Score 3 years of Firewood!

[brenndatomu]

Obviously if you can get it up off the ground that would be ideal, but Oak is one that will be fine laying on the ground for a year or two without causing much degradation. I've been whittlin on a large Red Oak that has been laying in the tall grass in the woods for many years, it's still about 50% good.

 

[WOODSMAN416]

Nice haul of oak you got there.

Just they way I do it, but I'd quarter and/or split those rounds right where you bucked 'em. Makes 'em a lot easier to move, store and dry.

 

[jthornton]

Nice haul of oak you got there.

Just they way I do it, but I'd quarter and/or split those rounds right where you bucked 'em. Makes 'em a lot easier to move, store and dry.

We had a small tractor with a loader on the front so I just bucked'em into the bucket and he loaded the trailer as I filled the bucket. No lifting at all so far. I'll probably just roll the rounds off the trailer and finish cutting the smaller pieces to length before pushing them off the trailer. I'll noodle the crotches in two then push them off.

I have a spot picked out that stays dry compared to most other areas so I'll pile it up there.

Thanks
JT

 

[Whitespider]

White Oak makes for some fine firewood, nice score... and the bucket loader even makes it nicer.
Doubtful you'll be burning any of it this fall/winter, its real stubborn about giving up its moisture, needs at least two years after splitting. Possibly if you got some of the small stuff split now (right now), and stacked it in an open, sunny location... but even small "rounds" won't be ready this fall. I have seasoned (enough to be usable) Bur Oak (one of the "white" oak family, with less moisture content than the "White" Oak) in one summer, but it was mid-winter felled and bucked, split and stacked before May Day... this is already July.

If you're planning on getting it split this fall/early winter I wouldn't worry too much about storing bucked-to-length, bark contacting the ground... but I would get the larger rounds halved, or maybe quartered as soon as I could. The smaller diameter, longer, log-length stuff keeps real well rolled up on a couple of sacrificial smaller limbs... and even those limbs will make good firewood, but it keeps the dirt out of the bark of the others so it ain't so hard on your chain. Anything you're gonna' try and burn this fall needs to be off the ground right now, bucked tonight, split tomorrow morning and stacked somewhere in the open by supper time tomorrow... or sooner (if you don't mind "smaller" splits... splitting small now, and praying for dry, sunny weather will give you the best chance for burning any of it this winter).

 

[jthornton]

Thanks for the heads up on the white oak drying time. It was all I could do to unload 1/2 of the trailer by hand this morning and buck up the bucket lenghts before it (me really) got hot and I gave out. So there is no way I can do much very fast with the white oak. I'm only 59 but had a heart attack 20 years ago so I'm limited in endurance and heat makes it worse.

I guess the slow drying rate is why the white oak lasts so long on the ground?

I have some hickory that I bucked last year and some hollow red oak that has been off the ground for a year but not split. Not very big stuff maybe 14-18" across. And the little bit that I have in the wood shed left over from last year should keep me going most of the winter. I try and split a piece of hickory every day (the ones I can split with my axe) and add that to the wood pile. I really can't wait to get the splitter up and going so I can split faster.

Thanks
JT

 

[Whitespider]

...before it (me really) got hot...

L-O-L
It's likely more than just you.
I've been to Missouri in July... that's some hot sticky weather y'all have down there.

Oh... and your alligator snappers are the most ferocious reptiles I've ever come face-to-face with! I got out'a the truck to (show-off) catch one walking across the road, about a 12-14 inch shell, and the darn thing chased me back into the cab... everyone else got a huge giggle out'a that! The only other animal that's ever chased me back was a Bull Bison out in the western Dakotas... I believe I was in more danger from that damn turtle.

 

[apn73]

Thanks guys, I'll try and find some pallets and stack on top of them. The smaller wood I'll get to burn this winter I'd bet. If I can get my rack full that will last me through the winter.

JT

As Swamp Yankee said, landscaping cloth is a good way to go and it can be had cheap at Lowe's and Home Depot. I used to stack my wood on pallets and they'll rot right out from underneath of the good stuff. That and rolling your ankle between the pallet slats is always a sweat evaporator

That tree reminds me of the one in my front yard, big ole sugar maple, 200 years old at least. 4' diameter trunk, low limbs are easily 2', needs love if I'm going keep it out of the house.