Wood Wood everywhere but not a split to burn

[Dajolu]

I am not new to wood burning but I am new to hording and storing wood to properly season it before burning. I have about 4 cords of red oak probably half of it split a stacked the other half I need to get finished. I started this last December. It's a little bit frustrating that I have all this good oak but will not be able to burn it this season. I really don't want to buy wood. . . I don't need it to heat my house but its going to be really hard to stare at an empty stove on chilly days when a fire could be burning inside it. . .

 

[stoveliker]

It would have been better had you gotten oak AND pine or fir. The latter if stacked before the summer could have been dry enough to burn now.
THe stuff you have not yet split won't be dry next year either...

So go get some pine, fir. Also some maple, cherry - that'll certainly be good in 2 years.
Don't split too large (smaller dries faster).
And get more oak; it'll all be good 3 years from now...
And after you do all that, it's fine to only get oak - and only as much as you need in one year.

This is the common issue for folks who start to burn a modern stove and need dry wood.

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

I am not new to wood burning but I am new to hording and storing wood to properly season it before burning. I have about 4 cords of red oak probably half of it split a stacked the other half I need to get finished. I started this last December. It's a little bit frustrating that I have all this good oak but will not be able to burn it this season. I really don't want to buy wood. . . I don't need it to heat my house but its going to be really hard to stare at an empty stove on chilly days when a fire could be burning inside it. . .

Search for solar kilns. Depending what MC your oak is at and where you are in the country you could maybe pull one off. I did some with IBC totes link in my signature. But I understand your frustration.

@Woodsplitter67 and @pointdexter have done a few different styles as well and are sort of the gurus around here

 

[Dajolu]

I have toyed with the idea of a solar kiln. . I have oak because a tree guy who is a customer of mine dropped it off. I would love to have something else dropped off but beggars cant be choosers. I have also looked on Marketplace but all I see is oak. If I can make it up to the Adirondacks this fall I could probably fill a truck bed up with some pine and perhaps that would do. . My wood stacks get a lot of sun and a good breeze flows through them. I think the stack of smaller oak splits will be good for the 25-26 season but that remains to be seen.

 

[stoveliker]

I'm not sure it is a good idea to move wood over.lsrge distances given tree killing invasive.

It may not even be legal to do so.

 

[Dajolu]

I'm not sure it is a good idea to move wood over.lsrge distances given tree killing invasive.

It may not even be legal to do so.

Good point

 

[mpaul]

I am not new to wood burning but I am new to hording and storing wood to properly season it before burning. I have about 4 cords of red oak probably half of it split a stacked the other half I need to get finished. I started this last December. It's a little bit frustrating that I have all this good oak but will not be able to burn it this season. I really don't want to buy wood. . . I don't need it to heat my house but its going to be really hard to stare at an empty stove on chilly days when a fire could be burning inside it. . .

If you’re in contact with a local tree service company, ask them for some soft woods like pine. Typically they pay to throw that stuff away because the average user doesn’t want the soft woods. But it seasons faster than hard woods and the tree guys usually have to pay to dispose of it. If you can take it off their hands for free it’s a win win.

 

[CatfishHunter]

I don't know how many trees are on your property, but I'm in a forest. When/if I ever get to that point, I just go find a tree that fell over but didn't hit the ground - dead and dry. Cut it, haul it, burn it immediately.

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

I don't know how many trees are on your property, but I'm in a forest. When/if I ever get to that point, I just go find a tree that fell over but didn't hit the ground - dead and dry. Cut it, haul it, burn it immediately.

Sometimes that works, but I have tested dead standing stuff and had MC still measure in the 30% range.

 

[CatfishHunter]

Sometimes that works, but I have tested dead standing stuff and had MC still measure in the 30% range.

I'm sure that you can find things ranging from 0% - 30%, that doesn't mean that there isn't wood out there that is usable. I just walked past about ten different pine trees this morning that have no bark, are completely grey, and are laying level to the ground but up a few feet as they lay on other trees/branches/brush.

Dead and standing is different than dead and down. Standing is still connected to the root system and potentially drawing up moisture. In my experience, dead and standing has a higher chance of rotten wood. Dead and down is great when the tree is elevated off the ground by rocks, etc.

From my walk

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

I'm sure that you can find things ranging from 0% - 30%, that doesn't mean that there isn't wood out there that is usable. I just walked past about ten different pine trees this morning that have no bark, are completely grey, and are laying level to the ground but up a few feet as they lay on other trees/branches/brush.

Dead and standing is different than dead and down. Standing is still connected to the root system and potentially drawing up moisture. In my experience, dead and standing has a higher chance of rotten wood. Dead and down is great when the tree is elevated off the ground by rocks, etc.

Yeah ready to burn does exist but should be confirmed with a moisture meter. You know what they say about assuming............

 

[Woody Stover]

Soft Maple (Red, Silver) should be ready next fall if not split more than 4".

 

[Woody Stover]

Yeah ready to burn does exist but should be confirmed with a moisture meter.

Yep, sounds like he's got a wood lot to work, and you can find a lot of pretty dry stuff out there. I look for anything <8", standing or down, with the bark fallen off. It takes a while to get a good pile of wood when working the small stuff, as opposed to splitting bigger rounds, but if you're over a barrel for dry wood, you do whatcha gotta do. 😏

 

[CatfishHunter]

There is dry wood everywhere. It's the woods! I've never used a moisture meter. I can tell if something is going to burn well by how well it splits and how it feels. I don't need to assume a thing.

 

[begreen]

Imagine what the residents of Lake Lure, NC are thinking.

Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Lake Lure, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

 

[Woody Stover]

Imagine what the residents of Lake Lure, NC are thinking.

They might be thinking "It's gonna take me a while to get this stacked."

 

[burning VC]

umm. I get trolling, but that's beaver dams there.

I'm in a FEMA wNC county. There is more firewood, much, much easier to get that absolutely you can't give away this year.
PILEs of logs longer than a apartment complex blazing away every 1/3 mile in the hills and hollows as i went seeking ice.
It made me realize my neighbors got EQUIPMENT. ...

Those Massey's, Fords, and Internationals that Grandpas and Great Uncles kept up with no fields to run, made their hay those days....pushing the trees