A Few Pieces of This and Some of These..........

[FireWalker]

Gonna be a cold one tonight! I have been saving some special oak and hard maple for nights like tonight. We should be around -10 by morning and windy, burrrrr.

It was cold last night as well, I got up at 4am to check on the stove and make sure my family was warm......the stove hot was running at about 550 on the middle rock, the big oak pieces in the back were doing their thing and I decided to leave everything alone and go back to bed. Usually I keep the damper closed all the way, last night and for the rest of this cold snap I keep it cracked open just a little.

Funny between the moon and the fire, I could have read a book in my chair at 4am, no need for lights

Something else I wonder about, the front of my house is all glass and faces the road, you can look right in as you drive down the hill and at night I'm sure some people think the place is on fire with the amount of light this thing puts out. Some day, I'm afraid someone is going to call the fire dept.!

Anyway, I sure would like to try some of that hickory you guy's were talking about, I've never had even a single stick of it. Anyone else got a special cold night stash of wood or is it just me?

 

[Jags]

My special stash consists of Osage Orange that is about 5 yrs seasoned. White oak, hickory, maple and the like is my normal burning fodder.

 

[Todd]

All I got is that damned Black Locust. %-P

 

[FireWalker]

My special stash consists of Osage Orange that is about 5 yrs seasoned. White oak, hickory, maple and the like is my normal burning fodder.

Is it true, does the ironwood make a big difference in btu or does the fire just burn/last longer? Do you fill your stove with it or just a few sticks, I've been told some stories about red hot stoves using that stuff.

 

[Jags]

All I got is that damned Black Locust. %-P

Anything with locust in its name must be the plague. :lol:

 

[Jags]

My special stash consists of Osage Orange that is about 5 yrs seasoned. White oak, hickory, maple and the like is my normal burning fodder.

Is it true, does the ironwood make a big difference in btu or does the fire just burn/last longer? Do you fill your stove with it or just a few sticks, I've been told some stories about red hot stoves using that stuff.

Basically its about the closest thing to hard coal you can get - besides coal. Acts like coal, starts like coal, and coals like coal. I have never had a problem controlling the burn rate, but I am one of the lucky ones where my whole setup works like a charm. I typically use this stuff when I need a long controlled burn rate. Once the load levels out, it hold constant for a loooong time.

 

[FireWalker]

I wish I could get some of that stuff, I think the loggers around here keep it all for themselves!

 

[Jags]

I wish I could get some of that stuff, I think the loggers around here keep it all for themselves!

Be aware - its hell on equipment. That is one tough hombre on chains.

 

[FireWalker]

Good point, I already spend too much time sharpening my chain.

 

[adrpga498]

you can look right in as you drive down the hill and
What was that book you were reading by the way. LOL just kidding. I like to think I save locust and oak for these types of nights. Cheeers.

 

[hareball]

I have some Red Oak thats been in the round for 3 years. I splt it about a month ago and keep it by the stove. Just started burning some last night for the overnight burn and just now put 3 splits N-S and 3 punky Oak splits E=W.

Trimmed the 2 Whte Oaks in my back yard over the summer and will split that before summer and tuck it away as my next stash.

 

[iskiatomic]

I somehow hit the right combo last night. Usually, I can get 8-9 hours from a good overnight burn. This morning when I went to the stove I still had a good 2 1/2 inches of red hot coal everywhere. After 9 hours!

I hope I hit that combo tonite. Gonna be brrrrr out there.


KC

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Large 20" Splits of Shagbark hickory/Pignut hickory for the next few nights.
Black Birch/Ash during the day......easy 600 on re-load.


WoodButcher

 

[maxed_out]

I too have a special pile of 5+ year old oak. I also keep a few really crotched pieces to help with the overnight burn. If its windy I might mix in one piece of green knotty hardwood. stay warm.

 

[FireAnt]

Burning 4 year old oak right now.

 

[tiber]

I wish I could get some of that stuff, I think the loggers around here keep it all for themselves!

You're looking in the wrong place. Here in PA, it's pretty easy to find osage in the lowlands where rivers tend to flood.

Our version of it has wicked, I mean wicked sharp thorns.

