First Ever Wood Score!

[msjones2452]

Well, technically speaking, I've gotten wood for free before. When I was still using my masonry fireplace, I got about a dozen small logs from my neighbor and my dad gave me some applewood when he trimmed up a tree. BUT, this is my first attempt at getting free wood since installing the HI400! In a week I was able to get three truckloads + small trailer of Elm, two truckloads of Pine, a load Honey Locust and a mix load of Ash and Honey Locust. I'm pretty happy! Of course, I still have to get it all CSS but I don't think it's a horrible start.

Here's a few pics:

 

[Woody Stover]

White Ash and HL? Hard to beat that for a first score! Have you got something drier for this winter, though? That Ash might not be too bad by then, but 2 years is great. That HL, no way for at least 2 yrs, 3 would be ideal. My BIL is outta wood so we are grabbing small, dead stuff with the bark off. A lot of it is already under 20%.

 

[CombatChris]

Get the pine split ASAP and depending on your wind, sun, and rain, could be good to burn this coming winter.

 

[msjones2452]

White Ash and HL? Hard to beat that for a first score! Have you got something drier for this winter, though? That Ash might not be too bad by then, but 2 years is great. That HL, no way for at least 2 yrs, 3 would be ideal. My BIL is outta wood so we are grabbing small, dead stuff with the bark off. A lot of it is already under 20%.

Yea, I got pretty lucky. I missed out on some black walnut, showed up an hour after it was posted on CL - wasn't even any sawdust left! Unfortunately, I'll be buying some for winter '15-'16, got a guy that "said" his stuff was averaging 20%. We'll see what that really means. I also have a friend up in the hills with a lot of standing beetle kill pine that he's gonna let me take. Hopefully, I'll be able to get more free stuff here in the next few weeks. My goal is to get 5 or 6 cord CSS in prep for next year with another 2 or 3 ready to go for this year. Biggest issue is room - not a lot of it!

 

[Woody Stover]

Yeah, that dead Pine is a good fall-back position; At least you're guaranteed to be burning dry wood this winter. I think Walnut dries somewhat fast, if you coulda got it. We got a little in that dead-wood run we made behind my BIL's house.

 

[illenema]

Well, technically speaking, I've gotten wood for free before. When I was still using my masonry fireplace, I got about a dozen small logs from my neighbor and my dad gave me some applewood when he trimmed up a tree. BUT, this is my first attempt at getting free wood since installing the HI400! In a week I was able to get three truckloads + small trailer of Elm, two truckloads of Pine, a load Honey Locust and a mix load of Ash and Honey Locust. I'm pretty happy! Of course, I still have to get it all CSS but I don't think it's a horrible start.

Here's a few pics:

View attachment 157269 View attachment 157270

Here is my first free score! Mesquite .

 

[Woody Stover]

Here is my first free score! Mesquite

Another good first score. I think it's supposed to burn long...

 

[Cluttermagnet]

Great score! Congratulations- you are officially a wood scrounger now. That's heady stuff.
I fondly remember my first few scores. Wasn't as good as what you have there.
Just keep going until you have a few years worth split and stacked...

 

[illenema]

Another good first score. I think it's supposed to burn long...

This wood is Rock hard. My chain saw barley moves thru even a small piece. My 4 ton splitter cannot do anything.
Im renting a 27 ton at home depot to chop this stuff up.

 

[Dix]

And so it begins ....

Welcome to the forums

 

[msjones2452]

Here is my first free score! MesquiteView attachment 157399 .

Very Nice! Not sure how it'll burn but if it's that hard it should be pretty good. I'm still trying to get all mine cut to size so that I too can rent a splitter. It's going to be a long day of splitting when I do. Looking at splitters right now, just don't know if ones in the cards yet.

 

[JA600L]

You didn't miss much with the walnut. That stuff burns funny and leaves a lot of ash.

 

[Ashful]

You didn't miss much with the walnut. That stuff burns funny and leaves a lot of ash.

Walnut ain't bad. It's about on par with Maple, or any other secondary hardwood. Leaves much ash behind, but that's offset by how pleasurable it is to split.

 

[aansorge]

I don't think that is mesquite. It looks like cedar.

 

[Fred Wright]

Good deal.

We may have lucked out for the first time... a local fella came by the house today to ask if we still wanted logs and rounds dropped off. I said sure, will take anything you got as long as it ain't all sweetgum.

He said he'd cleared several trees and his missus wanted 'em gone. He's gonna cut it all into 4' logs, load it, drive it out here and dump it at no charge.

 

[illenema]

I don't think that is mesquite. It looks like cedar.

Its not cedar, Rock hard mesquite.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

Good luck splitting the Elm. If you don't have a splitter, try to find a kindred spirit to help you out. Nice load of Ash and Locust. I'm gonna go against the grain here, but I single stack my Ash and it's ready (16-18%) in like 8 months. The Locust should be good in 2 years. The pine should be good in a week. The Elm should also be burnable this winter. Make sure you get sun and wind. Like I said though, I single stack. I've had red oak at 16% in 15 months. If you have the room to do it, I highly recommend it.

 

[illenema]

Here is my first free score! MesquiteView attachment 157399 .

Well here it is split up, lets see how long it takes to dry. las vegas Style.

 

[Jags]

Just gotta ask....how the heck did that get on the roof?

 

[illenema]

Just gotta ask....how the heck did that get on the roof?

Got the pallets up there and just tossed the pieces up couple at a time and standing in the clear. 2 Up and 3 down type stuff. Ha

 

[firefighterjake]

Just when you think you've seen everything the internet has to offer . . .

 

[msjones2452]

You didn't miss much with the walnut. That stuff burns funny and leaves a lot of ash

At this point though, I'll take just about anything! This will be my first year with the new insert and I'm WAY behind on wood. I haven't gotten anything since my last load of Elm and I'm still working on getting everythins C/S/S. Somehow the entire month of April disapeared on me!

Good luck splitting the Elm. If you don't have a splitter, try to find a kindred spirit to help you out. Nice load of Ash and Locust. I'm gonna go against the grain here, but I single stack my Ash and it's ready (16-18%) in like 8 months. The Locust should be good in 2 years. The pine should be good in a week. The Elm should also be burnable this winter. Make sure you get sun and wind. Like I said though, I single stack. I've had red oak at 16% in 15 months. If you have the room to do it, I highly recommend it.

Yea, probably gonna rent a splitter for the elm. I tried a few of the smaller rounds by hand, what a PITA! Everything else for the most part splits fairly easy. Things tend to dry out fairly quickly here, I'm hoping the Locust will be ready next season. The ends are already starting to check/crack but I haven't taken a MM since I picked it up. I've got room for about 3 cord that would get good/direct sun, unfortunately the rest of the space I have is on the North side of the garage and won't get a whole lot of sun. I plan on filling that space with some beetle kill pine and some "seasoned mixed hardwoods" to get me through this season. Then I'll try to rotate the other stuff next year. I don't know, seems like a lot to C/S/S three cords, season for two summers, then rotate to make room for more in the sun. But, that is the only way to keep the greener stuff out in the sun (at least the only way to keep it out and stay married)

Well here it is split up, lets see how long it takes to dry. las vegas Style.

Very interesting, I just figured out where to put another cord or two - now if only I can find a place to sleep once the wife see's it!!