# Neighbor is cuttin down trees to burn today!



## WiscWoody (Jan 31, 2014)

My not too bright neighbor is out cutting down the few trees he has left on his lake lot with a dull chain as usual. He has been using his propane boiler this winter from what I could tell but I'm thinking he found out how much it costs to fill it and out came his Homelite XL2 and down come the trees. Good luck to him getting it to burn green! And they bought two nice cat stoves a few years ago but they burnt junk in them so now they are smoking dragons. My neighbors, gotta love em!


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## STIHLY DAN (Jan 31, 2014)

Standing dead or alive?


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## Paulywalnut (Jan 31, 2014)

My neighbor at least seasons his firewood for a month or so


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## WiscWoody (Jan 31, 2014)

Half dead Birch trees. They were dying from the top down. We had a drought some time back and the Bronze Birch Borers came in for the slow kill, so they would be cut down anyways.


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## osagebow (Jan 31, 2014)

My nieghbor has a pile of log in the yard he has been periodically cutting, splitting ,and burning also.  House looks like a locomotive in these cold snaps.


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## Hogwildz (Feb 1, 2014)

The house, the house, the house is on fire, let the mutha f'er burn!


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## richg (Feb 1, 2014)

hermancm said:


> My not too bright neighbor is out cutting down the few trees he has left on his lake lot with a dull chain as usual. He has been using his propane boiler this winter from what I could tell but I'm thinking he found out how much it costs to fill it and out came his Homelite XL2 and down come the trees. Good luck to him getting it to burn green! And they bought two nice cat stoves a few years ago but they burnt junk in them so now they are smoking dragons. My neighbors, gotta love em!



It's hysterical to see some of the things people do. On my way to/from work, there is a small house with short masonry chimney. Dang thing looks like a steel smelter in the colder months, belching huge clouds of smoke. There is a constant turnover of wood and he goes through mind-boggling quantities. You'd think the jackwagon would realize that installing an EPA stove or insert would cut down on wood consumption and the amount of effort he puts in to keep the house warm, but no....year after year, same thing.


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## BobUrban (Feb 1, 2014)

The unfortunate reality is that all us weirdo OCD solid fuel heat misers that hang out here to swap lies about safe burning practices, tips and tricks are an overwhelming minority in the wood burning community.  I have no real statistics but it has to be in the 10-1 ratio or greater.

Old habits are hard to break so when approaching a heavy smoker it is best to not preach - a better method is allow them to feel it is their idea and allow them to "tell you"

ie. wow, _____ , I had this wood that was sitting for like 3 years out back and I decided I better burn it before it totally rots(try not to smirk) and holy hot fire batman!  That stuff started easy, burns hotter and longer that my usual wood and there wasn't even any smoke coming out my chimney??  I was amazed and I am going to try age all my wood that long if I can get that far ahead.  Want to start cutting and stock piling with me??  I still have some if you want lets try a load in your stove to see if it was a fluke.

The sneak attack seems to work better than the "ego hammer" when dealing with a long time, I know "all" wood burner with poor habits.


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## blacktail (Feb 1, 2014)

I have a friend that cuts trees down in June and July for the burn season that starts a few months later. And he stacks it three rows deep. He's one of those people who thinks that dry wood burns too fast. He lives in the sticks so at least he doesn't have many neighbors to offend. 
I've tried.


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## Christopix (Feb 1, 2014)

BobUrban said:


> The unfortunate reality is that all us weirdo OCD solid fuel heat misers that hang out here to swap lies about safe burning practices, tips and tricks are an overwhelming minority in the wood burning community.  I have no real statistics but it has to be in the 10-1 ratio or greater.
> 
> Old habits are hard to break so when approaching a heavy smoker it is best to not preach - a better method is allow them to feel it is their idea and allow them to "tell you"
> 
> ...



Ha!  I've used a very similar tactic with a few neighbors and it was keenly observed.  Probably didn't hurt that I gave each of them a wheel barrel full of my wood that I quick dried using a makeshift solar kiln.  [While it isn't really a kiln, it did speed up the drying process enough to get consistent 20% or lower readings on a fresh split.]


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## CenterTree (Feb 1, 2014)

richg said:


> It's hysterical to see some of the things people do. ...
> 
> You'd think the jackwagon would* realize that installing an EPA stove or insert would cut down on wood consumption *and the amount of effort he puts in to keep the house warm, but no....year after year, same thing.



Ya can't fault everyone with a smoke dragon though.... A lot of people are not even aware that there is such a thing as an EPA stove.    ( I was one of those guys until I got "enlightened" here).


