super seasoned wood

[potter]

I have roughly a cord of hardwood that has been under cover for over 5 years. (Bought to use in open fireplace) The rest of the wood (4 cords) I'll be using was stacked last year and somewhat lesser quality. I also have 4 cords coming, mostly for next year, but wood guy (and neighbor who got same stuff) says its ready to burn.
It will be my first winter with a newer EPA stove and wondered how to best utilize the old stuff. Splits like a dream.





Jotul Oslo (installed tommorow!)

 

[myzamboni]

I have roughly a cord of hardwood that has been under cover for over 5 years. (Bought to use in open fireplace) The rest of the wood (4 cords) I'll be using was stacked last year and somewhat lesser quality. I also have 4 cords coming, mostly for next year, but wood guy (and neighbor who got same stuff) says its ready to burn.
It will be my first winter with a newer EPA stove and wondered how to best utilize the old stuff. Splits like a dream.





Jotul Oslo (installed tommorow!)

Burn the old stuff first. This should be your rule going forward. Your secondary rule to this is burn the older lower BTU stuff during the shoulder seasons (beginning and end of burning season).

 

[potter]

I didn't know it would have less btus. What's the reason for that.
Good though, I went large with my stove for the house and it was suggested I track down some softwood for the shoulder seasons

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Potter, what type of wood is this?

I don't think myzamboni was saying that your wood will have less btu's because it won't. You'll actually get the maximum btus from this dry hardwood because it is well seasoned.

Don't worry about the wood being 5 years old. Our wood pile is now large enough to last us 7 years! We naturally burn the oldest wood first, so our wood is very dry and our stove loves it. Our chimney also loves it. A combination of the new soapstone stove with a cat. and the seasoned wood has left us with very little chimney cleaning to do! That is nice.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

It's about rotating stock so that the newer stuff ages just a bit longer.

 

[potter]

Probably maple, some oak, mixed I think.
AP- I never fussed over kiln wood (small dimension), new to the 24/7 house thing.
Thought I could split it down some and use at start of fires...then add newer stuff. Thinking too much.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Ya, my kiln eats whatever I throw in there, but I do save a little kiln dried lumber, and pallet wood for the end of the fire when it may need a little punch to get cone 12 to fall.

It's funny when people talk about a learning curve on firing a woodstove- how about primary air, secondary air, mouse holes, passive damper, active dampers- managing oxidation and reduction, like 4 kinds of wood for different times of the fire (kindling and low- water smoke fire, Bourry hobbs dry wood, wet wood for reduction, sidestoke wood)... listening and watching for the next stoke, sidestoking, 32 hour fire... Oh man- I can't wait to fire...

Threw a bunch of pitchers and a few cut sided bowls last night. Going to make the pitchers beaked so that the pitchers come up to the next shelf, and the beaked spouts stick out in front higher than the next shelf up. Going to have ash runs right down the front... ohhhh

 

[Jags]

Ya, my kiln eats whatever I throw in there, but I do save a little kiln dried lumber, and pallet wood for the end of the fire when it may need a little punch to get cone 12 to fall.

It's funny when people talk about a learning curve on firing a woodstove- how about primary air, secondary air, mouse holes, passive damper, active dampers- managing oxidation and reduction, like 4 kinds of wood for different times of the fire (kindling and low- water smoke fire, Bourry hobbs dry wood, wet wood for reduction, sidestoke wood)... listening and watching for the next stoke, sidestoking, 32 hour fire... Oh man- I can't wait to fire...

Threw a bunch of pitchers and a few cut sided bowls last night. Going to make the pitchers beaked so that the pitchers come up to the next shelf, and the beaked spouts stick out in front higher than the next shelf up. Going to have ash runs right down the front... ohhhh

Here he goes again <slap, slap>

:lol: :lol: :lol:

P.S. I wish I were closer. I would like to actually see the process (once). ;-)

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I know- I get a little giddy- but if you love burning stuff then you'll understand the excitement of getting a big oven to 2370 F- hot enough to turn the ash produced into a glass (glazes the pots), with fire blowing out the chimney 15' up (over 20' from the firebox).

