Thread: shag bark hickory

i just started cutting up a big shag bark hickory,,,there is a few hollow places runing through the tree, mostly twards the top.( some looks seasoned and some don`t) you think the top half is seasoned and ready to be burned , or should i just play it safe and wait till next year to burn ??
thanks for any replies

Get it split right away and it might be ready to burn in a month or so.

I took down a dead standing elm last winter, that the top was long dead. The top had been hit by lightning 2-3 years before. I burnt quite a bit of it last winter. The base was still green. Actually, the wood from the base is still green and it was cut, split and stacked over a year ago....

Won't know for sure until you burn a couple pieces. If it still had top growth, it more than likely won't be ready to burn for a while.

Originally Posted by tocold4u2

i just started cutting up a big shag bark hickory,,,there is a few hollow places runing through the tree, mostly twards the top.( some looks seasoned and some don`t) you think the top half is seasoned and ready to be burned , or should i just play it safe and wait till next year to burn ??
thanks for any replies

You'll find a lot of people that think that it doesn't season/dry until it's split. I'm not one of them, I think it's all about the bark, species, and diameter of wood.

If the bark is off, and it appears seasoned, it just may be ready to burn. You'll have to try it to be sure or better yet measure the moisture.

I burn about 8 cord a year and at least half of it is blown downs that I block up in September/ October. Much of it is bark free sugar maple and ash less than 12" in diameter. Never had a problem and it burns just like it's "seasoned" counterpart.

Red oaks may be an exception...I let them lay on the ground for a while before cleanup.

, well i figured that i`d test a few pices , and i will let it season till spring and split it and then let it season till next year at this time, still got 1-2 days of cutting on that tree, sure wish i had a larger saw ,nothing like staying ahead of the game

Hickory.. yuck... you don't want that, I also live in the Buckeye state and can come take it off your hands..

Jeff

yea i bet you would , just think i got 3-4 truck & trailer loads more
i`d like to get some walnut
i`ll be busy the next few weeks cutting for next year , i got a farmer clearing out a big fence-row , the good news is the hoe operator is placing the trees out in a feild and not pushing them into a pile
not sure what kinda wood is there , but 4-500 yds from the road there is some big trees,,,won`t know what kind till i get out there ,
i got another woods that`s been logged for the walnut ,,,i`m trying to get in there to cun on the topped trees
c ya

Hickory seems to dry out pretty fast. It's like Ash and Black Locust-they tend to be on the "drier" side even when green, so I'd split it now and stack it in the sun and wind and try a couple of pieces in a little while. You've got some good stuff there-really kicks out the heat!

yea , i got plenty of wood for this winter , i figure that i`d save the logs and split them in the spring , then let them dry and use them next year about this time