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## lazeedan (Feb 1, 2014)

A guy down the road brings up a week or two of rounds and stacks by the front door. He then splits as needed. The smoke is always poring out of the stack.


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## Seasoned Oak (Feb 1, 2014)

richg said:


> You'd think the jackwagon would realize that installing an EPA stove or insert would cut down on wood consumption and the amount of effort he puts in to keep the house warm, but no....year after year, same thing.


 An EPA stove wont do much good with nothing but green wood to burn.


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## BrotherBart (Feb 1, 2014)

The way I did it for more years than I want to count. This website cost me a lot of money and work. 

Many a March when the wood ran out I was out in the woods cutting up dead and down after I knocked the snow off of it and piled it by the stove as long as I could hold out to try to dry the surface moisture off of it.

Hmmm... I thought I was at Smoke Dragons Anonymous.

Never mind...


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## Fred Wright (Feb 1, 2014)

lazeedan said:


> A guy down the road brings up a week or two of rounds and stacks by the front door. He then splits as needed. The smoke is always poring out of the stack.


 
Yup... got some locals who do this. Split wood as needed, not before. Seriously, they'll have a pile of rounds laying by the chopping block and split a day's worth at a time. You know who they are when ya see white smoke pouring out of the flue. 

There's an old boy down the road a piece who sells it this way. He cuts and piles up green rounds behind his home in spring. Come fall he'll split a bunch of 'em and stack it for sale.


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## CenterTree (Feb 2, 2014)

Fred Wright said:


> Yup... got some locals who do this. Split wood as needed, not before. .....
> 
> ....There's an old boy down the road a piece who sells it this way.* He cuts and piles up green rounds behind his home in spring. Come fall he'll split a bunch of 'em and stack it for sale*.



New marketing technique >

Sign:

*FRESH-SPLIT FIREWOOD FOR SALE.*
(Split while you wait)


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## Sinngetreu (Feb 2, 2014)

Over Christmas my BIL's wanted to talk shop with me and started in about how they burn in their wood stoves. They are the type of people that you don't just tell them what to do. Needless to say, my tongue had a few bite marks after listening to one of my BIL's describe putting a decent size round in his stove and rotating it every twenty minutes so it would keep burning. My tongue was darn near raw after listening to my other BIL talking about how he would split his wood except for the fear of disturbing the neighbors with the sound of him splitting. 

I just don't know anymore.........


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## 1750 (Feb 2, 2014)

richg said:


> It's hysterical to see some of the things people do.... You'd think the jackwagon would realize that installing an EPA stove or insert would cut down on wood consumption and the amount of effort he puts in to keep the house warm, but no....year after year, same thing.


People just don't know.  Because it's Sunday... they know not what they do.

I've been around stoves and fireplaces all of my life and didn't know anything about this until I bumped into HDC (hearthdotcom).  Even after I read through the Sermon on the Hearth I was pretty skeptical (I'm skeptical by nature and, after all, I'd been around stoves and fireplaces all of my life...).  But when I finally got my own EPA stove and put some of these techniques to the test, I was convinced.  Beyond convinced.   I mean, holy crap, the difference is truly astounding.

I've slowly been able to convert a few of my "it was dead when I cut it, so it must be dry" friends.   I like tactics that Bob and Christo have suggested above.   Imagine what the impact a gift of a dry load of red oak could make if you'd spent your life trying to burn wet oak.


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## CenterTree (Feb 2, 2014)

Sinngetreu said:


> ..... My tongue was darn near raw after listening to my other BIL talking about how* he would split his wood except for the fear of disturbing the neighbors with the sound of him splitting. *
> 
> I just don't know anymore.........



LOL.

So it is OK for his endless plumes of billowing smoke to engulf the whole neighborhood, as long as he doesn't create any noise by splitting the wood???


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## Sinngetreu (Feb 2, 2014)

CenterTree said:


> LOL.
> 
> So it is OK for his endless plumes of billowing smoke to engulf the whole neighborhood, as long as he doesn't create any noise by splitting the wood???



HaHaHa...
Well, it doesn't bother him, so why should it bother anyone else? LOL


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## osagebow (Feb 2, 2014)

One of my students cuts, splits and sells truckloads from a giant pile of rounds he has. I gave him my parts Husky 350 to help him fix his 350 a month ago. He just gave it back.
"I sold 12 truckloads in 2 weeks, bought me a new farmboss  "


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## Sinngetreu (Feb 2, 2014)

osagebow said:


> One of my students cuts, splits and sells truckloads from a giant pile of rounds he has. I gave him my parts Husky 350 to help him fix his 350 a month ago. He just gave it back.
> "I sold 12 truckloads in 2 weeks, bought me a new farmboss  "



I wondered if this was coming. Actually, I kind of knew it was.....


