Hey thanks for all of the great info so far- much appreciated. So, at the risk of sounding pretty uneducated at knowing my wood :lol: , as I am, I just got my first chord of split wood- guy says it's seasoned, but I am not so sure. The splits seem pretty heavy for their size, and smell pretty fresh, with no checks. But the bark falls right off. Is it just wet, or green? Damn newbies...
green or seasoned?
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Well you have 2 options, throw a piece on a good fire and see if it boils water out the end or hisses and spits or buy a moisture meter and split a piece and test it
A third choice is to put some liquid soap on one end and put your lips on the other and blow, if it's dry you'll make bubbles, if not dry your face will turn red. Beware, people may think your nuts doing this, but it does work. I'm not kidding.
Can also rap a split with your knuckles or another log, and listen for a resonant tone (seasoned) vs. a thud (green). Not the most accurate way, though, some wood makes a pretty sound even when green (black locust).
"Seasoned" is to firewood dealers as "like new condition" is to used car salesmen. It's not completely inconceivable that it's true, but you should always assume it isn't.
"Seasoned" is to firewood dealers as "like new condition" is to used car salesmen. It's not completely inconceivable that it's true, but you should always assume it isn't.
I bought a load of logs, too, and I can tell they have been sitting around for awhile- there's checking in the ends, and I can move them around by hand (12-18" diameter) pretty easily.
Todd said:
LOL That's perfect. I'm going to tell the wife that method. Hopefully I can keep a straight face.
brooktrout said:
Red Oak is the only wood that I know that will allow you to do this. Maybe Bamboo, but who burns grass?
Todd, is there a limit to the length of a split this will work on? I have some 48" stuff that I think is seasoned but it's in a pretty conspicous spot and I'm not sure I want the neighbors seeing me making out with my wood pile.
jpl1nh said:
I am no expert but I believe it is one of those learned skills. Best to start small and work your way up.
This blowing bubbles thing has come up before and if you think about it, firewood has a small straw like stucture that holds water. Once the water is gone you should be able to pass air through. Don't know if size matters or not JPL. ;-P This last summer someone posted a thread where he tried hooking up compressed air into a split, guess he was a little shy. :lol:
My wife said I had too much time on my hands joining a forum on woodburning, but some of these threads are downright hilarious!
abj1969 said:
Why at the Moisture Meter Store, where else:
(broken link removed)
But you better be able to have deep pockets for this little toy! ;-)
The problem with the less expensive ones is that they really just read the exposed area of the wood and you need the calibration guides (if they supply one) for best accuracy. You really need to know what the content is in the heart of the wood. A good wood worker or mold inspector would pass the cheap ones bye!
You just drill a hole into a freshly split piece and insert the probe. no big deal gives you a good idea of what you have
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