Neighbor freaking out over pine.

[Lumber-Jack]

Next question, so how do you get the resin out of jeans?

Acetone!
Everybody should keep some acetone around, it works on the stickiest stuff. I use to keep it in the house when I use to burn douglas fir and the pitch would get on my fingers or on the floor. It's been years since I burned that stuff, but I still use acetone when I'm doing some caulking or using any of the pl300 type glues.

 

[firebroad]

Miracle Whip will work. Sometimes shampoo will work too.

I will try the shampoo first, if that doesn't do it, I have a jar of mayo in the cellar.
I don't care about the gloves and the barn jacket, but I like my jeans...
Also, found the best way to get all the sawdust out that sticks to the microfiber inside my boots is one of those brushes that you use to clean the clothes dryer. Soft enough to not snag, but gets it out.
All in all, I feel pretty satisfied for a 60 year old pencil-pusher.

 

[firebroad]

Acetone!
Everybody should keep some acetone around, it works on the stickiest stuff. I use to keep it in the house when I use to burn douglas fir and the pitch would get on my fingers or on the floor. It's been years since I burned that stuff, but I still use acetone when I'm doing some caulking or using any of the pl300 type glues.

That's the stuff in fingernail polish remover, right?

 

[bmblank]

Yes

 

[Fifelaker]

Not sure about resin but I used to pour a can of coke in with my oil rig clothes and it cut that nasty stuff. I know WD-40 will cut pine tar then you can use shampoo (It may stain)

 

[Paulywalnut]

Yep the guys that only have pine do just fine.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

That's the stuff in fingernail polish remover, right?

Yes, there is acetone in fingernail polish remover, so if you have some give it a try, otherwise that would be an expensive way to buy acetone.
Forgot to mention, it also work great for getting fiberglass resin off your fingers.

 

[red oak]

Actually, you are right that there is a bit of truth to the "pine causes chimney fires" myth, but it is only of Eastern origin and it probably goes more like this....
You take your typical Easterner who, year after year, burns predominantly unseasoned Oak, blissfully developing a good thick coating of creosote in his chimney. Eventually one day he finds, or someone offers him, some nice dry Pine. He then proceeds to burn a load of this nice dry Pine in the same manner as he usually burns the wet Oak, expecting much the same sort of results, but instead the fire burns much hotter (the way it is suppose to) than it has ever done in the past, thus igniting the creosote that has been developing in the chimney over the years, and he has a huge chimney fire. The fire department comes and puts out the fire (hopefully saving his house and family), later the fire chief asks the homeowner how the chimney fire got started? To which the homeowner replies, “all I did was burn a load of Pine.” Thus perpetuating the myth that the Pine was the “cause” of the chimney fire and it is "dangerous" to burn in your stove.

Just remember the significant difference between pine and oak (if oak is what you're use to burning) is that pine not only seasons faster than oak, it also burns faster and hotter too.

My thoughts exactly. The pine myth is all over here in Virginia. I only know 2 other people besides myself that will even attempt to burn it.

 

[blacktail]

Send him out here to the Pacific Northwest for a couple weeks of Winter Camp...we'll teach him a thing or three about burning Pine & other softwoods perfectly safely.

While he's out here, he should go on a Travis Industries factory tour. When he sees their big stack of Douglas fir he can tell them how foolish they are for burning it.

 

[Wood Duck]

How is the pitch in pines, which is flammable, supposed to make it through the fire and get onto the chimney? Pitch burns. It burns really well, in fact.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

How is the pitch in pines, which is flammable, supposed to make it through the fire and get onto the chimney? Pitch burns. It burns really well, in fact.

Good point. but I could ask you the same thing.
How is the wood in pines, which is flammable, supposed to make it through the fire and get onto the chimney? Wood burns. It burns really well, in fact.

The answer is, practically anything that burns, especially anything that burns incompletely, will produce soot (creosote).

 

[Tom Wallace]

Miracle Whip will work. Sometimes shampoo will work too.

I've found that gritty laundry or dish detergent works well for getting sap off your skin. It may work if you try to work in some of the detergent with your fingers and some warm water, then through them in the wash. Liquid detergents won't work, has to be the powdered, coarse granules.

 

[Wood Duck]

Good point. but I could ask you the same thing.
How is the wood in pines, which is flammable, supposed to make it through the fire and get onto the chimney? Wood burns. It burns really well, in fact.

