Nothing like a good fire

[turnkey4099]

Probably the last fire of this season. Getting a bit dubious lighting fires like that in all that dead grass. Minor breeze was coming from my back and on the other side of the fire was a beat down area from all my work last year, figured the fire couldn't run anywhere. I overlooked the big rotten log about 20ft downwind right next to another brushpile. Yep, spark and I spent the next two hours putting out smoldering fires in it. For sure didn't want that other pile to light off, had it the fire would have had fuel and clear run for a half mile.

That is the project I have been working on for the past several years (?4?). Farmer wants them all removed. Granddad planted them back in 190 something. they are now old, dying and falling into his field.

I am in to it for the excercise, the fun of being out there with chainsaws and I do have a few customers who like Willow fore firewood, I get $120/cord and have to turn away new customers. Sold 8 cord last year and burned 3 myself mixed with Black Locust.

Hadn't burned any brush piles and they were getting in the way. Farmer said "burn 'em". I spent a lot of time the last two months down there burning piles, some 35 all told. Last few weeks I have been going down and cleaning up the leavings on from the fires.

Just got back an hour ago. Had dto spend 1 1/2 hour more than I expected ensuring that smoldering log was out.

Harry K

 

[Guswhit]

Oopsies!

 

[TreeswingerPerth]

No chance of that happening in Scotland , it's been raining here since October !!

 

[Red Elm]

There are people that actually WANT Willow?

 

[zogger]

Big chipper would have eat that stuff up and the farmer could plow it in here and there.

I'm skeered of big outdoor fires mostly...

 

[JeffHK454]

There are people that actually WANT Willow?

That's what I was thinking also?

 

[turnkey4099]

That's what I was thinking also?

you guys need to realize that hardwoods are an exception world wide except in rain forests. Out here, anything that has leaves or needles is 'green gold'.

Actually, willow is good firewood IF you don't mind feeding the fire often. Lights up fast, throws good heat and will last overnight in a modern stove.

I even have a customer who won't take anything but willow. Have offeed him Black Locust, he tried it once and didn't like it....yep, I know, that sureprised me.

 

[Red Elm]

One never knows how the other half lives.....do we? Amazing!

 

[Guswhit]

20 years ago, approximately, I get this call from a farmer about a fence line he needs cleared back. So I make an appointment with him and meet. When I arrive there are a couple of guys already working the line so I am thinking "what a wasted trip", when the farmer pulls up. He informs me that the other guys only want the black locust and aren't going to take anything else. I, of course just get s dumbfounded look on my face and tell him I'll take anything I can have. He tells me that they are going to be gone in a couple of days and if I could wait to get started till they leave that he would help. I say no problem. Well when I get back on the weekend this farmer had dropped ALL of the trees and had them limbed, just logs laying out. He informed me that he was just happy to get rid of them and that he didn't have to mess with burning them all. One of the easiest cuttings I was ever in on. I guess that since I wasn't fussy it paid off! anyway to my real point, I think we had about 40 cord on that line and over 90% was black cherry, I just couldn't understand why anyone would turn that down? Just makes you wonder what some people are thinking. To me, BTU's are BTU'S.

 

[Red Elm]

I wish I could find someone close that would TAKE FOR FREE all the sycamore, hackberry and basswood I end up having to find something to do with. You try to sell those in this area and you will be out of business.

No, I'm not going to burn them myself, I burn locust, oak and hedge.

 

[Oldman47]

anyway to my real point, I think we had about 40 cord on that line and over 90% was black cherry, I just couldn't understand why anyone would turn that down? Just makes you wonder what some people are thinking. To me, BTU's are BTU'S.

Some people are fussy about getting lots of BTUs in a small package. Cherry is one of the more modest BTU hardwoods and they will just not bother with it. It seasons fast and burns well but it is closer to ash than hedge when it comes to BTUs per cord. Wood snobs really seem to go for the black locust.

 

[turnkey4099]

I wish I could find someone close that would TAKE FOR FREE all the sycamore, hackberry and basswood I end up having to find something to do with. You try to sell those in this area and you will be out of business.

No, I'm not going to burn them myself, I burn locust, oak and hedge.

So would I...IF there was any. I thought black cherry would be a good dense firewood. Never handled any dead stuff but ther was some down on the breaks of the Salmon river, Idaho.

