Does anyone have experience burning Sweet Gum? I have a large tree close to the house that I'm just itching to take down. How's it burn and how long to season? Thanks.
Sweet Gum
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The Beagler
Burning Hunk
Personally, I've never burned it. From what I've read on this forum it makes decent shoulder season wood. Also, you will need a log splitter because it is a pain in the @$$ to split. They are a beautiful tree, but fighting the gum balls all year would make me want that tree cut down. Good luck!
shoot-straight
Minister of Fire
x2 it does season quick though. i burned mine a year after and it was ok. just for perspective, i would rather buy wood than split gum or sycamore again. just not worth the effort.
by the way, love the morels! our season was early and short last year. hope its better this year.
Burns hot and fast and 6-8 months to season.
There is a method of whittling around the edge to split it, it is almost impossible to split one in half or quarters but if you work your way around the edge it splits fairly easy (one swing) with an x27. A standard maul will just get stuck. Was splitting rounds just as fast as with silver maple and black walnut.
There is a method of whittling around the edge to split it, it is almost impossible to split one in half or quarters but if you work your way around the edge it splits fairly easy (one swing) with an x27. A standard maul will just get stuck. Was splitting rounds just as fast as with silver maple and black walnut.
clemsonfor
Minister of Fire
Seasons fast and is fast to rot as well. If the tree is smaller than say 8"s and straight you can split it and i have. But bigger its a waste. I would say unless its small or you have hydros or can burn the rounds whole dont bother.
That said i have burned a few cords and heated my house with them when in school. I had way more time than money. I had like 18" rounds. I noodled them with the saw into quarters and then splut those when drier or imedietly they were not bad once dry and burned hot fast.
That said i have burned a few cords and heated my house with them when in school. I had way more time than money. I had like 18" rounds. I noodled them with the saw into quarters and then splut those when drier or imedietly they were not bad once dry and burned hot fast.
MaintenanceMan
Minister of Fire
I have a bunch of gum. It's all mixed. Some black, some sweet, some Wrigley's Spearment.....
The black gum and sweet gum are about the same. Hard to split. It tears and shreds. Doesn't split.
Seasons fast, but rots fast too. Keep it off the ground and covered when you stack it.
Lights fast so I find it good for cold starts. Stinks real bad too.
The black gum and sweet gum are about the same. Hard to split. It tears and shreds. Doesn't split.
Seasons fast, but rots fast too. Keep it off the ground and covered when you stack it.
Lights fast so I find it good for cold starts. Stinks real bad too.
Yeah, I made the mistake of felling two last year and bucking them up. First and last time I split those things. What would have normally gone really smoothly with hardly any knots, took FOREVER. I let it season for just over a year before I started burning it this year and it was pretty dry. I am actually still burning it right now. Threw a huge piece on the coals a couple hours ago.
Downsides are:
1) Hard as heck to split with a ton of strings between splits. If you thought white oak was stringy, you have never split sweet gum.
2) Not many btu's in it, and it burns fast
3) Does not coal very well at all
4) Leaves a ton of ash
5) Smells like garbage when burning
Pluses
1) The chainsaw went through it like butter
2) It has been decent enough for shoulder season
3) It gets the furnace hot real quick, as it disappears just as quickly
4) It was free heat
With all that said, if the racks are anywhere close to full like they are now, I pass on sweet gum and other soft woods. If I have to move wood around like crazy and spend time processing it, I might as well get the biggest bang for my buck (i.e., time) and spend my time getting hardwoods. Now, if it is a choice between getting sweet gum or paying the utility company to heat the house, sweet gum it shall be.
Downsides are:
1) Hard as heck to split with a ton of strings between splits. If you thought white oak was stringy, you have never split sweet gum.
2) Not many btu's in it, and it burns fast
3) Does not coal very well at all
4) Leaves a ton of ash
5) Smells like garbage when burning
Pluses
1) The chainsaw went through it like butter
2) It has been decent enough for shoulder season
3) It gets the furnace hot real quick, as it disappears just as quickly
4) It was free heat
With all that said, if the racks are anywhere close to full like they are now, I pass on sweet gum and other soft woods. If I have to move wood around like crazy and spend time processing it, I might as well get the biggest bang for my buck (i.e., time) and spend my time getting hardwoods. Now, if it is a choice between getting sweet gum or paying the utility company to heat the house, sweet gum it shall be.
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