Fatwood from douglas fir?

[Highbeam]

So is this the stuff you guys call fatwood? I was near the bottom of a very large tree and there was lots of this type of wood. I wasn't sure if I wanted it in the stove, like a whole lot of it, so I tried to split off the really visible stuff and save it. The rain does not wash it off and it is pretty solid.

So am I supposed to now chop this up into chop stick like slivers. Will it make a mess out of my miter saw?

 

[iron]

i don't know the answer to your question, but had the same thing on a cord of DF that i recently split.

 

[begreen]

Take a hatchet and split it down to 1" slivers, But I wouldn't worry about it. The BK only gets lit once a year, right?

 

[rwilly]

Sap.
yes, it will mess up your saw blade.

 

[JSeery]

That's pretty cool. I've never seen anything like that but I bet your catalytic stove will really like burning that solidified fir sap.

 

[Jags]

That's pretty cool. I've never seen anything like that but I bet your catalytic stove will really like burning that solidified fir sap.

Actually you want to be quite reserved with that type of stuff till at least getting the cat up to operating temps. No issues using a small amount as a fire starter, but a pile of that stuff in a cold stove could actually poison a cat.

 

[JSeery]

Actually you want to be quite reserved with that type of stuff till at least getting the cat up to operating temps. No issues using a small amount as a fire starter, but a pile of that stuff in a cold stove could actually poison a cat.

Interesting. As a hybird user who hopes to burn some pine this winter this is helpful info for me. So it basically works like this:

1. A small amount of sappy wood to start is fine
2. Sappy wood once the cat is up to temp is fine (maybe even quite good?)
3. A substantial amount of sappy wood in a cold stove can damage the cat (I assume because there is so much smoke).

Of course, this all assumes the wood is properly seasoned.

Is that right?

 

[Jags]

Sounds like an accurate take.
Not sure how much sappy wood I would add even to an established fire, though. Too much of a good thing can be hard to control. That sap burns like kerosene.

 

[Dobish]

stop splitting it, keep it in the round, and use it for starting fires when you need it....

or have your toddler cover it in dirt, pine needles and bugs while trying to build a tower. then try and clean off your toddler and forget about lighting your fire.... not that its ever happened....

 

[7acres]

Baton a hatchet through it making 1" splits like begreen said. It will quickly gum up a saw blade. Makes excellent fire starters. Use the same way you would the super cedars. I reserve fatwood any time I find some for this purpose. Would never think of loading a whole stove full of it.

I even collect the knots that fall out of pine boards in my wood shop when I'm doing a project.

 

[Highbeam]

stop splitting it, keep it in the round, and use it for starting fires when you need it....

or have your toddler cover it in dirt, pine needles and bugs while trying to build a tower. then try and clean off your toddler and forget about lighting your fire.... not that its ever happened....

These rounds were over 40" across, I couldn't even get them into the truck without cutting them into sixths.

I'll split them down to thumb size and break up to something shorter than 8". The bk burns for a long time but we have a long shoulder season where I might only need a fire every other day. Plenty of relights.

I do have lots of splits in the stacks that are sap heavy. Hope it doesn't bugger up the cat.

 

[begreen]

When we took down the big doug fir in our yard we had lots of sappy bottom splits. They made for easy starts, but the cat was unaffected. He kept sleeping in front of the stove.

 

[Highbeam]

When we took down the big doug fir in our yard we had lots of sappy bottom splits. They made for easy starts, but the cat was unaffected. He kept sleeping in front of the stove.

One day BG, we'll get you a cat stove. It's work related and your 4-legged cat will remain unharmed!

All of the wood got stacked over the super sunny weekend. Somewhere over 10 cords (5 new) now plus a cord up at the house under roof waiting for September.

 

[begreen]

I suspect the T6 will outlast me. Simple is good for retirement. It also has one distinct advantage.

Well done on the wood supply. We have 4 cords in the shed and 2 cords outside, but two of the cords in the shed were purchased in spring. Looks like I will have a free load of alder arriving soon for fall splitting.

 

[Highbeam]

I suspect the T6 will outlast me. Simple is good for retirement. It also has one distinct advantage.

Well done on the wood supply. We have 4 cords in the shed and 2 cords outside, but two of the cords in the shed were purchased in spring. Looks like I will have a free load of alder arriving soon for fall splitting.

Red alder is still my #1 or #2 favorite. This doug fir is nice and red, but a lot of it was twisted and of course I have sap all over everything. I did get a couple cords of cherry and maple this time which are both pretty decent to work with. A straight maple log is really nice to work with too. I worry a bit about how long our PNW woods will last in the stack. Seems they get pretty light weight after three years.

 

[begreen]

Alder rots quickly if it gets wet but will last a long time if dry and in the shed. I'll be burning a mix of alder and first this winter.

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