what would you do?

[fordss]

I think I am going to run out of wood so instead of wating until I am totaly out here are my choices.

reclaimed untreated hemlock beams that an amish guy is selling for $80 that comes out to about cord cut 6x6x18 with a mc of 13% out of a 100 year old barn they are redoing.

my other choice is craigslist the going price on there is about $160 a cord but i am still looking for someone that has wood that has been split for at least a year I found one guy who said it was c/s/s last feb of mixed hardwoods.

I am thinking the hemlock would be a better deal unless I can find hardwood under 20% mc

any thoughts?

I have all my wood for next year but it is all fresh c/s/s and a good friend is having a large pin oak taken down this spring and is giving me all the wood so that will be m 2 year wood.

 

[Hedgerow]

Hemlock... Without question... I hate wet firewood...
:amazed:

BTU similar to Silver Maple...

 

[ponyexpress976]

The hemlock will go up pretty fast. But if you have the $ to spend on firewood, go for it. How shy do you think you are? Half cord...full cord...2 cords? I'd take some of what I already had for next year and split it down a little a little more. Then get is stacked with as much space between peices as possible in the windiest part of the yard. Your lawn is already dormant so you wont do anything that will really screw it up. Keep the top covered and it'll be a lot closer to ready to go when you need it. When you need it, run the fire really hot to keep creosote formation to a minimum.

 

[Whitespider]

I'd be out huntin' up some standing-dead to cut...

 

[Fifelaker]

I like the standing dead but yea there is a but don't get into what I just got into my neighbor cut down a good sized red oak it's been dead three years and the trunk is as wet now as it was four years ago. Also a lot of bark was missing I thought it would be dryer than that but nooooooo.

 

[branchbuzzer]

You might try looking for some standing dead ash. There should be oodles of it up there due to the EAB. It would be much drier than oak for an emergency wood.

 

[artbaldoni]

How much are you short? I'll spot you some if you really need it...or do you have anything good to trade? PM me if you want.

 

[darkbyrd]

Some of both. Super dry fast hemlock to cook the wetter CL stuff. Or use the hemlock to cook the stuff you have up for next year.

 

[Big L]

I would take up artbaldoni's offer ... everybody has something to barter with, don't they? :msp_w00t:

 

[Fifelaker]

How much are you short? I'll spot you some if you really need it...or do you have anything good to trade? PM me if you want.

This is a very generous offer I would rep you but I'm out of bullets. To the op PM this man.

 

[REJ2]

This is a very generous offer I would rep you but I'm out of bullets. To the op PM this man.

Got him!

 

[branchbuzzer]

Got him!

Ditto

 

[fordss]

thanks

Thanks for all the advise guys. artbaldoni thanks for the offer. I think i will only be a cord short so I thnk for now I am going to get the hemlock he gave me some to try and one chunk 6x6x18 is lasting about 3-4 hours with the stove top temp around 400-450 and maintaining the temp of 72 in the house. I always keep my eye open for free wood but around here we have more fields then woods and everyone thinks that the tree in their yard is gold. I have my name in with a couple tree guys so we will see what comes of that. I will burn what I have for now and use the hemlock for the late season closer to spring. If all I have to buy this year is 1 cord of hemlock for $80 to heat for this year i am more then happy.

Happy burning.

 

[flyboy553]

I would split a piece of your next years' stash and see what it's moisture content is. I bet it would surprise you how low it is by now. That is, if you or someone you know has a MM meter.

Ted

 

[fordss]

I would split a piece of your next years' stash and see what it's moisture content is. I bet it would surprise you how low it is by now. That is, if you or someone you know has a MM meter.

Ted

Its only been c/s/s for a mth.

 

[blackdogon57]

Buy the hemlock and mix it with your green wood. 100 year seasoned wood mixed with green wood = ready to burn. artbaldoni's offer
looks good too.

 

[jrider]

If that one guy's wood was c/s/s last February, and you have the money why not go with that? Here in the east with high humidity, the wood isn't going to get a helluva lot drier than it is now.

 

[howellhandmade]

If you're okay for next year and have a good start on the year after that I'd say you're doing pretty well. The first year I burned I bought a cord of cherry. Takes a few seasons to really get a scrounging program going, but after a while it takes on a life of its own. Seems like every time I wonder where I'm going to get the next load of wood something turns up. Staying two years out is good both for having seasoned wood and being able to both absorb windfalls and endure shortfalls. I try to keep a ballast of oak and locust that I may leave 2-5 years and use up stuff like cherry and maple within a year.

 

[Beaver eager]

I'm a wood scrounge too and I get some from my archery club every year during spring clean up so for club dues of $35 yr I get around 2 cords free. Ice storms, high winds and people having trees fills the rest usually but I have had slim years so I get a grapple load every couple/three years. My neighbor just started burning wood so maybe we will split a grapple every year or so. With all the expence and pain of going to get it myself a grapple works into close to the cost of driving around to go get it especially if you add up the hours it takes.

 

[thepheniox]

It would be a shame to cut that beam for firewood. I'd love it to put an exposed beam where I'm going to knock out a wall. To bad your not near as I could trade you for a cord of black locust. I'd see what else you can find before cutting it up.