What signs do firewood exhibit when it is dry enough to burn well? Does the
bark start coming off? What about species where the bark is tenacious? I
cut some FRESH fruit trees this past summer, and I KNOW it won't be ready
before next fall, but I was wondering how to select pieces of wood from my
big pile by just looking at it. When we go to recover wood, we take freshly
fallen wood, as well as downed wood that has already aged, and the bark is
coming off. We try to select the stuff where the bark is coming off, but
not so old that there is any insect activity going on, like wood ants, or
such, or any rot.

Steve

"Steve B" wrote in :

What signs do firewood exhibit when it is dry enough to burn well?

Hold the log by one end, and rap the other end on your driveway. Dry wood makes a
characteristic ringing sound -- a baseball bat gives a great example of this -- but if you hear a
dull thud, the wood is still pretty damp.

On Sun, 3 Feb 2013 15:59:20 +0000 (UTC), Doug Miller
wrote:

"Steve B" wrote in :

What signs do firewood exhibit when it is dry enough to burn well?

Hold the log by one end, and rap the other end on your driveway. Dry wood makes a
characteristic ringing sound -- a baseball bat gives a great example of this -- but if you hear a
dull thud, the wood is still pretty damp.

Exactly. The end will be checked also as it dries. If you want wood
sooner than later, split it smaller and then move it indoors. It will
dry in a couple of weeks in the basement in most houses.

On Feb 3, 3:50*pm, "Steve B" wrote:
What signs do firewood exhibit when it is dry enough to burn well? *Does the
bark start coming off? *What about species where the bark is tenacious? *I
cut some FRESH fruit trees this past summer, and I KNOW it won't be ready
before next fall, but I was wondering how to select pieces of wood from my
big pile by just looking at it. *When we go to recover wood, we take freshly
fallen wood, as well as downed wood that has already aged, and the bark is
coming off. *We try to select the stuff where the bark is coming off, but
not so old that there is any insect activity going on, like wood ants, or
such, or any rot.

Steve

It varies. If kept in a well ventilated, dry place most wood needs a
year to dry out. Some such as willow takes two years. (From being
freshly cut down)

If you're going into serious wood burning you need to construct a
proper store to keep the rain off but be well ventilated. Also
designed so that the wood can be used in rotation. I have a lot of
wood so mine is stored for three years minimum. My final drying off is
completed in my conservatory.
Very important to get it as dry as possible.

Steve,

As Mr. Miller says, you can hear dry wood. Where I live hard wood that is
split, and stacked in the barn is usable in about 6-8 mons. Many folks
prefer wood that is more than a year old.
A pile of wood, not seperated from the ground, will have a lot of rot and
insects.

Dave M.

On Feb 3, 7:50*am, "Steve B" wrote:
What signs do firewood exhibit when it is dry enough to burn well? *Does the
bark start coming off? *What about species where the bark is tenacious? *I
cut some FRESH fruit trees this past summer, and I KNOW it won't be ready
before next fall, but I was wondering how to select pieces of wood from my
big pile by just looking at it. *When we go to recover wood, we take freshly
fallen wood, as well as downed wood that has already aged, and the bark is
coming off. *We try to select the stuff where the bark is coming off, but
not so old that there is any insect activity going on, like wood ants, or
such, or any rot.

Steve

Rather than having to sort through a sstack looking for dry pieces,
segregate the wood as you bindg it in, Stuff already dry on one pile,
green on another. That, of course, assumes you have the room to do
it

Harry K

"Steve B" wrote in message
...
What signs do firewood exhibit when it is dry enough to burn well?

I don't know about the kind of wood you have
But I can hear those split logs calling to me like sirens
"I'm ready.
Come and spark my fire.."

Oh wait, maybe that was the wife..

Does the bark start coming off?

Most likely the wife...


What about species where the bark is tenacious?

Wouldn't know
After all I'm a married man..


I cut some FRESH fruit trees this past summer, and I KNOW it won't be
ready before next fall, but I was wondering how to select pieces of wood
from my big pile by just looking at it.

Never was attracted to those so-called "fruit" myself..
Always was told that I was good hard wood type of guy by my female
partners...


When we go to recover wood, we take freshly fallen wood, as well as downed
wood that has already aged, and the bark is coming off. We try to select
the stuff where the bark is coming off, but not so old that there is any
insect activity going on, like wood ants, or such, or any rot.


Now you're getting kinky...
That's way beyond anything I've participated in.

"Steve B" wrote in message
...
When is firewood seasoned.

Once you add salt & pepper.

On Mon, 4 Feb 2013 13:50:58 -0500, "Munster" wrote:


"Steve B" wrote in message
...
When is firewood seasoned.

Once you add salt & pepper.


No, once it's sat and dried through one heating "season"

On Sun, 3 Feb 2013 08:50:04 -0700, "Steve B" wrote:

What signs do firewood exhibit when it is dry enough to burn well? Does the
bark start coming off? What about species where the bark is tenacious? I
cut some FRESH fruit trees this past summer, and I KNOW it won't be ready
before next fall, but I was wondering how to select pieces of wood from my
big pile by just looking at it. When we go to recover wood, we take freshly
fallen wood, as well as downed wood that has already aged, and the bark is
coming off. We try to select the stuff where the bark is coming off, but
not so old that there is any insect activity going on, like wood ants, or
such, or any rot.

Steve


As soon as you put some seasoning on them. Try some garlic powder,
oregano, and cayenne pepper! Optional: Toast them well!

Steve B wrote:
What signs do firewood exhibit when it is dry enough to burn well? Does
the bark start coming off? What about species where the bark is
tenacious? I cut some FRESH fruit trees this past summer, and I KNOW
it won't be ready before next fall, but I was wondering how to select
pieces of wood from my big pile by just looking at it. When we go to
recover wood, we take freshly fallen wood, as well as downed wood
that has already aged, and the bark is coming off. We try to select
the stuff where the bark is coming off, but not so old that there is
any insect activity going on, like wood ants, or such, or any rot.


Wood dries faster if it's split.

As an aside, I scored about a 1/4 cord of oak. I then bought the cheapes HF
log splitter ($100.00), a ten-ton unit. The damned thing requires someone
MUCH stronger than I to split a log. It got returned.

Called a tool rental place. Their 30-ton, gasoline-powered unit rents for a
paltry ten dollars a day! Rent it on Saturday morning, take it back Monday,
ten dollars.

Soon as I recover from using the HF splitter, I'm off to the rental store.

"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

As an aside, I scored about a 1/4 cord of oak. I then bought the cheapes HF
log splitter ($100.00), a ten-ton unit. The damned thing requires someone
MUCH stronger than I to split a log. It got returned.

SWMBO and I have an apparently identical log splitter that we bought at Sears a few years
ago, and used it most recently to split about half a cord from a fallen cherry tree -- I used a
maul to split the rounds in half, and she used the hydraulic splitter to split the halves into
firewood wedges.

I *was* going to call this a case of "operator error" and ask if you had read the instructions,
but then I looked at HF's instructions, and either (a) the HF splitter isn't actually the same as
the Sears splitter I have, despite their virtually identical appearance, or (b) the instructions
on the HF unit omit a critical fact: the two handles don't perform the same function, because
the two sides of the hydraulic jack are not symmetrical. One handle is a "speed" handle to
advance the ram rapidly; the other is a "power" handle to actually split the wood. If you were
using only the speed handle, yeah, you would've had a lot of trouble.

I need to make a trip to our local HF store in a few days. I'll have a look at the unit then, if
they have one in stock, to see if my conjecture is correct, and post a followup.