Ratio of softwood to hardwood to keep on hand? **Update, checked out the tree, it's not walnut but a

[rdust]

I have about 8-9 cords of good hardwood(oak/ash mostly with some hickory tossed in) about three cords of silver maple and less then a cord of poplar.(also some pine but we won't count that right now) I'm working on getting 15 cords(3 years of wood) on hand and can probably come real close to completing that with one more HUGE tree I have access to. It's a black walnut(95% sure I'll confirm one day this week).

If I pick up another couple cords of a lower BTU wood will I have too much softer type wood on hand? I can mix them together but that turns into a pain since I cut wood as it comes up and it's usually processed and stacked all by species before I come across another tree. This also works well for varying seasoning times. I find this to be a pain when gathering wood to put in the stove though when you have to run around to varies stacks to mix the wood.

I guess my question is should I take the black walnut and get 3 years ahead(close anyway) or look for some higher BTU wood? I know I'm over thinking this and may be turning into a wood snob! :lol: Either way I'm taking some I just don't know if I want it all.

 

[smokinj]

that soulds like a good ratio to me..

 

[SolarAndWood]

Take what you can get until you can afford to be a snob. Even then, don't forget where you came from. I use the good stuff maybe 25% of the time? Works out nice because my stash of good stuff grows every year.

 

[rdust]

I use the good stuff maybe 25% of the time? Works out nice because my stash of good stuff grows every year.

Your stove can eat my stove so you don't count! Even less dense wood in your stove will go half the day.

 

[SolarAndWood]

With lows in the 20s and highs in the 40s, I get 24 hr burn cycles out of loads of junk. I must confess a touch of snobbery has snuck into my scrounging. I don't take anything under 12" diameter or with even a hint of punk in it any more.

 

[CowboyAndy]

if you are willing to cut/split/stack more and reload more, theres nothing wrong with using softer woods. i actually made it through this season with a ratio of about 60% maple and hickory, 40% basswood and aspen. granted, if the 40% softwood was hardwood i would have used probably half the amount... but i had access to alot of BIG basswoods. yes they burn fast, but this time of year i dont mind them so much. it just means starting more fires...

 

[firefighterjake]

Just a dumb firefighter here so I have no idea of what my hardwood to softwood ratio is . . . but I do know that I like to have some softwood on hand for use in the shoulder seasons and for use as kindling. Also during the middle of winter I will toss a split or two on to the coals when I am trying to burn them down.

I should also mention that while I have access to plenty of wood I'm not overly particular about what wood I cut and what wood goes into the stove . . . sure I may not load up the stove with pine in January for an overnight burn . . . but I figure all tree species have their place and since I've got the room . . . .

Incidentally . . . I think technically silver maple, bass and poplar are not really "softwood", but rather are classified as hardwood that tends to be "soft" meaning they tend to be less dense . . . much like hemlock is a softwood that is on the hard side, being a little more dense.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I try to get as much of anything I can. A BTU is a BTU. Lower BTU rounds are easier to carry.

Matt

 

[SPED]

I think part of the answer here depends on your burning habits. I'm lucky enough to be around to load my stove during the day. So for me I actually burn more softwood than I do hardwood. This year I've gone through about 4 cords of pine and 2 cords of hardwood. I basically burn pine all day and only put in one load of hardwood at night. Now if I couldn't load during the day, i'd be burning twice as much hardwood and I would imagine I'd be more the opposite, 4 cords hard 2 soft.

As far as passing up wood... well this is just my opinion, but if it's free and not a huge hassle to get at, I'd take it. Nothing worse than the wood you don't go and get coming back to haunt you. You never know when the next opportunity is coming.

 

[rdust]

Incidentally . . . I think technically silver maple, bass and poplar are not really "softwood", but rather are classified as hardwood that tends to be "soft" meaning they tend to be less dense . . . much like hemlock is a softwood that is on the hard side, being a little more dense.

I know it's not technically a softwood, it's a less dense lower BTU hardwood. They're lighter woods that take up more space in my yard,(per pound) my main concern is the foot print I'll be using if I start taking in any type of wood. I have 3 acres but I also have to keep the misses happy!

 

[rdust]

I think part of the answer here depends on your burning habits. I'm lucky enough to be around to load my stove during the day. So for me I actually burn more softwood than I do hardwood. This year I've gone through about 4 cords of pine and 2 cords of hardwood. I basically burn pine all day and only put in one load of hardwood at night. Now if I couldn't load during the day, i'd be burning twice as much hardwood and I would imagine I'd be more the opposite, 4 cords hard 2 soft.

As far as passing up wood... well this is just my opinion, but if it's free and not a huge hassle to get at, I'd take it. Nothing worse than the wood you don't go and get coming back to haunt you. You never know when the next opportunity is coming.

Currently my wife works from home so she tends the stove during the day. Even if this was to change I could burn it on the weekends and evenings before I load for the night.

The wood is an easy get, I can pull the trailer right up to it and go. I'm going to take a look at the tree this week to see if it's as big as I remember.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

rdust, around here we usually don't get that many days and nights with really cold air. With that in mind, if I keep anything (if I cut some oak) for the really cold times the pile is pretty small. I'd just stack it however you get it. If we happen to get a cold spell and you have a big bunch of soft wood ready to burn next, just go to a different spot in the pile to pull out that good stuff.

As you know, we burn our junk wood usually in the fall but even during the winter we still burn some junk and even soft maple. The soft maple burns really good but doesn't hold the fire quite as long, so, it gets burned as a day time wood. At night we'll usually put one soft maple or sometimes two in the bottom. This helps get the fire going quickly and the ash or oak holds the fire through the night.

