Unsplit logs

[TimJ]

Get to work................take the 12" rounds and quarter them and take the 24" rounds and make 8 splits. You got some drying time left and if you split them small you should get by

 

[etiger2007]

I sure wouldnt burn the wet stuff, your not going to get good heat anyways, plus you will get a dirty chimney and well its just not a good practice. Look for some wood vendors in your area and test with your meter what they are selling. Or go with yhe man made stuff. Good Luck.

 

[weatherguy]

Peruse craigslist maybe you get lucky and find someone with a stash of seasoned wood that switched to pellets, I got 4 cords of oak that way a couple years back, saved my arse that year. I had to transport it to my house but with help from my brother it didnt take too long.

 

[bryan]

2.
Buy some eco-bricks, envi-blocks, or similar. I believe the cost will be pushing $300/ton what tax and delivery is added in. I would probably buy 2 ton.

I'm in the same boat you are first year burner looking for wood. Down the DE region biomass bricks are running $249-259 for Liberty bricks (no tax here in DE and was assuming I'd pick it up). Ecobrix from gefabricators across the river in NJ is $225 picked up from where they make them. Fortunately I already have a high efficiency natural gas furnace so I'm just looking to save money/warm the basement by burning free scrounged wood so waiting a year for wood to dry won't be the end of the world. Buying biobricks does not make economic sense in my situation. If you are an oil burner then it probably makes complete sense. I could by cord wood from a reputable dealer for $170 and still save money, but its probably not really ready as the folks here define ready. However using craigslist i've gotten about a cord of year old wood in the past 7 days for free. Half of it wasn't split yet, but the other half of it was 2-5" dia beech limbs that were cut down last year and stacked. I split the biggest piece which was about 6" dia and it was 22% in the core. I assuming the smaller stuff will be less. I'll second the keep an eye on craigslist, but at least around here you have to be fast about replying as the scroungers abound.

 

[rdust]

I just split some ash rounds that were cut in March of 2010, I had stacked on pallets since then. I didn't check any with a meter when splitting but I have no doubt they have as much moisture as the day I cut them and stacked them there.(mid 30's probably) I've found wood doesn't season much until it's split.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

The more I think about it, I am more and more likely to buy 1-2 ton of a bio brick type of fuel. I didn't plan on loosing the last 3+ weeks to illness, and Sept is a busy month for me, Wedding anniversary, birthdays, our daughter is starting kindergarten tomorrow, and I have to travel a couple of times for work. So I am worried about my ability to get any wood split before Oct, and at that point, its really too late. Yeah, I know, excuses, excuses...

I don't have a truck (yet), so its hard to scrounge. Called a few CL advertisers, and their "seasoned" wood was split, at earliest, this spring, so its unlikely to be much better.

The good news is, I'll be all set for the next couple years. 3+ cords for 2013-14 is already c/s/s, and between what I have left to split and the neighbors, that will be 2014-15 and maybe 2015-16 too, if I don't get that split this year, will do it first thing in the spring....

 

[bryan]

I don't have a truck (yet), so its hard to scrounge.

Not certain what you drive, but don't let the lack of truck stop you. I've got a hatchback (Honda Fit), and with the seat laid down I can fit about a 1/4 cord in her before I start to get worried about the weight on the rear springs. Car is technically rated to carry 800 lbs so I'm probably not too much over that. I just try to stack the wood as far forward as possible. Sure it takes a couple trips to get things home, and give yourself plenty of stopping distance, but even with gasoline at $3.7 a gallon you can make a number of trips and still come out way ahead with free wood. But then again it sounds like you have a couple years worth already.

As for what rdust said I'd second that. I had a few trees taken down 5 years ago and had it stacked unsplit and its was still 30% in the core 5 years later in some pieces that were 24" in dia. A few inches from the edges were 18% but the cores still really wet.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It still remains that we have yet to find a way to burn water.... That is why we cut and split our wood before it is needed.

 

[bryan]

It still remains that we have yet to find a way to burn water.... That is why we cut and split our wood before it is needed.

Well add some sodium, potassium, or lithium metal to water and you'll have fire, just not an easily manageable kind and not renewable like trees

Laying the ground work this year to enjoy it next. The anticipation will kill me. Must be patient and not burn it this year.

