Left work a little early so I could get out to the woods to feed my addiction. Dropped some dead ash that were still standing. Most of the ash that are left in my woods have some degree of punkyness to them. How much is too much? If they aren't light as a feather, are they still worth processing? There's only so much time available to cut firewood. I don't want to waste it on junk wood.
I usually will keep anything "standing white oak" that is an inch of punkyness or less for my personal burning. Too much more and it just ends up making a mess everywhere.
That stuff still looks fine to me. If it doesn't fall apart when it splits I try to find a place for it in the stacks.
Frank, there is nothing wrong with that ash. We have cut some that have some punk but we'll just burn that during daytime hours. What you have, it could no doubt have stayed standing for a couple more years and still be in good shape.
F&B, if you don't want it, send it up here. I've never burned Ash, and I'll gladly report on my findings once I have.
You wouldn't be disappointed! It is definitely my favorite wood. I like it best when the whole round is nice and tight grained, though. When the outer edges start to get "fuzzy" looking, I feel like it has to be losing some of its heating value.
Like others said - looks fine. I've cut some punky wood that crumbled in the splitter - that is junk. If it splits and can dry well, it's worth burning - even if for shoulder wood. Cheers!
We burned a whole season with w.ash which looked just like that or worse (some alot worse). Kept the house toasty all winter.
Punky wood absorbs a lot of rain water. Top covering would be best. The wood looks fine to me, I've burnt much worse. It can be a little messy but makes good heat.
Stack it and burn it! Like others said, shoulder or daytime wood. Might leave a bit more ashes in the firebox.
Cut some more ash today. Some of it was a little worse than the one in the picture. I am going to bring it up by the house and stack it. I would like a couple cords for shoulder wood and campfires. Once the summer gets here, my family and I enjoy a nice campfire almost every Saturday night. I'm gonna pick up some pallets, and also need to find some tarps or something else to cover it. Not a big fan of tarps, though.
I cut some oak tody that was a little punkier than I would have liked, mostly at the top of the tree. I thought the same thing, it'll be good for campfires this summer, or I may put it in the stove next month when it warms up a little. The wood in your picture looks fine, I've burned much worse than that.
The problem with punk wood and not being too choosey, is the punkier the wood is, the more it absorbs water. There are times where the punky piece of wood will feel somewhat heavy, as if it's still a decent split. But the reality is, once it dries out, it's as light as balsa wood and worthless in the stove. That's my biggest issue with keeping punk wood. And believe me, I have kept my fair share.
