So I'm going to get a load of slab tomorrow. Free, so the price can't be beat. Question is, how long for this stuff to dry enough so I can burn it? I'm assuming that it's all pretty green stuff, probably cut within the month, actually sawed this week. I'm going to go ahead and cut into 16" to 18" lengths and stack it in an open shed. It'll get air from all sides, just not much wood. It'll probably be a mix of everything, but probably mostly oak & popular. Any suggestions? Oh and I'm taking an 12k lb, 18ft trailer so I's can get plenty....
Slab?
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bogydave
Minister of Fire
Slabs will dry faster than medium to big splits if it gets some wind & sun..
It'll be drier in a few months, not great but burnable. Not allot of drying weather this time of the year.
Sooner the better to get it cut & stacked & drying. Single rows so both side get air will help.
You burn what you got.
Free means you'll be able to get more & get ahead & have some real good wood next season
Try to separate the oak out if you get some, it just takes longer to dry & be burnable
Good luck, Have fun
It'll be drier in a few months, not great but burnable. Not allot of drying weather this time of the year.
Sooner the better to get it cut & stacked & drying. Single rows so both side get air will help.
You burn what you got.
Free means you'll be able to get more & get ahead & have some real good wood next season
Try to separate the oak out if you get some, it just takes longer to dry & be burnable
Good luck, Have fun
Gasifier
Minister of Fire
jc,
That sounds like a great price. I think you will find it to be a bit of work to process it, but if you have the time, why not. It is the right price. This is a response I just wrote to a guy in the boiler room who asked the question about slab wood for his boiler. A little long, but a little interesting. I wonder if the guys you got the wood from wood be willing to cut it to length cheap for you if you wanted to save the time.?
Today I had time in the afternoon to get to an Amish wood mill. I thought I would go to the closest one and ended up six miles from the house. Unfortunately the only wood they use is pine because they only make storage sheds. But I stopped and talked to the owner and asked them if they sold the slab wood. He said yes. If you want the long stuff in that pile it is free for the taking. Or, if you want the stuff from that pile it is cut to 14-16†already. We sell that for $7 a truck load. Now the free stuff was tempting. But I do not have a lot of time on my hands and I thought at $7 a truck load, that is cheap and a lot of time and labor saved. So I told him I would take a load and if he provided me a helper to load it I would give him $10 a load. He said he could do that. So we loaded up one heaping load in about 20 minutes. I brought it home and threw it off the truck. As I did I seperated the small stuff that was literally 2-4†and various sizes, already cut square or rectangular, and about 14-16 inches long. Dry as could be at that size and sitting in the sun in that huge pile. That stuff, about 4’x4’x14-16†worth went right in under the covered porch. Next step was to put some used o.s.b. sheeting that was just the right size into the back of the truck. This would protect my back window and make some temporary sides that would stand four feet tall and allow a lot more to be loaded into the truck. Back I went and bought another load for $10. After getting it all stacked, I ended up with about 2 1/4 face cords of the larger slabs. These pieces, which is 90% of the load, range from 1-4†thick and 4-14†wide. Lengths went from 12-16†with most being 14-16†long. I was able to get all of this wood loaded, brought home, and stacked from 12 - 3:30 PM. Being pine, the wood will burn fast. But I think it will work well being mixed in with the Ash that I burn. Once it is dry. So most will be for next year. I stacked that outside on pallets adding it on to my Ash stacks. At that price and not having to do any cutting, I am going to go back and get more. Since I am already set for this year and just looking to add to next years stacks, it was easy to get antoher 2 cord this way. But first, I am also going to go to a couple of other mills that are close enough and see if they have hard wood. That will be on Saturday. I had to promise the wife one day of shopping, that is Friday. No working with the wood Friday. Oh well, I will get a nice lunch and dinner out of it. I will make certain that the food establishments will have beer on tap.
Good luck to you man. Let us know how it works out.
That sounds like a great price. I think you will find it to be a bit of work to process it, but if you have the time, why not. It is the right price. This is a response I just wrote to a guy in the boiler room who asked the question about slab wood for his boiler. A little long, but a little interesting. I wonder if the guys you got the wood from wood be willing to cut it to length cheap for you if you wanted to save the time.?
Today I had time in the afternoon to get to an Amish wood mill. I thought I would go to the closest one and ended up six miles from the house. Unfortunately the only wood they use is pine because they only make storage sheds. But I stopped and talked to the owner and asked them if they sold the slab wood. He said yes. If you want the long stuff in that pile it is free for the taking. Or, if you want the stuff from that pile it is cut to 14-16†already. We sell that for $7 a truck load. Now the free stuff was tempting. But I do not have a lot of time on my hands and I thought at $7 a truck load, that is cheap and a lot of time and labor saved. So I told him I would take a load and if he provided me a helper to load it I would give him $10 a load. He said he could do that. So we loaded up one heaping load in about 20 minutes. I brought it home and threw it off the truck. As I did I seperated the small stuff that was literally 2-4†and various sizes, already cut square or rectangular, and about 14-16 inches long. Dry as could be at that size and sitting in the sun in that huge pile. That stuff, about 4’x4’x14-16†worth went right in under the covered porch. Next step was to put some used o.s.b. sheeting that was just the right size into the back of the truck. This would protect my back window and make some temporary sides that would stand four feet tall and allow a lot more to be loaded into the truck. Back I went and bought another load for $10. After getting it all stacked, I ended up with about 2 1/4 face cords of the larger slabs. These pieces, which is 90% of the load, range from 1-4†thick and 4-14†wide. Lengths went from 12-16†with most being 14-16†long. I was able to get all of this wood loaded, brought home, and stacked from 12 - 3:30 PM. Being pine, the wood will burn fast. But I think it will work well being mixed in with the Ash that I burn. Once it is dry. So most will be for next year. I stacked that outside on pallets adding it on to my Ash stacks. At that price and not having to do any cutting, I am going to go back and get more. Since I am already set for this year and just looking to add to next years stacks, it was easy to get antoher 2 cord this way. But first, I am also going to go to a couple of other mills that are close enough and see if they have hard wood. That will be on Saturday. I had to promise the wife one day of shopping, that is Friday. No working with the wood Friday. Oh well, I will get a nice lunch and dinner out of it. I will make certain that the food establishments will have beer on tap.
Good luck to you man. Let us know how it works out.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
jc, lots of folks burn slab wood. As for how long to dry, as usual, that depends upon what type of wood they are cutting now. If oak, it will take longer to dry, etc. So, stack the oak and poplar separately. For sure the oak will take longer to dry and you want to save that for the coldest days anyway.
Just be sure you remember that when it is dry, do not fill the stove lest you have overfiring. Pack it as tight as you can to keep the fire from running wild.
Just be sure you remember that when it is dry, do not fill the stove lest you have overfiring. Pack it as tight as you can to keep the fire from running wild.
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