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## MrWhoopee (Feb 2, 2014)

I, too, did not understand how to run my EPA stove until I found this forum. Conversations with other woodburners in my area (and there are many) have revealed that very few, if any, know how their stove is supposed to be run. With all the money spent on improving the equipment, it might be worthwhile training the operators too.


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## Backwoods Savage (Feb 2, 2014)

I still laugh because 2 years ago a fellow a few miles from us bought a log load. Then he started burning but this is amazing, he has a chimney that appears to be about a 4" diameter. Not sure how he got that much smoke out that tiny thing. Of course, he cut perhaps 2 or 3 wheelbarrows full of wood at a time as needed. He would just dump the rounds by his garage but would not split until his stove got hungry. 

Last summer it appears he may have sold a pickup load off that log pile as someone was out there cutting but didn't take much. Now this winter it shows no more activity. I fear the fellow no doubt found this wood burning isn't what it is bragged up to be! After all, those logs were seasoned when he bought them and now they've laid there for over a year. Certainly this time should dry all that wood....


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## Seasoned Oak (Feb 3, 2014)

You must tread carefully in trying to educate the ignorant and clueless about seasoning and drying wood. People generally dont want to hear that they have put tremendous time and effort(and money) into a project and they are doing it all wrong. And wasting a lot of wood to boot.


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## parthy (Feb 3, 2014)

According to a rumour I heard in the neighbourhood, if you have wood you just cut down and it won't burn real good - all you do is leave the door open to the stove. (or steal dry stuff from me lolololol)  If the embers jump out onto the floor - just stomp em out.


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## red oak (Feb 3, 2014)

Backwoods Savage said:


> I still laugh because 2 years ago a fellow a few miles from us bought a log load. Then he started burning but this is amazing, he has a chimney that appears to be about a 4" diameter. Not sure how he got that much smoke out that tiny thing. Of course, he cut perhaps 2 or 3 wheelbarrows full of wood at a time as needed. He would just dump the rounds by his garage but would not split until his stove got hungry.
> 
> Last summer it appears he may have sold a pickup load off that log pile as someone was out there cutting but didn't take much. Now this winter it shows no more activity. I fear the fellow no doubt found this wood burning isn't what it is bragged up to be! After all, those logs were seasoned when he bought them and now they've laid there for over a year. Certainly this time should dry all that wood....



Geez everyone knows oak needs at least 3 days c/s/s


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## jillybeansisme (Feb 21, 2014)

So if my trees are cut down in the next month or two, but can't process them into nice split logs right away, it'll be okay to just stack it.  Then when I make another trip (or my nephew makes another trip) and we process them into logs and i stack them, I can start the countdown to burning them around 2017 unless I can somehow kiln dry them.  Once the house is built, can I use a section of my covered patio to stack wood if I raise it off the concrete?


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## maple1 (Feb 21, 2014)

Drying time doesn't really start until the wood is SPLIT.


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## Sinngetreu (Feb 21, 2014)

jillybeansisme said:


> So if my trees are cut down in the next month or two, but can't process them into nice split logs right away, it'll be okay to just stack it.  Then when I make another trip (or my nephew makes another trip) and we process them into logs and i stack them, I can start the countdown to burning them around 2017 unless I can somehow kiln dry them.  Once the house is built, can I use a section of my covered patio to stack wood if I raise it off the concrete?



It all depends on what species the tree is and how much wind and sun its going to get. You are right that you shouldn't count the rounds as part of the drying process. For the best results, you should start the clock when they are split and stacked. If they are Ash, pine, or something like that, you can dry them in a year or so in the right conditions. If they are Osage, Mulberry, Oak, or similar in density, then it will take more like three years or so. Its not exact science, but the longer the drying in wind and sun and away from moisture the better the outcome should be. A moisture meter is a good tool to help determine drying times.


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## paul bunion (Feb 21, 2014)

jillybeansisme said:


> So if my trees are cut down in the next month or two, but can't process them into nice split logs right away, it'll be okay to just stack it.  Then when I make another trip (or my nephew makes another trip) and we process them into logs and i stack them, I can start the countdown to burning them around 2017 unless I can somehow kiln dry them.  Once the house is built, can I use a section of my covered patio to stack wood if I raise it off the concrete?



