Fatwood/Pine Stumps Etc.

[BrotherBart]

I posted a while back about fatwood being the wood from pine stumps with the pitch concentrated in them. Every year I cut up a few decayed looking pike stumps around here and save a fortune by not buying the same stuff in little plastic bags.

Well, tonight I did something I never have done before. Late starting a fire and not much small stuff to put in the stove. I layed a big chunk of the stump wood in there that I hadn't had time to hack up. Talk about nuclear.

Think two pound piece of fatwood here. Zero to sixty in nothing flat. Probably find the chimney cap in the neighbor's yard tomorrow.

Quit buying that crap folks. Next time in the woods take the oldest most decayed looking pine tree laying on the floor of the woods home in pieces. Ya gonna love it.

Update: Thirty minutes later and that one chunk is carrying the F3 at a steady 500 and not looking like it is getting tired. One cord of this stuff would get me through the winter. Screw oak.

 

[Roospike]

"nuclear flatwood" haha ...........Love it. :lol:

 

[DonCT]

BB, I think I found your chimney cap up here in CT. I can send it back FedEx if you really need it

 

[Roospike]

I was wondering about that unscheduled NASA space shuttle flight i seen tonight. Hummm

 

[BrotherBart]

Is there a particular species of pine that's best suited to this??[/quote]

I don't know Dylan. Ours are the Virginia yellow pines. I would bet they all do the same thing with concentrating the pitch down at the stump. I also don't know if fresher cut trees work the same. I have a few fresh pine stumps out in the woods and next spring I am going to whack off a few pieces to find out.

 

[wg_bent]

I have 2 cords of that stuff in my yard. I'm tellin ya brother...that's the stuff I got. Steve got a truck load of it and I'm sort of worried about that big ol monster insert might start impacting the weather here in Hyde Park...

 

[hardwood715]

Steve got a truck load of it and I’m sort of worried about that big ol monster insert might start impacting the weather here in Hyde Park…

I'm amazed at that pine Warren, its like those duraflame logs ya hear about or see at home Cheapo, only on steroids. I put a split in with my usual stuff, and used a half of super cedar to start her....Had to check, thought I forgot to half the super cerdar, or maybe put 2 or 3 or ....see where I'm going ! it changed the weather in my living room REAL QUICK!

 

[fishinpa]

When I lived out in the 'sticks' in NC, a friend taught me about this stuff. We'd look for a downed pine then locate what was left of the old rotted out stump. I don't really know how to describe it other than when you're looking down on the stump, it would be a 'hole' with not much more than the center left in tact. We'd dig that out and it was pure petroleum!

 

[RedRanger]

As I discovered last season, you will find this in douglas fir as well. Tossed a couple splits in the insert not looking closely at the pitch in it--WOW--talk about an inferno. I have one woodshed with 2.5 cords of fir that I know has a lot of pitch (this is for next season). Just gonna make sure I educate the wife on what to look for. That stuff makes for some real "nervous burning". :red:

 

[jadm]

LLBean sells fat wood in 35lb. boxes and it is great for getting a fire going from a cold start. A box lasts about 2 years - only need 2 or 3 pieces to get things going. (Pieces are about 6-8" long and about 1" wide)

 

[Backwoods Savage]

But don't use fatwood if you have a cat. stove.

 

[moondoggy]

But don't use fatwood if you have a cat. stove.

i understand your point, but as long as i dont engage the cat, i'm fine to burn right?
if i use it to get the fire going, its a half hour + before i even consider engaging..... fatwood is ash by then.
I'm still ok right? jsut dont throw a stump in and engage correct...?

 

[ScottF]

Think two pound piece of fatwood here. Zero to sixty in nothing flat. Probably find the chimney cap in the neighbor’s yard tomorrow.

Wow , Talk about blowing your stack. Did you shoot flames into the sky!! Ive gotta try that stuff! Do Ya think it will work with Eastern white pine??