wendell said:Shari, no kidding. Hard to get wood to dry in a steam bath. :wow:
Shari said:wendell said:Shari, no kidding. Hard to get wood to dry in a steam bath. :wow:
I am also finding it VERY hard to get enthused about getting out there and splitting/stacking the rounds laying on the ground. I've also got two sources I have to get to this next week to pick up free wood (hard maple/shagbark hickory/oak) but just can't face it in this heat.
Shari
oldspark said:Not shure why it takes some peoples oak 3 years to season, the 1 and 1/2 years is what works for me with green oak and single rows[/b] in the wind and sun.
Not being a smart ass but you should point that out in your post, when I first joined this forum I could not believe the drying times and moisture content and the times listed for the firewood people had but no mention of how they were stacking their wood. Clarification for the newer people helps someone just starting out.wendell said:oldspark said:Not shure why it takes some peoples oak 3 years to season, the 1 and 1/2 years is what works for me with green oak and single rows[/b] in the wind and sun.
Actually, your 3 reasons are right there. I have none of your luxuries. As a requirement to stay married, I have to live in the city with houses all around so my rows are too close together, the wind is blocked by the houses around me and I get very little sun.
Backwoods Savage said:...to stay married I live in the country
boatboy63 said:I don't know about the rest of you guys, but it looks like this year should be very good for drying. Last year, we had 11 days that were 90 degrees or above, with all of them being in August. This year, we have had nearly 60 days of 90+ so far and it started in June. True, humidity has been high at some times, but it looks like the heat would account for something.
I have my black locust splits in 18-24" lengths, stacked in single rows about 5' tall and 24' long. I have the rows spaced about 5' apart and in direct sun with the wind blowing across them. It is one of the advantages of living on a 12+ acre farm out in the country. Furthermore, all this came from a guy who was clearing land and cut them last fall. I got them in March and we split them then.
I am currently looking at a red oak that is in a boundry fence between my hayfield and a neighbor's pasture field. The tree is about 42" in diameter at the base, 60'+ in height, and has several limbs that are 16"+ in diameter. It is growing on my side of the fence, but leaning drastically into his field and I would have to cut the fence and use a tractor to pull it thru. It is hard to get motivated about doing this when it is 93 degrees at 11:30 am with a heat index of 105. Don't suppose waiting another month or 2 will hurt. Still looking for the easy takes of trees already on the ground, but this one is going to be some work.
richg said:Boatboy,
There is no point in cutting that tree until at least November. You already have your firewood lined up for the winter, plus, red oak is notorious for taking forever to season. If you cut it now, it will have even more moisture in it. Wait until November or December when it has gone dormant. It will have less moisture and it will be easier to work in cooler temps.