Drying Might be much quicker than three years for you in Nevada.   The parts of Nevada that I been to are rather arid.     Also depends on what kind of tree it is.   Firewood from your lot could easily be dry before your house is built.


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## lindnova (Feb 21, 2014)

Seasoned Oak said:


> An EPA stove wont do much good with nothing but green wood to burn.



If I put green wood in my PE Spectrum it wouldn't hardly burn at all.  Not worth the effort.


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## jillybeansisme (Feb 21, 2014)

I live in Nevada, but the trees are in Oregon where I'll eventually be living.  The wood will be staying in Oregon to dry (that might qualify as an oxymoron with me being the moron part )!  Since they have to be felled to build the house, I might as well keep them, log them, etc., the best I can in April and then split and stack come July.  They wouldn't be used for a long time.(ok, long long long time)


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## lindnova (Feb 21, 2014)

MrWhoopee said:


> I, too, did not understand how to run my EPA stove until I found this forum. Conversations with other woodburners in my area (and there are many) have revealed that very few, if any, know how their stove is supposed to be run. With all the money spent on improving the equipment, it might be worthwhile training the operators too.



Me too.  Many people I know still swear by cutting and splitting in August and burning in the winter.  What I thought was dry isn't.  Luckily I have some 4 year split oak I have been burning.  The 2 year stuff sucks compared to that.  This forum has taught me a lot.


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## Scols (Feb 21, 2014)

CenterTree said:


> Ya can't fault everyone with a smoke dragon though.... A lot of people are not even aware that there is such a thing as an EPA stove.    ( I was one of those guys until I got "enlightened" here).


Lets not forget that not everyone can afford an epa stove. Some people are just trying to stay warm, although they should be doing it in a safer way.


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## Bobbin (Feb 21, 2014)

I patiently endured my employer's laments about how "hard" they worked to put up 6 cord of wood "in time" for the heating season for nearly 12 years.  I kept my mouth shut when I was told they burned "used" pier pilings for docks... .  I was told the weak spots/holes in the early 80s Ashley "added air".  I was told that pouring hot water down the flue while rattling chains inside the flue removed creosote.  I was appalled but kept my mouth shut.  There are a lot of people out there who know diddle about a lot of things.  I know what I know; cut/split/stack for 2-3 yrs. ahead, pay for oil and let the wood cure, insulate your home and learn how to deal with programmable thermostats.  And I'm thankful I was able to put a safe, easy to maintain system in place.   But that required some very careful planning, too.  And a lot of hard work and "number crunching".  (we knew how to "work the problem", too many don't)

And there are a lot people who do those things because they have no alternative! we need outreach to help them tighten up their homes and "safen them up", as Homer Simpson would say!


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## firefighterjake (Feb 21, 2014)

Some people can be edu-macated . . . other folks . . . well let's just say ignorant and stupid folks keep me in business.


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## WiscWoody (Feb 21, 2014)

Yes, and my neighbor is pretty stubborn to begin with. I mentioned it to him that he should stack wood and let it season to cut back on the smoke but he just shot back that he's seen smoke from my chimney too. I pointed out that what he saw was likely condensation on real cold days after I put some fresh splits into the stove. We haven't got along for some time so it's hard to talk to him anyways. Our lake lots are just too narrow and we need more space.


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## BrotherBart (Feb 21, 2014)

My neighbors cut and burn the same way. I just shake my head and wave as I drive by. Not worth the friction.


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## Standingdead (Feb 21, 2014)

I always am amazed at those people who burn their trash in an OWB. A few years ago my town sent out notices asking people to stop that practice. About 10 years ago I stopped at a neighbors who had ink black smoke pouring out his OWB. I thought maybe he needed help. He was burning left over roofing shingles. Gives new meaning to free BTU's.


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## BEConklin (Feb 21, 2014)

Backwoods Savage said:


> I still laugh because 2 years ago a fellow a few miles from us bought a log load. Then he started burning but this is amazing, he has a chimney that appears to be about a 4" diameter. Not sure how he got that much smoke out that tiny thing. Of course, he cut perhaps 2 or 3 wheelbarrows full of wood at a time as needed. He would just dump the rounds by his garage but would not split until his stove got hungry.
> 
> Last summer it appears he may have sold a pickup load off that log pile as someone was out there cutting but didn't take much. Now this winter it shows no more activity. I fear the fellow no doubt found this wood burning isn't what it is bragged up to be! After all, those logs were seasoned when he bought them and now they've laid there for over a year. Certainly this time should dry all that wood....



