Oak chunks

[Stegman]

I just finished processing some red oak for the first time. I split up a bunch of smaller chunks and uglies and set them on a pallet. I was wondering if these might season up faster than your typical oak split. I suspect not, but was hoping I might be able to burn them for 2014-15.

While some of the ones on top look pretty big, they're really not. And 90 percent of them are probably six inches long and 3-5 inches wide at the widest part of the triangle.

Thoughts?

 

[USMC80]

I have had success this year burning uglies that were stacked for about 14 months

 

[gzecc]

Not in my opinion. Unless oak it cue stick size it needs a full two years stacked off the ground in single rows.

 

[red oak]

Those chunks should burn fine in my opinion. I do something similar with knotty pieces - basically carve them up pretty small with the chainsaw and pile them outside by the fire pit. The fact that they're shorter helps a lot with drying. What I don't burn outside in summer and fall I try to burn in the stove in October or November. Throw one in on a hot fire and it burns fine.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I split them maybe in thirds if you want them to season faster. They still do take some time .
Oak is stubborn!

 

[Applesister]

If you split them down in half again you could probably be quite confident they will burn within a year, no problem.
I personally think at the current size its iffy. The chunks look pretty big.

 

[midwestcoast]

IMO the small chunks will dry much quicker than full splits. But. Big But. It is very hard to stack/pile them to get similar exposure n airflow as a stack of splits.
So mine end up taking just as long to dry

 

[jeffesonm]

I often use chunks/uglies to weigh down the rubber roofing covering the stacks... they seem to dry quickly on top of the pile, baking in the sun on the hot black rubber.

 

[dmmoss51]

Possibly, verify with a moisture meter.

I burn a lot of red oak, and I split a lot of it pretty small as my stove has a pretty small door and I can actually fit more fuel for longer burns in tetras stile this way.

I do think I get seasoned faster than other guys with larger splits... surface area at work. But since I got my moisture meter I have found some things I thought were dry were not and other things pleasantly surprised me.

The 3 year CSS rule works out most of the time, if you're trying to shave time off use a MM to confirm. No one here can tell you for sure what your wood will do under your unique conditions but I MM will let you where you are at.

Hope that helps!

 

[tsquini]

They should dry fast they have a greater surface area % exposed to the elements.

 

[NH_Wood]

I have a lot of the same - they do seem to dry faster, but not within a year - two year mark the smaller ones have been pretty good, but I don't burn any oak before 3-4 years in the stack. Cheers!

 

[gerry100]

I've burned oak chunks after one year seasoning.

It burned fine but the heat output was noticeably diminished.

I'd leave that pile out until Sept '14 and put in the back of the pile for burning in Feb/March of '15

 

[weatherguy]

I always wait two years for my oak chunks and bits, one year doesn't seem to be enough.