Best way to collect wood?

[Lewisthepilgrim]

Hey guys hows it goin? I've been so busy with other projects this year that I totally slacked on wood collection. I currently only have about 1/2 of what I need for the winter. But the good news is I live on the edge of the state Forrest

The wife and I took a trip to the edge of the woods to collect wood. We grabbed a bunch of skinny fallen trees that were on the ground. We tried burning them, but they were all too rotted and spongy.

What sort of wood should I be looking for to collect? Trees that have fallen and gotten stuck on the way down?

 

[BillLion]

If you're going to College your wood: maybe here?: http://www.williamwoods.edu/index.asp

Seriously, this late in the game you can't be picky you just need to get what's available. For now you're better with ash or maple or something that dries faster. While you're scrounging get some oak or locust for the years ahead.

Good luck!

 

[Lewisthepilgrim]

sorry, Collect

and I'm not picky, I'll burn anything. But what is the best place to find dried(as much as possible) wood? Like, will the wood on the ground mostly be rotten? would dead in place trees be better?

My neighborr said I can clear anything dead from his woods too.

 

[Sinngetreu]

I'm with Bill on this one. Try to find wood that has bark that has fallen off and is preferably Ash or something similar. You can use the claw end of a hammer or stab the wood with a knife to tell if it is spongy or not. Wood off the ground is going to have a better chance of being solid. To help that along I would look for a pallet place or a lumber yard with cut ends (as long as they are not painted or treated) and burn them along with your scrounge wood to help counteract moisture left in the scrounge wood. That should give you the BTU's that your looking for along with helping stretch out the scrounge wood until spring.

 

[ErikR]

I've had good luck gathering dry, ready to burn wood from the area behind my place. There are many wind fallen oak trees scattered around. Almost all of them are bark less and are positioned so that they are down, but not resting on the ground. The ones that I've looked at that were on the ground were very punky. The punky wood seems to hold water like a sponge and it never wants to dry out. I use a cheap moisture meter to check the wood I've gathered.

If you're going to try and drop a tree that's hung up in another, be careful. Keep an eye on things above you, and make sure nothing breaks off and falls on you while you're cutting. Once things start to move you can't stop them. You have no choice but to get out of the way! Standing dead trees can be dangerous too. Cutting them can cause branches to break off and fall before the tree drops...

I'd try and find fallen trees, that aren't resting on the forest floor, that don't have an over abundance of punky, soft, wet wood on them. Do you have a moisture meter?

This is what I try to find...... It's ready to go

 

[McKraut]

Hey guys hows it goin? I've been so busy with other projects this year that I totally slacked on wood collection. I currently only have about 1/2 of what I need for the winter. But the good news is I live on the edge of the state Forrest

The wife and I took a trip to the edge of the woods to collect wood. We grabbed a bunch of skinny fallen trees that were on the ground. We tried burning them, but they were all too rotted and spongy.

What sort of wood should I be looking for to collect? Trees that have fallen and gotten stuck on the way down?

You might consider looking for a local lumber mill. We have a few around us that saw railroad ties and they sell their ends and junk wood. Pull up your pickup and they dump one front-end loader bucket in your truck for $25. I personally have never used their wood, but I have been at the mills many times when they were loading up my neighbors' trucks. I would ask for the oldest/driest stuff they have.
One other thing. One year we had our firewood stacked up in the woods across the creek. We had a lot of snow in December and January and I couldn't get the truck up to bring the wood down to the house. My wife and I drove around the county looking for trees the utility company cut down under their power lines. We would ask the land owner for permission to take it and nobody turned us down. The surface of the wood was wet from the recent snow and melting, but it was reasonably dry in the center. That was about 25 years ago and I have NEVER made that mistake again.

Good luck!
Bob

 

[Halligan]

While not free you could look into the bio brick type fuels. they are very dry so mixing them in with damp wood could be helpful.

 

[osagebow]

But the good news is I live on the edge of the state Forrest

Make sure you can legally collect there - a hefty fine could be avoided with a cheap printable permit.

 

[Wood Duck]

I think you're going to have to burn sub-par firewood this winter. I'd look for wood that is off the ground, as you suggested, but still expect it to be wet. You can burn it, but it will take a lot more air than dry wood, and it will leave more creosote in the chimney and smoke in the air.

At the same time I'd be collecting any solid wood you can find. The drier stuff burn this winter, the wetter stuff stack for next year. If you can push a screwdriver into the wood, toss it out because it is rotten. If not, keep it.

You might have to - brace yourself - buy firewood this winter. I imagine the snow gets pretty deep in New Hampshire and that might make it tough to collect firewood.

 

[WiscWoody]

Up where I live theres a lot of logging for the paper industry. I stopped at a wood consolidation yard and asked them if they had any rejected wood and they did have a pile of broken and gnarly wood free to take and they even loaded my truck with their claw rigs. I got 5 full long bed loads of Oak and Maple from them.

 

[KarlP]

For THIS heating season, I think the best way may be to use the furnace/boiler. If not, start breaking up pallets and mixing it in to extend the wood you have.

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[red oak]

I think you're going to have to burn sub-par firewood this winter. I'd look for wood that is off the ground, as you suggested, but still expect it to be wet. You can burn it, but it will take a lot more air than dry wood, and it will leave more creosote in the chimney and smoke in the air.

At the same time I'd be collecting any solid wood you can find. The drier stuff burn this winter, the wetter stuff stack for next year. If you can push a screwdriver into the wood, toss it out because it is rotten. If not, keep it.

You might have to - brace yourself - buy firewood this winter. I imagine the snow gets pretty deep in New Hampshire and that might make it tough to collect firewood.

My thoughts exactly. Make sure you check your chimney fairly often (once a week or two) and try to get stuff that's off the ground. Tops and branches of standing dead may be ready to burn. And try to start collecting now for future years so you're not in this situation again.