I'll bet he also posted a lousy review about his wood stove


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## Sinngetreu (Feb 21, 2014)

jillybeansisme said:


> I live in Nevada, but the trees are in Oregon where I'll eventually be living.  The wood will be staying in Oregon to dry (that might qualify as an oxymoron with me being the moron part )!  Since they have to be felled to build the house, I might as well keep them, log them, etc., the best I can in April and then split and stack come July.  They wouldn't be used for a long time.(ok, long long long time)



With you being in Oregon, I would recommend a wood shed.


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## bigbarf48 (Feb 21, 2014)

Sinngetreu said:


> With you being in Oregon, I would recommend a wood shed.



Never mind I got my threads mixed up 

Carry on


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## fossil (Feb 21, 2014)

jillybeansisme said:


> The wood will be staying in Oregon to dry (that might qualify as an oxymoron...



Depends on which side of the Cascades you're talking about.  East of the Cascades (the "dry side") is high desert and just fine for drying firewood.  The "wet side" to the west of the range is ( I assume) a bit more challenging.  The Cascades form one of the most extreme rain shadows in the world.


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## WiscWoody (Feb 22, 2014)

BrotherBart said:


> My neighbors cut and burn the same way. I just shake my head and wave as I drive by. Not worth the friction.


Too bad their house is only about 30' from mine. It's not too bad but often they seem to smother the fire and the smoke just rolls out of their chimney making a haze in the area.


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## Mainewoodchucker (Feb 23, 2014)

After years of air tights and wood circulators , getting an EPA stove has turned me into a Pyro preacher . Not in the bad way , but people have asked how I get my stove to heat so well and actually have flames without smoke. This site has been critical in my learning curve and luckily I have been able to pass on good info . 

That being said , a few people I know still think that dropped trees are drying like split wood . One has been disappointed with performance on his $2.5 k  Regency . He brought log length home and split it this fall to burn . No secondaries and just big black coals . The other bought fresh split all winter and used a wood circulator. He just had a chimney fire the other night , but is back to burning wet wood . Saw his chimney pouring clouds of white today and just shook my head . 

At least the guy with the Regency listened and will be burning more seasoned wood next year , the other swears his method is just fine.


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## franktank232 (Feb 23, 2014)

A buddy in high school lived right on the river, had marsh land in his backyard.  His dad would go out at night and just ravage that area (this was decades ago/no longer lives there).  The land wasn't even theirs (guessing it was state/federal/?).  Along with this marsh wood, he would also burn railroad ties in his boiler setup (garage) that had the cement slab heating (guess loops of some sort).  That house was so hot...use to tease my buddy if his mom walked around in her panties (she was a hot mom).   I was young and stupid back then and I still had enough common sense to know that they were fools.


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## KindredSpiritzz (Feb 23, 2014)

most people probably don't know any better. Til i joined this site i didnt know secondary burn tubes or cat stoves even existed. I had no idea you had to season wood. I gew up with an old box stove in the kitchen and one in the garage, you threw wood in and it got hot and you had to clean the chimney once in awhile, that was it. I never realized there was so much more to the equation. Guess my point it some of these people just need to be taught or at least clued in to the fact they might be doing it wrong. Yeah some you won't change no matter what, but i think most would be open to learning how to do it right. Maybe im wrong, i don't know.


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## Seasoned Oak (Feb 23, 2014)

KindredSpiritzz said:


> . Guess my point it some of these people just need to be taught or at least clued in to the fact they might be doing it wrong. Yeah some you won't change no matter what, but i think most would be open to learning how to do it right. Maybe im wrong, i don't know.


You got to be real careful how you approach the subject. It dont take long to figure out some of em are pretty hard headed and aint gonna listen. Like BB said ,it aint worth the friction.


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## Bobbin (Feb 25, 2014)

The last 4 posts are critically important, I think.  They all underscore the level of ignorance that too often pervades any discussion of wood heat.  I see it all the time in Home Decoration/Interior Design.  (we want a fireplace! it's so comforting and it will provide heat when the power goes out).  They long for a by-gone, sentimental vision and have no clue about the mechanics, chemistry, work, ecological havoc, or potential danger to themselves their ignorance creates/perpetuates. 

The Woodstock Classic in my workroom rarely fails to create a discussion about wood heat.  Most visitors don't even recognize that it's a _stove_ and because the heat it produces is so even I often have to caution people that it's _HOT_.  No kidding.


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## Seasoned Oak (Feb 25, 2014)

I have to admit i dint know squat about dry wood till i stumbled onto this site,but i have a policy of listening to people who know more than me on a particular subject and learning from their experience and mistakes.


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