It pains me to watch...

[UpOnTheHill]

Everyone have a beer and cool their jets. Can you guess that I'm guilty? Not as bad as some though. We moved to our "new" place in December of 2012. I was scrambling to get dry firewood that first winter (burned pellets at the old house, before that wood). I got through that winter by borrowing firewood from buddies and buying some from a local guy.
In spring of 2013, I c/s/s what I thought was more then enough for winter of 2013/2014. I thought I was sittin pretty with a jump on the following winter. Then when winter came and it was like living in the arctic for 5 months, I burned up all my wood supply. Start over, hit the reset button.
I couldn't get into the woods this spring until April due to snow pack, but this spring I've c/s/s what I think is enough for a "normal" winter. I've also been adding to the wood racks throughout summer with dead ash trees that I know will burn fantastic. In the last 2 weeks, I've been cutting and bucking rounds for the following winter and stacking those aside in a separate spot. I'll split and stack those over this winter. I hope to finally get ahead some this fall/winter, but its taken me almost 2 years to do so. It's not easy when you work full time + overtime and have kids at home. This past winter really put a hurtin on my wood supply.

 

[Ironworker]

My first year with a stove I bought a log truck in July to burn that year and the following year I got logs about March, but I am now 2 years ahead. Although I like burning seasoned wood much better for the simple reason that it lights much easier and gets up to temp much faster, burning wet wood is not as bad as some would say, sure it takes a while to get going, but to say you waste half the energy is not true at least in my experience.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

July? *sarcasm* That's being WAY ahead... ahaha..

My busy time is around now until about December. Last year we got an early snow around this time and my phone exploded for the next few days.

"My house is cold and I have no wood, we are burning the kitchen table". Call me nuts but if you depend on wood for heat, it MIGHT be a smart idea to not wait for the very last possible second to get some firewood.

As for here at home, I have no idea how much I have. Probably around 8-10 years worth.

 

[redoakneck]

So much standing dead ash around here!!!! Pretty dry already. Not sure what it is like other places, but tons of ash trees to be cut down.

 

[steved]

People who get a load of green logs delivered in July, cut/split/stack in September, and start burning in November.

Not all those loads of logs are green...the local guy that I got my tri-axle load of logs from had them piled for two years before I got them, the bark was falling off them.

 

[JeffHK454]

I'm a "two seasons ahead" guy when I'm on schedule as I am now... maybe 12 cord sitting around . I just don't have room or interest in getting any farther ahead than that. Firewood is too damn much work to burn green and waste the BTU's up the stack.

 

[bayard]

some wood cut and stacked will dry very fast .i have some locust that is 3 months old ,its below 20 %.4 to 5 weeks from now it will be 15 -16 %. ash 2 -3 months ,norway maple 4-5 months.i had some white oak cut in oct last year by dec it was 16-18%..hickory 6 months ready to burn! my my wood stack is 7-8 feet high,open to the sun and wind.a week in the boiler and we are looking at 10-12 %

 

[Marshy]

some wood cut and stacked will dry very fast .i have some locust that is 3 months old ,its below 20 %.4 to 5 weeks from now it will be 15 -16 %. ash 2 -3 months ,norway maple 4-5 months.i had some white oak cut in oct last year by dec it was 16-18%..hickory 6 months ready to burn! my my wood stack is 7-8 feet high,open to the sun and wind.a week in the boiler and we are looking at 10-12 %

Sounds like you should patent your process because I don't think anyone can match that drying speed short of a kiln.

 

[stihly dan]

I don't understand how people can not get ahead. Of course if you use a shxx ton like 12 or more cord that's a different story. My first year in just april and may I scrounged 13 cord cut split stacked. Now at any random 2 month stretch, 10 cords is easy. Just have to put things aside and bust hump a little then its gravy. I have 30 cord ready now, been on cruise control for years. Spring or after storms just keep your eyes open and be ready to pounce, get the wood home and you can process at your leisure. I like to split in winter when its cold and dark, better than sitting on my but for 5 hours till bedtime

 

[svk]

Green wood burns longer...love it lol!

 

[Saddle Mander]

We got a stove in the fall last year. I was hoping that ash was magic wood and would season between the chopping pile and the stack. (I learned it doesn't work that way, no matter what the poem says.)

This year I am looking forward to wood that DOESN'T sizzle!

 

[playback]

Where I agree with the OP, some of us have to do what we have to do.

I bought our house in June of 2013. That fall ended up burning wood because the electric was so expensive to heat in the new house. Of course I wasn't prepared and ended up finding any wood i could and burning it asap. Surprisingly it burnt well and I was able to find some old logs that were dry enough. I also had wet wood and it wasn't fun.

Fast forward to this past summer (2014) and I wasn't able to get a splitter until about a week ago. I been collecting wood and splitting what I could by hand and now am able to really get some cords split and put away. Unfortunately it won't be for a few more years that I have a stock pile built up of older wood.

We do what we have to do...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[svk]

Where I agree with the OP, some of us have to do what we have to do.

