The old literature from brands like Central Boiler used to call for green wood to be burned, not seasoned wood. That's changed, but those that were"trained" that way are very hard to get to try anything else.
The first OWB I bought was back in the early 90's. The dealer was a common sense local guy that talked about burning green wood...and quickly added that it is not a good idea. Gave the analogy of burning wood that is dry vs. burning wood that was fresh cut...."which is easier to light and keep burning? I don't recommend burning green wood..." Even back then, the wood would be two years old when it was burnt. I remember buying a load of logs for $150! Yup, 10 full cord! Price went up to $225, so next time I bought some hardwood slabs...probably about 16 full cord for $150! Man, those were some good deals!
Many moons ago in a previous life, I was a member of a hunt camp that was at one time part of a logging camp. Our building was the cook house. The camp up the lake was the blacksmiths shop. The third building was on an island in the middle of the lake...modern building. There was an old log shack behind our place that had one of those old square shackle locks on it. Nobody had bothered with it in who knows how long. It had a corrugated tin roof that was still perfectly fine. The log walls had rotted some, and it had settled quite a bit...either that, or there were some darned short people working the camp. LOL. ' If it had been locked when the camp was abandoned, it would have been 80 some odd years since anyone had ever been in there. This was my first year being in that gang, so I was full of questions.....like....hey....what's in the shed ? I figured they would know. Nope...nobody had ever opened it up. Well.....we all know I couldn't leave that one alone. It didn't take much to get the entire lock and hasp off. I was expecting some kind of interesting antique machinery or something like that. Nope....firewood. I won't say it was bad, but the stuff burned like cardboard. It was sort of dry rotted....spongy sort of, but not wet at all...not like regular dry rot though where the wood had gotten wet repeatedly, and dried out. It's hard to describe, and I'm not doing a very good job of it. At any rate...it'll 'sort of' go bad if left long enough. I'm guessing most of us won't have to worry as we're not on the 80 year plan.
That was either stacked wet or water was getting in there. Firewood doesn't have an expiration date, as long as it's dry before you store it and where you store is dry.
Here in New England logging was always done in the winter, but some of that tradition still remains. Obviously skidders making going up adverse grades in the summer just as easy as horses used to come down them with snow on the ground, but a logger sweats doing it. Sawmills prefer winter cut wood though debarkers now do make the clean logs from dragging over frozen frozen ground obsolete. And while I have heard paper mills make better paper in the winter, I am not sure how that is true as there are many mills in the south that get plenty warm in the summer months. For me, starting about November to April I am pretty happy logging. last year I was up to my waist in snow for about a week and might have said a string of bad words for a week, but generally 20 degrees is just about right for logging.
I don't think so, I think it is just a hold out to the old days. Farmers would farm in summer and log in winter, and while I am a dying breed for sure, I think Mainer's just tend to stick with that mindset.
Haven't noticed it. One thing is for sure, The stuff we have stacked inside is in just slightly better shape than if it was still in the woods or stacked outside.
My Dad grew up on farm in the U.P. and he has said the same thing... Cut the wood in the winter, it's easier to get out of the woods, no leaves, and no mud or bugs. I remember many winters dragging logs out of the woods and back to the farm by snowmobile.
This is true but keeping the leaves on is the trick to this. Dries it out quickly in the summer so by the end of summer you could have a much drier tree to work with. The good part about it is the tree wood likely be easier to work with, lighter. Being patient is key
"In some ways my father's outdoor wood boiler was the worst thing he ever bought, and the best thing. I will say he got a brand new house out of it since the darn thing burned his old one down." Lodged tree... How did your pops OWB burn his house down? Chimney fire spewing embers? or? Curious.
I was reading my literature on my stove and it says to operate the stove from 500-600° For best efficiency , after that it was saying. Never overfire your stove! So I had the belief that above that temp wasn’t doing the stove any good. First time burner jitters. Plus at 500+ it emits a slightly burning metal smell so it helps warn me that way. I just monitor it and open the airflow a bit more. Good thing that it just doesn’t last long for what its worth.
Shortly after we got ours I accidentally ran it up to 900STT, thinking that restricted air flow would just just shut it down, nope, shot from 700 to an indicated 900, but I am not sure it was that hot... The IR gun always says it is lower than what the dial is reading. Never going to mix pine locust and birch again.
There was one member on here that posted an OWB caused a fire but it was due to the mess/debris that was left around the opening of the stove. When the draft was open, embers jumped out. (Which is also prevented by not letting the ashes accumulate above the level of the door.) Either example was not caused by the OWB....
Yes, no bugs, or mud with winter firewooding. I hate bugs, almost as much as sweating. Plus with the frozen ground, and lack of leaves, it is just easier to do in winter. That, and what else is going on?
How does that inside stacking work? I just started stacking some in the barn for 2019/20 season. I does not seem to be drying as fast. As an example. Outside stored Ash is running 17 to 19 on the MM. Inside stored split at the same time is running 20 to 21. As far as a 3 year plan. How is it judged? Do I count this years stack as 1 year or are we always behind a year when discussing a 3 year plan? I have this years seasons wood up at the house. I have all wood cut for next season stacked outside. I also have about 2 cords in the barn intended for 2019/20.
Sounds like you hit a pocket of pitch in the pine. It happens. I see it more in my pit and it scares me since it burns flat out fast and black smoke but best to just make sure the pine is dry. I cut out the fatwood pockets so that I can use them for fire starter. Don’t let it scare you, inspection of the wood may help. If you feel the pine is heavier than other splits of the same kind, that tends to be the way I found out it was pitchwood or fatwood. Less pine next time?
We are so far ahead we don't worry about it. That and most of what we are cutting now is dead stuff. Back when we were down to a normal amount, we had several barns to put it in. If it was green, we'd stack a rick and leave one side exposed to the air or haul the dead stuff in first,leaving the green on the outside. You can stack gaps too between the ricks. Most of the barns are pretty drafty so air does move through. Bottom edge is open which allows the critters in which is a whole other problem. Wood stacks seem to be there favorite restrooms. We stack tight anymore as it's in at least a 6 year rotation.
