Stretching your wood supply

[046]

what an excellent idea using pellets to start fire with....

Also, I've found that buying bags of wood pellets on sale in spring for $3.00, nets me between 75-100 fire starts per bag. I dump a small scoop of pellets between two seasoned rounds or splits and then stack a third on top. I use a long cane torch for 20 seconds to start the pellets. The pellets gassify quickly, creating a fire tunnel which will start even stubborn wood. Sounds like a tornado when the pellets get going.


TS

 

[AIM]

I started out the season with a nice pile of wood. About 10 to 12 truckloads.

Those are long gone and now I'm just cuttin whenever I can.

The truckload pictured above lasts me about a week to 10 days.
When we had that really cold snap that same truckload lasted about 4 days tops.
I don't really know how to stretch it other than cutting really good stuff and leaving the junk behind.
I get a VERY noticeable improvement when I burn locust or white oak versus elm or ash.

 

[Zodiac45]

Hmmm....I was just thinking today that I've actually burned less this year than last year. Not quite sure why. I've burned about 2.5 cords that I had stacked at the house plus another 3/4 cord that I have stacked at a friend's house. I have another 3/4 cord of Elm and Ash in the wood shed and about 1/2 cord of Maple under cover. I'll probably grab another 3/4 cord of Elm and Ash to finish off the season

Yep your doing well. If you live anywhere near my Bro (Lanesboro) then you guys are in firewood heaven! When I was down there for the Holidays all I did was drool at all the hardwood laying around!

PS: AIM what kind of boiler is that?

 

[AIM]

It's the homebrew brand. Decent enough boiler but version 2 is gonna get built this year I think.

 

[Zodiac45]

It's the homebrew brand. Decent enough boiler but version 2 is gonna get built this year I think.

Excellent! Well you can take a look at some of the best designs out there and use from that. I've got a Lincoln Ranger 9 in my barn (BIL's) but my welding skills are not great. (His are though! )

 

[AIM]

I spent quite a few years welding steel buildings and machine pits together.Although I'm no match skill wise to the pipe guys I can weld pretty decent. I built this one using all stick other than the door. I'm currently looking for a good wire welder to buy before version 2 starts.
I love burnin rod but a wire welder will make the next one WAAYYYY faster and easier.

 

[max2cam]

I seem to get more heat out of my wood if, when I take it off the pile, I split it again into smaller pieces. Not only do I double the number of pieces of wood that way, but being smaller and with more total surface area, you burn more atmospheric oxygen which is free fuel. Of course, somebody has to be there to tend it as you add smaller pieces of wood more frequently than larger chunks.

Maybe I'm dreaming, but there seems to be something to it.

 

[peach9300]

Aspen

I cut some green aspen to mix with the good wood since it's COLD and I'm burning HOT.

 

[Slick]

I've also been stretching mine with green wood in the OWB...every load get bottom half or more of good seasoned wood and some green stuff on top, plan is it's drying out the green stuff before it gets to burning it but I don't have much choice, don't want to get to ONLY having green stuff around

 

[max2cam]

I cut some green aspen to mix with the good wood since it's COLD and I'm burning HOT.

I would think splitting green wood very fine would help it burn better.

Don't they say that ash burns when green? Not that I would want to do that....

 

[Techstuf]

Maybe I'm dreaming, but there seems to be something to it.

There's something to it alright. Or the Nordic types wouldn't be doing it. They split small, lots of pluses. Also, one of the keys to good performance is using enough wood in the firebox to insure that flame plasma is constantly licking the iron surface of the stove. Your woodstove is much more efficient when it's inner surface is in direct contact with flame. Always load the stove well enough that it will burn this way, then you'll be able to shut it down nearly all the way and still get a long lasting, rip roaring fire, getting the most from the burn.


TS