What are You'ins burning for the Winter of 2014?

[zogger]

I'll be burning leftovers going back to 2009 or so. Remnants of stacks, will consolidate into one stack, then start over and stack new splits in the old areas.. Been cutting so much since joining AS and getting more and larger saws that we are years ahead now, and I have cut rounds down all over to haul back, and several planned takedowns ahead. Just two rows of planned takedowns down the sides of some broiler houses would be...two decades of firewood perhaps.

I am gonna stack for the long haul, maybe someday when I get sufficiently ahead that I know I have way past a lifetime remaining amount.... I will barter off some. Not much into selling.

As to species, geez loweez, I think something of everything that grows around here.Ash to ..can't think of any "z" wood...you know what I mean though. Ash to Tulip poplar, made it to T anyway

 

[Wood Doctor]

Sell Some of It

Zogger, there is a way to get rid of some of your surplus wood that by now is starting to turn punky, even if stored in the round:

Sell it for $100 a truckload or so. Use the money to buy fuel for your saws and truck. Let the logs help pay you back for your work to collect them.

 

[rancher2]

Hedge and more Hedge. The rest of the trees we cut go to the burn piles.

 

[stihl023/5]

Maple, oak, apple, birch, ash, cherry, beech, elm, locust. It all goes in the stack no special sorting.:msp_thumbup:

 

[zogger]

Zogger, there is a way to get rid of some of your surplus wood that by now is starting to turn punky, even if stored in the round:

Sell it for $100 a truckload or so. Use the money to buy fuel for your saws and truck. Let the logs help pay you back for your work to collect them.

Thought about it, but more into barter then selling. fuel costs are not that high for me really, my vehicle insurance is way more per month than my vehicle and equipment fuel costs ..now that sucks, but is what it is. I mostly use the tractor here and diesel from the bulk tank, that costs me nothing to go get wood, just some gasoline and mix and bar oil.

but..I might some time, ya never know. Ton of guys selling around here already, I think I would do better off season bartering (swap for lawnmowers in the winter, busted saws, who knows, etc), fix that stuff, then sell that. Sort of compound my investment. Straight cash sales around here, 150 a cord for primo oak and hickory..just ain't enough for the work and effort involved, especially hand splitting. I like fiorewooding, not sure if I want to turn it into a "job" at this point..

I already was thinking about that, for in the future, your point on the extra wood that doers accumulate though, and started stacking oak and hickory, the better cuts, grade A and B, completely separate (and also much better up off the ground and a little looser stacked for way more air flow). I could get by easily with the grade C,D and lesser wood and the shorts/odds/uglies for my own usage. All my other stacks are mixed species, which also include pine, and around here, people would completely reject that even at 25 a cord delivered. there is total 100% prejudice against pine, AFAIK, I am the only person around here who burns it inside in a stove. ..so all that wood, meh, not gonna pick through it and wiggle the pine out.

If I lived someplace with a bit better pricing on the wood, and more demand, sure, i could do it part time and sell some regular. Not here though, I don't think so anyway.

Now custom cutting, arb work,different story! Not sure at 61 if I am too old and wuss to start climbing, but I have done some rock climbing, urban building climbing (great sport, sort of a guerrila sport...), and sport climbing in trees. But..I have never used that exact gear and it is spendy even used, plus I wouldn't have the foggiiest if I was doing it correctly or safely or not.....but I have considered it several time snow, that and storm damage cleanup for people (as in I know I have some large saws for around here) Not really in a position to just quit this job and go work my way up as a groundy for someone else either at this time...

It sure looks fun though, hard technical fun, and obviously that pays loads better than doing firewood.

