When Splitting Partially Punky Wood

[svk]

Much of the wood I process either comes from geriatric trees or blowdowns. Inevitably there is core rot on some of the trees.

Just curious. If there is some punk in the middle do you guys split that out and toss it or leave it attached?

When doing firepit wood I leave it attached, if I am doing heating wood I split it off and toss it in the woods.

 

[firefighter938]

I leave it on. Sometimes cherry sapwood will be very punky but the heartwood is still good. When that happens I knock it off with a hatchet. If it is very punky, to the point it will hold water if rained on I normally try to cover it or pitch it in the woods. Just depends on my mood and the tree.

 

[Oldman47]

I was just sitting here imagining a tree with crutches or a walker. I have a bur oak that is easily 150 years old but I would never insult it by calling it geriatric. Its lowest branches are easily 24 inches in diameter. When accessing my tree stand I walk on one of them.

 

[Shagbark]

OWB no problem with moldy punk. IWB big problem bringing it into the house.

 

[turnkey4099]

I was just sitting here imagining a tree with crutches or a walker. I have a bur oak that is easily 150 years old but I would never insult it by calling it geriatric. Its lowest branches are easily 24 inches in diameter. When accessing my tree stand I walk on one of them.

Depends on species. I am currently cldear cutting a 1/2 mile long row of geriatric willow for a farmer, i.e., half dead, heart rot, blow downs, etc. I dont' think there is a tree in the entire row that is over 100 years old, none of them would even last another 50.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I leave it on. Sometimes cherry sapwood will be very punky but the heartwood is still good. When that happens I knock it off with a hatchet. If it is very punky, to the point it will hold water if rained on I normally try to cover it or pitch it in the woods. Just depends on my mood and the tree.

I also usually use a hatchet and knock it off or make a pass with the log splitter. Then I throw it into a bonfire pit along with other useless scraps. That punky stuff usually doesn't even make good kindling. Bonfires don't seem to mind it. Most of my firewood customers despise it.

 

[Oldman47]

I suppose it does matter the species. My big bur oak is about 6 feet in diameter at breast height, dbh, and seems like a relative youngster by its health. It completely dominates a low area in my wood lot of about an acre on its own.

 

[svk]

I was just sitting here imagining a tree with crutches or a walker. I have a bur oak that is easily 150 years old but I would never insult it by calling it geriatric. Its lowest branches are easily 24 inches in diameter. When accessing my tree stand I walk on one of them.

Lol

Our virgin timber was harvested ~100 years ago. Aspen was the primary pioneer species and has a lifespan of 80-90 years so what's left is dying quickly. Same with white birch, they usually live about 50 years plus we have the bronze birch borer now.

 

[husqvarna257]

punk wood does burn just fine, just have to let it dry out well.

 

[chucker]

if its fairly dry it will usually fall off or apart when split. splitting green wood I will leave it as it will also fall off when splitting some what or while drying it always seems to be in the bottom of my delivery truck when dry and delivered!

 

[whitepine2]

Much of the wood I process either comes from geriatric trees or blowdowns. Inevitably there is core rot on some of the trees.

Just curious. If there is some punk in the middle do you guys split that out and toss it or leave it attached?

When doing firepit wood I leave it attached, if I am doing heating wood I split it off and toss it in the woods.

I leave it on. Sometimes cherry sapwood will be very punky but the heartwood is still good. When that happens I knock it off with a hatchet. If it is very punky, to the point it will hold water if rained on I normally try to cover it or pitch it in the woods. Just depends on my mood and the tree.

Just depends on my mood and the tree AND HOW MUCH TIME I HAVE TO WAST.

 

[cantoo]

I have an owb so not really that concerned but it does hold water and is heavy so I usually split it off and throw it to the side. When I'm all done splitting I cleanup the splitter junk and it all goes to my burn pile in my gravel pit.

 

[svk]

if its fairly dry it will usually fall off or apart when split. splitting green wood I will leave it as it will also fall off when splitting some what or while drying it always seems to be in the bottom of my delivery truck when dry and delivered!

Then you can sell that as POOF wood!

 

[chucker]

Then you can sell that as POOF wood!

fire starter!! "VERY EXSPENSIVE"!! takes a long time to get it just right so it will light with a match an no fuel .... lol

 

[Cody]

Punky wood generally goes into the garage, if it's lucky I guess. With red elm or bur oak that garage can see over 70ºF, no need for that non sense. About the only real punky wood we deal with though is ash.

 

[jrider]

I sell the good stuff and burn all the punky stuff in my owb. Keep it covered as it acts like a sponge and it will be fine. The worst part about it is the mess it makes at your feet as it crumbles apart.

 

[Del_]

I have an owb so not really that concerned but it does hold water and is heavy so I usually split it off and throw it to the side. When I'm all done splitting I cleanup the splitter junk and it all goes to my burn pile in my gravel pit.

I push all of that stuff up into a pile and call it my 'slow' compost pile.

A great soil improver. I use it in the vegetable patch.

I'll be using it to make biochar this year though.

 

[NSMaple1]

I strip off what will easily strip off when splitting. Either with another half splitter stroke, or whacking the split against the edge of the splitter foot. So I usually don't get it all. It will burn fine as long as it gets dried out - just not much heat in it.

 

[reddogrunner]

As long as there is some good sound wood in there, I burn it all. If it's all punk it gets pitched in the holler.

 

[Macman125]

I usually keep the punky stuff to burn in the garage. If the wood is going to a customer, I definitely go out of my way to separate the punky from the rest.