another Pine question

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skinnykid

New Member
May 6, 2008
655
Next to a lake in NH
Yup, here it is. I split and stacked some pine just now. It was a standing dead with no visible sap when cutting or splitting.

So my question, how do it tell when pine is ready to burn? Does it discolor or crack like hard woods?

Thanks
 
It gets very very very very very very very very light.

I would write today's date on a top split and when the last digit increases by one - it should be safe to burn.
 
Generally under 6 months for conifers, depending on the situation. Of course, the longer the better. Basically the signs you mentioned.
 
billb3 said:
It gets very very very very very very very very light.

I would write today's date on a top split and when the last digit increases by one - it should be safe to burn.

Thank God you replied, i was gonna burn it after the 7th very, I didn't know about the 8th. That was a close one!
 
sigh



11/19/2008

11/19/2009







I also used the modifier "safe"


:)



it really does get extremely light after a year




I don't trust end checking / cracking.
If the bark is falling off you might be good to go.
 
I cut some "standing dead" Ponderosa Pine earlier this year and was burning it the next week. I'm in the dry windy High Desert though.......
 
Standing dead takes no time to dry.
 
Ya, I agree with him ^. It won't take a year. Pine gets surprisingly light when dry.

Standing dead wood check less than fresh bucked wood because it shrinks less (generally). Checking doesn't mean anything really. I have very very dry wood with no checks... it was cut standing dead.
 
billb3 said:
sigh



11/19/2008

11/19/2009







I also used the modifier "safe"


:)



it really does get extremely light after a year




I don't trust end checking / cracking.
If the bark is falling off you might be good to go.

I wouldnt go by bark with a dead or downed pine. I cut some of one behind where i work, the bark fell right off. When I split it a week later, it "juiced" while being split.
 
When your moisture meter reads below 20%. ;-P

Skinny - come on man. Pony up them 15 bean pods for a meter. Its fun for the whole family.
 
Jags said:
When your moisture meter reads below 20%. ;-P

Skinny - come on man. Pony up them 15 bean pods for a meter. Its fun for the whole family.

Point me to a good one and maybe I will ask Santa for one!
 
skinnykid said:
Jags said:
When your moisture meter reads below 20%. ;-P

Skinny - come on man. Pony up them 15 bean pods for a meter. Its fun for the whole family.

Point me to a good one and maybe I will ask Santa for one!

You want a good one, or one that works?? The cheap one (yellow with 2 rows of lights) for harbor F. works for firewood. If I were using it for cabinet making or some such other application I would get a better one. For firewood, it works.
 
skinnykid said:
Yup, here it is. I split and stacked some pine just now. It was a standing dead with no visible sap when cutting or splitting.

So my question, how do it tell when pine is ready to burn? Does it discolor or crack like hard woods?

Thanks

Burn some of it and tell us.
 
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