Burning Milled Wood

[The Dali Lima]

I thought I saw this topic somewhere, but I searched and cannot find it now... Are there any issues burning milled wood? I have done some recent renovations and have a bunch of scrap/used 2x4s and other wood lying around. Some have nails and screws but most are clean. I was thinking of burning it instead of sending to the dump to rot... what do you think?

 

[fossil]

I burn scrap wood all the time...just nothing with any sort of finish on it, or glue in it. Nails & screws end up being shoveled out with the ashes. Rick

 

[Jags]

Yep, what Rick said. Ya just gotta remember not to dump those ashes into the garden, yard or driveway.

I don't think I would load the stove up with the stuff because of its nature to burn very hot, but there is no reason that small amounts or mixed with regular cord wood, it can't be used.

No finishes, glues, or treatments should be burned so keep that in mind if any of that is in your pile.

 

[bruce]

that is where i get my kindling wood, from all the job sites im on

 

[myzamboni]

I love scrap lumber. Just remember do NOT burn pressure treated stuff

 

[North of 60]

No galvanized nails, expesially in a CAT stove.

 

[94ranger55]

pressure treated gives the flame a wonderfull green hew

 

[North of 60]

:gulp:

pressure treated gives the flame a wonderfull green hew

You have got to be joking right?
EDIT: That green hew is great for peoples lungs.

 

[Creek-Chub]

This brings to mind a recent score I found from a semi-local Amish carpenter/lumberyard. This guy has a small-ish sized operation, but he brings in whole logs, and planes off the outside wedges to give him a starting point - tough to explain since I'm not a carpenter, but he ends up with a square log. The milled pieces that come off he bundles up in roughly "cord" sizes (4-5 feet tall and wide, and 8-10 feet long) and then sells them for...drumroll... $10 a bundle. It ended up costing me another $10 or so in fuel to get them, but I'm not complaining. It's all pretty much bone dry, and my only fear is that it's going to burn like a pallet and I'll have to mix it up with larger splits. The burning "scrap" thing just kind of made me thing of it.

[End Hijack]

 

[VTSR5]

This brings to mind a recent score I found from a semi-local Amish carpenter/lumberyard. This guy has a small-ish sized operation, but he brings in whole logs, and planes off the outside wedges to give him a starting point - tough to explain since I'm not a carpenter, but he ends up with a square log. The milled pieces that come off he bundles up in roughly "cord" sizes (4-5 feet tall and wide, and 8-10 feet long) and then sells them for...drumroll... $10 a bundle. It ended up costing me another $10 or so in fuel to get them, but I'm not complaining. It's all pretty much bone dry, and my only fear is that it's going to burn like a pallet and I'll have to mix it up with larger splits. The burning "scrap" thing just kind of made me thing of it.

[End Hijack]

Up here that's called "slab wood". And slab wood has fueled many a New England and New York home since colonial days probably. Just yesterday on a drive through New York, I saw dozens of houses with slab wood piled on the porch or in the door yard, ready to go. At $10 a cord, I would be filling my garage with that stuff!

 

[Andy99]

My stove came with a warning about burning kiln dried lumber in it. It said not to of course but i was wondering if I could use some scrap pieces of oak from a local millwork shop mixed in with cord wood to help the fire get going?

 

[Jake]

I burn almost nothing but kiln dried lumber (father owns a wood flooring factory)
this will be my 3rd year burning

 

[EatenByLimestone]

You can burn kiln dried, just be careful not to overfire the stove. Start out with small loads... Don't fill the fire box up completely and put a match to it.

Matt

 

[Creek-Chub]

This stuff isn't kiln dried, just air dried, but cut into "slabs" for the most part, so I would imagine it dries faster than your average split. Regardless, I picked up 10 big honking bundles of the stuff. I figure to mix it with a couple cords of oak that I have for a more even burn. Definitely looking forward to it. (and looking forward to some cooler temps. The 30-NC is going nicely, and it's a balmy 73 degrees here. Hey, "I just want to make sure I've got it figured out before it gets cold, honey... But you can take off some clothes if its too hot..."

Hot, as in... 89 degrees in the stove room, and I just closed her down to start the secondaries. Now where is that pic of me in my skivvies... :roll:

 

[CowboyAndy]

This brings to mind a recent score I found from a semi-local Amish carpenter/lumberyard. This guy has a small-ish sized operation, but he brings in whole logs, and planes off the outside wedges to give him a starting point - tough to explain since I'm not a carpenter, but he ends up with a square log. The milled pieces that come off he bundles up in roughly "cord" sizes (4-5 feet tall and wide, and 8-10 feet long) and then sells them for...drumroll... $10 a bundle. It ended up costing me another $10 or so in fuel to get them, but I'm not complaining. It's all pretty much bone dry, and my only fear is that it's going to burn like a pallet and I'll have to mix it up with larger splits. The burning "scrap" thing just kind of made me thing of it.

[End Hijack]

Up here that's called "slab wood". And slab wood has fueled many a New England and New York home since colonial days probably. Just yesterday on a drive through New York, I saw dozens of houses with slab wood piled on the porch or in the door yard, ready to go. At $10 a cord, I would be filling my garage with that stuff!

Over the past 4 years, my in laws have built 2 houses using pine that was milled on site by my father in law. We had enough slab wood leftover to heat my father in laws house for 2 years, and there is STILL a huge pile of it that I am going to go get some for kindling wood...