It'll burn

[XTROOPER]

I have learned quite a bit from this site. I am retired and see my firewood cutting as my new job. I have been cutting for the last 5 years and have learned quite a bit from everyone here. Most really good information, some, not so much. I cut some wood with my 84 year old father in law prior to his passing away. This man was a simple farmer, but was the strongest man I every met, no exceptions. He told me he worked for a feed mill and used to carry one 100lb. bag of feed on EACH shoulder up two stories to empty the feed truck. This guy was amazing. He would bull and jamb on stuff so hard he ruptured both his biceps ! Any way, I would help him cut firewood and would run in to some wood that was punky in the center. I would always ask, "Ray, is this stuff O.K to burn? He would ALWAYS answer "It'll burn."

Ray passed away two years ago and I miss him a great deal. Today I got in to a white Oak that was down. I started bucking it and saw the center was punky and riddled with ants. I thought for a second of not bothering with the wood, but thought of what Ray would say "It'll burn." So I cut the entire tree and brought it home and stacked it. Thanks Ray.

 

[sdt7618]

Sounds like a good guy, same thoughts I have of my grandfather worked his whole life down the mines, I sware he had coal dust in his vains. nothing would stop him, until age caught up. But like you I learned so much from him and full intended to pass it on to the next generation to carry the knowledge.

Keep sharing it, we can all learn you and old alike!!

 

[Mac88]

FIL hase the same opinion about wood. "It'll make an ash". We get oak with ants. Leave it on the ground for a few days, the ants usually leave. If not, we split it regardless. Store the punky stuff off the ground. It'll dry sufficiently to burn.

 

[russhd1997]

The ants have some BTUs in them too! If you burn it in an OWB you don't have to worry about bringing ants into the house with the wood.

 

[Fred Wright]

... Ray passed away two years ago and I miss him a great deal. Today I got in to a white Oak that was down. I started bucking it and saw the center was punky and riddled with ants. I thought for a second of not bothering with the wood, but thought of what Ray would say "It'll burn." So I cut the entire tree and brought it home and stacked it. Thanks Ray.

Reminds me of my father-in-law. The only truly decent one in that jacked-up lot. A WWII vet, he had worked hard all his life. Ran a milk route back when they were still loading those metal cans in the trucks. Sold the milk route and went into the firewood business. When his sons were old enough he gave them the firewood routes and retired. He was in his 70s, still working his veggie garden.

I hadn't seen nor heard from him since I got divorced in '98, learned last year he'd passed away in hospice.

Dad taught me much. How to work on cars and trucks, and especially how to cut and split firewood. He bought my first saw, a $99.00 HomeyLite and taught me how to buck and limb with it. If not for him I wouldn't have given sweetgum a second thought. He said to leave the rounds lay for a few months then put 'em on the splitter.

He'd say burn it, no matter what it was. We bucked up and split a big punky tulip poplar one year. Dad said it'll burn like newspaper but it'll burn.

I was deathly afraid of carpenter ants before I saw Dad pick up a hollow round that was crawling with 'em. I thought he was crazy but he said they won't bother you. They're just trying to get away.

 

[Bob95065]

FIL hase the same opinion about wood. "It'll make an ash". We get oak with ants. Leave it on the ground for a few days, the ants usually leave. If not, we split it regardless. Store the punky stuff off the ground. It'll dry sufficiently to burn.

I found that carpenter ants and termites don't like gasoline and matches. Must be some sort of severe allergy because after they are exposed they are always all dead.