbours has just had 13 trees chopped down. The aborist took some of the better lengths but i managed to get ~ 20 cubic metres (~ 6 cords.) The majority of the wood is Messmate which is an Australian hardwood Gum. It has a similar BTU to white or red oak ~ 750 gsm very heavy.

The pictures of the wood is how the arborist leaves it around here. They chop it into fire sized thickness's which then you have to split. I manually split all my wood (X27 and X25) and this splits beautifully as long as you go with the grain and start on the outside and work in. This was one of the first loads i made, i now have to split and stack hope to use it next winter (our burn time is May - October.) I will probably burn 4 cords a year.

 

[buggyspapa]

Welcome! Nice info and pics. Exotic. Those are some hungry grubs! The tree sort of looks like an evergreen, but drier on the interior. What sort of stoves are you using?

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

Hi

the main unit i use is a Nectre Mega, its Australian and has a output of 35 Kw (120,000 BTU / Hr) but i only use that on weekends and hilidays as it takes a while to heat up and cool down. The other unit is a Masport R1500 another Austalian unit which is less than half the size at 15 Kw. This i use every night its easy to light and quick to heat up. It only has a small firebox though and needs constant attention. I am trying to get the air flow on this unit restricted as it is always open slightly hence the quick bur times.

 

[corey21]

Welcome.

Nice load of wood those grubs like that wood it looks like.

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

Apparently you can eat them - they taste like peanut butter i think i will give it a miss.

I find them all the time i think they are a moth larvae god knows how big the moths are......

The trees are evergreen - and they seem to split better when they have the bugs as it gives the wood a weak spot. Its funny watching all the birds lining up waiting for me to finish so they can have a feast.

 

[Shane N]

Do those bugs infest the entire tree? Or just a localized spot?

 

[CT-Mike]

I am sure there are BTU's in those grubs, put 'em in the stove.

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

Do those bugs infest the entire tree? Or just a localized spot?

They are localised. they don't do much damage either not like the termites....

 

[albert1029]

Good-on-ya, mate!

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

lol not actually a true-blood aussie - i'm from the England.

 

[bogydave]

Welcome

Nice stacks.
Nice pile of rounds.
Even comes with a snack, if yo like peanut butter grubs LOL
Was it all free & delivered ?

 

[TimJ]

Aussie, you got a nice pile of wood that will take care of you.
Welcome

 

[WoodPorn]

Nice score there AG, VERY nice score!
Greetings from the states and welcome to the forum! You can now apply for membership to the Firewood Hoarders Club, Your level is Coard Hoarder....
We the members only require that you maintain good standing with frequent wood scrounges, burn only properly seasoned wood, and FedEx a 6 pack of Aussie beer to each existing member...Maybe some Blue Tounge? or Boags or Little creatures......We're not picky!

Welcome

 

[FireBones]

Welcome Auzzie!! Sweet pics and great scrounge.....

 

[Jack Straw]

Great Score! Welcome to the site. It's pretty cool to chat with an Aussie!

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Apparently you can eat them - they taste like peanut butter i think i will give it a miss.

I find them all the time i think they are a moth larvae god knows how big the moths are......

The trees are evergreen - and they seem to split better when they have the bugs as it gives the wood a weak spot. Its funny watching all the birds lining up waiting for me to finish so they can have a feast.View attachment 77871

A kookaburra!
Very cool, please make sure to share more wood/nature pics. I have an interest in Australian wood as there are some interesting wood fired potteries in Australia. Check out www.sidestoke.com - they have a clickable map of Australia ( http://www.sidestoke.com/ausmap.html ) where you can locate these places, if interested. I hope to visit one day and do a tour (then hit the beach with my wife- who has been there a couple times).

 

[onetracker]

welcome to HDC! where those dedicated to all things wood, debate, relate, congregate and commiserate!

keep the photos coming.
are you serious about those little fellers tasting like peanut butter? i'd have to get a good buzz on and give THAT a try.
just one little morsel.
like half a butt-cheek.
on a garlic sesame cracker.
with hot sauce.
maybe some capers.

