Processing Pine

[sblat]

So I just got about a 1/2 cord or so of pine fresh cut by the power company at a friends house. Thinking it is White Pine. Whats the best way to process it? Should I split right away, or should I let it sit in rounds for a bit? It is really sappy and thinking that letting it sit for a bit will help it dry up. How would you handle it?

 

[Pallet Pete]

Split it up right away and stack it where it will dry good. Wood will not dry well until it is split and some won't split well if you wait to long to split. It would be great in the spring or fall for short hot fires after it dries.

Pete

 

[eclecticcottage]

Split it now. Orange/citrus oil based soaps will get the sap off you hands

 

[billb3]

If you want it to use this Fall you really need to get it split now.
Buy some cheaper gloves and throw them away.

If you don't need it for this Fall then let it sit until smaller pieces with the green bark turns red and it will be easier to handle. Seems to take about 6 months.

If it's not in rounds yet, they cut like butter green.

 

[lukem]

Just wear some gloves you don't mind throwing away.

 

[sblat]

Thats what I was thinking, just wasn't sure if I let is sit for a couple months if it would dry out. I will split it next week and throw it on the shoulder stack.

 

[maplewood]

I burn pine, too.
Split it and stack it now.
Wear gloves and an old jacket / shirt.
It burns hot and quick, with little coals afterward.
But it burns! And the price is right!
(btw, it splits easily. Just go around the knots. Don't be afraid of a large piece - it'll burn.)

 

[sblat]

It was cut green, if I get it s/s in the next couple weeks will it be good to burn by november?

 

[DMZX]

Just wear some gloves you don't mind throwing away.

Yep. I buy those $1 a pair brown cotton gloves just for handling sappy softwoods.

 

[firefighterjake]

Yes . . . they're messy. But the sooner you split the wood, the better off you will be if you intend to burn the wood this coming Fall.

 

[ScotO]

It was cut green, if I get it s/s in the next couple weeks will it be good to burn by november?

Yes it will, given you get it split and stacked ASAP!

 

[brogsie]

I'd let it sit for a couple of weeks then split it.
I split some right away and it was a mess.
Couldn't finish until a few weeks later and it was much less sap.
Split a few 6 months later and it was tougher to split.

 

[NH_Wood]

Been working up a big pine over the last couple weeks - I wear an old nasty jacket (full of pitch now from leaning on rounds in the splitter) and old gloves (full of pitch, but the dirt makes them less sticky). Pine is a PITA to work with due to the pitch - just wear throw away clothing and get it done. Cheers!

 

[sblat]

Thanks a lot for all the thoughts guys. I will split it this weekend. I did split a couple rounds yesterday and it will go quickly. Really easy splitting compared to the 4 cord of dead ash I've been working on.

 

[SWNH]

I find that if I cut and then split immediately (within a day), the sap isn't that bad. When I cut lengths and can't split them with a day or two, I let them sit "in the round" for a month or two. By then the sap on the cut ends solidifies. I'm in no hurry since I'm always 2 yrs ahead in my firewood. 2yr seasoned pine burns great!

 

[Lumber-Jack]

It's no wonder Easterners are so averse to pine, all this talk about throwing gloves and clothing away and sticky sap on everything. I've been burning pine all my life and never had to deal with anything like that. Not with pine anyway, douglas fir can ooze little pockets of pitch for years after it has been cut and dry, but my pine has never oozed anything like that.
I wonder if it's the variety of pine that makes it so much difference, or the fact that I only proccess dead standing pine? I can't recall ever cutting down and proccessing a live pine tree before, I'll have to try it someday.

 

[SWNH]

I can't recall ever cutting down and processing a live pine tree before, I'll have to try it someday.

That's all I process as far as pine goes. There are lots of folks clearing out house lots and keep the hardwood but don't want the pine. Plus I'm thinning out my property from the BIG ones so the hardwood trees get more light.

 

[Dune]

6 Months is not enough time to season pine IMHO. 2 years is good.

 

[firefighterjake]

It's no wonder Easterners are so averse to pine, all this talk about throwing gloves and clothing away and sticky sap on everything. I've been burning pine all my life and never had to deal with anything like that. Not with pine anyway, douglas fir can ooze little pockets of pitch for years after it has been cut and dry, but my pine has never oozed anything like that.
I wonder if it's the variety of pine that makes it so much difference, or the fact that I only proccess dead standing pine? I can't recall ever cutting down and proccessing a live pine tree before, I'll have to try it someday.

I know live cut white pine is quite messy . . . the same for fir, spruce, hemlock, etc.

 

[eclecticcottage]

or the fact that I only proccess dead standing pine? I can't recall ever cutting down and proccessing a live pine tree before, I'll have to try it someday.

BIG difference. Our last scrounge was 80% standing dead beetle killed scotch pine, the rest was live scotch pine. The standing dead was light and I barely got my hands dirty loading it. The live stuff was heavy and FULL of sap, my hands were almost black with pitch and dirt after loading that.