Its not like when it rains the wood is stacked in a pool of water. 2 minutes after the sun comes out the stacks are dry again. I wouldnt bother with it in 4 months. Just saying and not starting anything.
Good score Eric. Looks like it’s still nice and tight, good condition. Often with EAB the branches turn to punk before they are dealt with. Looks like your friend didn’t waste time. Ash is new to me. Just started getting some last year. Haven’t had the chance to burn any yet. What I’m wondering is does it continue to punk fast once cut and stacked? Does splitting make a difference like with birches? Must be opinions on this here.
Ash and birch two different animals. Ash a lot more rot resistant. Wont punk once CSS unless there are bits of punk and in continues to get wet. Almost all the ash ive scored is EAB killed with loose bark. Messy yes, but still solid wood. Takes a few years for it to punk from ground up and top down. Usually i can tell how many years its been dead by the progression of limb size lost. I was at Lowe's in Wallingford yesterday and noticed the ornamental trees in the parking lot were ashes. The top half was bare but the bottom was still trying to survive. Lower limbs and suckers with leaves.
I concur with what buZZsaw BRAD said. I haven’t seen any of my stacks deteriorate. Ash wood is good stuff and great for tool handles, baseball bats, flooring etc. Actually when you knock two dry pieces together it sounds exactly like a baseball game Personally I prefer to pull off all the bark I can before it goes into my pile. It seems to help with the drying time and it’s less of a chance of bringing bugs indoors when your wood makes it inside. I haven’t gone after any Ash trees that've been dead a REALLY long time but I’m sure there’s a point where they become too far gone. Probably best to get what you can now before they become compost.
Laying on damp ground is the enemy of any wood. CSS up off the ground and most woods will last many years, especially if they get a top cover after they are dried out. Ash will last years once processed and stacked. It just can't lay on the ground too long.
Ok, thanks all. So it’s just basically normal FWIW I’ve seen the same thing with the white oak the Gypsy’s killed. Just seems the softer outer core punked out real fast. Very well could be I’m just not paying close enough attention to the tops of trees LOL
Thread bump. More small ash cut with the little top handle saw. I’m on a bit of an ash kick lately, mostly looking for sawmill logs but finding decent firewood candidates. I’ll keep getting while the getting’s good either way. There’s a little more there to get buried in the weeds but I ran out of time this afternoon.
More or less, lately anyway. Although, after today not anymore. I noticed just now that it leaked fuel all over my seat... Oh and I went back to cut the rest and it was mostly punky, so I left it in the ditch anyway Funny thing about saws is I can leave them in my shed for months and they won't leak a drop, but leave them in the truck for a few hours and I end up regretting it I need a rubber floor mat/plastic tray type thing if I'm going to continue trashing my truck this way.
That S@#%$. Maybe a weathertech type mat? Cant say ive ever lost any oil or mix in the cab. Maybe a dribble or two as the saws mostly ride in back. I have spilled a can of mix in back. Luckily all the "compost" soaked it up. Maybe a chainsaw case would solve the problem?
Even when they aren't actively leaking they smell up my cab. I really should get out of the habit of bringing combustibles in there anyway. Plan my scrounges better and lock/chain them in the bed if it isn't raining (are we EVER going to get one day where it doesn't rain, ever?)
A couple more ash sticks for the hoard today. These are exponentially more solid than yesterday’s half punky pieces.
Aaahhhh! The good stuff. For years Ash has been one of my favorites for heating our home. Cuts nice, splits great, dries quick, and delivers decent heat to the house without being too buggy. We got hit hard by the borer and we have lost almost every Ash on our land and it's been long enough ago that it's hard to find even standing dead that isn't getting punky here. I love it when I find some that is still solid!!! Hoard ON!
Seems like the heat pressurizes the fuel n oil tanks...at that point apparently the temptation to "mark its spot" is just too great
Even the half punky stuff still works good for shoulder season heating...I've been using that, and some "past prime" silver maple so far this year...
I discovered while moving the last order of splits, some splits have punk in them, is that an issue burning in a cat stove?
