Work Done 2023

[Woody Stover]

I believed it to be silver but not sure. Not the greatest at identifying!

Kinda looks like Red, but hard to tell. Hard (Sugar) may have a more scaly bark that Red. But I think Silver can also be pretty scaly.
I noticed that some of the Sugar here may have a few leaves left on 'em. They are pretty shriveled, of course, but you can still tell they are Sugar leaves...classic "Canadian flag" shape to them. Silver and Red also have distinct leaf shapes, but now isn't the time for leaf ID, obviously.

I figured it is red oak so imma do some manual splitting this only 3 rounds in and im ready to pull the splitter out the garage. We will see the progress by the end of the week plus this my front yard so gotta clean up before the boss starts to complain

I usually start at the top end--Splitting the smaller stuff first, I don't get discouraged as soon because the splitting is easier, and the moisture meter readings are usually lower. 😏
Agreed, from here it looks like it could be a Red Oak type...maybe Black, with less of the shiny flats on the bark further up? Get a good end-grain pic, and maybe we can see the "rays" that would confirm Oak..

 

[Woodsplitter67]

heres some pictures of the wood being hauled out

 

[redyute]

Kinda looks like Red, but hard to tell. Hard (Sugar) may have a more scaly bark that Red. But I think Silver can also be pretty scaly.
I noticed that some of the Sugar here may have a few leaves left on 'em. They are pretty shriveled, of course, but you can still tell they are Sugar leaves...classic "Canadian flag" shape to them. Silver and Red also have distinct leaf shapes, but now isn't the time for leaf ID, obviously.

I usually start at the top end--Splitting the smaller stuff first, I don't get discouraged as soon because the splitting is easier, and the moisture meter readings are usually lower. 😏
Agreed, from here it looks like it could be a Red Oak type...maybe Black, with less of the shiny flats on the bark further up? Get a good end-grain pic, and maybe we can see the "rays" that would confirm Oak..

Definitely red oak got that famous smell and splits fairly easy

 

[Woody Stover]

Definitely red oak got that famous smell and splits fairly easy

Good deal. The common species here in the Red Oak group are Red, Black, Pin and Shingle, all similar smell and splitting ease. There may be others, but I haven't IDed them yet.

 

[Stove Cricket]

Been working on a better understanding of moisture measurement.

Checked the basic General brand moisture meter outputs on a small range of resistors:

0.5MΩ = 27.3%
1.0MΩ = 23.6%
2.0MΩ = 21.5%
5.0MΩ = 19.4%

The resistors double checked to within 0.01MΩ with a megger.

These resistances correlate to the quintessential Wisconsin forestry service technical report on moisture level vs resistance profile for white pine (probably since this meter was designed mainly for building material testing). Meaning that if white oak checks in at 19.1% on the General moisture meter, it is really measuring about 5MΩ, which equates to the technical reports moisture level of about 16.5% for white oak (at standard conditions, fresh split).

Just found this to be some interesting tinkering, going to do some other stuff with electrode penetration.

 

[Stove Cricket]

Scrounged a nice lot of old railway sleepers. These will burn long and hot and I'll save them for the dead of winter.

View attachment 310542

Railroad ties around here are saturated with creosote. But various untreated ends and pieces can be procured from some of the treatment yards.

 

[stoveliker]

If it's creosote - that can burn fine. (Sweep the chimney and let it fall in the stove, burn it with the next fire...)

I thought they were saturated with some dino-juice-derived product.

 

[stoveliker]

Been working on a better understanding of moisture measurement.

Checked the basic General brand moisture meter outputs on a small range of resistors:

0.5MΩ = 27.3%
1.0MΩ = 23.6%
2.0MΩ = 21.5%
5.0MΩ = 19.4%

The resistors double checked to within 0.01MΩ with a megger.

These resistances correlate to the quintessential Wisconsin forestry service technical report on moisture level vs resistance profile for white pine (probably since this meter was designed mainly for building material testing). Meaning that if white oak checks in at 19.1% on the General moisture meter, it is really measuring about 5MΩ, which equates to the technical reports moisture level of about 16.5% for white oak (at standard conditions, fresh split).

