Milled ends & kiln dried wood

[Eater309]

I thought this would create some interesting discussion on this site.
I always enjoy different topics here. (about wood and heating with wood)
Many here do indeed burn pallets, milled wood and kiln dried wood.

(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/homillends.htm)

 

[Highbeam]

Cat stoves have superior air control which allow the burning of lumber without the stove running away as the article suggests.

 

[skinanbones]

link won't work for me, but i have been burning kiln dried red oak for the last 6 year in my Super 27 and so far the only things i've replaced in gaskets and bricks. Each year we burn 6-7 bushcord through the stove and yes my stack temps are higher than with body wood, but only 50-100 degrees.

 

[fossil]

I have two non-cat stoves, I've never hesitated to burn scraps of dimensional lumber & such, so long as it's got no finish or treatment. Never had any sort of problem with a stove wanting to "run away". Rick

 

[swagler85]

He has a good point about some dimensional lumber having chemicals added. But he also mentions a lot of other lumber that doesn't have any chemicals in it. He is basically saying to avoid all kiln dries and mill lumber due to a small percentage having problems. But I also burn so little dimensional lumber that I'm not worried at all. I just save the scraps from my projects to use as kindling or to get stove up to temp fast.

 

[Hearth Mistress]

I can't open the link either, it just times out. I have a small stove and have no issues burning pallet wood or kiln dried wood in it, with care of course.

My kiln wood is about 10% moisture on average, I don't load up the firebox with it, I know if I did, it would melt my stove for sure : I use my kiln wood 3:1 with ash or maple.

Pallet wood can go nuclear too, no doubt. 4 days into burning my first year, I put in a few runners and slats to balance out what I thought was not so seasoned wood and was reaching for the ash bucket as my flue temps raced over 1100 in a few minutes. The next day I bought a moisture meter, as recommended here and now know where the "sweet spot" is for my stove.

I have a big bed of coals right now so I put in a single split of kiln, think this piece is maple, and opened the air 2/3 to get it to flame. 3 minutes in flue temp went from 300 to 625. I'll cut the air back now all but about a 1/4 and let it burn down until around 11 when I'll load for the overnight. If 1 piece of kiln wood can get that hot, that fast, I can only imagine what could/would happen if it was totally loaded, but, I know better than to try

 

[bag of hammers]

Moderation is key. I like having a box of cut 2x4 scraps standing by. Toss 1 in with the occasional sizzler and keep the fire rolling hot. Great with some hardwood kindling at startup. Nothing with even a spot of paint /stain /drywall mud / etc goes in. No plywood, chipboard, etc.

 

[Highbeam]

I wouldn't worry too much with a non-cat. What's the fear? You're not sniffing the smoke or poisoning a cat element.

I fill 5 gallon buckets with lumber scraps. Pile them in as tight and high as possible, can easily get 7 gallons in a load. It burns just like firewood except the smoke has a bit more of a hot lumber smell. Like when your saw blade gets twisted and burns the wood a little.

Tee non-cats with the typical full throttle secondary air supply is what really scares me.

 

[Reckless]

I use kiln dried pine from the wood create builders next store to my work to start my fires. My question is they seem to snap crackle pop a bit, should I be worried? MC reads 10% and less when I split it to smaller pieces.

 

[Ashful]

I use kiln dried pine from the wood create builders next store to my work to start my fires. My question is they seem to snap crackle pop a bit, should I be worried? MC reads 10% and less when I split it to smaller pieces.

Many of those crates are built from southern yellow pine, particularly if you live in the south, a very resinous wood. It will crack and pop, but no harm done. Just keep an eye for embers ejecting from the stove when you have your doors open, lest you set your carpet afire.

As with all kiln lumber, use in moderation.

 

[bag of hammers]

I use kiln dried pine from the wood create builders next store to my work to start my fires. My question is they seem to snap crackle pop a bit, should I be worried? MC reads 10% and less when I split it to smaller pieces.

