Is it okay to season and burn rounds of live oak 8-10 inches in diameter or do they need to be split?
Seasoning rounds
- Thread starter bundy150
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Wood takes a very long time to season at the core. Splitting the rounds will greatly speed up drying time.
Stove Cricket
Member
Just split open a round that was cut 6 months ago. I scribed a slot in a bunch of rounds to see it it would help it season.
The MC is 24.3% based on the resistivity of pine, which means this white oak is at about 18%.
SWMO is in a drought with many days over 100°F, and some good 20-30 hot winds. It was just 85 this morning so I went out and split some of the bigger rounds left over from this particular tree.
![[Hearth.com] Seasoning rounds](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/314/314258-9f742f5b6a2e3b913d45cfa41013c71c.jpg?hash=WrlYe93kCr "[Hearth.com] Seasoning rounds")
![[Hearth.com] Seasoning rounds](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/314/314259-3b56ed8519b7b697403df45834badb39.jpg?hash=OJbKmCmhdd "[Hearth.com] Seasoning rounds")
The MC is 24.3% based on the resistivity of pine, which means this white oak is at about 18%.
SWMO is in a drought with many days over 100°F, and some good 20-30 hot winds. It was just 85 this morning so I went out and split some of the bigger rounds left over from this particular tree.
Stove Cricket
Member
In a separate stack, under a transparent tarp, temps hitting 135°F. I’ll check this stacks MC in a couple of months.
![[Hearth.com] Seasoning rounds](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/314/314260-b46fa269de4d18b7325a0913971989fa.jpg?hash=02rVEeiIya "[Hearth.com] Seasoning rounds")
Even wood that I burn in my Garn boiler I still split the 8-10 diameter once. They just season and burn nicer. Wood like oak and locust take some time to season out.
Stove Cricket
Member
The rule of thumb for slabs, and curing timbers to fit into existing old structures, is like a year per inch.
Woodsplitter67
Minister of Fire
Simonkenton
Minister of Fire
You have one helluva big stove if you can burn 10 inch oak.
Great, for the all night burn, IF it is dry.
Great, for the all night burn, IF it is dry.
A 8-10" round will likely start to rot in the middle before it becomes dry enough to efficiently burn.
