In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Dirty Score

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by ReelFaster, Nov 15, 2019.

  1. ReelFaster

    ReelFaster

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    2,342
    Likes Received:
    16,162
    Location:
    S.Jersey
    Just had a FB listing pop up about 2 miles from me. I saw the pile had been sitting from the pics of the listing but figured I'd go check it out since was close & easy access in and out. I picked through what looked the least punkiest but two questions. One, what's the best way to handle the really dirty stuff? Clean off best you can? Leave it out racked uncovered let mother nature give it a clean or don't give a hoot, split it, rack it, burn it when its dry?

    20191115_102552.jpg 20191115_110148.jpg

    Second, I found some of this, assumed it was birch so I grabbed some of it. Just wanted to confirm my assumption was correct. Thanks gang!
    20191115_103548.jpg
     
  2. jjspierx

    jjspierx

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2018
    Messages:
    153
    Likes Received:
    1,028
    Location:
    Indiana
    Nothing wrong with dirty wood. I vote for the 3rd option. Split it, rack it, burn it.
     
  3. farmer steve

    farmer steve

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2016
    Messages:
    1,929
    Likes Received:
    14,031
    Location:
    top of the hill york co. PA.
    Split it and stack it . Most of the dirt shoul cone off. Not sure but I'm thinking silver maple. Hope you grabbed those big rounds of white oak.
     
  4. ReelFaster

    ReelFaster

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    2,342
    Likes Received:
    16,162
    Location:
    S.Jersey
    I grabbed a few of them, as much as I could lift. I ran out from work to score this so I didn't have a maul and wedge in hand. Told him I may return with trailer and maul!
     
  5. Woodwhore

    Woodwhore

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2016
    Messages:
    2,371
    Likes Received:
    19,085
    Location:
    Mason NH
    Nice score, i dust off the dirt as i handle the rounds the best i can with my hands, splitting and tossing it around gets rid of some to, but yup dirty wood burns the same. Or you could be like my buddy and hose it down. Oh no I shouldn’t have opened that can o worms again :rofl: :lol::rofl: :lol:
     
  6. GrJfer

    GrJfer

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2014
    Messages:
    2,159
    Likes Received:
    14,065
    Location:
    The Woods of Arkansas
    I'd of been on that like a fat kid on cake. Brush off the worse of dirt, split it and stack, and forget about it.
     
  7. farmer steve

    farmer steve

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2016
    Messages:
    1,929
    Likes Received:
    14,031
    Location:
    top of the hill york co. PA.
    They do look heavy. Maybe you could noodle them and see if you could get a noodle longer than buZZsaw BRAD.:whistle:
     
  8. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    43,290
    Likes Received:
    267,943
    Location:
    Central MI
    Not sure what that wood is but do not think it is birch.
     
  9. mirnldi

    mirnldi

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2017
    Messages:
    429
    Likes Received:
    2,155
    Location:
    Ct
    Looks like poplar


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  10. ReelFaster

    ReelFaster

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    2,342
    Likes Received:
    16,162
    Location:
    S.Jersey
    I'll try and can get more pic's/better pics :salute:
     
  11. Firewood Bandit

    Firewood Bandit

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2014
    Messages:
    1,595
    Likes Received:
    9,349
    Location:
    Western Wisconsin, North of Lacrosse
    You guys haven't dealt with cable skidded logs. That is not dirty. 10-31-19 12.JPG 10-31-19 16.JPG 10-31-19 15.JPG 10-31-19 6.JPG
     
  12. billb3

    billb3

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2013
    Messages:
    9,799
    Likes Received:
    50,302
    Location:
    SE Mass
    looks like big tooth aspen
    meh wood
     
  13. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    43,290
    Likes Received:
    267,943
    Location:
    Central MI
  14. Cash Larue

    Cash Larue

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,210
    Likes Received:
    18,173
    Location:
    Pine, CO
    I dug some white oak logs out of my in-laws back yard last year. They were covered in dirt and leaves. My father in law cut the tree down 2+ years ago. Those things were dirty, but still hard as a rock. And they burn like the sun!
     
  15. Sully15

    Sully15

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2018
    Messages:
    24
    Likes Received:
    222
    Location:
    New Hampshire
    Always good to wipe off the dirt when it is dry and simply wipe off. Log looks like Beech to me? I could be wrong.
     
  16. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2019
    Messages:
    27,373
    Likes Received:
    163,228
    Location:
    North Haven, Connecticut
    Nice score. Great that you were able to get it right away. If i have to cut dirty wood i try to buck so the dirt is closest to me as the chain is cutting through the log, This way it is not pulling dirt though the cut. You can wire brush off dirt where cut will be. Use a semi chisel chain too. Cuts a bit slower, but holds its edge longer in dirty wood.
     
  17. amateur cutter

    amateur cutter

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2013
    Messages:
    5,826
    Likes Received:
    46,607
    Location:
    Gun Lake MI
    Yep, what he said. Little dirt splitting, who cares. Lotsa dirt bucking, semi chisel chain & a stiff broom & like Brad said, run the chain away from the dirt. You ain't cut dirty wood till you've winched it 100' through a swamp & then skidded it up a dirt/gravel road another 500'.
     
  18. Cash Larue

    Cash Larue

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,210
    Likes Received:
    18,173
    Location:
    Pine, CO
    I'm pretty sure that's Ailanthus altissima or Tree of Heaven.
    It's invasive, but it's a good hardwood that I burn all the time.


    Ailanthus altissima 8,171 - 8,452
    White Ash 8,246 - 8,920
    Sugar Maple 8,190
    Red Oak 8,037 - 8,690
    Hickory 8,039 - 8,670
    White Oak 8,169 - 8,810
    Beech 8,151 - 8,760
    Hemlock 8,885
     

    Attached Files:

  19. Urban Woods

    Urban Woods

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2018
    Messages:
    859
    Likes Received:
    4,908
    Location:
    Newark region of Essex Co. NJ
    Yep Cash Larue ya beat me too it. I kept scrolling down and saw you finally called it. Where I am this tree is everywhere growing wild and its known to be a city tree. wood burns ok for all the criticism. I call it poor mans ash or bastard ash because of the similar grain, but it is not as desirable as ash. One problem is it rots rather quickly or gets punky. Other than that its meh wood for shoulder season and it's technically a weed. Aside from that one picture though ReelFaster , I don't see too much of it in your mix there. Looks like a lot of great wood, but I recognize that candied coating of dirt on those big oaks. I get that a lot here with wood I collect near the rivers edge. it's like an encrusted build up of river silt that gathers on the underside of the log often splashed up by rain.

    It's a definite PIA and hard to completely remove. Sometimes I get them home leave the mud side facing north exposed to rain for a few weeks, then I may finish it off with a garden hose. If bark can be pealed off then even better!
     
  20. RGrant

    RGrant

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2019
    Messages:
    730
    Likes Received:
    4,015
    Location:
    Connecticut
    How anyone didn't chime in with a "that's what she said" at three or four different points is beyond me... but that's a great score.
    Best I can advise would be if you needed to cut it, let the rains fall on it a few times to clear the dirt off. But since its all cut up- when you split it, that should knock a fair amount of the dirt off. I don't think it will hamper the drying or burning if that's what you mean.