I'll take lots of pics next time. Getting shots of glowing yellow pots is too neat- but you have to watch out that you don't melt the camera.

 

[Henz]

that is exactly what I am doing. I ahve 2 cord of leftover wood from last eyar that is super dry. I have some lesser quality (mostly soft maple and cherry) that was split and stacked and will be dry. Some of it is also spaulted and therefore I am going to use this first in late fall etc and use the super dry higher quality stuff when old man winter is in full force!

 

[Jags]

Oh, I can understand. I have at least 2 bon fires a year that throw flames 30+ feet into the air. MORE FIRE, Har, har har.

 

[Jay777]

I know- I get a little giddy- but if you love burning stuff then you'll understand the excitement of getting a big oven to 2370 F- hot enough to turn the ash produced into a glass (glazes the pots), with fire blowing out the chimney 15' up (over 20' from the firebox).

I'll take lots of pics next time. Getting shots of glowing yellow pots is too neat- but you have to watch out that you don't melt the camera.

Admit it.. you just use the kiln as an excuse to have something to burn during the summer!

 

[potter]

I know- I get a little giddy- but if you love burning stuff then you'll understand the excitement of getting a big oven to 2370 F- hot enough to turn the ash produced into a glass (glazes the pots), with fire blowing out the chimney 15' up (over 20' from the firebox).

I'll take lots of pics next time. Getting shots of glowing yellow pots is too neat- but you have to watch out that you don't melt the camera.

Don't you mean glowing white pots?

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Glowing green at that point- have to wear protective goggles as to not damage your eyes- but the yellow and orange- I peek in a bit

 

[potter]

My wife is always after me about the glasses......and the dust mask. Both things I wish I'd started when I was younger..... at the time I was learning it wasn't as stressed.
Are you making the beaked pitchers by throwing a disc on the wheel and then applying, If so a nice trick is to band the disc with colored slip at the wheel and then apply. If slab my wife uses a paper spout to pre design holding it up to th pitcher using sissors fine tune- then you can lay it out flat on the slab to cut. A printmaking brayer works great to finish the pouring edge.. These maybe tricks you know...

Had a miscommunication with the chimney sweep. I thought he was coming today to install my Oslo, not coming until next Friday. :-/ I am a little obsessive and was hoping to move on- I have a big kiln to fill in the next few weeks.

Still open to comments about wood use.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

You are probably into weather where you could use the stove at night already ya? As long as it's all dry- mix it in. You'll likely get better average burning that way.

I'll probably just slab them and make a paper pattern. I saw a video on it on YouTube the other day (I think the Baileys folks sponsored it) and it got me thinking that I'd never done them and it would be a good way to direct flame up from the bottom of the kiln (trying to avoid a bagwall). Using the brayer is a good idea! I think I'll just use fingers though- a little "mark of the maker" sort of fits my loose wood-firey aesthetics.

I'm thinking to make a 3-plate passive (no blower) waste oil burner. Experimenting with those sorts of things is too cool. have you used oil at lower temps? PM me on that- we could get way off topic here LOL

 

[myzamboni]

Potter, what type of wood is this?

I don't think myzamboni was saying that your wood will have less btu's because it won't. You'll actually get the maximum btus from this dry hardwood because it is well seasoned.

Don't worry about the wood being 5 years old. Our wood pile is now large enough to last us 7 years! We naturally burn the oldest wood first, so our wood is very dry and our stove loves it. Our chimney also loves it. A combination of the new soapstone stove with a cat. and the seasoned wood has left us with very little chimney cleaning to do! That is nice.

Potter, I should have clarified. Backwoods is correct in what I was trying to convey. What I meant was burn your softer woods in the shoulder season when you don't need so much heat.