Received free wood! Have some question...

[Cfran88]

So some new neighbors offered me the wood left in their backyard by the previous owners. It's still in rounds but it looks like it's been stacked a long time, kind of making a fence. Very dark on the ends and the smaller rounds have the bark falling right off. I think it's a least a few cords, maybe more.

Two things: first, I don't know what kind of wood it is and neither do they. They have a small woodlot so it came from the property but there's a mix of trees. My husband doesn't want to burn any pine in the new insert we're getting (although I see many people do it). Would you worry about if it might be pine or just burn away? Any way for me to guesstimate the type? I attached a photo of pieces with and without the bark in case that will help

It really looks dry (we'll see how it is once split) and would break my heart to see it in the firepit. We barely have a half cord of seasoned wood otherwise because prices are so high. I'm new to scrounging wood (and until I get a truck or something, I won't be able to find much) so this feels like a gift from heaven.

Second, my little splitter can only handle 20" long. Some pieces are a bit longer. The insert fits up to 24". Should I cut the pieces in half, making them about 12" or so? Or should I cut them down to 20" and just use the small chunks to feed the fire? What's the max diameter you would say don't even split of it'll fit in the stove? I'm new to burning so I'm happy for any helpful tips.

Btw, we're getting a Lopi Medium Flush Hybrid Fyre (the medium is a non-cat), in case that makes a difference.

Addition: Split a piece, not dry inside but I have the room to let it season. Added a pic if that might help identify. Also, what to do with all the falling off bark? Trash it? Still has a stray worm or two in it.

Addition 2: there's a second type of wood. It's much lighter. After splitting a piece, my nose is sure that it's pine. Photo attached.

 

[WoodHog]

Cfran,
New user, long time burner here. Quick look at your photos would suggest you may have locust there.
Bark pattern, tight grain and yellowish hue indicate such.

On the other hand, if it is locust, I'm not sure how seasoned it is if it's still that yellow.

The good news is, it's harder than my head, was sought after here in the east for fence posts before pressure treated posts as it lasts for decades in the ground.
It is the 'firewood of Kings' in my book, burns very hot, yielding nearly 24M BTU per cord, right up there with oak, beech.
tw

 

[Rickb]

Burn it......

 

[ct01r]

I agree that it looks like locust. I like it when the bark falls off as it dries faster; I usually just burn the bark when the fire's dying down just to get rid of it and add last minute heat. As for length, I usually cut pieces for max burn time; I'd say 20 inches for your 24 inch fire box. The cutoffs can be used in off seasons to take the chill out with a short burn. Curt

 

[Supersurvey]

Could it be Osage orange?

 

[Cfran88]

I agree that it looks like locust. I like it when the bark falls off as it dries faster; I usually just burn the bark when the fire's dying down just to get rid of it and add last minute heat. As for length, I usually cut pieces for max burn time; I'd say 20 inches for your 24 inch fire box. The cutoffs can be used in off seasons to take the chill out with a short burn. Curt

Cfran,
New user, long time burner here. Quick look at your photos would suggest you may have locust there.
Bark pattern, tight grain and yellowish hue indicate such.

On the other hand, if it is locust, I'm not sure how seasoned it is if it's still that yellow.

The good news is, it's harder than my head, was sought after here in the east for fence posts before pressure treated posts as it lasts for decades in the ground.
It is the 'firewood of Kings' in my book, burns very hot, yielding nearly 24M BTU per cord, right up there with oak, beech.
tw

Thank you very much! I also think you are right. Now it makes sense why the pieces directly on the ground still look very solid! Some pieces have about 1/4 inch of punky ring on the outer but otherwise good. I better get the neighbor a giftcard for the holidays

It is very wet still so I'm slowly getting as much CSS over this fall as I can. Fortunately the neighbor is fine with me picking away at it since I can only transport a little at a time. Any chance of it being ready by next winter or does locust take a couple years to season?

