railroad tie ends (before treating)

[brian89gp]

I might have the opportunity to pick up a bunch of railroad tie ends for a pretty good price. Its from a small lumber mill so theoretically this would be a continual supply for next year and beyond. They are 8-16" long and the same dimensions as a railroad tie.

How do secondary burn stoves handle wood like this, meaning squared off wood that will pack very tightly into the stove?

I am mulling my options here. I burn about 6 cords a year and only have room for that much in storage, so I can never get ahead. If I buy the ends I can stack them tighter and taller and possibly even inside my garage (no bark, so I assume much fewer bugs) so that I can get a 2 year supply.

Thoughts?

 

[aussiedog3]

Should burn great! The tighter you can pack them in the stove, with little or no air spaces will give you a super long burn time.
Give it a try.

 

[westkywood]

That would be sweet. I use to get oak ends from a place that makes pallets. They were about 6x6x10 inches. I loved it because it was no mess.

 

[brian89gp]

Thats good news. Hopefully they come back with a good price. Hell, even at close to split firewood rates would be alright by me. They sell some pretty decent slabwood for about $30 per cord, 100% oak so I'm hoping for a good price on the tie ends.

Do you think I would be able to stack it up in my garage and basement without running into problems? I mean, its not much different then the pile of 2x4's I have in there right?

 

[Jon1270]

My only worry would be whether they are dry, because stacking them to allow sufficient air circulation to dry quickly might be difficult.

 

[DanCorcoran]

And if they aren't dry, just remember that as they dry they'll release humidity into the air, making your garage and basement more humid (tools will rust more easily, etc.).

 

[brian89gp]

My only worry would be whether they are dry, because stacking them to allow sufficient air circulation to dry quickly might be difficult.

Will it be sufficient if stacked in single rows with both ends exposed? Like split wood without the air gap between pieces?

And if they aren't dry, just remember that as they dry they'll release humidity into the air, making your garage and basement more humid

Hmmm. Maybe outside for 2-3 years and then inside for storage.

 

[Jon1270]

I wouldn't think it would be ideal, but I am only guessing. Maybe it would be worth splitting each one in half so that each piece has one rough surface to provide some air gaps?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

They will work great depending on how you handle them. First is the drying and you'll no doubt see that you have to leave a little air space between the blocks. Same thing goes for the stove. You can pack some of them tight but you still need a little space between most of the block.

 

[brian89gp]

That makes sense.

I'll see if I can't get 10-20 cords worth of it and stack it up at my parents house and let it sit for 3 years, then start moving it up to my house a truckload at a time.