Score: Let there be OAK!!!

[BillLion]

After having received a sugar maple tree delivered FREE about 5 weeks ago and a red maple delivered FREE 2 weeks later I was forbidden by my wife/kids to take more wood until I get caught up processing (we are in the burbs, so not tons of land).

An exception was allowed because my next door neighbor had his chestnut oak taken down today and the rounds were able to be rolled right into my property for FREE. I also had some branches trimmed from my pin oak tree that gave (so I guess I paid for that wood).

Here is my pin oak:


Here is the chestnut oak from my neighbor -mostly big fat rounds (more than this picture looks like):


Now, I REALLY can't take any more wood...

 

[Hills Hoard]

great score.....that oak looks like nice wood to process and stack...is that the case?.....well done anyway...

 

[Craig S.]

Nice score. Around here ... about 80% of the available wood rounds seem to be oak this year. Not a bad problem to have if you have the space and time to season all of it.

 

[NYLumberjack914]

Awesome score. That oak sure looks nice..

 

[NickDL]

Nice addition your pile. I always accept free wood, my wife disagrees on the need. I keep telling hey that she won't be complaining come winter time.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I never turn down mulberry or locust. It can sit 10 years and still be great burning wood.

 

[BillLion]

great score.....that oak looks like nice wood to process and stack...is that the case?.....well done anyway...

Yeah, it was all cut for me, so splitting & stacking shouldn't be too tough. Lots of time to dry though!

Nice addition your pile. I always accept free wood, my wife disagrees on the need. I keep telling hey that she won't be complaining come winter time.

Yeah, if only space wasn't such a limitation for us. And processing time. I make time, but I wish I could devote more to it.

 

[BillLion]

By the way, any thoughts on scoring the oak?

Is chestnut oak better than pin oak? How do both line up with red oak & white oak? Any insights would be helpful! Thanks.

 

[JOHN BOY]

By the way, any thoughts on scoring the oak?

Is chestnut oak better than pin oak? How do both line up with red oak & white oak? Any insights would be helpful! Thanks.

Chestnut oak is part of the white oak family . White oak is your Highest BTU oak tree 24-26 . i would think chestnut Oak to be pretty high as well. Your red oak family is 22-24 . BTU Figures are based upon which website you visit . Any oak tree is great firewood . I really dont feel in my opinion ONLY . That one burns really any longer or hotter then thee other . White oak to me seasons a little more quickly but this could be all just in my head ,i am getting older . Let your oak season at least 2 years if you can. Great stuff !

 

[Clyde S. Dale]

I've got about a cord of pin oak ready to go for this winter. I'm looking forward to burning it probably come January. It will be about 30 months C/S/S by then. The thing I remember the most about it was the stench when freshly split - to me it smells like dog $*#t when you first split it.

 

[BillLion]

Chestnut oak is part of the white oak family . White oak is your Highest BTU oak tree 24-26 . i would think chestnut Oak to be pretty high as well. Your red oak family is 22-24 . BTU Figures are based upon which website you visit . Any oak tree is great firewood . I really dont feel in my opinion ONLY . That one burns really any longer or hotter then thee other . White oak to me seasons a little more quickly but this could be all just in my head ,i am getting older . Let your oak season at least 2 years if you can. Great stuff !

Thanks for the oak insights! I'm happy to have the oak, but I don't want too much more because I don't have a lot of extra space to store wood for 2 years. I do know it'll probably take that though.

I've got about a cord of pin oak ready to go for this winter. I'm looking forward to burning it probably come January. It will be about 30 months C/S/S by then. The thing I remember the most about it was the stench when freshly split - to me it smells like dog $*#t when you first split it.

Now there's something I can look forward to!

 

[BillLion]

I've got about a cord of pin oak ready to go for this winter. I'm looking forward to burning it probably come January. It will be about 30 months C/S/S by then. The thing I remember the most about it was the stench when freshly split - to me it smells like dog $*#t when you first split it.

