Learning to burn (B.locust)

[Gark]

Never had BL available to burn like this coming winter. It's been said the stuff is hard to get lit but once going runs real hot. Got it May 2010 and C/S/S off the ground in open rows 2 months later. It is seasoned over a year. The smaller splits, 3-4 inchers, ring like a bowling pin when dropped on the concrete floor. The bigger splits, 6 inchers, feel heavy and sound more like a 'thunk' on concrete. Our brains have built-in calculators; without knowing calculus or even math., we automatically compare the volume of a stick in our hand to its weight. The biggie splits of BL feel too heavy. Will mix it in with ash, cherry and 3-year oak. Learning curve - each diff. species burned in our stove behaves differently. A recent thread here said that "a split twice the size takes four times as long to season". Hoping the BL biggies burn better than what their weight tells me.

 

[cygnus]

BL starts at a low moisture content so you are in excellent shape if seasoned since May 2010. I have some average sized splits seasoned 6 months that are at 22%.
I find that they need to be loaded on a full bed of coals in a hot stove to really get going and keep things hot. I don't use BL as starter wood. Just my experience.

 

[ewdudley]

A recent thread here said that "a split twice the size takes four times as long to season"

That was supposed to come out as a board twice as thick dries four times as slowly, which would have some relevance to the thickness of splits, but with splits you've got the end grain to help out, so sitting for a year it's not really a problem (except for stuff like oak).

Plus locust starts out at about four parts water ten parts wood and most other wood is seven or eight parts water to ten parts wood.

--ewd

 

[steeltowninwv]

like cygnus said just dont use it as a starter wood...even ur big splits are probably where they need to be....u will love the locust for overnight burns

 

[gzecc]

BL will remain heavy, thats why it's such good fuel. The weight is not water weight. I usually don't have a locust only fire. I mix it with others.

 

[Gark]

Thank you. Now I'm eager to burn the BL (instead of reluctant). Have been trying to get all-night burns from this heater and it sounds like BL may be what it needs.

 

[weezer4117]

You wont find many more species that burn longer, it burns like coal....

 

[Ken S]

I save it for dead of winter and prefer to mix with beech or other real good wood.For me it does not burn like other wood it tends to smolder not big flames that is ehy I like to mix it