One thing you may notice if your softwood is white pine... it doesn't leave too much in the way of coals.
Seasoning Oak
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One thing you may notice if your softwood is white pine... it doesn't leave too much in the way of coals.
You're nuts to give away or pass up any Oak.
It is worth the wait.
Once you burn a dry load of it, you will wish you had tons more.
It is worth the wait.
Once you burn a dry load of it, you will wish you had tons more.
Hunker Down
New Member
You can make a simple kiln. Lay down a few pallets in a sunny spot, lay down plastic and poke a few drain holes, stack oak as normal, completely wrap stack in plastic. It will season in about half the time.
Although there are gains to letting oak season for 2 or 3 years, none of my wood is ever older than 9 to 10 months...including my Red Oak. I wish I could get ahead, but I just can't as I cut all my own trees and it's a lot of work each year getting enough for the 6 months that I burn. If you split oak down to smallish 4" thick splits (which is a big piece for many of the smaller EPA stoves) and stack it in the sun all summer you can be down below 20 % moisture content. It's quite burnable and will give plenty of heat, although it may provide even more if you let it sit an additional year. This year I finally bought a moisture meter and all my wood is below 20% right now, even the last wood I cut and split. It's all about how and where you stack it to maximize the drying time. I never hear an hissing wood in the stove, and get the soapstone top to 500 easy enough. Again, I'm not knocking the 2 or 3 year plan, but it's not the end of the world if you cant obtain that.
I have a lot of red oak that was split around 4" triangles, and was seasoned all year in the sun and wind. This is my next years wood. I spilt a fresh piece last week to check, and it was still 27-29% inside the core. This wood looked real good. Had lots of checks, and felt fairly light. It was no where near ready for my EPA stove. I tried burning it, and after the dry outside surface was lit up, it died right out after about 10 minutes. It will be ready next burning season. Not sure how your getting red oak down below 20% in a matter of months, unless your in Arizona.
I'm in NH. I dont think I do anything special, although I do have the wood out in the driveway off the the side...stacked what I call "Teepee style"...with the open grain facing criss-crossed to help air flow. I came up with this method a few years back but I'm sure others do the same exact thing. I don't claim to have invented anything. Seems to work for me quite well. I do wish I could always have a year of wood sitting so I'd be working on "next years" wood but I just cant get there unless I were to buy a bunch. So far I've never had to buy wood and I don't really want to start although as I get older, those days may be coming.
Are you checking with the MM on the outside of the splits, or splitting them and checking the fresh split surface?
You know, you don't have to store it in your yard for three years... you can leave it stacked in the woods, out of your way, 'til it's ready. It won't go bad.[/quote]
Wouldn't it rot and soak up moisture? Always thought it had to be off the ground.
Yep it was cold last night. Do you use all of your stoves?
yes, off the ground... it could be put up in single rows, lying on two parallel logs, in the middle of the woods... just stack it where you drop it. The more sun and air the better, but even shaded it will season as long as it's c/s/s/c.
red oak lasts pretty well even on the ground... the outer inch or so rots and gets punky, but the core stays solid. Maple, on the other hand, rots right through very quickly.
Okay got it. I'll have to find a nice spot. Found out there's other scroungers around me. It would ruin my day if someone stole all my work.
I'm either going to hold out for a HD 6421 or an older Poulan in 60cc, whichever comes first at the right price. I may be waiting for a long time on the 6421 though. Has it handled everything you wanted to cut?
Yes, the ones I tested this year I split open with an axe and tested the fresh side with my meter.
Renjilj
New Member
Minimal meaning doesnt fill up the box with coals and clinkers that take up space for reload (like can be common with under-seasoned wood). Find smaller splits helps keep the pile down also. Leaves a good amount hot and ready for next go!
Okay, I think I've finally learned enough that I'll be ready to burn next year without destroying my house. Thanks everyone.
Well, I wouldn't make a stash of oak except on my own (or friends'/relatives') property... not that property rights mean it won't get stolen anyway.
Got my 6421 for $300, had to call 6 or 7 HDs before I found it... that was about ten minutes work.
Great saw! I do like having my little, lightweight Echo, too, for limbing and cutting branch wood and so forth. Much prefer having one big 20" + one little 14" over having one medium-sized 16-18" saw!
I'll learn how to do some non-lethal booby traps
Oh so it is a HD 6421! I spoke to a HD rental guy the other day. He told me when the list comes out and said to call him. He will also check surrounding stores. I was thinking about getting a limbing saw too but I'm almost positive that will start off a saw obsession. I'll just get the 6421 and eventually put a BB kit on it to make it 84cc (I think).
hickoryhoarder
Minister of Fire
I'm about to stock up on some oak in preparation for next year. I keep reading on this site about having to season oak for 2-3 years. Is this true!?
