Free Sweet Gum trees, Middle Georgia

[southland1]

Free sweet gum wood in middle Georgia. Some is cut to firewood length, some in 12 to 16 foot lengths. Clearing property of these trees, about 85 trees down so far and about 10 or 15 to go.

 

[hseII]

Where do you want them?

 

[southland1]

Not sure what your asking, I am giving them away to anyone who wants them. The trees are on the ground now except for 10 or 15 still to be cut down. Have already burned a bunch of them but was saving some for a friend who was going to pick them up. Been at least 2 months since he was notified and I'm ready for them to be gone.

 

[zogger]

Supposedly, if they are large enough diameter, the mills might take them for railroad ties.

I have a big one I cut up, waiting for the bark to loosen enough to come off easy, then just gonna noodle it to size to fit in the stove. Splitting them by hand sucks, but burning for heat is OK.

 

[Fred Wright]

If ya know someone who grows mushrooms, they'd probably appreciate those gum logs.

 

[muddstopper]

Where is middle GA.

 

[jrider]

I wouldn't take free gum if it were cut to 16" lengths and dropped off at my place because it's so miserable to split.

 

[southland1]

Supposedly, if they are large enough diameter, the mills might take them for railroad ties.

I have a big one I cut up, waiting for the bark to loosen enough to come off easy, then just gonna noodle it to size to fit in the stove. Splitting them by hand sucks, but burning for heat is OK.

Wouldn't be worth it for them to bring all their equipment down here for a couple of loads and I'm not delivering. They also make 4x4's out of sweet gum to use for stacking pipe, like big water pipes.

If ya know someone who grows mushrooms, they'd probably appreciate those gum logs.

Don't know anyone.

Where is middle GA.

Around Macon.

I wouldn't take free gum if it were cut to 16" lengths and dropped off at my place because it's so miserable to split.

I wouldn't spit it by hand either.

 

[Babaganoosh]

I wouldn't take free gum if it were cut to 16" lengths and dropped off at my place because it's so miserable to split.

I'll go one further and say that you would have to pay me to take it. Even then it would have to be a lot. Splitting sucks and it leaves a ton of ash. F sweet gum in the A

 

[muddstopper]

I am not a firewood snob,, I would take it in a heart beat if it wasnt so far away.My spliter doesnt have any problems spliting sweet gum. To the splitter it would split the same as red oak and My stove wouldnt care what kind of wood it is either.

 

[Babaganoosh]

I am not a firewood snob,, I would take it in a heart beat if it wasnt so far away.My spliter doesnt have any problems spliting sweet gum. To the splitter it would split the same as red oak and My stove wouldnt care what kind of wood it is either.

No way man. The interlocking grain prevents a good split. It shreds instead of splitting.

I wouldn't say I'm a firewood snob but when you have a lot better choices it's easy to turn down wood that is a royal pain in the ass. It also stinks when it burns and rots quickly compared to a lot of wood.

 

[Fred Wright]

Left to lay it won't take the termites long to find those logs. Few years ago, around this time of year I dropped a couple sweet gums for shoulder season burning. The weather got into the 90s and they lay there. It was just too hot and humid to work in the woods.

After a week or so the logs were covered with little white mounds of wood dust. Darn bugs were already at work on 'em.

Gum is the red-headed stepchild of firewood. No one really wants it but folks will burn it if nothing else is available.

 

[jrider]

I am not a firewood snob,, I would take it in a heart beat if it wasnt so far away.My spliter doesnt have any problems spliting sweet gum. To the splitter it would split the same as red oak and My stove wouldnt care what kind of wood it is either.

This couldn't be further from the truth with the sweet gum around here. I split with a 4 way wedge and it must come off to split gum. And with the 4 way off the machine still bogs down and the ram crawls. I could probably split 3 cords of red oak to 1 cord of gum.

 

[olyman]

Left to lay it won't take the termites long to find those logs. Few years ago, around this time of year I dropped a couple sweet gums for shoulder season burning. The weather got into the 90s and they lay there. It was just too hot and humid to work in the woods.

After a week or so the logs were covered with little white mounds of wood dust. Darn bugs were already at work on 'em.

Gum is the red-headed stepchild of firewood. No one really wants it but folks will burn it if nothing else is available.

along with cottonwood, and poplar up here,,and basswood..burns fater,,than you can throw it in..........

 

[muddstopper]

This couldn't be further from the truth with the sweet gum around here. I split with a 4 way wedge and it must come off to split gum. And with the 4 way off the machine still bogs down and the ram crawls. I could probably split 3 cords of red oak to 1 cord of gum.

Not all splitters are created equal. Difference in wedge design as well as cyl size can make a big difference, even if the wood being split is something as easy as red oak. I will admit sweet gum and its cousin black gum dont split pretty, but if its in my wood pile or easy to get, it will go thru my splitter and into my stove.

 

[stihl sawing]

I have burned a lot of sweet gum over the years, It don't split in a hydro well. mine rips and cuts it apart more than splits it. It also will mold and rot faster than most wood. If it's left in the weather it will rot fast. even if kept dry it will mold in the humid summers here. No where near a desirable wood to burn but if it's all you have then so be it. but I will step over a downed gum tree to cut a live oak for firewood.

 

[hseII]

I have burned a lot of sweet gum over the years, It don't split in a hydro well. mine rips and cuts it apart more than splits it. It also will mold and rot faster than most wood. If it's left in the weather it will rot fast. even if kept dry it will mold in the humid summers here. No where near a desirable wood to burn but if it's all you have then so be it. but I will step over a downed gum tree to cut a live oak for firewood.

Yep.

 

[southland1]

Agree on the quick rotting, a week or two after they were dropped they were already starting to grow mold. Since I had such a large supply of logs I was planning on building a practice log cabin, something to learn on before using oak. After the mold started so soon I gave up on that idea.

Once again, was only going to build from sweet gum for practice and then burn it down, I know it a crap tree and never had intentions of keeping it, only for practice.

Going to spit some with a log splitter just for experience and see what all this talk is about.

 

[Del_]

I split sweet gum 4 ways on my splitter with a 5inch cylinder. Splits fast and easy and dries without molding in our wood shed.

It's pretty light when dry and I'd guess about 70% of the heating value of good oak.

 

[stihl sawing]

Agree on the quick rotting, a week or two after they were dropped they were already starting to grow mold. Since I had such a large supply of logs I was planning on building a practice log cabin, something to learn on before using oak. After the mold started so soon I gave up on that idea.

Once again, was only going to build from sweet gum for practice and then burn it down, I know it a crap tree and never had intentions of keeping it, only for practice.

Going to spit some with a log splitter just for experience and see what all this talk is about.

Their not even a good yard tree, sure they grow fast but who wants to step on the gumballs all the time. and mowing around one sounds like automatic gunfire going off. I had three of them and one was huge in the yard, I cut every one of them down and burned them as a brushpile. Didn't even consider them as firewood, but I did have a plentiful supply of oak then too.