JPL how does that hemlock burn for you? what do you do to get it to dry out during summer? I would think if it gets wet it will stay wet and mushy. How is hemlock vs. pine?
thanks for any info.
thanks for any info.
I cut and burnt some pine!!!!!!!
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According to http://uptreeid.com/Species/flatneedles.htm they are cousins.jpl1nh said:
Anyway, I hate Balsam. Won't even get close to one when cutting. The two times my chainsaw cut into my flesh, I was felling Balsam.
LLigetfa said:
Hmmm....chainsaw......inanimate object.....controlled by human.....twice......don't blame the tree, dude. ;-P
I've got a lot of lying dead hemlock from blow downs and from some clearing done prior to us buying our house 5+ years ago. I'll tell you what, there is no wetter wood I've split than hemlock. When I hit it with the maul, water oozes out. But, I split it, stacke it very loose in a criss cross pattern, top cover and wait a year. Burns great, sparks and pops a bit, give a bit longer burn than white pine. It's not oak or locust but it lets me save my oak and locust for the more serious cold. No real long lasting coals with hemlock though so I don't count on it by itself for long burns.skinnykid said:
Tamarack is a very hot burning wood. The old timers around here say not to burn it cuz it's hard on the stove. I think modern stoves can handle it.Wade said:
I got a friend who dropped a bunch of pines when she cleared for her house. She's offered them to me free, and I think I'll take her up on it next Spring/Summer. I think I got the bug from you guys - never say no to free wood! It'll be good to have it for fall and spring so I can save my oak and maple for the real cold. :coolsmile:
I'm burning a big dead hemlock tree that was split for maybe 1.5-2 years or so. It burns great, but need a lot of it.
skinnykid said:I have 3 (now 2) standing dead pines on my property. Just to see what is up I cut one down to possibly burn.
Well when I cut it down I noticed it was very dry, no signs of sap. I took a couple of rounds and split them into smaller pieces, still no sap.
So I thought what the hay. I put some of the splits into my fire. They burn ok I guess with no more smoke than my other stuff that I burn.
I gotta say though, my POS poulan saw went through it like butter and the stuff is light and easy to split. You guys in Pine country have it easy!! :lol:
OMG! You burned pine and you didn't die? What are you going to stuff in that firebox next? Live kittens? A newborn baby? Fake Canadian sawdust logs? Why don't you just go ahead and sell your soul to the Devil and get it over with!
This website is great. Unique information is crossing the great divide of this country. I never imagined that pine was a common firewood in the western states. Most people from the eastern states seem to think that pine is a fire hazard - in fact it's passed down through the generations: "don't burn pine because of the sap". But now I know that pine is okay to burn. Nonetheless, I'm glad to have easy access to hardwoods.
How much hardwood to they have in the western states? And what types of hardwood? Do oak trees grow wild on that side of the moon?
In Pennsylvania, cherry, oak, ash, maple, and walnut are common. Woods like poplar, birch and sycamore are also common but considered softer and lighter. Evergreens are also common, but nobody burns them here.
How much hardwood to they have in the western states? And what types of hardwood? Do oak trees grow wild on that side of the moon?
In Pennsylvania, cherry, oak, ash, maple, and walnut are common. Woods like poplar, birch and sycamore are also common but considered softer and lighter. Evergreens are also common, but nobody burns them here.
Closest thing we have is maple, birch, apple, and willow. Those are wild. There are some planted hardwoods (ex elm, oak) but you have to be pretty stealthy to cut them out of people's back yards.
Looking down the valley I would estimate 95% softwoods on the mountains. Remaining 5% is larch (duh), birch, and maple. Willows by the lake.
And lots of pine beetle dead trees for flavour and colour.
Looking down the valley I would estimate 95% softwoods on the mountains. Remaining 5% is larch (duh), birch, and maple. Willows by the lake.
And lots of pine beetle dead trees for flavour and colour.
I won't burn pine, but Hemlock is not too bad. If it is not seasoned well 2 years it will spark and pop like popcorn in your stove. thats all the pressure releasing from the moisture in it. Hemlock burns well but not an overnighter more of an ambiance type fire you know Christmas eve or when you and the Misses are enjoying a bottle of wine.
Custerstove said:
In my area, we have oak, maple, walnut, cherry, you name it. But I'm in an urban area. Wild, we have mostly conifers, but some native hardwoods, especially broadleaf maple, which is fairly soft, and things like dogwood and madrona, which are great for firewood. Most people are going to be burning a mix of hard and softwoods. Doug fir is pretty darn good for burning. I get most of my wood free from other people's tree removal, so I've had all sorts of hardwoods, but I'll burn anything that's free.
VTZJ said:skinnykid said:I have 3 (now 2) standing dead pines on my property. Just to see what is up I cut one down to possibly burn.
