Slabwood?

[Gunner]

A local lumber company has what they call slabwood for sale...has anybody burned this? I was told it's the outer parts of the log (hardwood) 2-6" thick 14-16" long. Picked up it is $100 a cord. Traditional split cordwood is $200-$350/cord around here.

Thoughts?

 

[BrotherBart]

I have burned mill slabs before and like'em. There is a a lot of bark on them but they stack to a tight high volume cord and make packing the stove a lot easier than with splits because of the fairly regular shape.

Of course the heartwood that is the best part of the burn with cordwood isn't there with slabs. It went to make nightstands and coffee tables.

 

[michaelthomas]

I have a small one man mill operation up the street and he gives the slabs away for free as it is a waste product that he has to deal with if no one takes it. He has a big gully out in his back 40 that he dumps the slabs in. he must have 100 cord of wood back there. I go up from time to time and pick through his slab pile before he brings them out back. I load up a few stacks of slabs maybe 18" high and stack them on pvc pipe. When I get the wood home I just roll the slab stack out 16" at a time and cut to length with the old chainsaw and stack them. He cuts mostly eastern hemlock so it is in the 17-18 btu catagory, but it is close, free, and easy to handle. I am going to try to stockpile 3-4 cord of the slabs in case he stops milling doing it or starts charging for it. I have also used the slabs to cover my wood piles with. Some of the slabs und up 16- 18" wide.

 

[suematteva]

From time to time we get some, primarily use it to get the stove up to temp and then put on the big stuff. If you log cabin the stack in the firebox, make sure you keep an eye on it, it can got very hot very fast! this stuff can dry out very fast.

You may want to make a few phone calls or check around on the price...depends on the location but some have to chip it due to fire hazard, one mill I know of sells hardwood cutoffs for $10-15, as much as you can cram in your truck..

 

[Gunner]

Yep, he said that it dries really fast. I may go look at this stuff tomorrow. My concern was it getting to hot to fast, all depends how thick the pieces are I guess. Mabey mix it in 50/50 with bigger splits and use the smaller stuff for startups.

 

[BikeMedic2709]

My dad has burned ALOT of this. He used only slabwood for 3 years. A local Amish sawmill would sell it for $10. a bundle. A bundle was about 4 feet in diameter and 16 to 18 feet in length. Had a 18 foot flatbed trailer, and they even loaded it for us. We took it home. Cut it to length, and burnd it. My dad loved it because it was minimal work for the amount of wood he got. The mill now sell all of its wood to only one person now by contract, and he can no longer get it.

 

[Gunner]

I'm pretty sure he said 14-16 inches, he mentioned that they are loaded into large "boxes" that when stacked are roughly 1 cord. Climb ontop of the box and toss them into you truck or trailer. Mabey that's why he's not giving the stuff away because he is cutting to length.

 

[suematteva]

Gunner,

What neck of the woods you in? general area?

 

[Gunner]

Southern Ontario

 

[suematteva]

In Quebec around the Sutton area believe there is a mill selling cutoffs in big diameter metal banded load, solid cord, uncut in 8-10 ft lengths for around 75-100 bucks Cdn delivered, last year.. Hardwood..

if you are getting a cord 4 ft x 4ft x8ft for a hundred bucks already cut sounds good.

 

[suematteva]

Seasoned cord wood delivered in that area right now is going for $65-75 a face cord delivered or real cord $195-225 cdn.

In Knowlton in 6 weeks, it will be 85-90 a face cord..