 

[shortys7777]

You can get a moisture meter and check it next fall. Stack it soon and top cover

 

[Bushels20]

My husband doesn't want to burn any pine in the new insert we're getting (although I see many people do it). Would you worry about if it might be pine or just burn away

Do not be afraid to be burn pine. I see you are from central Ohio. Me too. P-town.

Pine is a big myth around our parts. Make sure it is seasoned correctly and it will burn just the same as every other wood. It doesn’t last as long as some of the hardwoods we have the luxury of using around here, but a lot of folks on here only have access to softwoods like pine. They season it and have clean burning fires with little to no creosote buildup.

You will here the same myth about “sweet gum” trees around here too. Same thing, just season it. That’s all.

 

[Simonkenton]

When you said it had been out in the weather for years, I figured it was half rotten. But then I saw the pictures and it looks like locust to me.
Where poplar will rot in 2 years, it takes locust 45 years to rot. That is some great firewood. I burn a lot of locust.

 

[Cfran88]

Do not be afraid to be burn pine. I see you are from central Ohio. Me too. P-town.

Pine is a big myth around our parts. Make sure it is seasoned correctly and it will burn just the same as every other wood. It doesn’t last as long as some of the hardwoods we have the luxury of using around here, but a lot of folks on here only have access to softwoods like pine. They season it and have clean burning fires with little to no creosote buildup.

You will here the same myth about “sweet gum” trees around here too. Same thing, just season it. That’s all.

Hello neighbor and thanks for the tip! My first scrounge was nearly a cord of pine. We burn on our firepit a lot so I figured it would be used there. I CSS it months ago but never covered it. I'll take better care of it now.

This morning I started splitting again and encountered another type of wood. Anyone have ideas? Much lighter than the locust and showing a little more rot on the outside but still pretty solid. It is salmon in color, took a photo next to the locust for comparison, along with a bark photo.

I'm not being picky about the wood, more concerned about separating different woods that will vary in years to season. Don't want to have to dig through the wood pile too much.

 

[Bushels20]

Hello neighbor and thanks for the tip! My first scrounge was nearly a cord of pine. We burn on our firepit a lot so I figured it would be used there. I CSS it months ago but never covered it. I'll take better care of it now.

This morning I started splitting again and encountered another type of wood. Anyone have ideas? Much lighter than the locust and showing a little more rot on the outside but still pretty solid. It is salmon in color, took a photo next to the locust for comparison, along with a bark photo.

I'm not being picky about the wood, more concerned about separating different woods that will vary in years to season. Don't want to have to dig through the wood pile too much.

Cherry, in my opinion. Good wood. Seasons quickly compared to most hardwoods.

 

[Cfran88]

Thank you.

I am cutting into something else now. I'm guessing this is rotted? The pieces are really firm though and easily splits. Is it worth the trouble to burn or just leave it behind?

 

[Simonkenton]

That wood is rotten. Throw it away.

 

[blades]

looks like ash in fist to pic and pine in second set. as far as splitting goes it's your choice to shorten or not to fit splitter . niether of those woods are difficult to split with a maul and wedge. my stove takes 20" but I cut everything to about 17/18" for a bit of wiggle room

 

[Bushels20]

That wood is rotten. Throw it away.

Agreed

 

[bfitz3]

Buy a moisture meter. Really. Buy one. They’re pretty cheap and well worth it for avoiding the annoyances of back puffing/stalled burns. If your wood is a little wet, consider getting a pallet of biobricks/envirologs, etc.

Then get on scrounging... my first year wood was questionable but okay. Starts we’re hard, transitioning to the cat was sometimes problematic, but the novelty of giving the bird to the propane guy kept me focused and motivated to tending the fire with the attention needed to get decent burns.

Nowadays, my wood hits the garage in August at 11-15% moisture, starts with little kindling, gets to temp quick, and transitions to the cat seamlessly.

The extra work needed to get three years ahead is tough, but well worth it!