The answer is, practically anything that burns, especially anything that burns incompletely, will produce soot (creosote).

Both wood and pitch burn, but pitch is a very flammable and volatile material, while wood includes lots of compounds that are a lot less flammable than pitch. I wonder if pitch is ever a significant component of creosote. I doubt it is. I also doubt anyone really cares enough to research this topic.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

. I wonder if pitch is ever a significant component of creosote. I doubt it is. .

On that we can agree. It would be very insignificant.

Exactly how much the resins found in certain types of wood might actually contribute to creosote formation is probably unknown, but my guess is probably less than .01% in dry wood, and even less in wet wood.

However, like I said, anything that burns produces byproducts that can form soot, even a clean burning gas like propane can produce large amounts of sooty residue if the gas/air ratio isn't set perfectly.

 

[Hoozie]

Acetone to get sap/pitch off your hands? Try butter instead. Scrub the pitch with a pea sized amount, then warm water & soap to get that off. Might work on jeans as well.

Growing up splitting pine we had to know these things

 

[Cascade Failure]

You take your typical Easterner...

You just can't trust those guys...

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Acetone to get sap/pitch off your hands?

Yep, acetone. It's pretty harmless, in fact our body produces it's own acetone. Just be careful, it is flammable. (keep away from open flames)
Been using it for years.

 

[blacktail]

I climbed a lot of fir trees as a kid. "Pam" (non stick cooking spray) was the go-to product for getting pitch off my hands.

 

[firefighterjake]

Let him freak ... while you stay warm and burn cleanly next winter. Of course he may not believe you are even burning wood ... much less burning pine if he looks over at your chimney and never or rarely sees any smoke coming out of it ... while his chimney with the un-seasoned wood belches smoke like an old steam locomotive. Some folks can be educated right away ... Some folks need to see the proof first hand ... Some folks will never understand.

 

[PapaDave]

If you dont clean at least once a month you will have a chimney fire

Evidently, this isn't enough to get him thinking that his methods are questionable.
It's not always easy for some to recognize clues.
Seems as though you're on pretty good terms with the guy, so maybe invite him over while the pine is burning, then again when you clean the flue.
Ask him in an offhanded manner if he would mind holding the ladder or something, then show him the results.
You want to lead him to the water, then make it seem as though it was his idea to drink it.

 

[Driver]

My thoughts exactly. The pine myth is all over here in Virginia. I only know 2 other people besides myself that will even attempt to burn it.

Make that 3, I burn it no problem. I don't go out of my way to get it, but if I'm cutting hardwood and there happens to be a downed pine close to it I'm getting it as well. After sawing on a big oak it's a nice break to saw pine.

 

[red oak]

Make that 3, I burn it no problem. I don't go out of my way to get it, but if I'm cutting hardwood and there happens to be a downed pine close to it I'm getting it as well. After sawing on a big oak it's a nice break to saw pine.

Haha Driver - I meant in person! I know dozens of people around here that heat with wood, only myself and 2 others burn any pine at all. Like you, I don't go out of my way to get it, but I did have a nice one come down on my property - to not burn it would just be wasteful.

 

[lindnova]

We don't have much pine here. I usually overlook it and cut oak, elm, cherry and box elder at field edge clearings. I cut a spruce in my yard 2 weeks ago. Lots of sap! I hate that, but like the smell. I got it off pretty well with fast orange cleaner.

I would burn it though if that was what I had. Dry wood is the answer.

As was said, pine burns faster likely causing a creosote buildup to catch fire. Around here the same is said about box elder causing buildup, but if dry it burns quite well. Only problem is getting moldy & punky if not kept dry & off the ground. Moldy box elder sure smells bad when burned.

 

[weatherguy]

Does your neighbor have a newer epa stove? My neighbor is the same way and laughs at my stacks of wood. He has a smoke dragon in his basement that he burns unseasoned wood (gets it delivered in Oct). He bought a new epa stove for upstairs but said it doesn't work well or throw much heat. I told him to get a few wheel barrows from my stacks and try it in his stove, he never did and just doesn't burn his newer one.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I find it curios that it always seems to be the same people who are so certain that you can't burn pine, always seem to be the same people who are equally certain that it's OK to burn wood that's been freshly cut and split and still very high in moisture content.
I wonder if these people have access to the internet? Maybe the question should be, do they know how to read?