OK, so I just got home and split a few rounds after work and I can confirm the smell you described is very accurate! The chestnut oak both smelled and looked much better than the pin!

BTW: I used an 8-LB maul and my Fiskars x27. The Fiskars worked way better on both. That isn't the case for me with all wood, but certainly with these!

 

[lostDuck]

Bill,
Good deal on the wood. Willing to share any secrets with a newbie on how you score your wood. My first "score" on free wood from CL was maple but it was too large to fit in my minivan. Worked a deal to get some deliver but instead of showing up with his dump truck full on of his guy came in a short bed truck with 26" rounds. Basically I got the left overs still honored the payment but was less than happy. Hey at least I got some nice maple to start with!

 

[BillLion]

Bill,
Good deal on the wood. Willing to share any secrets with a newbie on how you score your wood. My first "score" on free wood from CL was maple but it was too large to fit in my minivan. Worked a deal to get some deliver but instead of showing up with his dump truck full on of his guy came in a short bed truck with 26" rounds. Basically I got the left overs still honored the payment but was less than happy. Hey at least I got some nice maple to start with!

I'm a newbie too. 3rd season burning, 1st year gathering my own wood. I've just kept an eye on CL and found that helpful. Also, when I see tree guys I stop and ask if the wood is spoken for. If they sell they'll keep it, but if they have to take it to the dump they can save a few bucks by dropping it at your place if its close enough. The biggest vehicle I have is a minivan too, so picking up is challenging though i've done it a couple times in the van and with a friend's truck.

I got free apple, black locust, norway locust and elm that I've picked up this year. And I got free sugar maple, red maple and chestnut oak delivered.

I hate to tell you, but my wife turned a free load away today that a guy brought to me unsolicited today! He had brought me a maple a few weeks ago, and wanted to bring more. Super cool of him, but we're tight on space since I have three trees to process now & I'm in the burbs. Glad I wasn't there...it would have been hard for me to say no!

Check CL daily, network with tree pros, and keep your eyes open. You'll get some wood! -Bill

 

[lostDuck]

I did not realize they have to pay to drop it off from the dump. Since I am less than 3 miles to the dump where i live next time I will have to use that as a bargaining chip. To see if i can get it delivered for free

 

[BillLion]

I did not realize they have to pay to drop it off from the dump. Since I am less than 3 miles to the dump where i live next time I will have to use that as a bargaining chip. To see if i can get it delivered for free

Are you in Hartford county? This is right up your alley if so:
(broken link removed to http://hartford.craigslist.org/zip/4150566631.html)

 

[lostDuck]

All ready done ... Still leery of using CL. I have never used it before this week so lets what happens. It sounds like member here have mixed reviews (short loads, no show, different wood, etc).
After doing some measuring it looks like it can put up about 10-12 cords without the wife complaining.

Also does is it better to have the wood in the sun or wind? I have a good windy side but it is under pine trees so it only gets full light for a few hours a day.

 

[BillLion]

All ready done ... Still leery of using CL. I have never used it before this week so lets what happens. It sounds like member here have mixed reviews (short loads, no show, different wood, etc).
After doing some measuring it looks like it can put up about 10-12 cords without the wife complaining.

Also does is it better to have the wood in the sun or wind? I have a good windy side but it is under pine trees so it only gets full light for a few hours a day.

Awesome! Congrats, you can fit more wood on your property than I can.

On CL purchases you need to be careful, but on free wood (I think they only want a few bucks for gas) you should be OK. Let me know if you score.

Re: sun or wind. From everything I've read on these forums, wind seems to be a greater factor than sun in the drying process. Sun helps, but if you have to choose -choose wind!

 

[930dreamer]

Great wood score.

 

[NickDL]

I did not realize they have to pay to drop it off from the dump. Since I am less than 3 miles to the dump where i live next time I will have to use that as a bargaining chip. To see if i can get it delivered for free

Post some signs a few miles before the dump advertising free wood dump!

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

That looks like a sweet deal, delivered for gas? Take it.....