Wood dry? how do you...

[luv2byte]

I know many people have different methods, or just use luck & guesses to tell if their wood is dry. Since there is so much experience and lifestyles here I would like to know, from everyone, what is your method to tell when your timber is dry enough for a good burn without junking up the chimney?

I just ordered a moisture tester that I am curious to try out but in the past we just used the guess method - looks dry, seems dry, feels dry must be dry enough theory. :coolsmirk:

 

[Gooserider]

Lots of methods, some better than others...

1. Experience - learn what dry wood feels like in terms of what a dry split hefts like vs. a green one. Fast, but takes practice...

3. The "Clunk Test" - bang two solid splits together - if wet they will give a dull thud sound, if dry they will give a sharp "crack" or "ring" like a well hit baseball bat. - Also fast, but questionable accuracy. Also a split with a crack in the center may give a false negative...

3. Moisture meter - be sure to use properly, key thing seems to be to split the peice being tested so that you are looking at the inside of the split not the surface. - Fair amount of work, some question about how accurate and / or durable the cheapo meters are.

4. The "Bubbles Test" - According to Morso, if one puts liquid soap on one end of a split (should be straight grained) and blow in the other end, you should get small bubbles in the soap. Some members have confirmed, there is a thread about it currently going on. - Seems to work, but nobody wants to be caught blowing their wood... %-P

5. The "Burn Test" - Try burning a couple splits - if they hiss and blow steam and bubbles out the end, they aren't dry... - The test that really counts!


Gooserider

 

[Todd]

Another way to tell is if your bark loosens up or falls off. Doesn't work with every piece or species but if you have some loose bark around the pile you have some dry wood.

 

[jpl1nh]

I cut my wood 2 to 3 years ahead, stack to expediate drying and store to avoid moisture after a year or 2. Short of thst, I use the burn test. If a few pieces aren't burning quite as readily as I think they should, I'll split a piece or two and see what they look like inside.

 

[TresK3]

Related Questsion:

Does stacked or piled wood dry faster? We split a bunch of beech a month or so ago and I piled it up in a sunny spot. I figured that would give better air circulation. Since this is my first year accumulating wood, I need to dry it as quickly as possible (AND work on wood for the next 2-3 years). Should I stack this now, or leave it in the pile?

 

[WarmGuy]

I'm in the midst of a weight test. I took six logs (shown) and I weigh them every month or so.

I'll post the full results when I'm done, but the weight has pretty much leveled out on all of them after 5 months or so. I don't know how dry they are, but I can be pretty sure that I can't get them any drier than they are now.

 

[jpl1nh]

Related Questsion:

Does stacked or piled wood dry faster? We split a bunch of beech a month or so ago and I piled it up in a sunny spot. I figured that would give better air circulation. Since this is my first year accumulating wood, I need to dry it as quickly as possible (AND work on wood for the next 2-3 years). Should I stack this now, or leave it in the pile?

Fastest way to dry it is to cut it to length, split it to size, and stack it off the ground in a loose single length wide row in full sun at right angles to the prevailing wind. If you choose to cover it too, cover only the top, not the sides, and remove the cover during dry weather. Loosely stacked single rows of wood will definately dry faster than piles.