Seasoning isn't just about months. It's sun, wind, how wood is stacked, whether it's split. I usually re-split the bigger red oak pieces a year after it's in my sunny, hot driveway, and burn it two to four months later. That seems to work fine. If you're talking fat, round logs, yeah, I think three years would make sense.
Oak does take a while, as does hickory. Cherry seems ready after six months if in a dry, sunny location. I usually work a year ahead on everything, and use the oak after January (14-18 months). I refuse to burn anything but well seasoned wood in my urban area; the oak can be well seasoned in 16 months in the conditions mentioned.
Seasoning isn't just about months. It's sun, wind, how wood is stacked, whether it's split. I usually re-split the bigger red oak pieces a year after it's in my sunny, hot driveway, and burn it two to four months later. That seems to work fine. If you're talking fat, round logs, yeah, I think three years would make sense.
Oak does take a while, as does hickory. Cherry seems ready after six months if in a dry, sunny location. I usually work a year ahead on everything, and use the oak after January (14-18 months). I refuse to burn anything but well seasoned wood in my urban area; the oak can be well seasoned in 16 months in the conditions mentioned.
hickoryhoarder
Minister of Fire
To me, oak's readiness can be smelled. When the nice smell is gone, it's a good sign.
hickoryhoarder
Minister of Fire
Where I live "seasoned" just means it was not cut yesterday. It's been stacked and is waiting for customers. I have never bought seasoned wood that is ready. As far as I'm concerned, the seasoning time starts the day I buy or cut.
A much used term here in NH is "semi-seasoned" LOL! basically it's green wood that was cut and spilt over a few weeks prior...... Or cut in log lengths sitting for a few months. Still 45-50% MC at best.
hickoryhoarder
Minister of Fire
I had the opposite experience with white ash. Slowest drying wood I ever had. Seemed ready after a year, but I learned never to put it on anything but a very hot fire.
In my experience in MA, white oak starts off drier and seasons faster than red. White oak holds a few more BTUs as well.
I notice a difference between 1 and 2 years for oak, but is mostly acceptable at 1 yr. after a reload, Sometimes the stovetop rising stalls a bit after 20-30 minutes and I have to open the stove up and slightly move things around, but it works out fine.
In my experience, the following dry fine after 1 yr: pines, spruces, white and yellow birch, cherry, ash, red maple, poplar.
When in doubt you could mix sketchy wood with better wood.
Good luck.
I notice a difference between 1 and 2 years for oak, but is mostly acceptable at 1 yr. after a reload, Sometimes the stovetop rising stalls a bit after 20-30 minutes and I have to open the stove up and slightly move things around, but it works out fine.
In my experience, the following dry fine after 1 yr: pines, spruces, white and yellow birch, cherry, ash, red maple, poplar.
When in doubt you could mix sketchy wood with better wood.
Good luck.
Man, you are on the eastern shore and you don't have room to store 3 years worth of wood and have space to process additional firewood. Completely off topic, but I'm looking to buy a farm on the eastern shore in the next couple of years for hunting and firewood processing.
Anyway, the guys are right. I couldn't believe that oak takes 2 to 3 years to season, but it does. White oak seasons quicker than red. I will be burning white oak this year that is at 20% moisture content, but come December it will have been stacked for 2 whole years. The red oak definitely takes 3 years and I would end up giving locust 3 years too. When I first started burning, my dad told me locust burns good after a year in the stacks. Yeah, that was a complete mess and waste of wood.
You might want to look for hickory and hard maple. Maple seasons pretty quick and has decent btu content. Poplar seasons pretty quick too, but it is on the low end of btu content and it is as heavy as oak when green. Light as a feather when seasoned.
Anyway, the guys are right. I couldn't believe that oak takes 2 to 3 years to season, but it does. White oak seasons quicker than red. I will be burning white oak this year that is at 20% moisture content, but come December it will have been stacked for 2 whole years. The red oak definitely takes 3 years and I would end up giving locust 3 years too. When I first started burning, my dad told me locust burns good after a year in the stacks. Yeah, that was a complete mess and waste of wood.
You might want to look for hickory and hard maple. Maple seasons pretty quick and has decent btu content. Poplar seasons pretty quick too, but it is on the low end of btu content and it is as heavy as oak when green. Light as a feather when seasoned.
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