How do these burn seeing most of the content will be bark. I have access to free trimmings in length form. What's the best way to cut these?
Saw mill trimmings
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There is a lot of sizes you may need more than one way. I have seen dump truck loads for sale that looks like a bunch of blocks. Others are 8 foot bark.
I've done it. They were $20 a bundle, and that bundle was almost a cord. This stuff was dirt cheap. It burns great, but they left a lot of ash in the stove. It was a lot of work getting all those pieces cut up to fit in the stove. I only used them in early fall and an occasional piece mixed in with the other wood during winter.
If I were going to do it over I think I would build some log bucking stands.
If I were going to do it over I think I would build some log bucking stands.
clemsonfor
Minister of Fire
Yea get stands that you can pile a bunch on and buck to length at at once.
There is a lot of bark which is not high in BTUs but will still burn. And the stuff unless its huge blocks or something will dry pretty fast. For $20 a cord some of you without a supply of wood could do pretty good with them. I would not buy them as its not the best solution but i have endless supply of wood that i can just cut.
But i think bucked to your choice legnth and if you stack it not to cram as much as possible in to a given area you could get them to dry in a year, even with oak trimmings as there will be a lot of surface area of wood and not to thick.
There is a lot of bark which is not high in BTUs but will still burn. And the stuff unless its huge blocks or something will dry pretty fast. For $20 a cord some of you without a supply of wood could do pretty good with them. I would not buy them as its not the best solution but i have endless supply of wood that i can just cut.
But i think bucked to your choice legnth and if you stack it not to cram as much as possible in to a given area you could get them to dry in a year, even with oak trimmings as there will be a lot of surface area of wood and not to thick.
Trimmings are usually real messy and a PITA to store. Most are not kiln dried and are green but due to their surface area they dry out quickly. The tend to burn quickly and are best mixed with larger wood. Some folks mix it with regular firewood that hasn't been fully seasoned.
Pellet mills usually grabs these as they make great pellets.
Pellet mills usually grabs these as they make great pellets.
Mostly sap wood & bark.
But great shoulder season & fire pit wood.
Dries relatively fast. Easy to split if needed & easy to stack.
With it being FREE. Give a load or 2 a try. You might find you like it.
Try for good higher BTU hardwood types if you have that option.
But great shoulder season & fire pit wood.
Dries relatively fast. Easy to split if needed & easy to stack.
With it being FREE. Give a load or 2 a try. You might find you like it.
Try for good higher BTU hardwood types if you have that option.
It depends upon what kind of wood it is. Beware also that they will not all be uniform in size. The ends may be large while the rest of the slab will be thin. It all depends upon the growth of the tree.
Most slab wood will dry pretty fast, but be aware that oak can still take a little extra time to dry but should be dry within a year.
Slab wood can be great for daytime burning but not so advisable for night burning.
clemsonfor
Minister of Fire
HDRock
Minister of Fire
![[Hearth.com] Saw mill trimmings](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/109/109381-6365fc68955ec311f09f6e222dd16fa1.jpg?hash=67JSYEvOCL "[Hearth.com] Saw mill trimmings")
Locust Post
Minister of Fire
I did not get any slabs last year but still have about 1/3 or a cord from the year before. I like having some around for mixing or the fire pit. They also were nice for the evening burn when I got home from work.
red oak
Minister of Fire
I used to get some slabs from a guy who ran a sawmill about a mile from my house. I would fill up my Ranger for $10 and the pieces were anywhere from 4-10 feet long. These were in the days when I was burning greener wood, and I would use the slabs for starter wood. I would not recommend filling the stove with it for sure! I remember getting the slabs in August and burning them that winter - they were either already dry or dried really quick. As for cutting them, there are two ways that worked for me. Once my wife was willing to help, so we would just set them on a picnic table, she'd hold the pieces on the far end and I'd cut, then she'd push them up and I'd cut again. All the other times, I pounded a couple of posts in the ground and put a bunch of slabs between them, kind of like HDRock did in the above pic. That worked okay too. I don't get the slabs anymore though - now that I'm burning drier wood I don't have such a need for starter wood.
HDRock
Minister of Fire
The best way to cut slab wood is with a buzz saw but not many of those around now and you need a helper if using those. Second best way to cut is to make an H block rather than a V. With the H style you can stack many in there....10, 15 or more and just stand there and cut several at one time.
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