Seasoning white oak in the round

[3fordasho]

In the process of dropping and bucking up about 3-4 white oaks in the 12-18" diameter range. The first one I've bucked to 16" lengths and stacked off the ground already. I won't need this for 5 years or so and I need some heavy (read hard to steal for the lazy neighbors) wood for the outer edges of my wood storage area. I know it won't season well in the round, but on the other hand don't want it to go bad on me either. Also have 2-3 black cherrys of the same size and one bigger yet. The stacking area gets fair amount of sun and airflow, I don't cover the stacks. Is either going to rot on me?

 

[basswidow]

I wouldn't think they'd wrot in 5 years time if up off the ground.

 

[JustWood]

White oak rounds that big off the ground with good air flow and not covered will prolly last 30+ years.
Tornado went through here in 85 and knocked down lots of red and white 30 "rs + and the ones up off the ground are still solid.
Whiskey and wine barrels and boats are made of white oak because of the closed cell structure .

 

[Jags]

And even if you did split it - with good ventilation and off the ground it will last a Loooong time stacked up.

 

[Wooddust]

Northern guys have it made. In south MO in 5 years we would have a termite dust pile.

 

[gzecc]

I would personally split it. It will only get better with age.

 

[3fordasho]

I would personally split it. It will only get better with age.

I would prefer to split it now, but wood at the fringes of my storage area tends to walk away... my thinking is larger unseasoned rounds or half rounds wouldn't be so easy to pilfer. My 4 camera DVR keeps a good eye on it in daylight hours, not so much in the middle of the night.

 

[Jags]

I would personally split it. It will only get better with age.

I would prefer to split it now, but wood at the fringes of my storage area tends to walk away... my thinking is larger unseasoned rounds or half rounds wouldn't be so easy to pilfer. My 4 camera DVR keeps a good eye on it in daylight hours, not so much in the middle of the night.

Thats why I always keep my pet alligator posted by my wood pile. Keep him a little hungry too......CHOMP!

 

[stee6043]

I would personally split it. It will only get better with age.

I would prefer to split it now, but wood at the fringes of my storage area tends to walk away... my thinking is larger unseasoned rounds or half rounds wouldn't be so easy to pilfer. My 4 camera DVR keeps a good eye on it in daylight hours, not so much in the middle of the night.

You could pull the 'ole "hollow split filled with gun powder" trick. ha....

 

[Flatbedford]

In the round, White Oak would probably take at least 5 years to season. Kept off the ground the bark might get a little punky after 5 years, but the inside would likely still be wet when you split it. Maybe you could find some Elm rounds to leave on the fringe of your pile. If somebody did steal them, they would suffer if the tried to split it.

 

[xman23]

I have seen, my father, stack rounds uncovered under the shade of trees. In a few years it starts soaking up water and never drys. It was just fireplace wood and he didn't care about it. Maybe the reason I do full tarps over well vented split stacks. But I'm 5 to 7 years ahead of the wood I'm burnin. If I had to leave it in rounds for a lot of years I would do some sort of top cover, just me. Maybe someone that leaves it in rounds that long can comment.

Tom

 

[backpack09]

I would personally split it. It will only get better with age.

I would prefer to split it now, but wood at the fringes of my storage area tends to walk away... my thinking is larger unseasoned rounds or half rounds wouldn't be so easy to pilfer. My 4 camera DVR keeps a good eye on it in daylight hours, not so much in the middle of the night.

Time for a solar powered motion sensor light for the wood pile.

 

[Uper]

I would hate to lose the white oak to thieves, but if they did steal it, it wouldn't burn well and think of the creosote buildup in their chimneys!

 

[3fordasho]

I would hate to lose the white oak to thieves, but if they did steal it, it wouldn't burn well and think of the creosote buildup in their chimneys!

The sad part is I know the thieves are just burning it in a outdoor firepit. The camera system has kept them at bay
since June but I'm afraid they will figure out it doesn't record much at night.

 

[Jags]

I would hate to lose the white oak to thieves, but if they did steal it, it wouldn't burn well and think of the creosote buildup in their chimneys!

The sad part is I know the thieves are just burning it in a outdoor firepit. The camera system has kept them at bay
since June but I'm afraid they will figure out it doesn't record much at night.

I'm thinking that me and the thieves would have a little discussion.

 

[oldspark]

Some people are jerks, why dont they ask yu if they can buy a little?

 

[Monkey Wrench]

I would hate to lose the white oak to thieves, but if they did steal it, it wouldn't burn well and think of the creosote buildup in their chimneys!

The sad part is I know the thieves are just burning it in a outdoor firepit. The camera system has kept them at bay
since June but I'm afraid they will figure out it doesn't record much at night.

I would hide that camera.
They are just liable to steal it.

 

[Uper]

In that case, +1 on the hollow-out gunpowder filling! Just don't forget which one it is in case they don't take it!

 

[3fordasho]

Some people are jerks, why dont they ask yu if they can buy a little?

I would but am afraid they would turn me in to the city for running a firewood business (I'm not) in a residential zone.

They've already turned me in for putting up a 42W flourescent securty light after I noticed wood missing.
I received a letter from the city stating city lighting codes, basically anything over 1/2 candlepower at the property line is
considered a nusience and must be shielded.

 

[Flatbedford]

Fence?

 

[firefighterjake]

I think I would be more than a little ticked off at these neighbors . . . happy to say I like my neighbors . . . brought them tomatoes the other day and my closest neighbor and I help each other out. He loaned me his roofing nailer when I was building my woodshed and I have let him borrow my splitter a few times since he just bought a wood-fired pizza oven that he plans to make pizzas out of for local fairs, such as the Commonground Fair in a couple of weeks.

 

[3fordasho]

Fence?

Went up in June, shortly after the firewood started walking off.

 

[3fordasho]

Oh and another little stunt they pulled after they got pissed about the light:

This is a city alley and how I get my wood to the backyard. They claimed it as their private property and tried to prevent me from using it. Its (chain&signhave since come down ;-)

 

[Flatbedford]

Did it help any? Maybe get some chimney fire causing pine and leave it out as a decoy for the good stuff?

 

[Flatbedford]

That just sucks! I have 9 or so cords on my suburban 1/4 acre. Thankfully, I have excellent neighbors. Non of them are real wood burners. One burns outside, but I give him plenty of junk wood and he knows my pile is for heating, not for play. The others know that they would only have to ask if they needed wood in an emergency.