 

[turnkey4099]

Some people are fussy about getting lots of BTUs in a small package. Cherry is one of the more modest BTU hardwoods and they will just not bother with it. It seasons fast and burns well but it is closer to ash than hedge when it comes to BTUs per cord. Wood snobs really seem to go for the black locust.

I for sure did when the Locust Borer moved in about 20 years ago and was killing entire groves of BL. that is not native here, all of them were planted, mostly by the original settlers some 150 years ago (WOW! I thought that was longer ago than that!). I just about clearcut this county of any black locust within 30 miles of my house, ended up with over 80 cords in the stash. I still know of a few groves but they are problem access, etc. and I have more now than I will ever burn...expecially when augmented with the willow. BL burns nice in my stove but doesn't like to really get a hot fire going - that is where the willow comes in on cold days.

Harry K

 

[cuinrearview]

My son is selling a little bit of wood. First customer told him he'd like "hard wood, none of that $hitty ash". We still laugh about that. If I wanted to I could sell seasoned cherry for $200+ a cord around here. To quote the Lizard King, people are strange.

 

[zogger]

I wish I could find someone close that would TAKE FOR FREE all the sycamore, hackberry and basswood I end up having to find something to do with. You try to sell those in this area and you will be out of business.

No, I'm not going to burn them myself, I burn locust, oak and hedge.

Charity get together? Got to be some legit poor/elderly/laid up people around there who aren't too proud to burn any free wood they can get.

Heck, if you want to stick to dollars, process yourself, give it away as charity for tax deduction?

 

[firefighter938]

I wish I could find someone close that would TAKE FOR FREE all the sycamore, hackberry and basswood I end up having to find something to do with. You try to sell those in this area and you will be out of business.

No, I'm not going to burn them myself, I burn locust, oak and hedge.

What's wrong with hackberry?

 

[svk]

I can understand this as I am inundated with aspen. Like willow, it's not a high BTU species when solid, let alone when dying of old age and suffering from core rot like most of the stuff I end up cutting. Luckily I have a few friends who will use several cords a year in their fire pits as will my summer renters.

I have no problem filling my stoves with aspen when I'm home on an evening or weekend day or using it in the fire pit. There's definitely something desirable about saving the limited oak I have access to for overnight or workday burns.

Sometimes when we are hanging out around the yard the firepit will burn for well over 12 hours at a time. I'd much rather use junk wood for that and save the higher quality wood for times when I need it. Same goes for the sauna. If I want to fill the stove once and know I will have it at 200+ degrees in 90 minutes I'll hit the ash/maple/birch/oak stacks. If I'm going to burn it for 6 hours I'll use the lower quality stuff.

 

[Red Elm]

Got to be some legit poor/elderly/laid up people around there who aren't too proud to burn any free wood they can get.

Heck, if you want to stick to dollars,

I have never known of a poor/elderly/laid up person that I didn't offer free wood to, most too proud to take it. My dad always taught me to give as good as you use yourself. They are offered locust, hedge and or oak. Last year on this sight I offered to give a guy an entire trailer load of logs, even buck them to length and load them including some locust. He never responded.

I try very hard to never look at charity on my part as a means of financial gain, so don't believe I'll "stick to dollars" on this.

 

[Red Elm]

What's wrong with hackberry?

In this area hackberry is considered a soft, white wood that seasons slowly, is stringy and deteriorates quickly in the stack. I didn't say others shouldn't burn it if they want to. I said I don't sell it and I don't burn it anymore.

 

[zogger]

I have never known of a poor/elderly/laid up person that I didn't offer free wood to, most too proud to take it. My dad always taught me to give as good as you use yourself. They are offered locust, hedge and or oak. Last year on this sight I offered to give a guy an entire trailer load of logs, even buck them to length and load them including some locust. He never responded.

I try very hard to never look at charity on my part as a means of financial gain, so don't believe I'll "stick to dollars" on this.

That's cool, didn't know that, just throwing out options. Are there any biomass facilities near you that buy in bulk? They probably aren't all that picky about species..but I don't know that either, just thinking out loud.

Here's another, summer campfire wood bundles? Those don't have to be primo winter heating wood.