Finally, some good wood!

[Jutt77]

Long story short, I responded to a CL ad for some free Elm a few weeks ago, showed up and all was gone so I emailed them and let them know. They responded back, appreciated the heads up and stated they would let me know first about any future jobs.

Fast forward today and they called and asked if I wanted any wood.

Me: Sure, what do you have.

Tree service: Black locust.

Me: Will be there asap

Location was a few miles from where I work and around a half hour from where I live, very convenient. Plus it was all bucked up and curbside. Took me two trips to get it all. Had the Cherokee loaded down both times! Was probably around just shy of 2/3 of a cord so not tons but 2/3 of a cord more BL than I had before.

Black locust is the best wood we can get here in Colorado as Oak (aside from scrub oak), hickory and hard maple doesn't grow around these parts. I've also never burnt any BL before as its really hard to get so I'm pretty excited to burn some once its seasoned (next year).

I've scrounged quite a bit of pine, elm, aspen and even some Ailanthus this year so it was a huge gift to score some high BTU stuff!

 

[Lakeside]

Great score!! if your not in a rush you could let it sit, and the bark will peel off easy, after all it's not going to rot. If your like me and don't like bark.

BL is becoming one of my favorites.

Opps I should looked closer , it's honey Locust great stuff too best to give 2 + years I hear.

 

[jaychino415]

Long story short, I responded to a CL ad for some free Elm a few weeks ago, showed up and all was gone so I emailed them and let them know. They responded back, appreciated the heads up and stated they would let me know first about any future jobs.

Fast forward today and they called and asked if I wanted any wood.

Me: Sure, what do you have.

Tree service: Black locust.

Me: Will be there asap

Location was a few miles from where I work and around a half hour from where I live, very convenient. Plus it was all bucked up and curbside. Took me two trips to get it all. Had the Cherokee loaded down both times! Was probably around just shy of 2/3 of a cord so not tons but 2/3 of a cord more BL than I had before.

Black locust is the best wood we can get here in Colorado as Oak (aside from scrub oak), hickory and hard maple doesn't grow around these parts. I've also never burnt any BL before as its really hard to get so I'm pretty excited to burn some once its seasoned (next year).

I've scrounged quite a bit of pine, elm, aspen and even some Ailanthus this year so it was a huge gift to score some high BTU stuff!

Congrats on the Score! Get them S/S.

 

[STIHLY DAN]

That's an awesome score.

 

[Woody Stover]

Nice get. Honey Locust but it's almost as good as BL, and since you don't get a lot of hardwoods there, that stuff is gold! Keep that connection, for sure.

 

[bigbarf48]

Awesome score. Only way it gets easier than that is if you can get a tree man to deliver to your driveway

 

[Jutt77]

Nice get. Honey Locust but it's almost as good as BL, and since you don't get a lot of hardwoods there, that stuff is gold! Keep that connection, for sure.

Thanks, yeah I thought it looked like honey locust but it didn't have any spines so assumed it was BL but I'm not very familiar with this stuff.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

That's a good looking stack.

How are you splitting that?

 

[Jutt77]

That's a good looking stack.

How are you splitting that?

Going to use the hydro splitter for this (DHT 22 ton). Might also take a couple of whacks with the X27 to see what its like.

 

[Rossco]

Yeah good for you.

Problem with acquired wood : Not bucked straight and to stove length.

Other than that, IDE be a happy camper.

Friend of mine was using the Fiskars today. He's a believer now!

 

[paul bunion]

Thanks, yeah I thought it looked like honey locust but it didn't have any spines so assumed it was BL but I'm not very familiar with this stuff.

Spineless 'domesticated' honey locust is very common and used extensively as an ornamental. Hence how it came to you. The spiney stuff is the wild variety.

 

[northpa]

Spineless 'domesticated' honey locust is very common and used extensively as an ornamental. Hence how it came to you. The spiney stuff is the wild variety.

if that's honey locust i'd send it back. had some last year, borers turned it into 3 cords of dust. totally ignored my bl ridiculously dense but looked like swiss cheese by fall. wonder where the 7 million borers went

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

Going to use the hydro splitter for this (DHT 22 ton). Might also take a couple of whacks with the X27 to see what its like.

I like Dirty Hand Tools.

 

[Jutt77]

if that's honey locust i'd send it back. had some last year, borers turned it into 3 cords of dust. totally ignored my bl ridiculously dense but looked like swiss cheese by fall. wonder where the 7 million borers went

Good thing I don't live in north PA -or- had any wood delivered that can be sent back

 

[northpa]

Good thing I don't live in north PA -or- had any wood delivered that can be sent back

you said you picked it up. you can take it back. just sayin' i was happy with wood i purchased until ONLY the honey locust was invaded. learned my lesson. since i buy my wood i'm not beholden to highway crews that don't seem to know what they're cutting.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

Where in North PA?

 

[Jutt77]

you said you picked it up. you can take it back. just sayin' i was happy with wood i purchased until ONLY the honey locust was invaded. learned my lesson. since i buy my wood i'm not beholden to highway crews that don't seem to know what they're cutting.

