Drying Firewood

 
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Post by NoSmoke » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 7:22 am

What do you think the best way to dry firewood is?

I know from years of burning wood there is an ideal moisture content as if it is "wet" you get too much cresote and burn a lot of wood just getting rid of moisture which is a waste of wood, yet if it is too "dry", it burns to a powder making you go through a lot more wood then what is truly required.

Some swear by the old method of felling trees before the hardwoods leaf out and believe as the trees leaf out after being felled and left on the forest floor, the resulting wilting leaves "suck the moisture right out of the wood". I can somewhat understand the reasoning as nature tends to die hard and might expend a lot of effort trying to keep the leafs alive as long as possible, but boy a full sized firewood tree contains a lot of moisture within, so I am not sure I buy into this claim.

Some claim that by felling, dragging out, cutting up to stove length and then splitting the wood; leaving it to dry out from the wind and the sun helps to really drive out the moisture. Again I can understand this claim as well because by splitting the wood you are exposing a lot more surface area and wind and sun do a lot to aid in drying anything. Still though, how deeply does the sun and wind penetrate a pile of wood to really make a difference.

My father on the other hand believes it is best to immediately cut and split the wood, but rather then leave it outside in a pile to dry, it is best to bring it inside under shelter where it can dry. It does not have the wind or sun upon it, but it does not get any rain storms on it either.

I was just curious what other peoples beliefs were.


 
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Post by blrman07 » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 7:42 am

Your going to get lots and lots of advise because everyone that burns wood has their own criteria and methods.. Everyone believes theirs is the best :D

Long and short it depends on the type of wood you start with. Hardwoods generally cut split and stacked need to "age" for around two years whether it's your yard or someone else's. Softer woods can usually get away with a year cut split and stacked.

However, "younger" wood can be burned if you have a hot fire if you want to use some smaller stuff to get a good hot fire going with a good bed of coals. Chances are you won't get a roaring fire like you might want but you'll get enough to get by.

Bring in a wood box full out of the elements and let it dry some inside. Build your fire properly and you can burn just about anything.

But then again, I only burn wood during the shoulder months and normally burn coal so what do I really know? :lol: Some other wood burners should chime in here in a bit.

 
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Post by ONEDOLLAR » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 7:47 am

I always had the best luck with making sure the cut wood had 3 sides and stacked like "Lincoln Logs". De-barked if possible as well. The stacking method allowed for air move with ease all around the logs. My neighbor does this and he also places a thick clear poly "tarp" over his split wood. This creates additional heat that really seems to speed up the drying process. Kind of a poor man's solar kiln.

Felling trees prior to them leafing out will help somewhat in removing moisture. About the same as dropping them after leaf drop in the fall when the sap isn't running. Though I always felt the stacking method and keeping the firewood away from outside moisture played a more important role in getting wood to season faster. Not to mention the size of the cut piece of firewood as well. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that a smaller split will dry faster than a bigger one.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 7:54 am

I always just girdled the trees I was going to take down for the next burning season & left them standing. Come spring I'd just fell, block & split--Always worked well. Stacked outside near house.

 
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Post by Logs » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 10:37 am

Most of the wood I use is from large logs that never made it to the mill for one reason or another.they are large logs24" diameter or larger . After about a year when bark is loose or falling off, I cut them in20" blocks, then quarter them with sledge and wedge. Most are butt logs, straight grained so they split fairly easy.. I split them into large pieces , so they last longer in wood burner. By quartering them it allows me to handle the weight to get them on the splitter . I get quite a bit of wood from each block. Then they are stacked in a singl row so the air can get through the stack. I the fall usually around October. I move to woodshed where they stay and continue to dry.

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Post by Logs » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 10:46 am

Last years single row stack

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Post by freetown fred » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 10:49 am

Logs, don't them thar stacks fall over??? :clap: toothy


 
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Post by Logs » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 11:01 am

Still trying to figure out this handheld computer haha.
I always try to stay a year ahead, but I'm getting a little lazy since I discovered the wonders of burning the black rocks.

 
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Post by Sunny Boy » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 11:38 am

Too many variables with wood to get a quick way to dry it without the expense of a sophisticated commercial kiln.

Knowing how water moves and where it's stored in the wood helps. There's two types of water in wood - called "bound" and "free" water.

Think of the majority of the cells in a tree are like a bundle of drinking straws. They are designed to transport water from the roots up to the branches by the strong force of capillary action. The water in those cells is the "free" water, which dries out the fastest because it can move through the wood the easiest.

The "bound" water is water that is stored in the cell walls. That takes longer to dry out, but it's a lower percentage of the water in wood. Since wood is designed to move water faster with the grain (those bundles of straws) than sideways through the grain, the lengths that the wood is cut to has a lot of affect on drying time.

