Punk

[BamaScroungr]

This year I'm burning a 50/50 mix of maple and ash. I only started using a moisture meter recently, and I only just today discovered that my punky ash is clinging to a 39% moisture content. I thought previously that I was able to dry out my ash under or near the stove, but no. I can dry out the surface, but not the interior. So now I'm ditching the ash and burning maple exclusively. (Well okay, I have a small amount of osage and hickory to mix in with it!)

I think I have enough maple and other species to get by this winter.

You guys would do the same? You'd ditch the punky stuff if you couldn't dry it out, right?

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

I wouldn't burn it at 39%. If my splits are 20%+, I'll thrown em on next years pile.

 

[BamaScroungr]

I wouldn't burn it at 39%. If my splits are 20%+, I'll thrown em on next years pile.

Well, yeah, I dumped it. Picked all that ash out of the pile today and not looking back. A damn waste though. Wish I could dry it out.

 

[mass_burner]

Well, yeah, I dumped it. Picked all that ash out of the pile today and not looking back. A damn waste though. Wish I could dry it out.

I managed to burn 4-6 splits of half punk wood, but it takes too much handling/special attention. It's messier, it tends to smolder, not worth it. Throw it in the chipper come spring.

 

[Jags]

Leave it in the stacks. It will dry out.

 

[Hasufel]

I've got some punky oak and knock/shave off as much of the punk as I can before I stack the splits. Fiskars work well for shaving off the stuff. I figure oak takes long enough to season--I don't want a sponge slowing down the process!

 

[claydogg84]

I burn whatever is in this years stack.

 

[heavy hammer]

Stack it high it should dry out

 

[billb3]

No ash here, but I had some punky beech and I had to keep it in a shed or it just sucked up rain water like a sponge. It wasn't even very good firewood either. I don't bother with dead standing beech any more. Same with maple - if it starting to grow fungi the birds and bugs can have it.

 

[Wood Duck]

You have to cover punky wood, but if you do it dries out pretty fast. I separate the punky stuff into a separate stack.

 

[BamaScroungr]

Well I'm telling you guys from experience that punky ash will not dry out unless it's kept in a dry space. And I don't have one. I have no HVAC in my space and no woodshed. My stacked ash won't stay dry, even covered. I have, therefore, given up on punky ash and punk in general. Not worth it.

 

[Applesister]

Can we see the punky wood?
I see alot of marbled maple and hollow beech, and black cherry with the sapwood growing all kinds psychedelia but never seen punky Ash.

 

[BamaScroungr]

Here it is Applesister, the same image I uploaded a year ago in an attempt to identify it. Nford described it as "pure punk."

 

[Jags]

Hmmm... a little different than when I think of "punk". Usually I (notice I said "I") attribute punk to an outer layer not being solid. This stuff is in a stage of full on decomposition. And yes - many do call that punk as well. Good to have a reference for this discussion.

 

[BamaScroungr]

Hmmm... a little different than when I think of "punk". Usually I (notice I said "I") attribute punk to an outer layer not being solid. This stuff is in a stage of full on decomposition. And yes - many do call that punk as well. Good to have a reference for this discussion.

I guess different types of wood "punk" differently.

 

[Jags]

I guess different types of wood "punk" differently.

Very true. As where oak will typically start to punk out the outer layers leaving a solid core, soft maple will simply start a total degrade (very similar to the pics above).

 

[Applesister]

Ah...yes...the white fungal thing. Seen it before on Red Oak.