How many "play with the stove" by burning exotic wood

[DavidV]

Whenever I get a type of wood I have never burned before, I get excited. the real bummer about wood is that you have to season it so long before burning it. I have some 8 inch Pear trunk sections stacked up and marked (yes I'm a geek) for next winter. a month ago I bundled up a whole bunch of chopsticks I had hoarded for several months from our chinese take out and burned it....watching to see the flame.....the coals it produced...how long it burned....etc. I have my eyes out for a couple types of wood that while not abundant, do exist in my area. Shag bark hickory, Birch, Weeping Willow, ironwood. last year I cut up a large holly tree and tossed the splits in the stack without marking them....I don't know which pieces they are so I won't know how to evaluate their burn qualities. Jeez I am an obcessed dork. "no cash fun" . This is definately "no cash fun".
of the "exotics" I have burned, Dogwood is probably my favorite. It burns super hot and leaves a magnificent coal.

 

[Jake]

When I get my insert, Im going to try buring brazilian cherry, ipe,cumaru, santos mahogany, tiete rosewood, tigerwood, austrailian cypress, and what ever other "exotics" i have, I'll report next year

 

[Sandor]

I built a deck out of IPE and was excited to try some in my stove this winter. But at like $7 a board foot, everyone grabbed the scrap for birdhouses and other projects. An IPE splinter in my hand turned feline in no time. Cutting it without a mask made my nose burn! Would love to hear how it burns. VERY heavy and oily stuff.

And David, I agree about Dogwood. That produces the most intense heat out of anything I have ever burnt.

 

[Corey]

Yep, it is always fun to see how a new wood, or even "substance" (keep it clean here! - so far, I am talking about a couple of 5 gallon buckets of coal and wood pellets) will burn in the stove. I cut (or more precisely, the utility company cut) a large, dead weeping willow out of the power lines when I first moved in here. If you like burning sheets newspaper, you will like burning willow! Although sometimes I shy away from burning the "smoker" woods in the stove if i only have a small amount. Have had some apple, pecan, mesquite, but only enough for the BBQ, not throwing in the stove. Oak and hickory are in enough supply that it's not too big of a deal to burn some for heat, although I always make sure I have a BBQ pile left at the end of the season.

Corey

 

[fbelec]

hey corey

you ever use peach wood in your smoker?
got some but haven't tried smoking with it yet.

 

[fbelec]

i've burnt a little ipe or epi or how ever it is spelled. it leaves coals like a thick piece of cardboard. it stays whole as a coal. bust a rhyme

 

[fbelec]

btw

how is weeping willow for burning?

 

[Hokerer]

btw

how is weeping willow for burning?

Weeping willow needs more like two years to dry out. I burned some after one year and there was water actually streaming out of the ends of the pieces (this wasn't in the stove, by the way). Once it does finally dry out, it weighs hardly anything so I don't imagine you're gonna see much in the way of long burn time nor good coals.

 

[Corey]

Like I said earler, the willow burns pretty much like newspaper...even somewhat similar smell if I recall correctly from about 6 years ago.

fbelec -
No, I have not tried peach yet...There are a few trees around here, but, I'm not "in good" with anyone to get some. There is a roadside stand on the way home - hand painted "Smoker Wood" sign and all. Have planned to stop sometime when the weather warms up, but haven't made it yet.

Corey

 

[fespo]

What about Hedge Apple/ Old St. Geogre. You know the trees the drop green apples like the tennis balls. The old farm hedge line trees. I thinks it the Hardest wood out there. It will burn and spark for hours. Know one likes to cut, because it dulls the saws in no time.

 

[joshuaviktor]

Osage orange trees drop those green tennis balls. Wood is so hard the native americans made bows out of it. Flexible, hard as rock. Good carving wood, if you like to sharpen your carving knives.

 

[Corey]

Now hedge/osage orange...there is some wood!! You usually see it listed at ~32-34 million BTU/ cord. Heavy stuff! Mostly what I am burning this winter...thanks to the pioneer forsight, hedge trees are everywhere in this region. It burns with a great aroma and once the "flame" is gone it will just fall into small fist sized lumps of glowing coals...from there on, it burns like a coal fire. The only downside it that it pops like crazy. Every once in a while I run into a log that just erupts in sparks...for several minutes, just a continuous crackle like someone crinkling up old cellophane plastic wrap and tiny sparks flying everywhere like the 4th of july sparklers. Nothing too much to worry about if the stove doors are closed and the chimney is clean!

Corey

PS - I've nevery really had any trouble with the wood dulling the saw chain...of course I usually touch it up after every tank of gas or so, so the dulling may just come down to having to give each tooth three swipes with the file instead of just two. Usually it's the barbed wire, gate hinges, or what ever else stuck in the tree that does the blade in! If anyone around the Lawrence, KS area wants to get rid of some...just let me know!

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I cant believe how many people think of burning good hickory before they think of cooking with it. Granted, if you have enough for both uses thats different and in some parts of the states theres plenty but in other parts the stuffs like gold! Same goes for apple and pear, great for cooking. We have a apple orchard near by and Ive tried to buy wood, beg for wood plead but Im told the same thing...."we have someone who comes in once a year to trim back the branches and dont want to jepordise our contract with him.......

That guy is prolly cooking up all kinds of good stuff.


Since this is our first year with the stove we are reduced to burning "Henna wood"
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.
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Henna wood we can get our hands on!

 

[Donna]

Hi All,

I have had the great pleasure of using Lilac bush trimmings (BIG Bush) this fall. They have been seasoned for 1 1/2 years, out in the sun in a corner of the yard. Nothing smaller than your thumb, nothing bigger than your wrist. It is a joy to burn, fast, hot, then coals that linger for hours, even tho' it goes in the stove first, as kindling.

I get really excited when I spot some different wood in a mixed cord. Last year we got some American Hornbeam, or Ironwood in a 3 cord delivery we ordered late in the season, just because it was available in our often short supplied market.
It didn't burn very well, took forever to light. I saved one piece which I am going to try to whittle into a pipe for a friend....

Variety is the spice of life....Go Woodburners,

Happy 2006,
Donna

 

[michael]

I've been burning some FREE wood that I was told was walnut. It looks like walnut and burns alright if hot, but if not, it smells like smouldering dog poo. Really nasty stuff!

Burnt some cedar this year and found out it pops like crazy, so I have to be careful when reloading.

Call me boring, but I like red maple.