Very interesting work, and thanks for posting this. It appears oak loses about 40% of its weight when seasoned? How do you know that it's bottomed out and won't lose a little more? It's amazing how much more quickly you can dry wood out with a little heat. My dad was always convinced his wood stacks that were in full sun seasoned much more quickly than the ones he had top covered next to the garage in the shade. Your posts with the weights over time are appreciated.
YOUZA, that's amazing when you calculate it that way. I've noticed my 8' tall green wood stacks, lower about 12" the first year. I guess that's from all that volume loss....
YOUZA, that's amazing when you calculate it that way. I've noticed my 8' tall green wood stacks, lower about 12" the first year. I guess that's from all that volume loss....
Its a good possibility. I have a log load on order, will need to see what's on it. It has only lost 75 grams since May. Short of baking it dry in the oven it is pretty much done losing weight. I'm not so sure my wife would go for a piece of oak in the oven at 175 for several days.
Did another one. This is red maple. It was standing green on December 20. It didn't get weighed till the next day but I did keep it frozen till I got to the scale. The starting weight 4482 gm. Current weight 2724 gm and still losing a few gm every day. So after 42 days by the fire the loss is 1758 ml, a little more than the vodka bottle or just short of five 12 oz beers at 355 ml per. In pounds 9.9 became 6. The first day by the fire accounted for 1/5 of the loss or one beers worth. So far it has lost 39.25% of its original weight making it somewhere between 75-85% moisture content when green. Pretty close to what I squeezed out of the oak. Burn dry wood people.
Great thread. Love the practical real world. For more precise calculations, refer to Hoadley, "Understanding Wood." As a wood worker, who takes his wood from tree to final product, it never ceases to amaze me how much water/weight comes out of green wood to kiln dried (~8% MC). Stacking and shuffling green wood vs. k.d. is amazing.
I want to perform this test with ash. Oak is a tricky animal for sure. She requires patience. I claim that you can get some decent heat in under a year out of ash if you are not that far ahead. I have no real way to prove this other than just results in the stove with good secondaries and no hissing or bubbles from steam. Doesn't mean it wouldn't have been better if 3 years had gone by.
Your dad was right it took me 3 years to figure out that stacked north to south in late March or early April dries the wood the quickest without covering it. I know that by getting sun from sun up till sunset makes all the difference as well as good air flow.
In late Spring I did an experiment drying wood. Nothing really surprising, but it does put things in perspective. I had two fresh chunk of red oak right off the splitter. I tested the moisture and weighed the two pieces. I then just stuck them in the garage and weighed them yesterday, re-split and tested the moisture again. I have always been of the opinion that wood dries faster in open air exposed to the sun. This wood was under my workbench out of the sun. The Results: April 13, Piece #1: weighed 8.5 #'s Moisture was at 25% Piece #2: weighed 7 5/8ths #'s, moisture was at 25% November 15, Piece #1 weighed 6#'s, moisture was at 19% Piece #2 weighed 5#'s, moisture was at 16.5-17% __________________ Now just think if you threw those two chunks in the stove green. It would be the same as throwing the same two dry sticks on and then throwing 5 pounds of water on too. 5 #'s of water is over 2 quarts. When burning green wood energy is absorbed to drive off the water as steam. The phase change from water to steam absorbs a lot of energy. __________________
I explained it to the dw. Got the deer in headlights look. Then told her she would stay warmer. Ohhhh I understand. Sheesh
No the pieces were side by side under the bench. #2 had more surface area and was smaller, hence it dried quicker.
I would be curious to see the difference at 1 year and 3 years. What I mean is that there is a diminishing return after wood has dried for a period of time. The wood will shed the most moisture in the first year percentage wise. I agree with everyone on here that we should all have so much wood on hand that we don't need to get at the wood too soon. I am very pleased that I'm not in any danger of running out this year for the first time in 5 years.
