Is Pine
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If it wasnt most of us out west wouldnt have woodstoves. It burns hot and fast, not Oak but when there is 100,000 acres of it around you burn it . Just, as with all wood, season it well.
If its free and its all you have the its worth it. If you have just as easy access to a hardwood anyone with any sense would take that instead (more BTU per log).
Many on here say if its free and it burns, take it and run.
Many on here say if its free and it burns, take it and run.
I am a pellet head now. I will be doing wood next year along with pellets. I have two pine trees in the yard that i will take down in the spring. Ok it is free and i will season it. How long to season??? it will be stacked correctly and get plenty of air.
Thank You john
Thank You john
Edit your profile to include your location....
In most areas Pine can season in a year, or even half a year if its arid and sunny all summer. Pine will season around twice as fast as hard woods if its split from what I have read / heard.
In most areas Pine can season in a year, or even half a year if its arid and sunny all summer. Pine will season around twice as fast as hard woods if its split from what I have read / heard.
I burn a some Ponderosa and jack pine every year with good results. It's a bit pitchy when splitting and stacking but it seasons fast and I still get 7-8 hour burns on low with my stove(s).
I am now burning pine. It was a dead standing large diameter tree and seasoned to very dry dryness over this last summer. It's all fine to burn except.... except when you get near the bottom and the outside is covered in this white hard layer of pitch. I threw in a split with a white outside and boy oh boy did it burn like a torch. Made me quite nervous. Maybe what they call fatwood. Avoid that part of the tree or save it for firestarter.
I am an Oak snob and still love pine.
It is the best for getting a stove hot FAST and for using to get a nice bed ready for the oak.
Pine is also great on those nights where it isnt going to be COLD, just enough BTU to take the chill off.
It is the best for getting a stove hot FAST and for using to get a nice bed ready for the oak.
Pine is also great on those nights where it isnt going to be COLD, just enough BTU to take the chill off.
Highbeam said:
Yep that is fatwood. get it when you can and split it real small, makes a great starter, if its good you can start it with a match.
+1 to the comments about fatwood. Learn to spot it. Sometimes you'll see pitch (crusty crystalized-sugar looking stuff) on the outside... sometimes it is heart wood and just looks a little more marbled or translucent with a more variegated grain. Either way it lights with a match and burns like an old tire. Nice for kindling, not so nice if you got a hot fire going and throw a "fatty" log in... you'll see yellow flame and soot you didn't know your stove could make.
But once you weed out the fatwood, pine burns fine and the kind around here at least (Radiata) splits easy and dries fast.
Eddy
But once you weed out the fatwood, pine burns fine and the kind around here at least (Radiata) splits easy and dries fast.
Eddy
If you're going to work with pine, make sure to have a big bottle of Lestoil handy. (to get the pitch off you).
Pine is good.........
Pine is good.........
nshif said:
Thats it. Is this wood at the bottom of the tree???If it is, How high up from the Ground.
John
Usually in the bottom 3' or so of the butt just above ground, seems to me to be more prevelent when trees are droped in the winter, but I have seen it in summer. I usually cut about 6" to a foot and split down to 1/2 to 1" pieces. One butt ( 2-3' ) will easly last me a year, I dont start many fires from scratch once winter sets in but if trying to save a dying bed of coals it works great just toss a handfull in, give it a min or so and load up some small splits
I thought I would be a smartypants and just split off the outer layer of the round which is the obvious white pitch. Well, it turns out that the inside was quite fat and the wife sooted up the glass. It burns right off of course but now she is leery of the pine. Me too. I don't want to waste the good stuff so I am seperating it out into a fat pile.
Diesel fuel gets the pitch off of your hands too.
Diesel fuel gets the pitch off of your hands too.
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