 

[firefighterjake]

So some new neighbors offered me the wood left in their backyard by the previous owners. It's still in rounds but it looks like it's been stacked a long time, kind of making a fence. Very dark on the ends and the smaller rounds have the bark falling right off. I think it's a least a few cords, maybe more. Excellent. Always nice to have a bunch of free wood.

Two things: first, I don't know what kind of wood it is and neither do they. They have a small woodlot so it came from the property but there's a mix of trees. My husband doesn't want to burn any pine in the new insert we're getting (although I see many people do it). Would you worry about if it might be pine or just burn away? Any way for me to guesstimate the type? I attached a photo of pieces with and without the bark in case that will help. Looks like a hardwood of some sort to me . . . but even if it wasn't I would burn it if it is seasoned and dry. Pine is fine. In fact, I like to burn softwood this time of year in place of the good hardwood.

It really looks dry (we'll see how it is once split) and would break my heart to see it in the firepit. We barely have a half cord of seasoned wood otherwise because prices are so high. I'm new to scrounging wood (and until I get a truck or something, I won't be able to find much) so this feels like a gift from heaven.

Second, my little splitter can only handle 20" long. Some pieces are a bit longer. The insert fits up to 24". Should I cut the pieces in half, making them about 12" or so? Or should I cut them down to 20" and just use the small chunks to feed the fire? What's the max diameter you would say don't even split of it'll fit in the stove? I'm new to burning so I'm happy for any helpful tips. I would cut everything to 20 so you can use your splitter. I find that while a stove's firebox may fit X inches of wood, invariably there is ash build up or the split isn't perfectly straight and so having splits a couple of inches shorter than the the firebox size works well for me. You can use the chunks this time of year or in the Spring when you don't necessarily want to cram as much fuel into the stove as possible as you would perhaps in the dead of the winter.

Btw, we're getting a Lopi Medium Flush Hybrid Fyre (the medium is a non-cat), in case that makes a difference.

Addition: Split a piece, not dry inside but I have the room to let it season. Added a pic if that might help identify. Also, what to do with all the falling off bark? Trash it? Still has a stray worm or two in it. I don't worry about the bugs . . . or bark . . . if the bark falls off I leave it outside as mulch around my wood stacks. If it still has the bark on I burn it.

Addition 2: there's a second type of wood. It's much lighter. After splitting a piece, my nose is sure that it's pine. Photo attached. The last photo posted looks like it could be softwood of some sort . . . it's fine to burn regardless.

 

[firefighterjake]

Thank you.

I am cutting into something else now. I'm guessing this is rotted? The pieces are really firm though and easily splits. Is it worth the trouble to burn or just leave it behind?

Depends . . . how is your wood supply this year?

Chances are if the wood is dry it may be able to be burned this year.

That said, as punky as it looks it will most likely not coal up very well or last long.

Generally I burn this sort of thing in my fire pit or save it for camping, but if someone needed the heat it is do-able . . . as long as it is dry. Get it wet and it may be like burning a soggy sponge in your woodstove though.

 

[Cfran88]

Thank you everyone! This information has been great!

After splitting a bit for the last two days, I must say I have a new respect for you guys and firewood sellers. Not easy work (my body sure can tell the difference from when I was splitting and moving pine around). But I'm sure they're much stronger than I am and have better equipment. I started prioritizing to get the locust first, in case I throw in the towel.

We actually have gas heating but that motivates me to put in the work. Can't justify spending money on wood after this first year (since we're just starting off but really want to use the insert) But now I see more value in wood and won't be so quick to waste it.

 

[SpaceBus]

This reminds me of some free firewood we got last year. It was mostly seasoned, but about 1/5 was punky, rotten, or full of bugs.

 

[sw18x]

Yellow ish pieces look just like mulberry to me. If so watch out they really like to crackle and throw off sparks, fun to watch burn.

 

[blades]

Black locust when fresh cut is also yellowish