# Is This Good Firewood???



## konakid (Aug 3, 2012)

I'm guessing most of you have never used this wood. I think it is more of a warmer climate tree. But maybe you have heard from someone who has. 

I don't suppose it's among the best, but is grevillea robusta, aka silk oak, silky oak, or silver oak worth it?

I have several large trees that I need to take down, so it would be nice if it was worth the effort to split and stack it for later use. If I don't use it, it will still be a lot of work to get rid of it. So what do you think?


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## blades (Aug 3, 2012)

I only found one referance to it be used for firewood, but you might look up "Lacewood" as that is another name it is called. I do remember one of the guys on a different forum have a rifle stock made of this wood. it was absolutely gorgeous in the raw never saw a photo of it after finish was applied. there was many ref. to it being used in furniture as well as exterior window frames ( bug and rot resistant) and veneer.  So likely may be a decent firewood.  it is wood it does burn, which means it produces some heat and you are not purchasing it, that gets a thumbs up in my book.


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## Ashful (Aug 3, 2012)

blades said:


> it is wood it does burn, which means...


 
a witch!

Sorry.


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## Jags (Aug 3, 2012)

Is this the same stuff that is referred to as "swamp oak"?  Never heard of the "silky" moniker.


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## Brewmonster (Aug 3, 2012)

This is a question for our friends Down Under. Whaddaya day, you Kiwis and Aussies?


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## Ashful (Aug 3, 2012)

I work with an old-timer, who occasionally offers me trees on his property.  One I took down last spring he called "swamp oak", but then said he thought other people might call this a "pin oak".  Then he joked that his father used to call the stuff "piss oak", because of the way it smells.

This wiki seems to agree on the swamp oak = pin oak, but makes no mention of a silk oak:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_palustris


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## Grisu (Aug 3, 2012)

Found this one:
http://bbfw.com/residential_removal.htm
They recommend to "recycle" (aka burn) silk oak although their standards may be less than yours. However, I would not refuse free wood already on my property only because it may be inferior firewood.


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## blades (Aug 3, 2012)

Go To:     woodzone/woods/lacewood  this will give all the info. Enjoy,Chris


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## bogydave (Aug 3, 2012)

Dry wood burns.
If it burns, it's BTUs.
Burn what you got.

Hope one of these helps you decide.


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## Ashful (Aug 3, 2012)

The swamp oak / pin oak / "piss oak" doesn't smell too pleasant when you cut it, but it's tolerable.  However, go out to your stacks a few weeks later on a hot and humid day, and you'll swear a cat pissed all over the stacks!  I didn't believe the stories until I witnessed it myself.

I can't tell you what it smells like when it burns... yet.


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## Brewmonster (Aug 4, 2012)

All this "swamp oak, pin oak, piss oak" stuff is off the point. Silky oak is a completely unrelated Australian tree often planted as an ornamental. I've never handled the wood, but I see its density is given as 550–650 kg/cubic meter,  compared to 570 for American elm, so pretty respectable.


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## ScotO (Aug 4, 2012)

According to this Wiki write-up, they value the timber for cabinets, fenceposts, etc.  So I would say it's probably a decent firewood.  Just don't eat the seeds or flowers, according to this article, the seeds and flowers of the tree contain a compound of cyanide!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grevillea_robusta


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## rdust (Aug 4, 2012)

Brewmonster said:


> All this "swamp oak, pin oak, piss oak" stuff is off the point. Silky oak is a completely unrelated Australian tree often planted as an ornamental. I've never handled the wood, but I see its density is given as 550–650 kg/cubic meter, compared to 570 for American elm, so pretty respectable.


 
konakid is from Hawaii, either way you're right they're off track with their "swamp oak, pin oak, piss oak" talk.


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## Gregozedobe (Jul 23, 2016)

I realise this is an old thread I'm reviving, but this thread still comes up top in  a google query so I'm adding my comments here to help anyone else.

I'm in Australia, and last year our neighbour was cutting down two largish *Grevillea robusta* trees, and gave the wood to me (for firewood, there was lots of rot and borers in the wood which is why he cut them down).  I let it age for 12 months after cutting and splitting, and I've been burning it for a couple of months now, so I thought it time to do a review.

Overall I would rate it as* adequate firewood*, but not something I'd chase around for. I'll compare it to my usual firewood - Eucalyptus sp (hardwood) bring burnt in a fully closed (except for air intake) cast iron Morso stove used as our main heat source in our family room.

- Burns quicker, doesn't have as much heat per piece (I expected this, it is much less dense)

- Slightly harder to ignite (not a problem, just doesn't catch as quickly)

- *Produces a lot more sticky soot *- 2 or 3 times as much as usual which means I have to clean out my heater every 2 weeks or so rather than every month or so.  It also means when it needs a clean out my stove is harder to get a fire going from cold.  This is the main disadvantage.

- It cuts easily with a chainsaw and is mostly easier to split.

- It is light, so easier to carry.

- I have read that some people get an allergic reaction to the sap and bark (I didn't, nor did my wife, but be aware of the possibility).


I hope this quick review helps someone who (like me) was trying to decide whether to use Grevillea robusta as firewood.


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## blades (Jul 25, 2016)

sure sounds like it needs more drying time-  from your description of current burns- get about the same type crud if burning some of  the conifers with insufficient drying time.  In general pitchy wood is a hot fast burn- not good to choke it way back as it results in about what you stated.


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## Gregozedobe (Jul 25, 2016)

Thanks for the response.  I guess time will tell re drying time (we have several tons of G. robusta, more than we will burn this year anyway), but we burn with lots of air (never really choked back), controlling heat output with the amount and timing of wood we put in rather than by restricting air ( we generally only light our fire in the afternoon and evening, and let it burn down well before we go to bed).  Certainly given a choice I'd prefer Eucalyptus or Casuarina for firewood.


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## SawdustSA (Feb 16, 2019)

An old post but helpful.
A standing dead Silver Oak (as we call it in South Africa) was cut down 2 houses from me.  I am tempted to ask for the wood but since I usually only burn Eucalyptus and have many years' supply, I might give this a miss.....as difficult as it might be..


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## ValleyCottageSplitter (Feb 16, 2019)

Yes at 37lbs/ft^3 or 590kg/m^3 you are looking at a medium density wood for the US.  If you can find G Striata "beefwood" on the other hand, that would be a good find! That tops about any wood in the US almost double the density: 60lbs/ft^3 or 965kg/m^3!


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