Also the sap it puts out is disgusting, latexy stuff. I'm not so sure you'd want to burn it.

 

[hoverp]

speaking of coal....has anyone tried a few bricks of charcoal set around the fire box for overnight burns? Im having to get up at night to load the Isle if I dont have a proper round available to burn as I only have access to pine ..and this year I am behind and burning not so seasoned..(this years standing dead) pine....just wondering if a guy was judicious with the charcoal if it would hurt anything or help the burn time? how about off gassing....If you do, what do you get? stuff like kingsford briquets?

thanks.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Some years we'll cut some red oak but we don't have very many. Whenever we do cut some I will definitely set it aside and use it only on very cold nights.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I used up most of my Locust, but that is what I mostly use. I have a huge supply of Oak, but its not ready yet. Hopefully next year for the Oak, it will be about 1 and 1/2 years, I know I should wait 2 years or more. The Locust is ready quick, it does help for a long hot burn, it just doesn't smell very good when you open the door. My cherry smells great, but not nearly the BTUs.

 

[Flatbedford]

I have been getting into my Red Oak stash too. I'd love to get some of the Osage Orange one day.

 

[firefighterjake]

Gonna be a cold one tonight! I have been saving some special oak and hard maple for nights like tonight. We should be around -10 by morning and windy, burrrrr.

It was cold last night as well, I got up at 4am to check on the stove and make sure my family was warm......the stove hot was running at about 550 on the middle rock, the big oak pieces in the back were doing their thing and I decided to leave everything alone and go back to bed. Usually I keep the damper closed all the way, last night and for the rest of this cold snap I keep it cracked open just a little.

Funny between the moon and the fire, I could have read a book in my chair at 4am, no need for lights

Something else I wonder about, the front of my house is all glass and faces the road, you can look right in as you drive down the hill and at night I'm sure some people think the place is on fire with the amount of light this thing puts out. Some day, I'm afraid someone is going to call the fire dept.!

Anyway, I sure would like to try some of that hickory you guy's were talking about, I've never had even a single stick of it. Anyone else got a special cold night stash of wood or is it just me?

Yeah I noticed this the other day . . . I was thinking to myself, you know FireWalker really ought to wear pants when he's sitting by the fire reading.

 

[Jags]

Gonna be a cold one tonight! I have been saving some special oak and hard maple for nights like tonight. We should be around -10 by morning and windy, burrrrr.

It was cold last night as well, I got up at 4am to check on the stove and make sure my family was warm......the stove hot was running at about 550 on the middle rock, the big oak pieces in the back were doing their thing and I decided to leave everything alone and go back to bed. Usually I keep the damper closed all the way, last night and for the rest of this cold snap I keep it cracked open just a little.

Funny between the moon and the fire, I could have read a book in my chair at 4am, no need for lights

Something else I wonder about, the front of my house is all glass and faces the road, you can look right in as you drive down the hill and at night I'm sure some people think the place is on fire with the amount of light this thing puts out. Some day, I'm afraid someone is going to call the fire dept.!

Anyway, I sure would like to try some of that hickory you guy's were talking about, I've never had even a single stick of it. Anyone else got a special cold night stash of wood or is it just me?

Yeah I noticed this the other day . . . I was thinking to myself, you know FireWalker really ought to wear pants when he's sitting by the fire reading.

Pants are over rated.

 

[FireWalker]

Pants are just one more thing to catch fire when tending the stove, late night, it's just my orange welding gloves. :cheese:

At this point we have been here for 15 years or so I don't really care too much about the lack of privacy, it can be annoying at times. Our house pops into view when you round the turn on the hill above us, it's a pretty old log home and lots of folks like to slow down and look us over as the come down the hill, especially in the fall as the house is between two large old maple trees the give a real nice color show. My wife has done a great job with large antique stained glass windows (hung on the inside) that help obscure the view in, at night they look great from the outside with the light from inside. We also have curtains.....well actually 4 large matching quilts that we close on really cold nights.

Anyway, we made it through the weekend cold snap, I put a big dent in one of my wood rows but we were warm and I did my best to keep the oil burner at bay. The equinox can be hungry at times but it sure is a good heater!