Well when I cut it down I noticed it was very dry, no signs of sap. I took a couple of rounds and split them into smaller pieces, still no sap.
So I thought what the hay. I put some of the splits into my fire. They burn ok I guess with no more smoke than my other stuff that I burn.
I gotta say though, my POS poulan saw went through it like butter and the stuff is light and easy to split. You guys in Pine country have it easy
OMG! You burned pine and you didn't die? What are you going to stuff in that firebox next? Live kittens? A newborn baby? Fake Canadian sawdust logs? Why don't you just go ahead and sell your soul to the Devil and get it over with!
I am not sure if I should laugh or your giving me the dickens.
skinnykid said:VTZJ said:skinnykid said:I have 3 (now 2) standing dead pines on my property. Just to see what is up I cut one down to possibly burn.
Well when I cut it down I noticed it was very dry, no signs of sap. I took a couple of rounds and split them into smaller pieces, still no sap.
So I thought what the hay. I put some of the splits into my fire. They burn ok I guess with no more smoke than my other stuff that I burn.
I gotta say though, my POS poulan saw went through it like butter and the stuff is light and easy to split. You guys in Pine country have it easy
OMG! You burned pine and you didn't die? What are you going to stuff in that firebox next? Live kittens? A newborn baby? Fake Canadian sawdust logs? Why don't you just go ahead and sell your soul to the Devil and get it over with!
I am not sure if I should laugh or your giving me the dickens.
A feeble laugh at my lame joke is appropriate. I looked for a "dripping with sarcasm" smiley, or "extreme irony" smiley, but there wasn't one. So, :lol: , that should clear it up. I was only joking bcs of all the preconceived notions here in New England regarding pine. For example, when I suggested that my neighbor burn some 8 inch pine limbs that he trimmed out of a tree on his lawn, he acted like I was telling him to burn his house down.
OK, now I am with you!
but as far as burning other stuff that you suggested, The kittens really scratch me up when I load them into the fire box. They don't give an all night burn and they are a pain to stack!
but as far as burning other stuff that you suggested, The kittens really scratch me up when I load them into the fire box. They don't give an all night burn and they are a pain to stack!
All the locals swear off pine around here! You'll get a chimney fire... I love it and people will all but pay you to take it.
BTW. How many BTU's in a kitten? I been noticing a lot of stray kittens lately... never mind! I'll probably get a chimney fire from burning them like the pine!
BTW. How many BTU's in a kitten? I been noticing a lot of stray kittens lately... never mind! I'll probably get a chimney fire from burning them like the pine!
Bubbavh said:
The hairless ones are just good for kindling, my favorite for cold North East night are the tiger and orange cats.
Here in California, we have a turpentine termite which is killing all the pine in the area.
One always sees arborists trucks on their way to the dump 30 miles way hauling these dead pine.
All I have to do is roll down my window as I pull up next such a guy at a stop light and tell him that they can dump their load at my house which is right around the corner. It saves him a lot in gas and dump fees.
Since I don't have any pine trees, I don't worry about the termites. But because I burn so much pine, I am going to start cleaning my chimney about once a month from now on - that is, if it seems to get real sappy inside.
I have been burning a mixture of pine and other woods for a long time now without my chimney "gumming up". But now that I have so much pine, I feel I will have to become more careful.
Attached is a picture of a load I had dumped two weeks ago. It worked out to be about two cords.
One always sees arborists trucks on their way to the dump 30 miles way hauling these dead pine.
All I have to do is roll down my window as I pull up next such a guy at a stop light and tell him that they can dump their load at my house which is right around the corner. It saves him a lot in gas and dump fees.
Since I don't have any pine trees, I don't worry about the termites. But because I burn so much pine, I am going to start cleaning my chimney about once a month from now on - that is, if it seems to get real sappy inside.
I have been burning a mixture of pine and other woods for a long time now without my chimney "gumming up". But now that I have so much pine, I feel I will have to become more careful.
Attached is a picture of a load I had dumped two weeks ago. It worked out to be about two cords.
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![[Hearth.com] I cut and burnt some pine!!!!!!!](/talk/data/attachments/12/12398-152277f74d363ba52d8f8ef1690404ba.jpg?hash=aDmmYKIYNo)
People will not burn it around here. So it is easy for me to get. The free oak is getting harder to find but you can get all the free pine you want. It burns just fine for me.
skinnykid said:
Yea maybe so. But all one has to do is run out of wood mid winter once to begin thinking that you never have too much. I think I am sitting on two - three years of wood right now.
I make wine (red and white) which I often trade for hydrolic splitter access so either I drink too much wine or I split too much wood. Take your pick. I like a mixture of both.
Besides, even though we live in California and the winters are mild (25 - 39 degrees F coldest) my girls like to read by the fire and have a warm spot to wake up to in the morning as they start their day.
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