Kiln dried or rotated firewood

[Isaac Carlson]

The problem with that statement is that an inexperienced person does not know and cannot tell who knows what they are doing and who does not. There are hacks all over rich areas that run around with saws and charge crazy money to cut trees and they don't even know how to run the saw. They just know that they saw a tree service do it and they know they make money, so they decide to do it too. Monkey see monkey do, but monkeys are not skilled. Heck, half the tree service guys I know are not skilled. They just get lucky more often than unlucky. I have worked on/with tree service crews and walked away after almost getting killed by their stupidity/greed.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Electric Chainsaws are relatively inexpensive. Since you have a boyfriend, he might be comfortable using one. Cut the 22" down to 16". You can then the 16" and 3 - 6" remnants into the 18" stove.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Here's an example of someone selling firewood in Madison. Just happened to pop up on my FBM. Looks to be freshly split to me and just thrown in a pile. Is it dry? I don't know, but I wouldn't hold my breathe.

 

[lml999]

Firewood is like a private bank account of heat. The longer it dries, the more heat you get from it. Fill the account now and you will be warm for a long time.

I'm just starting to fill a 4 cord shed I recently built. For the past few years my firewood has been stacked in a couple of places around the property, and my wife keeps offering some of it to neighbors, none of whom burn seriously. I guess she wants to make the place a bit neater.

She doesn't understand the wood bank account. And I've tried to explain it to her...but after a couple of attempts, I just keep my mouth shut.

She does like the look of the new shed though.

 

[Garbanzo62]

My wife understands the wood bank account, but thinks I can fill it faster than I can. Keep getting you can split that wood later. Doesn't seem to grasp that the sooner I split. the sooner it will be available to burn. She does not fully understand how long it takes to season the wood. We decided late on getting the insert, so I am trying to mix my limited 13% MC with some 22 - 25% MC in hopes that I can get through this season. In past years I gave wood to a friend with a stove because we did not have one. Wishing now I kept more of that.

 

[RShim]

My wood has been delivered. The moisture meter arrived and I just went out to test about 20 logs from various places in the pie. All were under 20%, with a rotted area of one log at 18.5% moisture. I am a happy camper....soon to be wood burner.

 

[Garbanzo62]

You need to test on a Fresh Split piece

 

[JRHAWK9]

Like said above, you need to take a split, re-split it down the middle and then measure the moisture. If you are just simply sticking the meter into the outside of a split, you are measuring the moisture at the surface of the wood. You need to measure it on the inside of the wood and the only way to do this is by re-splitting a piece and immediately take a reading. Also should be done at room temp.....68°.

FWIW, my stuff measures ~7-8% on the ends....and this is what it measures on the INSIDE of a fresh split. Just took this about a couple hours ago with two different meters on a fresh split of red oak. I was testing out my new Bosch moisture meter.



My guess is, if you are seeing 20% on the outside, once you re-split it and measure the moisture on the inside you may be pushing 30%....or maybe even over.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I am helping a local guy get started burning wood, and showed him how to test his wood with a meter. He was shocked to see the inside soaking wet at 35%.

 

[qwee]

It would be nice if someone would make a short video on how to use a moisture meter. Maybe a how-to and how-not-to measure moisture content of firewood.
@ JRHAWK9 or anyone else. The mods could pin it somewhere.

 

[JRHAWK9]

It would be nice if someone would make a short video on how to use a moisture meter. Maybe a how-to and how-not-to measure moisture content of firewood.
@ JRHAWK9 or anyone else. The mods could pin it somewhere.

I don't think it's an issue of them not knowing how (at least after they are told how to properly do it anyway, as it's not that difficult), as it is of them just not caring enough to do it right.

If the piece you are testing is not at room temp, bring it inside and let it sit awhile at room temp. Then all you do is take the round or split and split it down the center, Stick the moisture meter in the center of the wood in the most meatiest spot and read what it says. LOL Don't stick it in the ends or in the bark or anywhere else before you re-split it.

As far as which way to align the meter's pins. Both my meters say to do it perpendicular to the wood grain. I've done it both ways and it didn't really seem to matter. The most important part is to open up the piece of wood and to test the fresh face of it right away.

 

[Eman85]

I've never had a moisture meter, probably never will. If I have wood and it's cold I'm going to burn it. I cut and split and stay way ahead on wood. If you buy wood now to burn this winter it's wet, it will burn it won't be optimal and you better be able to clean your chimney.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I've never had a moisture meter, probably never will. If I have wood and it's cold I'm going to burn it. I cut and split and stay way ahead on wood. If you buy wood now to burn this winter it's wet, it will burn it won't be optimal and you better be able to clean your chimney.

Exactly. Nuff said

 

[JRHAWK9]

I've never had a moisture meter, probably never will. If I have wood and it's cold I'm going to burn it. I cut and split and stay way ahead on wood. If you buy wood now to burn this winter it's wet, it will burn it won't be optimal and you better be able to clean your chimney.