 

[red oak]

Well, shortly after my last post, the plague entered my house, kids (1 and 5), wife, and myself, all spaced apart a couple days. I've seen quite enough of the doctor We are all on the mend now, and further behind.

I did get over and check the neighbors wood with my meter, took 2 medium, 12"-24" rounds right off the top, split them down the middle, and checked the moisture content...32% on the first 31% on the other. Better than the log length I just cut, which was reading 37-38%.

From the previous owner I have:

~1/3 cord of ash which has been stacked and covered since we moved in 2 years ago. Tested a piece from outside, read ~15%.

~1/2-3/4 cord of red cedar, also, been sitting in log length, I used a couple pieces under each of my stacks to keep the wood off the ground. I assume the previous owner had plans for cedar fence posts or something. I Took the biggest one ~10" diameter, bucked it to length, split it and tested, reading ~18%. Great to smell when cutting by the way!

Options:

1.
Burn wet wood, Assuming I split now, the wood from the neighbor might get down to 30% or so. I've read cedar will burn hot and fast, so mixing it in might help mitigate the moisture...??

2.
Buy some eco-bricks, envi-blocks, or similar. I believe the cost will be pushing $300/ton what tax and delivery is added in. I would probably buy 2 ton.


3.
???

Well, most on here can remember their first years burning wood. I know I burned green wood, even oak, during those early years. We did keep warm, but used a lot of wood and starting and tending the fire was a constant chore. I still remember blowing on the fire wondering why won't this darn thing catch?! So it can be done, but takes a lot of effort.

Maybe see if there's anyone in your community, or on CL, who will trade seasoned wood for unseasoned. Some people who are ahead on their wood supply would be willing to help.

IF you decide to burn the wood that you have, mix the cedar in with the other wood. It will get the fire hot faster and help burn off the moisture in the unseasoned wood. I think splitting the ash soon will help also, and yes smaller splits will be even better.

Finally, check your chimney. Often. I check mine weekly with a mirror. It takes one minute and gives me peace of mind. My view is if you check your chimney too often what's the risk? Then think about the risk if you don't check it often enough! Do a sweep if there's any blockage or if you can see creosote forming.

Unfortunately, lots of people will be burning wetter wood than you this year. It's pretty common around here to cut in August and burn in October. It can be done, just please check the chimney often.

Also, a couple of years from now, you'll be amazed at how much more efficient your burning goes with dry seasoned wood! Good luck!

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Well, it was bugging me so much that I took a day off from work to get some splitting done. Got the same Timberwolf P1 as before. Great splitter, does 95% of what I need, on occasion, wich it had a bit more power, and when the rounds get big, wish it had a verticle mode. This was about an 18" diameter red oak, 20" long.



What I got done for the day:
A red oak we had taken down by a tree service a few weeks back, for 2014-15 season, a cord of so...



Some of those cedar logs I mentioned. Smells wonderful. For this year


Lastly 3 piles here. On the left (farthest from camera), the remainders of the log length, in the middle, 3 spruce trees from my property I took down in the spring. On the right (closest to camera), a couple cords of that ask/maple I've ben talking about. So its all split and we'll see how it does in the next couple months.


To sum it up, here is my current supply.

~4 cords from a log length (mixed hardwoods) delivery reading high 30's MC
~1 cord red oak, reding low 40's MC.
~2 cord ash/maple reading low 30's MC
~3/4 cord Red cedar reading below 20% MC
~1 cord spruce reading high 20's MC

So although its not the most desirable wood, I hope to burn the cedar and spruce this winter. I have a line on a couple cords that is supposidly well seasoned, saw pictures of some nice looking stacks, says its 2 years seasoned, moving sale...will let you know what happens that.

Not gonna get any work done this weekend. The wife and I are leaving the kids with the grandparents and heding up to the White Mountains for some hiking!

 

[Woody Stover]

~2 cord ash/maple reading low 30's MC

This stuff may surprise you. It seems like it dries faster than, say, fresh-cut wood that's at 30%.

I have a line on a couple cords that is supposidly well seasoned, saw pictures of some nice looking stacks, says its 2 years seasoned, moving sale...will let you know what happens that.

Good luck. A score like that would give you room to breathe and the Ash/Maple more time to dry.

 

[TimJ]

Alright then Fiziksgeek...........your moving forward

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hope you have fun in the mountains. You are also very correct with the vertical mode. Makes things much easier.