If all else fails, I still might have some extra wood for you. So far nobody else has came for wood. Maybe next week with the colder weather and snow coming they will show up. Who knows?

 

[Vic99]

Take what you can get until storage space becomes an issue.

I usually have a 3:1 ratio of hardwood:softwood.

 

[rdust]

If all else fails, I still might have some extra wood for you. So far nobody else has came for wood. Maybe next week with the colder weather and snow coming they will show up. Who knows?

Dennis you've already helped more then enough! I'm plenty good for wood moving into next season. I think what I need to do is move my wood around so it's a better mix. All my close stacks are primarily oak and ash, I need to move a cord or two of silver maple to my close stacks and get the softer woods into the mix moving forward.

 

[Battenkiller]

...one more HUGE tree I have access to. It's a black walnut(95% sure I'll confirm one day this week).

The woodworker in me just cried when I read this. A huge black walnut tree (sounds like 2-3 cord) is way too valuable to cut up for firewood. A tree that size might yield close to 1000 bd.ft of walnut heartwood, worth maybe $10,000 at retail prices if cut properly. I'd trade a year's worth of hickory just for the trunk of such a tree.

 

[firefighterjake]

. . .. So far nobody else has came for wood. . .

OK, so if I leave now I should be there by Friday . . . how big a trailer should I bring?

 

[rdust]

The woodworker in me just cried when I read this. A huge black walnut tree (sounds like 2-3 cord) is way too valuable to cut up for firewood. A tree that size might yield close to 1000 bd.ft of walnut heartwood, worth maybe $10,000 at retail prices if cut properly. I'd trade a year's worth of hickory just for the trunk of such a tree.

I don't think any mills would be interested in it since it's a street tree. I still have to confirm it being a black walnut tree(uncle told me that's what it is), I'll snap some pictures of it. I know it's standing dead and the cable/phone lines run through the tree so they're taking it down.

If it was to be sold to a woodworker what would be the best way for it to be cut and how would we advertise it? I've been told the market for black walnut is dead, maybe I've heard wrong! If you're around Lapeer County Michigan let me know!

 

[purplereign]

Please have a local forester take a look at this tree to confirm species. There is always a market for good walnut. If the tree gets cut down, do not cut up the trunk (if you get the lengths wrong you can ruin the value). If it is confirmed walnut of any value, have a buyer from a sawmill check it out as they may be interested in buying it or whatever... a perfect walnut tree can contain many thousands of dollars worth of wood - that would be pretty rich firewood!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

. . .. So far nobody else has came for wood. . .

OK, so if I leave now I should be there by Friday . . . how big a trailer should I bring?

A 55' trailer should do well.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Please have a local forester take a look at this tree to confirm species. There is always a market for good walnut. If the tree gets cut down, do not cut up the trunk (if you get the lengths wrong you can ruin the value). If it is confirmed walnut of any value, have a buyer from a sawmill check it out as they may be interested in buying it or whatever... a perfect walnut tree can contain many thousands of dollars worth of wood - that would be pretty rich firewood!

Around here the market for walnut has fallen considerably. Besides, almost all walnut is along roads or old fencerows. Mills don't want it as it has a tendency to do bad things to saws. So, it is not necessarily worth a whole lot.

 

[rdust]

Around here the market for walnut has fallen considerably. Besides, almost all walnut is along roads or old fencerows. Mills don't want it as it has a tendency to do bad things to saws. So, it is not necessarily worth a whole lot.

This was my thinking, it's my uncles tree so I'll let him decide if he wants to try to sell it off. If not I'll gladly burn it in the stove.

 

[Lucky Phil]

...one more HUGE tree I have access to. It's a black walnut(95% sure I'll confirm one day this week).

The woodworker in me just cried when I read this. A huge black walnut tree (sounds like 2-3 cord) is way too valuable to cut up for firewood. A tree that size might yield close to 1000 bd.ft of walnut heartwood, worth maybe $10,000 at retail prices if cut properly. I'd trade a year's worth of hickory just for the trunk of such a tree.

I still kick myself every now and then. Years ago, a friend of mine tore down old barns for the lumber and tin roofs. He told me to come out to one he had just about finished, and to just cut through the floor with my saw, and let the beams drop into the basement, then drag them outside to cut up for firewood. This barn was PEGGED together, and I dropped about 8 beams, then cut them up and burned them. They were all hardwoods, 10 to 12 feet long. The farmer that owned the barn burned the rest of the barn after Jerry was done. Too much later I realized I should have sold them and bought my firewood for that year.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

pi: sqrt(2)

 

[rdust]

Stopped by my uncles today to check the tree out, it's not a walnut. It's the biggest ash I've ever seen! It measured about 46" one way and 49" the other way. My uncle is having it cut down Monday and I told him I'd take it all. I told him to have the cutter leave the pieces in 4' lengths so I can cut them how I want them. I guess the guy even said he'd 1/4 out the trunk for him! This tree is going to have a lot of wood in it, the branch's are the size of tree's!

I can't wait to see how many nails I find in this thing. :lol:

This bug has to be stopped, this is an awesome tree that is now going to end up in my stove.

Here are some crappy cell phone pictures

My dad is 6' tall and 180lbs

Road Map

Trunk Bark

Branch

 

[Backwoods Savage]

rdust, it really does make a lot of us pretty sad to see these big beautiful old trees just die off. Sadly, if they do find a cure, it will be too late for our area.

On the other hand, there is a lot of wood in that tree! I am also happy I am not the one who has to take it down! It would be nice if out in the middle of a field, but not where it is standing now. Maybe Jay would like this type?

It would also be interesting to know just how much wood you get from that tree.