Sweet gum take it or leave it?

[kattpound]

my brother is taking down 3 good sized trees and one is a sweet gum i've never cut gum before and just wondered if it was worth the time and effort. I will be hauling it about 20 miles and I have at least 3 years c/s/s. Thanks for the advise.

 

[kattpound]

sorry for the double post not sure what happened but it was most likely operator error

 

[Stax]

Leave it.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I hear it is really difficult to split but burns okay.

 

[Woody Stover]

I've got a big Sweetgum that's shading the garden. Trying to get the OK from the boss to take it down. I hate to toss the wood and was thinking that I could cut it into a bunch of shorter cookies, say maybe about 6", and toss in in a bin that I'm making for unstackable chunks. I don't need it, but...

 

[johnsopi]

Sweet Gum and Black Gum are aweful. I got a lot of it 6 cords it rotted before it dried. Leave it.

 

[Wood Duck]

If you are not sure how hard it will be to split, try splitting a sample of rounds from the the top, middle, bottom of the tree and then decide if you want the wood or not. The only problem with Sweet Gum would be splitting. I have also heard it rots easily, but so do a number of other woods. If it is not too bad to split then there is no reason not to take it.

 

[cptoneleg]

Them Gum cookies burn good, these are Black Gum

 

[Blue Vomit]

You have to Weigh the factors...quality of the wood, 20 mile trip, availability of other better quality wood, amount of wood you already have, and decide.

If you need it and it's easy, get it.

If you can get better, easier, leave it.

 

[Woody Stover]

Them Gum cookies burn good, these are Black Gum

Hmmm, I think you've posted that pic before. For a minute there I thought I had come up with that idea... I did come up with a good idea for drying chunks though. I'll post some pics when I get it set up soon...

 

[lukem]

Leave it. I hate Gum trees, standing or not.

 

[mellow]

I burn a lot of sweetgum, some trees split easy, others turn into a stringy mess. I have been told by the older folks that you need to split it as soon as you cut it down, I will test that theory as I have about 2 cords worth waiting to be split in my yard sitting in rounds for the past 4 months.

If you have other better wood I would leave it, but it will burn.

 

[cptoneleg]

Hmmm, I think you've posted that pic before. For a minute there I thought I had come up with that idea... I did come up with a good idea for drying chunks though. I'll post some pics when I get it set up soon...

Those were cut down where I was clearing some land, about a 100 yards from my stove, didn't want it to waste and couldn't split it, even with hydrolic splitter. And I have posted this pic before also probably everytime someone ask about Gum, The old picture is worth a 1000 words thing.

 

[kattpound]

Thanks for the thoughts. I think i will try wood duck's idea of splitting some to see.

 

[mellow]

Everyone should have a gum picture, helps remind you to find better wood if you can

 

[mcollect]

I learned a long time ago, that sweet gum needs to be split within one day of being felled. Other wise it is near impossible. But on day one it splits very easily.

 

[cptoneleg]

Well Black Gum don't split easy on day 1 that picture is hour 1.