 

[philoshop]

Farthest from the house is willow, poplar, box elder and cottonwood. In the middle is a mix of older and semi-punky cherry, walnut and sugar maple. When it gets cold I have closest to the house a mix of fresh sugar maple, cherry, walnut and black locust.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Wow, the diversity that you'ins burn is amazing. Wish I could try them all. The Western States have their own unique groups of firewoods that they burn and that serve them well. While I enjoy the hardwoods I have burned enough softwood to know they can put out great heat and do it in a hurry. I had no oaks when I lived in Maine but I found other wood to burn and to keep warm in some really wicked cold weather, ya burn what ya got available. All wood from what I have read puts out about 5000 BTU per pound. As OldTimer once posted, your frozen rear end don't care whats in the stove, it just knows to back up to the heat I know the different woods but my wife does not. Tried to teach her the difference but they say motivation is the key to learning and she is not motivated. She just puts on whats ever handiest in the pile and thats not too big for her to handle. She suscribes to OldTimers philosophy knowing that it all burns and puts out heat. Had a small stack of cedar last year that I had in billets to split later for kindling, well came home late one night from work and Mrs had fixed the fire. When I asked her what she put in the furnace she shrugged and said the stuff that was up front, Well, the cedar chunks were all gone. Needless to say I had to fix the fire again before bed as the cedar was burned down to coals and would not have lasted the night. I guess if the only wood you have is cedar you just have to feed the fire more often or get a stove that will stretch those btu's out a little.

 

[greendohn]

A couple I forgot

I run into the Locust some also. The thorn Locust gets "ringed" and cut a year later. Cutting the a ring around 'em generally puts a hurtin' on the thorns and makes processing much easier. The other Locust finds it's way to the shed also, neither of them as often as I'd like. Hackberry is another we cut around here.
The woodshed has it's 8' door in the middle and sorting wood is basically boiled down to stacking as I bring it home. If I run into a stack of the good stuff in mild weather I pick around it or :msp_scared:,,,restack it out of the way,,lol

 

[HD2010]

75% Sugar Maple and the rest is Elm, Ash and Oak.

 

[stihl023/5]

I run into the Locust some also. The thorn Locust gets "ringed" and cut a year later. Cutting the a ring around 'em generally puts a hurtin' on the thorns and makes processing much easier. The other Locust finds it's way to the shed also, neither of them as often as I'd like. Hackberry is another we cut around here.
The woodshed has it's 8' door in the middle and sorting wood is basically boiled down to stacking as I bring it home. If I run into a stack of the good stuff in mild weather I pick around it or :msp_scared:,,,restack it out of the way,,lol

That locust is like a weed up here.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Lodgepole pine (lowest BTU, but readily available), Doug fir and California Black Oak. The lodgepole is cut standing dead and dry, ready to burn immediately and permits are $10/cord from the Forest Service. It has little pitch and burns clean. Doug fir is harder to get, grows at lower elevations where the land is mostly private. If you find a downed oak, get it fast before someone else does. I keep the oak in reserve for those single digit (or lower) nights.

 

[BrettStoner]

For the 2013-2014 burning season we'll be finishing up our last stack, 4-4.5 cords of "bought" mixed hardwoods, oak, ash, a little walnut and some (too much) sycamore. My awesome wife (me too) likes being way ahead on firewood so she budgeted to buy about 6 cords a year in 2011 and 2012. We burn 3-4 cords per winter, weather and type of wood dependant. I've been scrounging, well sort of, I have a couple of tree cutters who call me to help them get rid of firewood from their jobs when I have the time so from late summer of 2012 to the present I've hauled, split, and stacked 4 cords of white oak, 2 cords of walnut from our own lightening struck 75+ year old (according to the cutter), 2/3 cord of ash, a rick of sugar maple, and 4 cords of black locust. I have a pile of uglies, probably at least 2 ricks, that will be ready this fall of the black locust, walnut, white oak that we'll be starting the season off with before we get into the stacked wood. We have an unheated finished front porch that I can fit 2 full cords in that is literally 10 steps from our stove so I only have to haul wood to the house twice a season.

 

[aaron]

That locust is like a weed up here.