Agreed, however, a meter will help those who have to purchase their wood to filter out those who are trying to sell wet wood under the premise it's seasoned.

I'm probably more than 12 years ahead on my firewood and currently burning 6-7 year old stuff. If it's not dry enough in that amount of time it will never be.

I do periodically check what I burn though simply out of curiosity.

 

[stoveliker]

A moisture meter is an educational tool. Usage will always go down after a while.

Noting that after years of burning one doesn't use it is not relevant for those who have to learn what wet wood is, feels like, sounds.

 

[lml999]

Yeah, it's amazing how you know what you have been taught and you don't know what you don't know until you somehow learn it. You can burn wet wood and get heat, but you will go through a lot of wood to get that heat.

I remember in my third or fourth year of burning I said to a wood guy "the wood I got from you didn't work...it wouldn't burn worth crap" (paraphrasing). It wasn't his fault. I hadn't learned the real difference between dry seasoned wood and recently split wood.

 

[lml999]

For the dry wood that needs cutting it might be a good chance to learn. I'd look at electric or cordless sized for cutting splits. Have someone that know what they are doing give you some instruction.

I have a bunch of 20V DeWalt woodworking tools, so I picked up a 12" DeWalt chain saw. Needed *something* to clear a good sized branch from my front yard. It works great for smallish work...it will chew through a 12" log with no issues. Would be great for shortening splits.

 

[Garbanzo62]

So I picked up a bunch of slabwood from a local sawmill. Normally they bundle the slabs into cord size bundles for sale. If a bundle breaks that wood is piled to be sold as Hand Loaded wood. I got 45 slabs of this hand load on Friday. I have no idea of the type(s) of wood, when it was cut, when it was originally stacked or how long it has been in a pile since the bundle broke. Problem for me is I can't bring 45 8.5 foot slabs into the house to get to room temp.. The best I can do is cut a piece off and test the End cut. My Stihl Moisture meter says there is no specified accuracy variance for temperature and it operates in 0 to 40 degree C. I am trying to create a Burnable stack and a needs more time stack. Outside temps are ranging from 35 - 45 F at the moment. Currently anything over 22% has been going into needs more time pile. It is challenging as the slab thickness varies along the length. I can be 32% in one thick section and 13 in a real thin section on the same slab. Right now I am just testing when the thickness changes with some significance.
Any thoughts on if there is a better way to go about this?

 

[stoveliker]

Just let it sit long enough so all is dry enough. Sorting is an effort that is not very efficient.

I understand that for a burner that still needs to get ahead things like that might be needed. But then I'd simply take a cut-off thickness, after measuring a few. (And you can still measure this along the grain by splitting a board and measuring on the (thin) side). Everything thinner than whatever thickness you average 20% (or 22) or less, you burn this year. Everything else, in the other pile.

You're going to have to cut them at length anyway. Then you can sort them according to thickness.

Get a bunch of pallets as well if you need more dry pieces to burn (with wetter pieces). If you don't have a cat (I don't remember your stove), you don't even need to worry about nails in that wood.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Just let it sit long enough so all is dry enough. Sorting is an effort that is not very efficient.

I understand that for a burner that still needs to get ahead things like that might be needed. But then I'd simply take a cut-off thickness, after measuring a few. (And you can still measure this along the grain by splitting a board and measuring on the (thin) side). Everything thinner than whatever thickness you average 20% (or 22) or less, you burn this year. Everything else, in the other pile.

You're going to have to cut them at length anyway. Then you can sort them according to thickness.

Get a bunch of pallets as well if you need more dry pieces to burn (with wetter pieces). If you don't have a cat (I don't remember your stove), you don't even need to worry about nails in that wood.

Have a cat stove. But If I can get my hands on pallets I will and I'll pull nails if needed.

 

[stoveliker]

The other way is sawdust bricks - but they cost.

 

[Garbanzo62]

The other way is sawdust bricks - but they cost.

Well that load of wood only cost me $40. If I factor in renting the truck it came out to $80. Each plank weighs about 50 lbs. So if it came down to it, I'd get another load of slabwood versus sawdust bricks. From what I have cut so far it is running about 65% ready and 35% needing more time. It is not like the need more time stuff is going to go bad, figure I got a little over 2000 lbs last time. so that is 1300 lbs burnable. The only fly in the ointment, is they only have that hand load stuff when a bundle breaks. So I need to hope it is available and there is no guarantee I will get same percentage that is ready to burn.

 

[JRHAWK9]

I have updated the text in my ad hoping to educate those looking to purchase firewood.

I am posting this for the OP in the hopes it helps her next time.

(broken link removed to https://madison.craigslist.org/grd/d/lake-delton-dry-well-seasoned-firewood/7549519032.html)