Neighbor is splitting Oak NOW to use this Winter!

[PA. Woodsman]

Remember I told you how my neighbor who used to be into firewood like we are has gotten "complacent" for whatever reason, and has just in the last few weeks started splitting wood for this upcoming Winter? Well, I went by his place this morning and saw that he has a load of wood sitting there that someday soon (maybe?) he will split and stack and it is Oak, and it's not dead Oak either Of all the woods to try to split now in August to use in a few months that has to be one of it not THE worst choice...I just don't know what is going on inside his head, he used to be into it gangbusters but this season has just been so lazy and complacent with it, and he doesn't appear to be in any physical distress or anything when I talk to him; maybe he just is losing the interest, but like I said when he tries to burn that wood in a few months his wife will kill him for smoking up the house-I just don't understand it, but it is of his doing...very strange though, very strange....he'll be nowhere near being ready, not even close.

 

[BrotherBart]

One of my neighbors who has heated with wood since at least 1980 will be splitting his Oak for the Winter any week now. I see that the rounds are stacked by the splitter now.

 

[D8Chumley]

If I didn't find this forum I might be doing the same dumb stuff

 

[WoodyJ]

Pity me 4 seasons ago when I went in November to PU i/2 cord of seasoned oak. They was splitting it when I pulled in their lot. I had to return for another 1/4 load because that pile on the ground was not a 1/2 cord. Needless to say it was was not seasoned either. Now I pity all those after me that may have to learn the hard way. Good luck.

 

[Woody Stover]

I split some Red Oak today as well, but it was dead-standing when bucked a year ago and it is for '16 at the earliest but most likely later than that. What kind of stove does that guy have? Not that it will make much difference....

 

[BrotherBart]

I cut/split/stacked red and white oak in the summer and fall for burning that year for over 20 years. Until I found this place and got wood religion. Can't believe how much more heat I could have had from that stuff.

 

[Fred Wright]

Well, the oak isn't gonna burn very well, if at all this winter. Bet he won't try that again.

Before I learned better, I tried burning year-old red oak. It burned but didn't give off much heat. That was the year I was up cleaning the chimney cap screen every few weeks.

 

[bluedogz]

I cut/split/stacked red and white oak in the summer and fall for burning that year for over 20 years. Until I found this place and got wood religion. Can't believe how much more heat I could have had from that stuff.

'got wood religion'.... I like that. I made the same mistakes with oak and BL.

 

[BrotherBart]

'got wood religion'

I am sure that what we say here looks to new members to be preaching.

 

[bluedogz]

I am sure that what we say here looks to new members to be preaching.

But sometimes they're just lookin' to get saved, brother... preach on.

 

[BrotherBart]

I come by it honestly. My Dad was a Southern Baptist preacher.

We will be passing the plate shortly.

 

[Osagebndr]

All I've read here about seasoned wood and personal experience has taught me the value and btus of seasoned wood.
I got and have had 7 cord css since jan this year

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

My readiness with all my split stacks must have gotten my neighbor in gear this year, he only waited till the end of July to start his load for the winter, I must be rubbing off on him, I'm gonna have to keep busting chops to get er done.....

 

[brenndatomu]

So does your neighbor have any nice equipment you may be interested in? 'Cause he's gonna be DONE with wood heat next spring after fightin with that green Oak all winter, I be lookin over his stuff, see if you can arrange "dibs" on any of it.
I had some White Oak that I had CSS somewhere between 3 & 4 years, burnt it last winter and it STILL has some sizzle! I was really disappointed, I wanted to save it back, give it another year, but with the polar vortex and all...to make matters worse, I had just finished going through a stack of good dry Hickory, so I was pretty much spoiled!

 

[BrotherBart]

Nah, it'll burn. We never noticed most of the chimney fires. Just knew they happened when I saw the "popcorn" on the lawn. Or the pile of it behind the insert when I pulled it out to brush the chimney.

 

[Osagebndr]

I have a good buddy that has 3000 acres of family owned property to cut on and he's just too lazy to do it. His motto , why do something today when you can just wait and use the stove as a dryer. Never have seen him burn anything but wringing wet wood and he still don't know why the stove doesn't heat the whole house!

