Junk Wood.......

[Jeremy102579]

I picked up a small load of wood a couple weeks ago. Being the unknowledgeable wood IDer I am.....I didn't know what it was but brought home some of it anyways. The trunk was 5'+ diameter and they had it cut into chunks about 18" wide by about 16-18 " long. These chunks were heavy......I tried to split them with a fiskars x27 and a 6 # maul and also my 4-ton Ryobi splitter but no chance in living he**........Guess due to all water weight ?

Today I noodled and split them......and have them stacked.

Turns out after some research it was (JUNK WOOD) Ailanthus altissima....Tree Of Heaven

Can I expect much form this other than pit burning wood next summer or maybe kindling next fall ?

 

[stumpy75]

It's better than a snowball! It'll burn fine, just not real long.

 

[bert the turtle]

I burned a fair bit of Ailanthus last winter- old and starting to get bit punky at that. I wanted to use it up before I moved on to the good stuff: pine and sweet gum! I have a very well insulated house with high thermal mass, so I don't need a lot of heat and I don't need the fire to last overnight because the temperature changes slowly in my house. Pretty much anything that is dry enough to burn cleanly is good enough for me. So my experience with it as fuel may not apply to your circumstances.

Ailanthus dries quickly, and rots quickly if it is kept outside. It may have held up better in my barn, but I didn't stack it there. Once it dries, it is a lightweight wood. Since I burned it in a wood stove, not a fireplace, I can't comment on if it throws sparks as I just didn't pay any attention to that. It doesn't hold a strong bed of coals overnight, at least in my stove, but I could dig around in the morning and find enough coals to rekindle a new fire in the morning. Most nights, I wake up at least once anyway, so I can throw a few more pieces on if I feel like it.

Ailanthus kept me plenty warm during the coldest winter I can remember in 20 years. Of course it doesn't have the heat output of the denser woods. That means burning faster and therefore more loading to deliver the same heat as denser wood. But, it will burn just fine and if your house is up to it, it will keep you warm. Some of it stinks, some doesn't. I got lucky on that count- the big Ailanthus trees I took down didn't stink. I have a few small ones that smell like rotten peanut butter. If the stink goes away as they dry, I will use them for heat, otherwise I'll probably just throw them in the woods to rot or use them for a bonfire.

 

[steved]

I burnt a mix of it last year, it burns better than poplar, about like soft maple...doesn't coal much, leaves just ash in the box. I found it seasons pretty quick (six months is no problem) but I do not notice any rot problems with what I still have laying around...it doesn't seem to rot any faster than anything else.

It kept my house warm last winter. I would not turn it down for free. I don't consider it junk wood...

 

[steved]

It does not throw sparks...just thought I would add that. I was concerned about that for the FIL's use in a fireplace, but its a non issues.

All of the TOH I got stunk when wet, and it will cause an irritating smoke if burned green...but once seasoned, I've used it for campfire wood without any problem. I don't worry about it in the stove.

 

[cat-face timber]

To me there is no such thing as Junk wood.
Each species has a place in my heating plan.
Some wood is better than others, but as said above, it sure burns better than a Snowball.

 

[Dirtboy]

If you got it split & stacked, burn it. The work is already done.

 

[Jeremy102579]

Thanks guys, I called it Junk wood because from what I read on multiple sites. It is all split and stacked off the ground.......I am guessing fall/early winter of 2015-2016,if it doesn't rot before then.....................

 

[CRThomas]

I picked up a small load of wood a couple weeks ago. Being the unknowledgeable wood IDer I am.....I didn't know what it was but brought home some of it anyways. The trunk was 5'+ diameter and they had it cut into chunks about 18" wide by about 16-18 " long. These chunks were heavy......I tried to split them with a fiskars x27 and a 6 # maul and also my 4-ton Ryobi splitter but no chance in living he**........Guess due to all water weight ?

Today I noodled and split them......and have them stacked.

Turns out after some research it was (JUNK WOOD) Ailanthus altissima....Tree Of Heaven

Can I expect much form this other than pit burning wood next summer or maybe kindling next fall ?

Junk wood can be different wood in different areas I can say to me junk wood is hard wood to me I split it up pile it up in the yard $35.00 dollars a pick up load you come and get it you load it you pay in cash. my money maker is Ash the King of Firewood. If you burn for heat and it free grab it