And yes Backwoods Savage you are a big reason that I am this far ahead, my friend. You're a good mentor......
Everyone one on this site is the reason I hope to be 3 years ahead in about 2 years! I've spent more time cutting in the last few months than I have in the last few years. Each and every time I get out there it get's more fun. Now I just need another saw, a newer splitter, a tractor...
NH Wood: Those stacks are impressive and intimidating. Glad you can't see mine. Not posting any pictures of them anytime soon, after seeing yours.
It takes alot of hard work and dedication...and did i Say hard work?.....i know ill be there when the wife says man this wood burnin thing is easy
Now that my Drolet works like a stove should and with the improvements to the house my 3 year plan is turning into a 4 or 5 year plan. Plus I retired so no problem finding time to cut wood.
Thanks sherwood - I keep 4 of those 10-12 pallet stacks going at a time - keeps me 4 years ahead - usually burn about 11 or so pallets/year - I'm sure you are doing just fine - pretty stacks are nice, but dry wood is better! Cheers!
Scotty, I apologize, I haven't read the entire thread, actually just your first post. but I read it and thought, YES! I am burning 3 year old Oak and Hickory right now. And there just isn't anything quite like it. Having burned wood for 45 years, I thought I knew everything. Ha ha. Then I found the forums, and people like BS. I always thought 1 year was plenty. Now I know, thanks to people smarter than me, that it will, but 3 year old is a LOT better. Thanks to all my wood burning friends here and, well, on the old place too, when I was there.
You guys have really sparked my interest, do any of you have any idea the moisture difference between 1 or 2 year old wood vs 3 year old wood, as I said before I can not tell any difference to speak of but I do stack in single rows and have done so for over 30 years. I know some woods cut green can take longer but I think I can get most woods as dry as they are going to get in 2 years.
Not sure of moisture difference oldspark - I bet there would be a lot of differences depending on area as you mentioned before. I'm burning 4 year red oak now and still getting some splits that will sizzle water for about 5 minutes - but most don't. I should take a load of 1 year, 2 year, 3 year and 4 year oak from the stacks and check mm and also do consecutive burns on the same day to see the differences - just for fun. Actually, hell with the 1 year oak - no need to waste that load! Cheers!
oldspark, yes, some wood is good in 1 or 2 years. Ash is for sure. But now that I am ahead 3 or 4 years, I don't worry about it anymore. I know it is all good. Oak is the worst. It just takes time. It will all be relative to your drying conditions. Mine aren't the best so it takes longer......shade, limited space so I stack 2 and 3 deep. You may be good in 1 or 2. I just checked a couple of splits. 3 year old Oak - 15 %. 1 year old Oak - 24 %. 6 month old Ash 23 %. It would all burn, but that 15% stuff is fine.
As me and Sparky have discussed before, I'm certain that your geographical location, weather and humidity in your area play a huge factor in all of this seasoning. Some people (like Sparky) claim they don't need any top cover on their wood. We'll I can tell you it makes a HUGE difference for me. I top cover it, and it shows. Bone dry.
Me too Scotty. I was running low in the woodshed, and this weekend being nice out, I hauled some more from the stacks to the wood shed......bone dry 'cause it was top covered. Good to go now 'till April.
I loaded my crib with a heap of 3 year walnut this evening and hit a small batch that was SOAKED. Layers of ice in it. Here there was a hole in the black rubber roofing I use for covering the wood. Pitched all of that stuff to the side for use in the syrup evaporator in a couple weeks.....
"Yes it was taxing to get to 3 years but I kept the pedal to the metal and I'm at (get ready for it) 5 years ahead!!! So when (if ever) the tree work lightens up, I can sit back and relax knowing I am ahead way further than need be." Now THAT'S a stash!
LOL Scotty we have discussed that also, you stack in multiple rows and no way can you get by with out top covering it IMHO, single rows is no big deal as it drys out so quick after its rained on. I DO cover in late fall for the wood I burn in winter plus I have 3 trailers I load with wood and cover with a tarp.
See we are talking about 2 different things and that gets confusing for some reading these threads. My wood for the upcoming winter is always covered but not during seasoning. Plus I have about 3 weeks of wood in my garage and that is "top covered" also.
I would love to get three years ahead and im working toward at least two now. Around here most people measure in truck loads as do I. I burn aporox 25-30 truck loads a year. I try and cut 10 more loads than i will really need just in case. A couple more loads and I will have one years worth css. I dont plan on stopping im going to keep cutting till the cows come home I stack in single rows about 4-5 tall with a foot between rows. Right now 90% ash. Its stacked on concreate not top covered i generally throw the crap spits on the top rows. It gets a lot of wind and sun
