Slab Wood- worth $5.00 ?

[Beetle-Kill]

Just had a buddy grab me a round of pine, slab wood. The round is 4' x 8', works out to about .78 cord, if I did my math correctly. All 1" thick, by various widths, plus some bark-on sides. Looks to be a PITA, for cutting up, but for $5.00, I'll try it. Anyone else mess with something like this?- JB

 

[Wood Duck]

I think 0.78 cord, or anything even close to that much wood for $5 is worth it if you have to buy wood. Even if you meant $50 it seems like a good deal.

 

[djamwolfe]

yeah ive used slab wood -- Went through it real fast as it was kiln dried, but it did the job.
Just watch for over fire due to it being soo dry, I still use some of the slab wood to mix in with my not so seasoned pieces.

Devon

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I wish it was kiln dried, but it's beetle-kill pine. Could've been dead standing for a few years. I cut out some 12" chunks, plunge cut with a new chain, and am burning them now. Pretty nice burn, so far. For $5.00 a load, I think I could store a bunch of this stuff, as it'll be the only time I have to buy wood. :coolsmile:

 

[wantstoburnwood]

Good deal even if you split it up for kindling.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It can be a pain to cut up but doesn't need to be too bad. What I found the best was a modified sawbuck. Wide enough so that a slab will lay flat on the bottom. Then several slabs laid on the sawbuck so that you can cut 6-8 at a time works the quickest and is actually quite handy. If not that, then put two with the flat sides together so you cut 2 at a time. No matter how you cut it, two people working together is best when cutting slabwood.

 

[firefighterjake]

I love burning slabwood (mostly softwood slabs are available here) . . . but then again I am an equal opportunity burner.

I tend to use slabwood for my start up fires . . . split it up for kindling . . . and use the bigger chunks when I'm home in the evenings and weekends (especially in the shoulder seasons).

As mentioned the slabwood can burn up pretty hot and fast -- mostly due to more surface area exposed and the fact they dry pretty quickly. I wouldn't want my entire woodshed to be full of slabwood, but I do like to put up a half cord or so.

This past weekend about half of the wood I was burning was either slabwood or softwood . . .

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I wouldn't want to burn slab wood exclusively, but great to have a cord or so on hand for the reasons already mentioned.
5 bucks is a little pricey though, I don't think I would go any higher than $3.75 ;-)

 

[CrawfordCentury]

My father in law's got a friend that has a woodmiser and has more slab than he himself can burn. Awesome kindling and fall/spring fuel.

I go through about .75 cords of white pine each year, cut up from a bunch of tops.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I whacked about a foot and a half off each end,(it was banded at each end). Completely filled up my "short stacks"- 2 rows, total 3'x 4'x6'. Gave the rest to my neighbor, as he's slack'in and in need of heat. Still close to half a cord. Spring and fall, this stuff will work beautifully, especially during the day time. The bundles are larger than described, spread out on my flatbed, they go 6'wide, 4'tall, by 8'long. I likee %-P

 

[Jags]

Get yourself a few of those cheap ratchet straps (the tie down type). Band the load every 14-18" (or just shy of the length you are looking for). Ratchet them down tight. Make a full cut with your saw. Pull the strap off and move it down. Continue until the pile is gone. Easy peezy.

 

[billb3]

I used to get oak slabs from a pallet-maker for free.
Would stack 5, 6 ,7 of them on the saw buck and slice through a bunch at once. The last long pieces , I'd run through a beat up old table saw.

A lot of work, but I was younger and had time.

 

[ramonbow]

$5 would be a no-brainer for me. It may be a pain to cut, but you don't have to split them and the associated moving of rounds/splits. Has anybody measured thier production of chainsaw and sawbuck verses tablesaw for slabwood?

 

[CowboyAndy]

i would be all over that! i use pine and spruce dimensional lumber for kindling... that is right up my alley!

 

[cjsplitter]

I love slab wood!! I get mine from the Amish saw mills around here. I get a whole semi load for 450.00 and it is all red-oak,ash,maple,and white oak. you can ask for softer types if you want. I use a crib, that is 8'x18"x4'. I stack about 30 slabs at a time and make five cuts and you get six pieces per slab and times that by 30 you get 180 16" pieces. Some of the slabs are 4" thick. It will heat my house for two years and then some. Every may I get a load and sell off some for camp fire wood. 5 to 6 pieces wrap in plastic is five dollars. It pays for my heat.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I love slab wood!! I get mine from the Amish saw mills around here. I get a whole semi load for 450.00 and it is all red-oak,ash,maple,and white oak. you can ask for softer types if you want. I use a crib, that is 8'x18"x4'. I stack about 30 slabs at a time and make five cuts and you get six pieces per slab and times that by 30 you get 180 16" pieces. Some of the slabs are 4" thick. It will heat my house for two years and then some. Every may I get a load and sell off some for camp fire wood. 5 to 6 pieces wrap in plastic is five dollars. It pays for my heat.

That would work for me! This stuff is pine, but if I could get a semi-load of hardwood out here for $450, I am all over it! :coolsmile: I could easily get rid of any surplus. BTW, you a Jeeper?

 

[cjsplitter]

Ihave some jeeps( CJ7, cherokee, grand cherokee). But now I am running dodge dakotas. That way when I run my trap lines, I don't have to smell the skunks behind the seats. Everything is in the truck bed now. I have an '88,2000.and 2001 quad cab dakota.