Silver Maple / Firewood?

[Beefie]

Not my top choice but I usually have about 1.5 to2 cords per year. It makes heat quick but does not last long. Like stated here before its good for the spring and fall. Great for weekends when its to cold to putz outside and screw around with the wood-burner

Beefie

 

[woodlumn]

approx. how long does it take to dry?

 

[Beefie]

Stack it outside in a sunny area. Make sue it can get plenty of wind , split it in to smaller chunks. It should be good to go by heating season. Test a chunk first either outside on the campfire or in the wood-burner to see if it sizzles.

What type of wood appliance are you using and were is the wood going to be kept.

Beefie

 

[woodlumn]

thanks, Beefie!

the appliance is a Heatmor 100 CSS, pictured in my avatar. The wood will be kept outside - would you recommend putting a tarp over it, or letting it stay exposed? I'm in Virginia, so rain is moderate.

thanks again.

 

[Beefie]

leave the wood exposed as long as you can if it looks like rain ,throw a tarp over it. Once it is done raining take the tarp back off. Make sure it is tarped before the first snow. I think you should be good for fall depending on how many warm days and wind is left. Even if it is not dry by fall it will be buy spring. Freezing and thawing tends to cold dry the wood can't explain it but it seems to work here in Wisconsin.

Beefie

 

[Woodcutteranon]

I like silver maples...espescially free ones. It is easy to handle because of the smooth bark. There is usually a lot of limbing to do. It's always softer than what I am expecting when cutting it.

 

[woodbooga]

Freezing and thawing tends to cold dry the wood can't explain it but it seems to work here in Wisconsin.

Beefie

I'm no scientist, but I think the reason wood seasons thru the winter is due to a process called sublimation. It's when a solid goes directly from a solid (frozen moisture content in wood) to a gas (evaporated water).

 

[Rookie1]

I'm no scientist, but I think the reason wood seasons thru the winter is due to a process called sublimation. It's when a solid goes directly from a solid (frozen moisture content in wood) to a gas (evaporated water).

You may not be a scientist but Ill bet you stayed in a Holiday In Express last night with those big words. You impress me!

 

[Beefie]

You may not be a scientist but Ill bet you stayed in a Holiday In Express last night with those big words. You impress me!

That is just too funny .

Beefie

 

[TreePointer]

I'm no scientist, but I think the reason wood seasons thru the winter is due to a process called sublimation. It's when a solid goes directly from a solid (frozen moisture content in wood) to a gas (evaporated water).

I am a scientist but that doesn't even get me a cup of coffee on a good day (I'm not a recognized expert on climate effects). The really cold weather can make for very dry atmospheric conditions, and there can indeed be substantial drying via sublimation.

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclesublimation.html

I'd be interested in seeing a formal study measuring moisture content of firewood after being seasoned in 10% relative humidity at 100°F and 10% relative humidity at 0°F. Maybe you all can pay extra taxes to have the federal government fund my research on this.

 

[iskiatomic]

If it's free get it.

Have you ever seen a cold fire?


KC

 

[blades]

There has been a lot of Fed. money spent on things less than adequate in nature. Now while you are doing the drying research if you could just find time to find the right components to break down lignite..............

 

[wkpoor]

I picked up a bunch because the power company was cutting a new ROW along my route to work and cut a 24" diameter with some big main branches. The rounds were heavy as all get out which I later found out was because they were 90% water! The splitter really tore through them rather than actually splitting them and the water just poured out. It's really stringy too which gets annoying. Not the best stuff, but anytime I can grab a truckload of wood for free on my way to work I'll take poplar, pine, cottonwood, etc... I get enough oak and locust for overnight burns-the lightweight stuff is for weekends when I want an excuse to play with the furnace every couple of hours.

That was Sycamore you are talking about not maple.
I have tons of Maple and have burned it all winter long. Some I get is great, dries fast and plits easy. Others show signs of rot within a few months and if not burned the first season is no good the following yr. I've got other Maple that is as good as the day it was brought home 3yrs ago. Some seems to have fungus spores in the wood that excellerates the rot and maple that doesn't have it will last a good long while.

 

[chainsawaddict]

One thing that surprises me is the amount of people that mistake white cottonwood for silver maple here in NE. Just something to think about.

 

[J.W Younger]

I'm not sure its the same but red maple is worth the effort if its easy too get at. Cut and splits real easy, drys fast not dense but is good mixed with oak, hickory etc. makes good moderate temp fuel.

 

[ProMac1K]

One thing that surprises me is the amount of people that mistake white cottonwood for silver maple here in NE. Just something to think about.

I've caught myself doing that, you just have to pay attention to the bark by the stump, if it's at least a partially mature tree. Oh, and of course the leaves.

I really like silver maple. Real straight branches for enjoyable limbing, ignites quick if you have a good kindling fire, and its smooth bark really makes handling and wood rack cleanup more enjoyable. Mine doesn't rot easy either. Disadvantage is you really have to have it split (even the small rounds), as there is hardly any bark for it to catch fire without a tinder or kindling fire.