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

Thanks for all the welcomes i am sure you all know how addictive this can be. All my wood is scrounged near where we live. We are surrounded by forest which have very large (60 meter ~ 200 ft) straight grained Messmate also known as Tasmanian Oak. I dont need to cut the trees (yet) as a lot of the neighbours are having trees cut down as they have changed the laws over here after the devastating fires a couple of years ago. We can now cut down any tree which are within 10 metres of the house or 5 metres from the fence line. before that it was impossible to have a tree cut without going through years of red tape. This is good news for me as i have put the word out that i will take all the hardwood people have. So far so good in fact another neighbour is having a couple of trees cut this week. I will try to get some photo's when they are on the ground.

Just to let you know wood over here is very expensive. If you buy it from a reputable seller it is dried (seasoned) but it would cost $160 per cubic meter. That works out to ~ $500 per cord. But it is seasoned. I think it must be a lot easier to season wood here as we have hot temperatures and milder winters. Not sure if it helps having the straight grain but it seems to dry pretty quick. I tested the fresh wood and it was 28 - 32% moisture how would that compare to a typical hardwood in the USA?

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

Nice score there AG, VERY nice score!
Greetings from the states and welcome to the forum! You can now apply for membership to the Firewood Hoarders Club, Your level is Coard Hoarder....
We the members only require that you maintain good standing with frequent wood scrounges, burn only properly seasoned wood, and FedEx a 6 pack of Aussie beer to each existing member...Maybe some Blue Tounge? or Boags or Little creatures......We're not picky!

Welcome

Wow you know some proper beers (not the normal XXXX or Fosters. I actually like the Little creatures and fat yak but they are a little expensive - boags is my 'every day' tipple.

I have travelled throughout much of the USA and Canada and my favourite beer there was a Sam Adams - not sure which one but we were in Rhode Island at the time. we will have to do some beer swapping - but i am sure there will be a law against it

 

[Auzzie Gumtree]

A kookaburra!
Very cool, please make sure to share more wood/nature pics. I have an interest in Australian wood as there are some interesting wood fired potteries in Australia. Check out www.sidestoke.com - they have a clickable map of Australia ( http://www.sidestoke.com/ausmap.html ) where you can locate these places, if interested. I hope to visit one day and do a tour (then hit the beach with my wife- who has been there a couple times).

WOW they are cool. the nearest one to me is about 1 hour away and i never new. I think the Kookies are my favourite bird. I think i have a picture with me feeding one i will try to dig it out that and the King Parrots.

 

[firefighterjake]

lol not actually a true-blood aussie - i'm from the England.

Ah, that explains your accent.

 

[Jags]

Welcome to the forum. I spent a little time in Perth and Fremantle on the west coast. Loved it. I agree with the other posters that have requested pics. We LOVE pics.

 

[ChrisNJ]

Geez due to the Gum name of the trees I would hesitate but looks great split, I think I would try a grub if I had a beer to wash it down with Actually ate some strange stuff in college to win some beer bugs anyway.

 

[Gasifier]

Just to let you know wood over here is very expensive. If you buy it from a reputable seller it is dried (seasoned) but it would cost $160 per cubic meter. That works out to ~ $500 per cord. But it is seasoned. I think it must be a lot easier to season wood here as we have hot temperatures and milder winters. Not sure if it helps having the straight grain but it seems to dry pretty quick. I tested the fresh wood and it was 28 - 32% moisture how would that compare to a typical hardwood in the USA?

Welcome to the forums of Hearth.com. Cool story, cool pics. Thanks for sharing. $500 per cord! What the ....? That is some serious cash for seasoned wood. Here in way up northern New York, Canadian border, you can buy seasoned cord wood for about $210 cord delivered to your house. That wood you are talking about sounds like it is almost comparable to White Ash hardwood that grows around here. There are several other types of Ash that grow in the U.S. as well. The White ash up here is straight grained and dries fast. Unfortunately the Emerald Ash Borer is slowly killing everyone of them. They are not where I live quite yet, but close and will be soon. It will be a loss for a lot of wood burners around here.

 

[milleo]

Welcome...Awesome first post with pics of wood, birds and tasty bugs.