Is this good wood to burn, like oak, I can pick up a full load of it today.
Long time to season or moderate?
Long time to season or moderate?
Maple and silver maple
- Thread starter ironspider
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Silver maple is REALLY light; seasons quickly but burns hot/short (compared to oak, hot/long). I don't burn much because I don't think it's worth the hassle of processing, especially if you have access to ash and other dense species. Free is free, it all burns, so it's up to you.
KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
woods wood and free is wood is better yet. You can always use it for shoulder season and save your oak for the polar vortex times.
ArsenalDon
Minister of Fire
ArsenalDon
Minister of Fire
If the Maple in CA where you are is like the Maple in PA you'll really like it-good stuff. I really like Maple, be it Silver or Red or hard.....Silver dries very fast, the others take longer, but certainly not like Oak....
Paulywalnut
Minister of Fire
Hard maple is great silver maple is light and dries quicker if your in a bind for some heat,
I wouldn't want all silver maple in my stash but get it and start to season it for next year.
I wouldn't want all silver maple in my stash but get it and start to season it for next year.
I'm at the job site now. The trees that are down have been picked over, they are in the middle of two more but they are around power lines. I'm just going to wait around until they get the good stuff down. I think I'll be waiting a while, I came far I want some nice straight wood.
Oh damn tree guys just took down a line now they are all screaming at each other. This is a trip!
Depends. Hard maple needs a minimum of a year; 2 is better. Soft maple needs 6 months. Silver 6 months to a year.
Of course this is if you are talking about after splitting and stacking outdoors.
KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
what is sugar maple?? Sure hope thats ready in a years time or i'll be screwed for next winter.
paul bunion
Minister of Fire
Sugar maple is the much denser and btu laden cousin of red and silver maple. If you know what you are handling or have 2 known pieces to compare they are easy to tell apart. The easiest way is by the seeds and leaves which are missing right now. This time of year if all you have is a piece of wood try chopping at a piece with an axe. If it is easy to take out big chunks it is red or silver, If the wood feels denser, like oak, you have sugar maple.
Well my haul is done but I didn't get what I wanted, the tree guys had many issues so I ended up with a couple 24's like really 2, the I loaded up with mostly 6 inches.
Driver
Member
Sounds like the trip had good entertainment value, hope you got some good wood...
ArsenalDon
Minister of Fire
Silver is what I have...it is split and stacked loosely in a great seasoning spot...Iooking forward to trying it next season, have not burnt Silver Maple yet.
Sugar Maple (aka Hard Maple) is dense, almost as dense as oak, and it seasons slowly. Maybe not as fast slowly as oak, but two years may be needed to season Sugar Maple.
Silver and Red Maples are known as 'soft maple' because they are less dense than sugar maple. They are still pretty good in my experience, and they should season in a year.
Silver and Red Maples are known as 'soft maple' because they are less dense than sugar maple. They are still pretty good in my experience, and they should season in a year.
KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
well shoot, that definitely puts a kink in my plans for next winter. I swear this getting ahead on wood is gonna be the death of me yet.
To tell the diff with the leaves off, Sugar (hard) has brown & pointed tips (buds) where the red has round & red buds.
Soundchasm
Minister of Fire
I was wishing I had 2-3 silver maple splits to get going so I could chuck in some harder species without any work to get them going. It all comes down to tradeoffs and using each to its advantage, and only 1-2 species gets pretty dull.
I like Silver maple. It's easy to process and dried relatively quick. In about a year. It really needs to be top covered while seasoning.
BillLion
Minister of Fire
KindredSpiritzz
Minister of Fire
its just frustrating, i cut a bunch of sugar maple last fall cause its basically the only hardwood i have available, figuring that'd be my wood for next winter and this year summer/fall i could focus on getting 2 or 3 yrs ahead with my wood supply. Now i have to figure out what i can cut this summer that i can burn next winter. I dont want to resplit everything smaller and hope it'll be dry enough. Rather wait and have it fully dry and get the maximum potential out of my efforts, but that puts me behind the 8 ball for next winter. Guess i'll have to cut me some aspen soon as this stupid snow melts.
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