winter cutting ?
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smokinj
Minister of Fire
If you have ever tapped sugar maples and seen the amount of sap collected you will understand why winter cut wood is better. The other bonus is the wood doesn't get all muddy or dirty due to snow cover. That being said all the sugar producers are gearing up for this years sap run.
Will
Will
In my area there are some who have already set their buckets/barrels and lines out to collect sap.
Sunshine on cut frozen wood will cause the wood to warm and release moisture in the wood. Air seems drier in the winter and is usually better suited to drying wood than warm humid air. So I think you are right that winter cutting is better as long as it is dry and not wet winter weather.
Sunshine on cut frozen wood will cause the wood to warm and release moisture in the wood. Air seems drier in the winter and is usually better suited to drying wood than warm humid air. So I think you are right that winter cutting is better as long as it is dry and not wet winter weather.
I cut and split green wood in the winter, for the following heating seasons. The wood splits like glass china at -20 to -30C. The moisture is a advantage. "Anything below -30 is to cold to work" No need for a fancy splitter or wedges at these temps. Also it's true the sap or moisture content or lower in the winter as the tree is "a sleep" so to say.
I find the dead dry wood is harder to split then the green wood harvested at this time and temp. I just purchased 20 cord of green wood at 35% less of the $ of dry wood. There is the odd dry snag in the mixture and the green wet wood splits instantly with a hit from my maul. The dry stuff takes a few a hits. I cut and split the green stuff for two winters to come this winter. I burn 10 cord a year between my rental cabin and house. Next year I'll purchase another load of green wood as no one wants green wood, but the loggers still have to harvest the few green snags that is in the beetle kill zone that is being logged. If they left the green ones standing they would just blow over in the wind. Been there, recovered that.
Long story short, short, shop around buy green wood cheap, season it yourself, and burn it when it's ready.
Byron
I find the dead dry wood is harder to split then the green wood harvested at this time and temp. I just purchased 20 cord of green wood at 35% less of the $ of dry wood. There is the odd dry snag in the mixture and the green wet wood splits instantly with a hit from my maul. The dry stuff takes a few a hits. I cut and split the green stuff for two winters to come this winter. I burn 10 cord a year between my rental cabin and house. Next year I'll purchase another load of green wood as no one wants green wood, but the loggers still have to harvest the few green snags that is in the beetle kill zone that is being logged. If they left the green ones standing they would just blow over in the wind. Been there, recovered that.
Long story short, short, shop around buy green wood cheap, season it yourself, and burn it when it's ready.
Byron
I think any difference between the two is negligible. The water in the tree before going dormant for the winter isn't going to flow backwards out of the root system back into the ground. I've cut plenty of standing dead tree's and find the trunk is sometimes worse than if I cut it while it was living. It seems the water just pools in the trunk.
I know several folks who cut trees in the late winter and then let them leaf out in the spring. They claim that when the now dead tree tries to leaf out, it sucks the moisture out of the log. I usually drop them and hand split them.
I guess I was thinking that trees might possibly lose some moisture before winter to avoid freezing and splitting. Just a thought. I have read that cutting and leaving a tree lay with the leaves on for a while will help jump start the drying process. Makes sense to me. I still have some black birch to cut. It seems to be very wet when first cut. Have not cut any birch during winter though.
remkel
Minister of Fire
I don't think that the wood is dryer per se. the reason I do my cutting in the winter is one thing- temerature.
Even in the cold of winter I find myself sweating while cutting wood. It is much more comfortable cutting in the winter cold than the spring/summer warmth.
Even in the cold of winter I find myself sweating while cutting wood. It is much more comfortable cutting in the winter cold than the spring/summer warmth.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
peakbagger said:
And there are many who claim if you cut the tree in the summer the same thing will happen. The leaves will suck the moisture from the tree. It does....a very little bit but not enough that you could notice any difference. It still takes the same amount of time to dry.
Another good reason for cutting in winter is no worry about bird nests, bees, insects, etc. If you happen to come upon some poison ivy, you usually won't touch it with your bare skin. Another good reason is that most folks are less active during winter so this helps the body by giving it exercise when it drastically needs it. You won't get much dirt in the bark either even if you drag the tree or log out where it is easier to work on. And finally, it is just super nice to get out into the woods at that time of the year.
I've been cutting and splitting for the last few weeks, and can assure you that the wood is quite full of moisture.
It isn't dripping like some trees do in the spring, but it needs some time in the racks to dry.
I agree with Dennis too, on the exercise, it is a welcome thing, to feel alive and strong in the winter when most people you know are moving and acting like slugs...
Rob
It isn't dripping like some trees do in the spring, but it needs some time in the racks to dry.
I agree with Dennis too, on the exercise, it is a welcome thing, to feel alive and strong in the winter when most people you know are moving and acting like slugs...
Rob
Cut it when you can and stack in single rows in the wind and sun and give it enough time, the rest is BS.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Time, wind and sun . . . and stacked. I personally suspect that when you cut a a tree down probably doesn't really make that much of a difference . . . more it's personal preference and habits learned from our fathers and grandfathers.
Me . . . I don't cut in the winter . . . too much snow . . . and I would much rather be snowmobiling. Instead I tend to cut in the Spring (in between snowmobile season ending and blackfly and ATV season starting) and the Fall . . . although I also do some in the Summer on my "free" weekends . . . a man's gotta work when a man's got the time . . . as for the wood . . . given enough time in the sun and wind and the woodstove will not know the difference.
Me . . . I don't cut in the winter . . . too much snow . . . and I would much rather be snowmobiling. Instead I tend to cut in the Spring (in between snowmobile season ending and blackfly and ATV season starting) and the Fall . . . although I also do some in the Summer on my "free" weekends . . . a man's gotta work when a man's got the time . . . as for the wood . . . given enough time in the sun and wind and the woodstove will not know the difference.
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