Guess my wood
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Yep it's hedge aka Osage. I sharpened the chain just before I cut it but it wasn't too hard on it. What's nasty about Osage are the low sprawling branches with nasty thorns. The darn thing got hung up in some other trees and wouldn't fall. So every time I cut on it the thorny branches would enclose on me. Well worth it though. I hope to have at least a cord of it by spring.
Man that stuff is hard. I can't even make a mark in the end grain with my finger nail.
Man that stuff is hard. I can't even make a mark in the end grain with my finger nail.
A nice straight 6' long piece with straight grain- you can get $50 per split as bow wood. 2" wide straight split stave. Look up "bow staves"- you'll be surprised.
It doesn't split too hard for me if it is green. Mostly straight grain and straight strings. Not like elm! If it dries out, good luck splitting it from what I hear.
Dry hedge and chains will sometimes produce sparks! Tough as nails. GREAT heat output though!
I recall growing up with camp fires of misc hardwoods. We would just sit next to the firepit during the night. Once, we got out hands on some hedge and toss just 1 2" diameter piece into the fire and it drove us away from the fire it was so hot!
I have a small stash of hedge in the pile right now for those, "need a little extra heat tonight" January nights we have coming up.
Dry hedge and chains will sometimes produce sparks! Tough as nails. GREAT heat output though!
I recall growing up with camp fires of misc hardwoods. We would just sit next to the firepit during the night. Once, we got out hands on some hedge and toss just 1 2" diameter piece into the fire and it drove us away from the fire it was so hot!
I have a small stash of hedge in the pile right now for those, "need a little extra heat tonight" January nights we have coming up.
I'm going to split it today and maybe go back for more. I cut it on the back edge of my property line, or at least where I think the property line is. I'm looking forward to burning some of my dry stuff overnight when it gets cold.bayshorecs said:
You probably have Osage everywhere around you bayshorecs. They say that thousands of miles of hedge rows were planted in the midwest.
Wow, you're right. I'll be cutting down some big ones on my wood benefactor's property soon. I'll set aside the long straight stuff, if there is any.Adios Pantalones said:
Treat it right, learn what a good stave looks like- along with yew it's the most prized bow wood in the US.
There is a decent amount around here, but I never take down live trees. We get enough storms through here to take down trees to cut on. I haven't noticed many hedge trees ever getting blown down. I am currently working on a 4' diameter Red Oak that came down this spring. It also took down a 2' Hedge when it fell. Trying like heck to get through the top of the oak to get to the hedge before it dries out too much!
I keep a small basket of small 1" hedge splits in the house. Plan to use those for the occassional "pick me up" when I just want a little extra for a short time. The big stuff is still in the pile and I try to split it very small to dry out.
My mom warpped the stove growing up to an unusable state with a load of hedge. Early morning, didn't pay attention to what she was loading and loaded the firebox completely full of hedge. Really trashed that stove and lucky it didn't take the house too. Wish I took a pic of it...
So, I already carefully explained what could happen to my wife and made HER split the hedge pieces on the splitter so she knows what they look like. Told her you can add 1 maybe 2 pieces to the box when it is cold but that is it. Mix it with the elm/oak.
I keep a small basket of small 1" hedge splits in the house. Plan to use those for the occassional "pick me up" when I just want a little extra for a short time. The big stuff is still in the pile and I try to split it very small to dry out.
My mom warpped the stove growing up to an unusable state with a load of hedge. Early morning, didn't pay attention to what she was loading and loaded the firebox completely full of hedge. Really trashed that stove and lucky it didn't take the house too. Wish I took a pic of it...
So, I already carefully explained what could happen to my wife and made HER split the hedge pieces on the splitter so she knows what they look like. Told her you can add 1 maybe 2 pieces to the box when it is cold but that is it. Mix it with the elm/oak.
Your not going to see very many hedge down from storms because its so hard!(most btu of all wood)bayshorecs said:
That's why I am drooling over the one that is down 
I have about 2 cords of oak to cut through before I can get to it to work on (at least safely work on...)
I have about 2 cords of oak to cut through before I can get to it to work on (at least safely work on...)
I cut 10 pickup loads of it this spring, a farmer cut them down more than 5 years ago and couldnt get them cut up.He told me it coudnt be done well i got the 10 loads for free! (the pile in my avtar is 80 percent hedge)bayshorecs said:That's why I am drooling over the one that is down
I have about 2 cords of oak to cut through before I can get to it to work on (at least safely work on...)
Very hard and throws alot of spark if i didnt know better you would think your cutting steel!bayshorecs said:
Leave some of those 6-8" rounds whole and season it for a couple of years. Throw 2 of those on an established fire and you won't have to reload for the next week (OK so that might be a little carried away, but you get the idea). Thats my "its 20 below zero, blow 'in like mad" over night firewood.
I have some 6-7" rounds that have been seasoned for over 4 years. Crazy stuff.
I have some 6-7" rounds that have been seasoned for over 4 years. Crazy stuff.
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