Three Year Old Sugar Maple Rounds

[thewoodlands]

Tonight I grabbed this Sugar Maple (blow down) I cut in the summer of 2008 before we had a wood stove. I also grabbed some of the dead fall that was blocking the trail this past weekend that I cut up.


I think if I split it this week both will be ready by fall. Starting with picture 3221 that is the dead tree that blocked the path, someone said it was elm and I'm still note sure other then it split hard.




Zap

 

[DexterDay]

Doesnt look like the elm I split. This is the stringy elm I had.

 

[thewoodlands]

Doesnt look like the elm I split. This is the stringy elm I had.

Basswood or Maple and I think it weighs enough that it is Maple.




Zap

 

[maxed_out]

hey zap, was it green when you cut it? whats the mc now?

I just did a load of 3 year old black locust that was sitting outside uncovered (not mine) in the rounds that whole time. I was surpised by the mc levels 25-30ish but its drying fast now that its split.

 

[oldspark]

Doesnt look like the elm I split. This is the stringy elm I had.

That wood looks green, zaps was dead and fairly dry by the pictures.

 

[thewoodlands]

hey zap, was it green when you cut it? whats the mc now?

I just did a load of 3 year old black locust that was sitting outside uncovered (not mine) in the rounds that whole time. I was surpised by the mc levels 25-30ish but its drying fast now that its split.

maxed_out, I'll get a reading tonight after putting up some new fascia. My guess wood be 18-22.





zao

 

[Brewmonster]

hey zap, was it green when you cut it? whats the mc now?

I just did a load of 3 year old black locust that was sitting outside uncovered (not mine) in the rounds that whole time. I was surpised by the mc levels 25-30ish but its drying fast now that its split.

Hey, Maxed, how do you like that stuff now that it's split? Good and solid? I have a shot at getting some BL that has exactly the same history. I know BL is rot resistant, but this stuff looks heavily weathered and dark on the outside, making me a tiny bit apprehensive.

 

[smokinj]

hey zap, was it green when you cut it? whats the mc now?

I just did a load of 3 year old black locust that was sitting outside uncovered (not mine) in the rounds that whole time. I was surpised by the mc levels 25-30ish but its drying fast now that its split.

Hard to beleve bl is that high fresh....I have burned it fresh wonder whats going on?

 

[DexterDay]

oldspark.... My Elm was standing dead for about 2 yrs. M/C levels of 30% average.

It was very dry to the touch and half my rounds had No Bark. Had fallen off from the felling and dragging to my splitter.

Not saying it isn't Elm. Just been dead longer. I started a Wood I.D. Thread with many more pics and info. Prob a page or so back. "Wood I.D.? Stringy?".

 

[thewoodlands]

Doesnt look like the elm I split. This is the stringy elm I had.

I like the look of that stringy elm.




Zap

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Zap, that indeed does look like dead elm and that is how dead elm usually splits. Now folks will understand why I am in no hurry to cut it because by leaving it long enough it will split like that and can be split by hand. In addition, you don't have that stringy stuff which lights off fast, like kindling to make the elm burn so fast. With that stuff you have, you will not have that problem.

 

[Battenkiller]

Not elm, I don't believe, looks like maple that's just a shade punky. That can make it split hard because the long fibers break across grain instead of separating down the length. I had some slightly punky rounds of cherry last year and it was a be-atch to split... even with my new miracle Fiskars thingie.

Dead elm bark comes off real easy, and in big sheets. I have this big one to take down, but I'm nervous because it's leaning toward the new shed I just build last year. It had to wait until I was done with the shed to drop dead on me by the end of the summer. It's been dead less than a year and the wind is already blowing the bark off.

 

[maxed_out]

Brewmonster, I dont mean to hijack zaps thread but just to add...black locust is one of my favs. burns hot and long. gives off really cool blue secondaries. fun to split with hydraulics.

The stuff I picked up was 3 years in the cut off rounds (and I mean big rounds like 24+ inches). I split it all about 2 months ago and I was gonna get a new MC reading asap. It was very dark on the outside but a nice shade of yellow on the inside.

If it was me I'd get all the BL I could.

 

[thewoodlands]

Brewmonster, I dont mean to hijack zaps thread but just to add...black locust is one of my favs. burns hot and long. gives off really cool blue secondaries. fun to split with hydraulics.

The stuff I picked up was 3 years in the cut off rounds (and I mean big rounds like 24+ inches). I split it all about 2 months ago and I was gonna get a new MC reading asap. It was very dark on the outside but a nice shade of yellow on the inside.

If it was me I'd get all the BL I could.

I'm way off on the moisture content. It will be interesting on how long this will take for the moisture content to come down around twenty percent.





Zap

 

[Brewmonster]

Brewmonster, I dont mean to hijack zaps thread but just to add...black locust is one of my favs. burns hot and long. gives off really cool blue secondaries. fun to split with hydraulics.

The stuff I picked up was 3 years in the cut off rounds (and I mean big rounds like 24+ inches). I split it all about 2 months ago and I was gonna get a new MC reading asap. It was very dark on the outside but a nice shade of yellow on the inside.

If it was me I'd get all the BL I could.

Sorry if I violated the etiquette, but thank you, Maxed, that's exactly what I wanted to hear!

 

[thewoodlands]

Brewmonster, I dont mean to hijack zaps thread but just to add...black locust is one of my favs. burns hot and long. gives off really cool blue secondaries. fun to split with hydraulics.

The stuff I picked up was 3 years in the cut off rounds (and I mean big rounds like 24+ inches). I split it all about 2 months ago and I was gonna get a new MC reading asap. It was very dark on the outside but a nice shade of yellow on the inside.

If it was me I'd get all the BL I could.

Sorry if I violated the etiquette, but thank you, Maxed, that's exactly what I wanted to hear!

Lets be sharing that black locust.


Zap

 

[maxed_out]

Hey Zap just checking back with you. I checked the 3 year old black locust rounds that I split a couple of months ago. MC was low 30's in the center of the splits so its got a ways to go. As a benchmark I cut up some much older locust fenceposts and they run 15% in the fresh split centers.

kinda reinforces what everyone has been saying that it doesnt do too much drying in the round.

Happy 4th!

 

[thewoodlands]

Hey Zap just checking back with you. I checked the 3 year old black locust rounds that I split a couple of months ago. MC was low 30's in the center of the splits so its got a ways to go. As a benchmark I cut up some much older locust fenceposts and they run 15% in the fresh split centers.

kinda reinforces what everyone has been saying that it doesnt do too much drying in the round.

Happy 4th!

I have the two splits that I measured the moisture content of up on the stacks, I'll see what they are running in the middle of July.

I think tomorrow I'm going up top and grab the downed maple which will open up the trail. This weekend I'll put the ez rails together then make some wedges and get whatever else I need so maybe during the week I can give the mill a go.


Happy July 4

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Zap, I intend to cut some dead elm this coming winter and I'll be sure to take some pictures and then post them here.

 

[thewoodlands]

Zap, I intend to cut some dead elm this coming winter and I'll be sure to take some pictures and then post them here.

Ok Sav, maybe by then I'll have cut the one down near the swamp.


zap

84 degrees and climbing, looks like wood delivery today.