Wow you're actually serious new guy? Yeah I don't pay for wood so I'm not as selective as you fancy pants PA boys are apparently

 

[northpa]

Wow you're actually serious new guy? Yeah I don't pay for wood so I'm not as selective as you fancy pants PA boys are apparently

i don't get the scrounging. if you're going to heat your house with wood, you're going to burn up to 7 cords and spend no more than a thousand bucks. running around like a hobo grabbing ten bucks worth of wood in your overburdened jeep seems.......... when i see the guys that get the services to dump the wood at their house that's a good deal. do you post the conversation when the guys call you and say they have locust, you scramble to get there and find cedar?

you're right about the fancy pants, though

 

[BCC_Burner]

Nice score on the Locust. If only the white settlers had planted more Locust trees and fewer Russian Olive and Alianthus, we would have some nicer firewood along the fringes of the of the Rockies.

$1000 is a lot of money to spend on fuel, particularly during your first couple of years burning when you are trying to stockpile multiple years worth of wood, and have recently purchased/installed a stove. So if you had a new setup installed, that first year of burning could set you back $10K between stove, liner and 15-20 cords at ~$200 a piece. No thanks. I've stockpiled just under 8 cords this summer, for a total cost of $305. I'll stick with scrounging and not deal with the hucksters and thieves that make up the ranks of wood dealers.

Oh, and we like cedar out here, so that wouldn't be a bust at all. This is the land of softwoods, and that happens to be a delightfully aromatic one to burn.

 

[northpa]

Nice score on the Locust. If only the white settlers had planted more Locust trees and fewer Russian Olive and Alianthus, we would have some nicer firewood along the fringes of the of the Rockies.

$1000 is a lot of money to spend on fuel, particularly during your first couple of years burning when you are trying to stockpile multiple years worth of wood, and have recently purchased/installed a stove. So if you had a new setup installed, that first year of burning could set you back $10K between stove, liner and 15-20 cords at ~$200 a piece. No thanks. I've stockpiled just under 8 cords this summer, for a total cost of $305. I'll stick with scrounging and not deal with the hucksters and thieves that make up the ranks of wood dealers.

Oh, and we like cedar out here, so that wouldn't be a bust at all. This is the land of softwoods, and that happens to be a delightfully aromatic one to burn.

i hear ya about the expense. i think more like $5-7k. but it's a better investment than anything else out there. i guess i assumed everyone was lighting cigars with $100 bills because the gubmint says the economy was rockin'. guess it hasn't affected all.

 

[weatherguy]

i don't get the scrounging. if you're going to heat your house with wood, you're going to burn up to 7 cords and spend no more than a thousand bucks. running around like a hobo grabbing ten bucks worth of wood in your overburdened jeep seems.......... when i see the guys that get the services to dump the wood at their house that's a good deal. do you post the conversation when the guys call you and say they have locust, you scramble to get there and find cedar?

you're right about the fancy pants, though

7 Cords? That's a lot to burn in a wood stove, do you have a wood furnace? I have a big house and 5 was the most I've ever burned and that was a frigid winter, most winters I burn 3 1/2-4. I scrounged over 6 cords one year one truck load at a time, saves money and was fun at the same time.

 

[BCC_Burner]

7 Cords? That's a lot to burn in a wood stove, do you have a wood furnace? I have a big house and 5 was the most I've ever burned and that was a frigid winter, most winters I burn 3 1/2-4. I scrounged over 6 cords one year one truck load at a time, saves money and was fun at the same time.

I burned a hair over 6 full cords last winter, I think I'll burn slightly less this time around, as I'm more experienced running my stove. My wood consumption is so high because of the length of my heating season. I'm burning daily from late September until early June. Heck, I've had 3 fires in the last week as we've had highs in the mid 50's and lows between 40 and 45 with rain.

 

[area_man]

I have fun being on the scrounge. Some people look at scrounging as beneath them, but I think of it as being scrappy and solving my own problems with what I have at hand. It's a good thought exercise, and it's good physical exercise. I'm convinced that being on the scrounge is a good time. I scrounge cuttings for my garden. I'm getting ready to do a pavers project for my driveway and a couple of paths, so that's been interesting. There are people who specialize in scrounging bricks, so you gotta get up early to beat them to the site.

 

[northpa]

I have fun being on the scrounge. Some people look at scrounging as beneath them, but I think of it as being scrappy and solving my own problems with what I have at hand. It's a good thought exercise, and it's good physical exercise. I'm convinced that being on the scrounge is a good time. I scrounge cuttings for my garden. I'm getting ready to do a pavers project for my driveway and a couple of paths, so that's been interesting. There are people who specialize in scrounging bricks, so you gotta get up early to beat them to the site.

thought long and hard about it, you're right. been doing it all wrong. took me a stroll last night and struck gold! found a barely eaten chicken sandwich in a dumpster that was actually pretty tasty, then i stumbled upon a pair of gently used underwear in clear view right along the roadside. ducked behind a tree and put them on. a perfect fit. i figure i saved myself at least 6 dollars yesterday. i have a new hobby, thanks. it is a good time.

 

[blades]

i hear ya about the expense. i think more like $5-7k. but it's a better investment than anything else out there. i guess i assumed everyone was lighting cigars with $100 bills because the gubmint says the economy was rockin'. guess it hasn't affected all.

Ya rockin as in rock bottom- currently at a lower level than the the 30's depression era- but that don't make good spin for the powers that be.