Punky Wood?

[egclassic]

How do you know when wood is too punky to burn in your stove, and what are the consequences(besides little heat and fast burning)?
Last Friday's storm here blew down a tree in our woods that I'm guessing has been standing dead for quite awhile. The tree is approx. 16-18" in diameter (not sure of species, no leaves, but bark looks similar to ash). I cut it up and the saw did not go through it like it was paper or anything, but when I began to split it, there were some parts where the outer 1-1/2" to 2" seemed to just break apart in layers. The heart of the wood seemed "hard" and somewhat "stringy" still.
If anything, I figured I could use this for the shoulder season?

 

[Blue Vomit]

If anything, I figured I could use this for the shoulder season?

I think you just answered your own question.
Be sure to top cover it, that punk will soak up water like a sponge.
Good luck.

 

[woodsmaster]

I recently burnt some punky wood and was supprised at how much heat I got from it. It does burn fast though.
Be carefull not to over fire.

 

[Normande]

Sounds like an elm burns hot and fast, as said cover it quick

 

[egclassic]

I already threw it in my covered wood pile off to the side. The real punky stuff went to my outside burn pile.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

By your description, it does not sound as if it would be any problem. For example, oak has a tendency to turn to punk on the outside inch or two. Does no harm. Stack it, cover it and enjoy the heat.

 

[bogydave]

You got it right. Good shoulder season woos.
& like said keep it covered.
It's all BTUs.

 

[red oak]

You got it - shoulder season/outdoor fire pit is the way to go if it's really punky. If the interior is solid, I burn it in the stove, and it will still give off a decent amount of heat. I have been surprised though at how much moisture those pieces can hold. Those who say to cover it are correct, it is a bit like a sponge.

 

[Gark]

I hate to admit it, but in desperate times ( in the past, since we are now three years' ahead), I peeled the punk off of the splits using an old rotary mower blade before they went on the stack. Wasn't going to put any of THAT fluffy wood into MY stove. Sheesh- what was I thinking?!?!
Talk about a severe case of OCwD...

 

[Woody Stover]

Wasn't going to put any of THAT fluffy wood into MY stove....Talk about a severe case of OCwD...

I remember reading a comment here that burning punk could possibly mask the catalyst...I forget what chemical or fungus by-product was mentioned. I don't think it would cause permanent damage; I'm sure that at the worst, one would just have to clean the cat with the boiling vinegar/water bath. That said, there are a lot of folks here that burn varying degrees of punk in their cat stoves, so you would think that if they were having problems with their cats declining prematurely, someone would have figured that out...or not. Dennis doesn't seem too concerned with burning a bit of punk, and I seem to recall him saying that his cats have been lasting five or more years. I don't remember if he cleans the cats periodically in the vinegar solution. I give most of my more punky stuff to my BIL, who has non-cat stoves, but some of my wood has a little punk. I'm not going to worry about it unless I start seeing declining performance out of the cat...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Woody, we've never cleaned with a vinegar solution. Simply brushing with an old paint brush is all we've done. Now we do it once in the summer and once mid-winter. Takes less than 5 minutes to do but rarely is there much at all on the cat.

 

[savageactor7]

'Punky Wood'

Well I burn it now but I'm retired with a lot of time on my hands.

It's not for wood-burners that spend a lot of time away from their stoves...like you said shoulder season.

 

[Wood Duck]

I don't think there is any danger to burning punky wood as long as it is dry. It won't have as much heat as solid wood, but it won't do any harm either. Like others have said, don't overfire by adding too much, which is true of any fuel you put in the stove.

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm not much of a wood snob . . . but I do tend to burn my dried, punky wood in my fire pit or for fires in the shoulder season.