I bought our house in June of 2013. That fall ended up burning wood because the electric was so expensive to heat in the new house. Of course I wasn't prepared and ended up finding any wood i could and burning it asap. Surprisingly it burnt well and I was able to find some old logs that were dry enough. I also had wet wood and it wasn't fun.

Fast forward to this past summer (2014) and I wasn't able to get a splitter until about a week ago. I been collecting wood and splitting what I could by hand and now am able to really get some cords split and put away. Unfortunately it won't be for a few more years that I have a stock pile built up of older wood.

We do what we have to do...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well that's certainly understandable for someone who moves or has something come up. I was under the gun last year but split 2.5 years worth this year to start getting ahead.

 

[John R]

I think people forget that an OWB isn't that different than a woodstove.
Burning less that cured wood in either is going to cause the same problems.

Burning less that dry wood is also less that efficient, more moisture less heat as the fire has to drive off moisture before the wood burns.
OWB's also have chimney fires and since so much junkie wood is usually put into them at a much higher rate that woodstoves do.

Witch is not a big deal, like it would be in your house chimney.

 

[UpOnTheHill]

some wood cut and stacked will dry very fast .i have some locust that is 3 months old ,its below 20 %.4 to 5 weeks from now it will be 15 -16 %. ash 2 -3 months ,norway maple 4-5 months.i had some white oak cut in oct last year by dec it was 16-18%..hickory 6 months ready to burn! my my wood stack is 7-8 feet high,open to the sun and wind.a week in the boiler and we are looking at 10-12 %

I don't believe you, but to each his own. Especially the part about putting your firewood in your boiler for a week BEFORE burning it? Most people BURN the firewood in their boiler. It usually starts burning somewhere between 30 seconds and 5 minutes after placing it in depending on how hot the fire/coals are and how green or wet the wood is. That wood must be pretty wet if it takes a WEEK to light on fire. Just sayin...

 

[Little Al]

I"d guess that as most other things can be obtained in the "justintime" syndrome ( run out, or it breaks, just zip down the road to the appropriate store & buy new/get more) people more so the ones that get their logs fire ready as it were, cannot or will not think outside the box & keep taking the logs from the stack until you get the Oh S**t I"ve run out syndrome so the next wood they ( if they can get any ) get, still has the leaves growing & they then probably moan to/at the supplier (one of my grandpa"s quotes "there"s nowt as queer as folk "seems to ring very true )

 

[Marshy]

I don't believe you, but to each his own. Especially the part about putting your firewood in your boiler for a week BEFORE burning it? Most people BURN the firewood in their boiler. It usually starts burning somewhere between 30 seconds and 5 minutes after placing it in depending on how hot the fire/coals are and how green or wet the wood is. That wood must be pretty wet if it takes a WEEK to light on fire. Just sayin...

I agree, I think when he's checking the moisture he's not checking the edge of a fresh split...

 

[1project2many]

Everyone have a beer and cool their jets. Can you guess that I'm guilty?

I don't think the OP intended this toward people that are just starting out burning, or people that got caught by underestimating the amount of wood needed for last winter. I certainly don't fault anyone who's learning and trying. I went through it when I bought my place. And last winter was pretty rough even on the guys that have a lifetime of experience. It's the pattern behavior and rationalization that's hard to watch. There's a guy down the street that leaves logs laying in the snow next to the OWB then throws them in with snow and ice still on 'em. I've never talked to him about it but I'd expect the same story... the water doesn't hurt it a bit. It is hard to watch but I guess it's ok if it's working for him.

Most woodburners seem to be a tough and stubborn lot. I work from 6-6 Monday through Friday, get home at about 7 each night. I grab a bite and distract the kids so mom can relax for a couple of minutes, then head out to work wood. I'm out there until 9:30-10 most nights. Used to work longer but I just don't recover as well anymore. Saturday will be tough because I watch the kids until 3:00 when my wife gets home from work but I'll try to get the young-uns to help. They're young and I have to spend a lot of work time working with the kids instead of getting things done. Most of the wood I'm working was dropped green last year and this spring, and because it's so damp here it's already showing signs of rot. If I don't get it CS&S it will go to waste and I sure don't want that.

Hmm... maybe I should buy an OWB and skip all this unnecessary work.

 

[haveawoody]

John R,

You are correct that most chimney fires simply burn up the residue and scare the heck out of you.
Deep layers of glazed creosote is another story on a chimney fire.
A long hot chimney fire can migrate at record speed to anything that will burn and most OWB's have nice stacks of wood beside them, insulation covering pipes to the house etc.
Fastest way to get deep glazed creosote is burning green or less than cured wood, effect happens even faster with to little air on uncured wood.

 

[Saddle Mander]

Most woodburners seem to be a tough and stubborn lot. I work from 6-6 Monday through Friday, get home at about 7 each night. I grab a bite and distract the kids so mom can relax for a couple of minutes, then head out to work wood. I'm out there until 9:30-10 most nights. Used to work longer but I just don't recover as well anymore.

Wood-burning stoves: They're not just space heaters.... they're a way of life!