Same here in Ohio. There is Locust to be had every year for scrounging. I was able to get 3 cords of it so far this Spring.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Sounds like a lot of people are ready or getting there for winter 2014. I love it! I moved the rest of the seasoned Red Oak and Chestnut Oak into the wood shed this evening with the loader. Have a good 2 1/2 cords of it already in the shed along with a cord of Red Maple. Stacked 3/4 cord of green Chestnut Oak onto pallets out at the pole building this evening. Probably have at least 4 more cords of Red and Chestnut mixed, some already split and stacked and some bucked up and still laying on the mountain. I had hauled more of it down from the mountain where it has been since Feb./March on Saturday morning. Its been sitting in the truck bed all weekend. Did not really want it staying in the truck that long but with Fathers day and all I just did not get too it. I am counting on the Hickory and Black Birch to be ready this coming winter. Probably have close to 3 cords of Hickory and half a cord or so of Black Birch. Maybe another 3/4 to full cord of Locust. It was cut down last fall but not cut up till early spring. This years Chestnut and Red Oak was not cut down till February so I am not counting on it being ready for this coming winter. Have lots of seasoned Red Maple, probably another 2 cord I figure I'll just mix it in as I need it. I dont plan on moving The Hickory into the woodshed till fall, the dang banded Hickory borers make a mess in the piles. I learned my lesson last winter with piles of frass all through the woodshed. I must say I envy you guys that are years ahead on your wood. I am not a full year ahead but figure I have close to 4 cord plus ahead for the winter of 2015. Maybe if I can scrounge another three or four cord this summer I will have the winter of 2015 licked. Someone mentioned Hackberry. How does it burn? Not sure if we have it around these parts or not. Never burned Mulberry either but I know it is available around these parts.

 

[MI_Habitat]

For the last few years its just been ash for me courtesy of the ash borer.

Coming this year I've got ready a variety of soft maples I've scrounged. Not the greatest, but it'll be nice to have some variety. I just can't justify cutting down anything that isn't ash on my own property.

 

[olyman]

this year, honey locust, some burr oak, hackberry,,and lots of ash!!! this will be the most I have ever cut,split,and stacked in one season...and yes,,the hyd splitter got a workout!!!:msp_biggrin:

 

[kyle23]

Oak, Beech, Black Walnut, Osage Orange, And Black Locust.

 

[Milkweed Seed]

Red & white oak, cherry, honey locust, white birch, ash, Norway maple.

 

[Wood Doctor]

... Someone mentioned Hackberry. How does it burn? Not sure if we have it around these parts or not. Never burned Mulberry either but I know it is available around these parts.

Hackberry may be the most underrated firewood that ever existed. It burns almost as hot as mulberry, but it does not spark and dries faster when split.

Do you want to warm up your house? Burn nutwoods and berrywoods. Then throw in some ash and hard maple (or vice versa).

 

[DTB]

Sounds like a lot of people are ready or getting there for winter 2014. I love it! I moved the rest of the seasoned Red Oak and Chestnut Oak into the wood shed this evening with the loader. Have a good 2 1/2 cords of it already in the shed along with a cord of Red Maple. Stacked 3/4 cord of green Chestnut Oak onto pallets out at the pole building this evening. Probably have at least 4 more cords of Red and Chestnut mixed, some already split and stacked and some bucked up and still laying on the mountain. I had hauled more of it down from the mountain where it has been since Feb./March on Saturday morning. Its been sitting in the truck bed all weekend. Did not really want it staying in the truck that long but with Fathers day and all I just did not get too it. I am counting on the Hickory and Black Birch to be ready this coming winter. Probably have close to 3 cords of Hickory and half a cord or so of Black Birch. Maybe another 3/4 to full cord of Locust. It was cut down last fall but not cut up till early spring. This years Chestnut and Red Oak was not cut down till February so I am not counting on it being ready for this coming winter. Have lots of seasoned Red Maple, probably another 2 cord I figure I'll just mix it in as I need it. I dont plan on moving The Hickory into the woodshed till fall, the dang banded Hickory borers make a mess in the piles. I learned my lesson last winter with piles of frass all through the woodshed. I must say I envy you guys that are years ahead on your wood. I am not a full year ahead but figure I have close to 4 cord plus ahead for the winter of 2015. Maybe if I can scrounge another three or four cord this summer I will have the winter of 2015 licked. Someone mentioned Hackberry. How does it burn? Not sure if we have it around these parts or not. Never burned Mulberry either but I know it is available around these parts.

I have never burned hackberry, as for the Mulberry, it is one of my favorite. I have read where people claim that it smells like Cotton Candy whem burned...not too sure about that but still pleasant. The wood turns a rich brown color when seasoned.