 

[Ashful]

I have a good buddy that has 3000 acres of family owned property to cut on and he's just too lazy to do it. His motto , why do something today when you can just wait and use the stove as a dryer. Never have seen him burn anything but wringing wet wood and he still don't know why the stove doesn't heat the whole house!

But I bet he knows which way to turn his iPhone when taking his avatar photo.

 

[midwestcoast]

As,Bart says he'll get through the winter & probably never be the wiser.
A lot of burners just have no idea what burning with truly dry wood is even like.
No smoke? No creosote? No playing with the stove for an hour to get a load going? BS they'll say. That dried out old stuff will burn your house down, or burn up in no time flat, or...

I just hope he's downwind of you.

 

[brenndatomu]

But I bet he knows which way to turn his iPhone when taking his avatar photo.

What, you don't like his side vent stove?!

 

[Osagebndr]

But I bet he knows which way to turn his iPhone when taking his avatar photo.

Thanks lol.

 

[brenndatomu]

Nah, it'll burn. We never noticed most of the chimney fires. Just knew they happened when I saw the "popcorn" on the lawn. Or the pile of it behind the insert when I pulled it out to brush the chimney.

As,Bart says he'll get through the winter & probably never be the wiser.
A lot of burners just have no idea what burning with truly dry wood is even like.
No smoke? No creosote? No playing with the stove for an hour to get a load going? BS they'll say. That dried out old stuff will burn your house down, or burn up in no time flat, or...

I just hope he's downwind of you.

Yeah, you're right, it'll burn. But I can tell ya, if it wasn't for finding that other wood burners site (and then this one) and getting a lil edjumacation, I'd have sold my stove and be back to helping some sheik pay for his new camel barn! Heck, I thought it was the POS stoves fault, so got me a new one, it was a lil better, but so was my wood by that point. Looking back, that first stove would have been fine with dry wood and a key damper...live and learn!

 

[Beer Belly]

Got a stack of Oak that's will be close to 2 years this winter....might burn it in a pinch. Right now, and for the last 2 months, been splitting Ash and stacking in the sun.....just been busy with working on the house, and then surgery.....hope the Ash will burn okay, it's all I got

 

[Ashful]

Split small, ash dries pretty quick. One hot summer could do ya. Split large, 2 years.

 

[jharkin]

Gosh and I feel behind that Ive got a pile of rounds to split this month that I might get forced to burn next winter (15/16) if its a cold one this year

On topic... dont feel so bad, there are houses around me that I know will start splitting come October. The guy across from me burns 24/7 and he is splitting now for this winter. He does know better and usually goes at least a year ahead but with last years cold one and then he got laid up by hospitalization in the spring he had no choice. Knows he is in for trouble and it trying to get as much done as he can.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Heck, I thought it was the POS stoves fault, so got me a new one, it was a lil better, but so was my wood by that point. Looking back, that first stove would have been fine with dry wood and a key damper...live and learn!

My buddy at the local stove shop tells me stories like this pretty often, people complaining "that it must be the stove that isn't working properly", so he has them bring in a piece of wood and it always is way off the charts wet. Like you said, live and learn...we've all done it !

Beer Belly, I hope you are okay, whatever your surgery was !

Thanks for the replies all; I know it's none of my business, but it just strikes me as very odd that someone who was so into it and going gangbusters for awhile now is so complacent about it. I remember probably two years ago my other neighbor said "you've got some competition-he's got as much or more than you do !", and I just smiled and said "you're right", have talked to him many times if he is out, but this year he was behind like all of us from the harsh Winter, but never really got into the swing of it....and I remember him telling me that he has a wood source and he obviously can still get wood as every once in awhile he has a pile laying there that he brought in or had dropped off, so it's not like he can't get wood, plus there IS stuff around if you do look although not as much as other years but you can find it if you try hard enough.....

He's going to have a bad experience with unseasoned wood, then next year he'll either wise up and learn from it or quit altogether....