4acrefarm said:
I am getting 2 loads of slab wood hopefully soon and I want how long before it's ready? It is a mix of hemlock, ash, and maple, it was debarked, milled, then bundled tightly. It has been sitting all summer or longer. The guy I am buying it from says it will be ready a week after I cut it. I trust him, he is a good ole farm boy, but what do you all think?
Okay, I'm a good ole farm boy too. I also disagree with the one you met. It will dry much faster than other wood but for a rule of thumb I'd say 1/2 the normal time. That means if you cut the bundles and cut to size, then they will dry....but certainly not in a week's time unless that slab wood sat around unbundled for a year.
Having the bark off will definitely help but not as much as you might think. So do yourself a big favor and get that stuff cut as soon as you possibly can. And be careful who you trust, especially when it comes to firewood. I know many folks who believe just like your good ole farm boy and you can't tell them a thing because they know it all. Yet, these are the folks who have problems burning and also end up burning more than they should have needed, simply because their wood was not dry.
Old habits usually die a very slow death if at all. Old ideas are even worse.
Good luck.