Wood Scrounging Score with photos and poll

[Jim Post]

I finally finished hauling the black locust I scored from a neighbor's coworker. It was about 20 miles one way and took me about 10 trips over about a month's time. The locust was down and bucked but I had to cut some to firewood size so I could load it in my trailer...only used 1 chain so this must be some of that "soft" black locust.

On the last trip I had about 1/2 a trailer so I stopped by a coworker's house and cut up some blown down red or black oak that he told me had been down for awhile. I was disappointed that it was a little punky, but I had the room so I hauled some home. I attached pictures for your expert diagnosis.

This is getting me a long ways toward next years wood. It's good to get ahead. Enjoy!

 

[gzecc]

The reddish wood is a little punky. Need more pictures of the bark and a split would be nice to ID.

 

[muncybob]

40 miles round trip is too far for me...but then I do have many acres outside my back door to choose from. Wood looks OK to me though...if I came across it in my "backyard" I would bring it home for next year.

 

[quads]

If it splits ok without crumbling or breaking into chunks, then I'd add it to the pile. Otherwise, if you have an adequate supply closer to home, I wouldn't bother with iffy wood that far away.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

You got it- split it now and it's good for next winter. Make sure you keep rain off of it. Punky Oak is notorious for holding water like a sponge. I'm burning just such wood this season. I wouldn't use any of it last year unless I had hand chipped away all the punky wood. Even then, it was a little moist towards the end of the season, and this was Oak down 3-4 years. To finish it for burning I brought it indoors for a few more weeks, and also dried a lot of it on a grate over my steel wood stove in. Then it burned OK.

Or else just give it 3 years under cover and then don't worry, just use it. ;-)

The big split you show looks sound- no rot- and should be fine. Occasionally you will encounter Red Oak that is rotten near clear through, but you will quickly get good at identifying that because of the obvious threads of wet wood throughout the round, or in sections of it. Rotten wood should be discarded, it isn't worth your time.

 

[Skier76]

Wow! That's a great score! Nice work!

 

[raybonz]

Nice haul! I would say it was worth the trip!

Ray

 

[Hurricane]

Great score, that does not look to be punky yet, it looks like it was on it's way though. Split it then burn it. I have had to burn much worse.

 

[ta76ken]

Looks just like the standing dead red oak that I cut and use all the time.

 

[firefighterjake]

If it splits ok without crumbling or breaking into chunks, then I'd add it to the pile. Otherwise, if you have an adequate supply closer to home, I wouldn't bother with iffy wood that far away.

+1 . . . from the pics it looks like it's past prime, but free wood is free wood . . . as long as it isn't punky to the point of being near useless I would consider grabbing it.