Hickory longevity ?

[JeffHK454]

Got a couple dozen 8' long Hickory logs I stumbled into and I'm wondering how long they'll stay in good shape before processing any further? Reason I ask is I've got two years ready to go and no real room for anymore split stuff...center log in the pic. is 26" in dia. scale.

Would you leave the logs how I got them..get it up off the ground a bit?

Grounds on a pretty good slope with ok air and sun..

 

[zogger]

They will get eat up with bugs until you get that bark off of them. At least around here they do. Perhaps well below zero weather will kill the bugs, but it doesn't get that cold here.
My hickory pieces with bark still on, err, burnable but don't like it...bark off pure heartwood, clank, dense, solid, sound, no bugs. Same with most any wood but hickory is a taste treat to insects.

 

[JeffHK454]

Will the stuff last 3+ years if I build some racks and go ahead an work it up?

 

[zogger]

Will the stuff last 3+ years if I build some racks and go ahead an work it up?

I have some hickory heartwood that is sneaking up fast on three years old now and it is good, it's my most primo wood. The stuff with the bark on it I will finish burning this winter as polar vortex wood or sell it or something. If you want it to last, thin split the bark off in slabs, like maybe an inch thick, put that to the side. Finish splitting the heartwood and criss cross stack it on your racks, maximum air for fastest drying. Use the slab wood bark up on top of the racks like shingles.

 

[JeffHK454]

I have some hickory heartwood that is sneaking up fast on three years old now and it is good, it's my most primo wood. The stuff with the bark on it I will finish burning this winter as polar vortex wood or sell it or something. If you want it to last, thin split the bark off in slabs, like maybe an inch thick, put that to the side. Finish splitting the heartwood and criss cross stack it on your racks, maximum air for fastest drying. Use the slab wood bark up on top of the racks like shingles.

Yeah, that's too much work ..I'm gonna find a place to put a couple racks up then split and stack it. I'll just mix it in next year's Ash supply and push the surplus Maple and Ash out to the '16-'17 season.

I knew Hickory was hard to keep for long and I'm just not gonna let it get punky or ate up.

 

[Del_]

Cut them in 12inch length, split them small and put it on Craigslist for smoking wood Priced at $75 or so per 1/4 cord.

 

[madjoe]

I'm gonna go with 5 years maybe longer if its off the ground, maybe in a dry place and the bugs don't eat it up.

 

[Zeus103363]

I have lots of hickory in my stacks that is well over 2 years old and still have some logs and butt cut ends that are still in the woods waiting to get processed. What I have is fine and I would think you would be ok for a couple of years. Hickory is primo wood around here too but I usually save it for my smoker...

 

[VW Splitter]

watchen this thread, i have a big hickory that's down but up off the ground.

 

[JeffHK454]

Cut them in 12inch length, split them small and put it on Craigslist for smoking wood Priced at $75 or so per 1/4 cord.

I considered this...but when I looked on Craigslist I didn't see any other adds. I'm not sure if that shows a lack of a market for cooking wood around Cincy or if there's a shortage of providers. My biggest fear would be that I'd be stuck with two cord if Hickory toothpicks !

 

[sunfish]

I've stopped cutting it here, bugs eat it up even stacked in the shed.

 

[Del_]

I considered this...but when I looked on Craigslist I didn't see any other adds. I'm not sure if that shows a lack of a market for cooking wood around Cincy or if there's a shortage of providers. My biggest fear would be that I'd be stuck with two cord if Hickory toothpicks !

Just do a little bit and see how it goes.

Smoking wood sells good around the holidays.

 

[JeffHK454]

Just do a little bit and see how it goes.

Smoking wood sells good around the holidays.

How green do the BBQ guys like Hickory....I'm not looking to revisit a moister meter thread so we'll go by months since fresh cut?

These trees were healthy so they're 100% rot free as of now.

 

[JeffHK454]

I've stopped cutting it here, bugs eat it up even stacked in the shed.

My fear also...I left a dead Hickory stand in my woods for around 4 years till I got time to mess with it, needless to say it was so bug infested it was of no use.

 

[Del_]

How green do the BBQ guys like Hickory....I'm not looking to revisit a moister meter thread so we'll go by months since fresh cut?

These trees were healthy so they're 100% rot free as of now.

They will take it almost fresh cut.

You don't have to have it cut or split to place the ad. Just tell them you will have it ready for them to pick up in a few days or a week.

 

[CoreyB]

Hickory rots fast around here. I try to cut it split it and stack it out of the weather asap.

 

[Jon E]

I have to retrieve a big shagbark deep in the woods that came down in the spring. If I don't it will be punk by next spring. If I had time I would have gotten to it much sooner. Hickory seems to rot faster than almost anything else in my woods, except for maybe white birch with the bark on it.