Maybe just me, but I kinda like the snap crackle pop - part of the ambiance of the fire. Sometimes I might even toss in a bit of pine or cedar just to get that effect.

 

[Reckless]

Many of those crates are built from southern yellow pine, particularly if you live in the south, a very resinous wood. It will crack and pop, but no harm done. Just keep an eye for embers ejecting from the stove when you have your doors open, lest you set your carpet afire.

As with all kiln lumber, use in moderation.

Or on my wide plank pine floors I have a couple black spots, some where there some are new BUT when the wife asks.... they were all there XD Im a little more careful now but as the name states......

 

[Eater309]

I'm glad to hear the responses. I wasn't concerned about the run-away fire so much as to the chemicals/salt content in the scrap wood. I also burn some "lumber" but thinking now of stopping. Although is is a very small percentage there is still chemicals in the wood.
Most here on this site have many more years of experience burning wood than I have, just thought it would create some interest concerning burning "lumber".

 

[bag of hammers]

also nice if you have an outside fire pit to take care of the junk. I've melted beer bottles in certain outside fires (did I say that out loud ?)

 

[HaTaX]

also nice if you have an outside fire pit to take care of the junk. I've melted beer bottles in certain outside fires (did I say that out loud ?)

Ahhh outdoor fires, the wet wood that gets burned is my excuse for using a little lantern fuel to get things going. Favorite thing to watch go up in a huge ball of fire? Christmas tree. I try to keep a separate pile for the 'junk' to be burned outside and that keeps the crap out of the stove. You should see my response when I see someone grabbing wood from the racks to keep the bonfire going... Heh.

 

[Ashful]

Heh... I should take a photo of my outdoor burn pile some day. Usually larger than a van when I light it. Probably have 20 outside fires per year, just keeping up with downed branches, trash pallets and crates, old rotted junk dragged out of the woods, etc.

 

[tom dee]

Geez in Philly you can Burn a Chevy van sized pile of Shiet.. You Wont be doing that round here the feds , fema and police would come outta the proverbial wood work with citations abundant. Communities Dwn here are passing Laws (im not sure they can defend) on smoke out put of outdoor boilers etc .. And this is in Tobacco /growing smoking North Carolina..

 

[Ashful]

Well, not in Philly, but close enough from the perspective of someone way down in NC. I live in the beautiful countryside north of Philly, surrounded mostly by large properties and farms. Fairly rural.

I used to burn maybe every 2nd - 3rd weekend, and keep the piles small, maybe only 6 feet wide x 6 feet high. But between weather and schedule, somve of the piles have been getting much (much!) bigger lately.

 

[tom dee]

well i lived in west chester, brewyn mar, devon . mass and conn In Mass if they can see thee Smoke its regulated .

 

[Highbeam]

There are rules and then there are snitches. Without snitches, many of the rules are not an issue.

 

[Motor7]

Kiln dried often means softwood. It can and usually will get away from most of us at least once. When it warmed up a bit I was burning slabs(not even kiln dried) off my sawmill, pine, cedar, hemlock & walnut. I made the mistake of opening up the door to add a few more slabs at the end of the night without paying attention to the temp. Needless to say within one min the flue temp pegged at 1500 on the digital. I had already shut down the primary and blocked off the secondary while watching the temp climb, then immediately begin to drop. It was back in the 500 range within 3 min & no damage done. I was sure glad I had swept the flue a few days earlier. Anyway the point is that I see nothing wrong with burning kiln dried, but it does require more attention then regular firewood splits.

 

[tom dee]

Absolutely , Not a good training material he he ..

 

[firefighterjake]

Maybe just me, but I kinda like the snap crackle pop - part of the ambiance of the fire. Sometimes I might even toss in a bit of pine or cedar just to get that effect.

Nope . . . it's not just you . . . sometimes I specifically add in a piece of softwood just for the snap, crackle and pop effect.

 

[blades]

I don't think Jake means the firewood either.