Gum

[kennyR]

I scored several gums probably about 2 1/2 cords now I'm getting it split and racked... I've burned it in years past but wanted to know what do you guys thick about gum good / bad ... other than it's ability to resist splitting especially by hand...

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I had some that I burned earlier in the season and I really liked it. Burned nicely but was a bugger to split! Sweetgum this was; I'd take it again if the situation ever arises.

 

[Malatesta]

Your right about hand spliting , the logs will laugh at you as the maul bounces ! Its a good wood for burning !

 

[TreePapa]

I'm not great at species ID, but I picked up what I think was gum (mottled bark, hard and stringy wood, burns hot) last year. Filled my Ferd Ranger p/u with most 18" or bigger rounds, some of which had been quartered by the tree guys. Just about impossible to split w/o the power splitter. I rented a 20-ton splitter a month or so ago. For the most part, it tore the wood apart rather than splitting it. It also strained sometimes before splitting the wood. I do manage to re-split some of the splits with the super-splitter maul, but others still sneer at me.

Burns fairly hot. Crackles a lot. Yup, I'd take it again if its free. Let it season 'till I have enough to rent a splitter again. And yes, it does season unsplit, at least here in sunny So. Calif.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[sixminus1]

Also try to keep the rain off of it -- I've noticed that it has a tendency to soak up more water than other types of wood. When it's dry, it burns well.

 

[Gooserider]

Yes, but does it tend to lose it's flavor on the Bedpost overnight??? %-P

Gooserider

 

[Bryan53]

Just got some gum. Some cut to 20+inch lengths and splits larger than I like so I have had to cut and split up some of it. It is a pain to split. I have an easier time with the axe than maul. The maul is basically useless if the axe doesn't work then I get a wedge in it and that normally does the job. But I like the burn a lot. Burns hot and leaves a nice coal base.

Easier to split than the elm I split this summer.

 

[myzamboni]

Just scored a cord of sweet gum rounds dumped in my front yard for free. Looks like splitting is going to be 'fun'.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

I have a 50/60 year old sweet gum on my lot (the only one) matter of fact it's the only one I've seen in my travels around here in CT.
It lost a good sized 10" limb in 2003, laid right down in front of my house. Burns good (comparable to ash/maple) (splits like an old twisted swamp maple though)....nice score you got!

WB

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I scored several gums probably about 2 1/2 cords now I'm getting it split and racked... I've burned it in years past but wanted to know what do you guys thick about gum good / bad ... other than it's ability to resist splitting especially by hand...

I've never burned it so I have no opinion.

I hope this helps.

 

[kennyR]

A guy just came over to my house from down the street where he was painting and ask me if I wanted about 8 gum trees that he's going to drop along a ditch bank in a couple weeks havn't seen them but I said yes he even has a burn pile to put the brush ... my back will be healed by then and my buddy will bring his splitter over for me ...

 

[johnsopi]

I've burned a lot of sweetgum and blackgum. The black gum went punky fast. The Sweetgum needs to be splitt or it goes punky fast.
I would not buy gum and would not want B.G even free.

 

[kennyR]

How can you tell the difference (viz) between the two I'm not sure of the type of gum we have here... It burns pretty good though

 

[johnsopi]

sweetgum has those spiky ball/ seed pod and star shaped leaves. Black Gum has big leave and small fruit.

 

[kennyR]

OK thanks it's sweet gum .. and we have been splitting and racking it up as soon as we get we rounds home.

 

[Duetech]

Don't think Ive ever seen gum black or sweet in Michigan. Does it grow here? I'd settle for some mulberry if I could get it.