Machine Harvested Wood

[willyswagon]

I got a load of wood about a month ago. I blocked up about 4 cords of it within the first week. I mentioned to one of the local old timers yesterday that it was already showing cracks at both ends of each piece. He said that is why he doesn't buy machine cut wood, because all of the little pick marks in the wood allow all of the sap to evaporate out to quickly, resulting in the loss of heat.
There is next to no bark left on most of this wood.

Have any of you noticed any difference in drying or burning between machine processed wood, and wood that was harvested with a chain saw?

 

[firefighterjake]

My own opinion . . . bogus belief. I don't believe it really matters how the tree is converted into firewood whether through a machine, chainsaw, felled by an ax or bow saw or if a Jedi light saber is used . . . the key thing being that all fuel needs to be dry before burning and the drier (aka more seasoned) the fuel is . . . the less time and heat is used to cook off the moisture and more usable heat is gained from the wood.

 

[Jon1270]

He said that is why he doesn't buy machine cut wood, because all of the little pick marks in the wood allow all of the sap to evaporate out to quickly, resulting in the loss of heat.

This sounds like an extension of the idea that dry wood burns up too fast. It's silly and wrong. Dryness is good. Don't take this particular old timer's advice.

Your wood is cracking on the ends because the ends are drying (and shrinking) faster than the middle, which is normal. It has nothing to do with the machine harvesting.

 

[billb3]

You can handle chain saw or hand cut wood with a pickaroon and be full of pick marks.
It needs to season for the same amount of time regardless of how it is processed or what it looks like.

Cracks on the end are pretty much meaningless IMO.

 

[BobUrban]

well in a year or two those cracks will close up as the center of the split dries to an equal relative moisture level as the ends(see above post for cause) Then what will he have to say??

Sounds like this is one of those believing in green/wet wood burns better than dry which is an oft beaten dead horse around here.

Offer to trade your green for all his nasty, rotting, old dry, cracking stuff because you like him so much and want him to get all the good heat he deserves.

 

[jharkin]

all of the little pick marks in the wood allow all of the sap to evaporate out to quickly, resulting in the loss of heat.

"Sap" does not evaporate. Water does.


Just another urban legend with no validity. Nothing to see here, move along...

 

[willyswagon]

Oh this guy doesn't believe in green wood. He is 80 yrs old, still burning wood cut from his 300 acres.
He is 5 yrs ahead on his wood supply, as he has been all of his life. He was harvesting 4 acres blueberries with his son yesterday when I dropped in to see them. He said when things cool down he's heading back into the woods for a couple more loads for Maple.

 

[bogydave]

I don't get the "machine cut " part ? or why there's a difference.
Isn't it all cut with a saw of some kind?

I agree, no difference in seasoning time.

 

[Jon1270]

Oh this guy doesn't believe in green wood.

I don't know how to interpret that. Surely he believes "green" wood exists?

 

[BrianN]

I like my machine processed wood. Removes all the limbs, most of the bark, and makes cool indentation, perforations on the sides of the wood. I think it helps the drying out. Probably not, but, I like to think that

 

[paul bunion]

It might season a tiny bit quicker as you say the bark has been stripped by the harvester. Sapwood would probably be less prone to rot also. That would be a function of the bark trapping and holding moisture. As far as the heating value, none of it leaked out through the tiny pricks.

 

[schlot]

My own opinion . . . bogus belief. I don't believe it really matters how the tree is converted into firewood whether through a machine, chainsaw, felled by an ax or bow saw or if a Jedi light saber is used . . . the key thing being that all fuel needs to be dry before burning and the drier (aka more seasoned) the fuel is . . . the less time and heat is used to cook off the moisture and more usable heat is gained from the wood.

Doesn't matter?!?! Maybe not to you but the coolness factor of slicing through an Oak with a light saber would matter a ton to me!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I got a load of wood about a month ago. I blocked up about 4 cords of it within the first week. I mentioned to one of the local old timers yesterday that it was already showing cracks at both ends of each piece. He said that is why he doesn't buy machine cut wood, because all of the little pick marks in the wood allow all of the sap to evaporate out to quickly, resulting in the loss of heat.
There is next to no bark left on most of this wood.

Have any of you noticed any difference in drying or burning between machine processed wood, and wood that was harvested with a chain saw?

Now there is one of the strangest things I've heard for a long time... I wonder if he also has some odd beliefs when it comes to sliced bread...

 

[Augie]

Now there is one of the strangest things I've heard for a long time... I wonder if he also has some odd beliefs when it comes to sliced bread...

Butter side down or Ill fight ya

 

[nrford]

Some folks have some strange ideas. You just have to sort through them and take them for what they are worth. Processor(machine, or mechanically harvested) produced wood is wood.

 

[Gark]

A long time ago, a guy told me that when a light bulb burned out to leave it in the socket until it was replaced. Or else some electricity would leak out. I think he was serious

 

[Locust Post]

Honestly I think that would be better if it helped get the moisture out faster.

 

[Locust Post]

A long time ago, a guy told me that when a light bulb burned out to leave it in the socket until it was replaced. Or else some electricity would leak out. I think he was serious

That's very true Gark and don't ever leave that bulb out of the socket in a room with carpet it may drip and make a stain.

 

[schlot]

...so many good ideas to try out on my blonde wife!

 

[firefighterjake]

Doesn't matter?!?! Maybe not to you but the coolness factor of slicing through an Oak with a light saber would matter a ton to me!

Point taken . . . and agreed.

 

[MrWhoopee]

A long time ago, a guy told me that when a light bulb burned out to leave it in the socket until it was replaced. Or else some electricity would leak out. I think he was serious

Same as when you're talking to DSL tech support. They tell you to turn off the modem and wait 10-20 seconds (to let all the electricity drain out) before restarting.

 

[billb3]

"Sap" does not evaporate. Water does.


Just another urban legend with no validity. Nothing to see here, move along...

We used to make candles and flaming balls by making a hatchet cut in a white pine and collecting the oozing sap to raise hell with when we were stupid kids getting in trouble and having fun doing it.
If it sits around and dries up it burns with less of the black soot.

 

[bmblank]

Same as when you're talking to DSL tech support. They tell you to turn off the modem and wait 10-20 seconds (to let all the electricity drain out) before restarting.

Well, technically, there are capacitors and whatnot in electronics that store energy. The draining electricity is usually in the form of LEDs and internal clocks and all that jazz. I can't say whether waiting 10-20 seconds is necessary at all.

 

[jharkin]

Well, technically, there are capacitors and whatnot in electronics that store energy. The draining electricity is usually in the form of LEDs and internal clocks and all that jazz. I can't say whether waiting 10-20 seconds is necessary at all.

Yup, thats true- the AC/DC power supply uses large electrolytic capacitors on the DC side of the circuit to smooth the ac ripple - they are called 'filter caps' in electronic lingo. I have some server power supplies where if you yank the plug, the cooling fan will keep running for 5-10 seconds before the caps drain.

On a little DSL modem I dont think it would take that long, but it does happen.


Going back to the light bulb analogy - "leaking electricity" is comical of course, but if you have small children around there might be a safety reason to not leave the socket empty.

 

[Flatbedford]

, but if you have small children around there might be a safety reason to not leave the socket empty.

+1! Empty sockets are dangerous! I never leave one.