Just found this to be some interesting tinkering, going to do some other stuff with electrode penetration.

nice! Keep us posted.

 

[TomMcDonald]

If it's creosote - that can burn fine. (Sweep the chimney and let it fall in the stove, burn it with the next fire...)

I thought they were saturated with some dino-juice-derived product.

Creosote in this case refers to Dino juice derived creosote - not the biproduct of burnt wood creosote.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Creosote in this case refers to Dino juice derived creosote - not the biproduct of burnt wood creosote.

Yeah I'd be wary of what they treated those ties with.

 

[TomMcDonald]

Railroad ties around here are saturated with creosote. But various untreated ends and pieces can be procured from some of the treatment yards.

These ones aren't. The heartwood of these particular species is impervious to creosote treatment. The sapwood gets treated for electricity poles but I've never seen sapwood on a railway sleeper.

 

[Garbanzo62]

These ones aren't. The heartwood of these particular species is impervious to creosote treatment. The sapwood gets treated for electricity poles but I've never seen sapwood on a railway sleeper.

They must do thing differently down there. In the States, these would be saturated to prevent decay.

 

[TomMcDonald]

They must do thing differently down there. In the States, these would be saturated to prevent decay.

Yeah, the timber is durability rated for 50+ years outside above ground and 25+ years in the ground. The sapwood is less durable and is usually treated but the heartwood is resistant to treatment.

 

[Woody Stover]

be wary of what they treated those ties with.

Yeah, the timber is durability rated for 50+ years outside above ground and 25+ years in the ground. The sapwood is less durable and is usually treated but the heartwood is resistant to treatment.

What kind of wood is that?
Yeah, I don't see one speck of creo on any of that stuff..

 

[TomMcDonald]

What kind of wood is that?
Yeah, I don't see one speck of creo on any of that stuff..

It's red ironbark and yellowbox.

Know Your Timber: Ironbark

Looking for a beautiful and hard-wearing hardwood timber that is perfect for your timber flooring or timber decking project? We have plenty of options for you to view one of which is Ironbark timber.

narangbatimbers.com.au

 

[30WCF]

What’s with you guys with these down oaks in your front yards and skids with grapples?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

stuffed that trailer full yesterday.. it was pretty much maxed out..

 

[NickW]

stuffed that trailer full yesterday.. it was pretty much maxed out..

View attachment 310622 View attachment 310623 View attachment 310624 View attachment 310625

Is that beech...?

 

[Stove Cricket]

stuffed that trailer full yesterday.. it was pretty much maxed out..

View attachment 310622 View attachment 310623 View attachment 310624 View attachment 310625

Is that the beech tree I carved my girlfriend’s name on?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Is that beech...?

yes.. its plentiful in the area im scrounging

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Is that the beech tree I carved my girlfriend’s name on?

yes.. i didn't take that part of the tree

 

[NickW]

yes.. its plentiful in the area im scrounging

Sweet! Some pretty serious BTU's in beech and it seasons quickly. Not real plentiful in my area, but I get some sometimes and love it.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Sweet! Some pretty serious BTU's in beech and it seasons quickly. Not real plentiful in my area, but I get some sometimes and love it.

Its a good wood.. it be my go to wood if it smelled like cherry while burning. This was a great haul.. I have at leats 6 cords in log lenth and its a mix of oak white, red lots of beech, a small amout of maple and something else that I forgot what it it..

I got it stacked in the back yard yesterday I haven't quite measured it, but Id guess the pile is 30L x 12/15W x 6H

This wood will be processed in late fall of 2023 and will burn in fall of 27 most likely.

 

[redyute]

Good deal. The common species here in the Red Oak group are Red, Black, Pin and Shingle, all similar smell and splitting ease. There may be others, but I haven't IDed them yet.

Didnt know tjere were diffefent spe ies of read oak

 

[Woody Stover]

Didnt know tjere were diffefent spe ies of read oak

The others aren't technically "Red Oak" but they are similar enough that the wood is marketed as such.