Then, as already stated, alot depends on the species of wood. Example; the cells that transport water in White Oak are short, but those same transport cells in Red oak are extremely long. You can take a piece of dried red oak 8-10 feet long, put one end in a bucket of water, blow on the other end, and see air bubbles coming up in the water. That makes for fast kiln drying times and it's one of the main reasons why Red oak is used a lot in furniture and cabinetry. Less kilt time mean it's more profitable.

Damp climates and amounts of prevailing winds will make a noticeable difference in how long the wood takes to dry. If you live in a deep valley your wood won't dry as quickly as your neighbor up on top of that windy hill.

So, you can see that there's no hard and fast rule for wood drying other than as the Reverend says to round off to either one, or two years.

Or, make a wood kiln to speed up the process. :roll:

Paul

 
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Post by Lightning » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 2:44 pm

NoSmoke wrote:I know from years of burning wood there is an ideal moisture content as if it is "wet" you get too much cresote and burn a lot of wood just getting rid of moisture which is a waste of wood, yet if it is too "dry", it burns to a powder making you go through a lot more wood then what is truly required.
I'm no wood expert but, I would tend to think the drier the better. Any moisture content in the wood will require BTUs to evaporate/vaporize it. If the dry wood burns too fast, it should be controllable with combustion air, I wood -er I would :lol: think..

wood would would wood wood...

 
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Post by coalder » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 4:21 pm

Logs' methodology of seasoning wood is a pretty sound one. Nothing like letting the elements take their toll, by rain diluting the sap and sun vaporizing it. A friend of mine conducted a simple experiment a few years back, which confirmed this. After cutting and splitting a picker load of mixed hardwood in spring, he immediately put about 1 cord under a covered porch. The rest he left in the open till sept; and then put the rest under his porch to dry for about 6 weeks before burning. Well, when he started burning, the wood that was covered all summer didn't do so well; But the wood left to the elements did fine. Granted 7 months is marginal for seasoning wood , but there was a distinct difference. I personally like to allow 2 yrs especially with red oak.
A rule of thumb: when you add wood to an active fire it should flame within one minute. Ifn it don't, it aint seasoned.
Jim

 
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Post by Lu47Dan » Mon. Jun. 01, 2015 8:19 pm

I have cut and stacked logs to dry for several years, than cut into 23" stove lengths. I than split and stack it on pallets and cover the top of the stack with heavy mil machinery shipping covers I have aquired over the years.
I stack it in the full sun, the plastic cover prevents rain water from soaking into the wood and the tends to help trap heat in the stack. I have used this method for years and it seems from experience that it helps dry the wood quicker. I will start the first week in july cutting the last of my log piles up and getting it stacked for this winter. I might have enough logs for two more winters, than I will switch over to coal full time.
Once the temperature drops into the low 40's°F , and I have at least two days of nice weather in a row, I move about 2.25 cords of wood up to the house, this gets stacked on the north side of the house, close to the door nearst to the woodstove.
Dan.

 
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Post by NoSmoke » Tue. Jun. 02, 2015 6:36 pm

Logs wrote:Most of the wood I use is from large logs that never made it to the mill for one reason or another.they are large logs24" diameter or larger .
I am the opposite. We don't saw much hardwood on the sawmills, just the softwood so I seldom drop a tree for firewood over 12" in diameter. It is easier for my small tractor to handle, and much easier on my back lifting it onto the woodsplitter.

A few years back we took some of the drudgery out of firewood by using a manure spreader. We placed our homemade woodsplitter on the trailer hitch of the manure spreader so that its height could be adjusted via the 3 point hitch. Then we took off the self-unloading mechanism from the live bed, and instead put a long bar with a ratchet. With this rig we can split the wood, toss it directly into the manure spreader body behind the splitter, then when it is full back it into the woodshed and rather then go up front to get the wood to pile it, we crank the wood back to us. It has to be seen to be appreciated. A LOT LESS WORK.

 
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Post by Logs » Tue. Jun. 02, 2015 7:07 pm

Anything 12" or under goes to the chipper. I move my firewood with loader bucket on tractor . For me that works best. Everybody has their own system I'm sure . I prefer the large logs, you have less cutting and get alot of wood from one log. When I'm cutting log into blocks , I set it on 6x6's to cut. It is much easier , no bending. Cutting small wood and tops you are constantly bent over. At my age my back and knees can't take it. I guess the best way is what ever is the easiest for you.

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Tue. Jun. 02, 2015 8:42 pm

Bigger logs are less bark to deal with too.


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