Beautiful day here today, and I was lucky to be home. So, after the lawns got cut, I hooked onto the splitter and was enroute to the pile of Oak blocks I had waitin' to be split. Stopped @ the woodshed to do a moisture check on a cord and a half of the same oak. This stuff was alive and well last October. I got the load in November and it was still dripin when I cut, split and stacked it in the shed last November. Split about a half dozen today and checked them with the MM. All @ 36 to 44%. They will be getting the boot out of the shed and re stacked outside. Then proceeded to the stacking area and checked a half dozen there that had been blocked during winter and split and stacked in may. Have been sitting all summer on the sunny hilltop with the breeze blowing between each row. MM showed 31 to 35%. Was hoping to use this as 16-17 wood. At this rate, it will be more like 17-18 wood.........................
Nope..............it can sit out there till the cows come home...................It will be BTU city when it does season though.......................
Yup oak is what it is. All my oak for this year was cut dead standing, with barkless limbs spring 2014. The trunks (usually around 18-20" in diameter) have taken 2 full summers to get down to the 20-22% range. Granted not full sun or optimal wind next to the garage but its where I stacked it and wasn't going to move it. I have some green cut oak cut last spring as well (2014) out at my parents single row stacked, with excellent cross wind and 6-8 hours sun. Its for next year but was going to check it this fall just for grins. It was 30-35% last fall.
Lot of BTUs there after the long wait. All I have is Ash, Pine, and Spruce. The Ash can dry to under 20% in about 4 months in my stacks. Unless a ton of rain, but could just top cover. Fast drying stuff. Have you ever tried top covering with clear plastic sheets?
It seems I get really good seasoning times here but the red oak I did last summer was still around 30/35 when I checked back in May or June. Hope I'm not tossing that into the 17/18 stack this time next year because I'm gonna be depending on it for 16/17.
Amazing how the tight grain just holds onto the moisture. Splitting blocks today that were just pushing it out the ends. Some splits just about literally dripping when coming off the block....................
Yep... I've heard Oak is like that...... Well at least your proactive about it. And didn't wait til the last minute when you start blaming your stove on its short comings....
