I've got some oak that's punky on the outside, and I'm thinking I could shave off the punky layer with the chainsaw. Good idea or bad idea?
It would clean it up, but at the cost of being bent over for a good while, and spinning the chain on a piece wood (at a time) that would be difficult to secure/mange safely? I’ve got a bunch Cherry in the stacks like that- the punk is dry and touches off nearly as soon as it hits flame in the stove.
If you are able to top cover it, it will stay dry and helps with quicker fire starting initially and on reloads. If you are not able to top cover it, it tends to soak up and retain moisture but dries quickly when removed from the elements. The good news is that the punk is in the sapwood and will not expand to the heartwood very quickly (years) unless there is another factor such as termites or carpenter ants. I personally leave the punk on, top cover it and put it in paper shopping bags for transport from stacks to stove to have less of a mess. Paper shopping bags from the grocery store also help keep loggers in business.
Bad idea. Don't waste your time! Also there's no good way to hold the pieces, so it's dangerous! Burn it as is.
No ants, but the punk is somewhat damp. The paper bag is a great idea! I am more concerned about gunking up the chainsaw. I would set it up like this: Bending over is not a problem, seems like everything I do is close to the ground. I used a little bow saw on some over the summer, but that took a long time. I'm going to try it, I know, why ask for advice if I'm going to do it anyway? Sorry.
Midwinter, I'm with everyone else, I get a fair amount of that too, just keep it dry & burn it. Please be very careful otherwise.
I had some Oak a few years ago that was punky and I used a hatchet on it. Some of the punk was almost 2" thick. I don't top cover, so it kept getting soggy. I got some of it done, but not all. Every stick of it went into the stove, but not until it got dry. Burned great.
Well, I probably won't get to it today, I have to pick up my grandson. And I think I'll need my husband's help to change out the punky splits as they are shaved. I'll just try it, we have plenty of other cutting to do as well. Thanks all!
I wonder if it may be safer and just as effective time-wise if you used a large chisel and a mallet. You'd have more control of exactly what material you were removing, and with the punky wood being soft it should pop right off. Personally I'd do what some of the other folks said and that's cover it, let it dry out and burn as-is.
I'm in the boat with those saying don't bother. I think it's a waist of your time. Just throw it in the firebox as is. Won't hurt a thing, just make sure it's dry.
Why start doing that now? Every time you get oak it will be the same story. Just keep it dry and it burns great. Besides, as others have pointed out, that can be dangerous besides being a total waste of time.
I have never done that or thought about doing it with a chainsaw.... But.....I did do it with an axe. Until I realized that it was too little of a payback for what good wood was left...so it all went to the firepit. That'd be the safest.
I spread them out and don't burn a whole load of punky wood, I throw a couple pieces at a a time and use it up in the shoulder season. Save the solid good hardwoods for the dead of winter.
+1 with don't bother. Big hunks I've knocked off at the splitter but anything under an inch or two is just a little punk. It does help to keep it dry at least the Winter you are going to burn it as wet and frozen is messy and heavy..
First time I got some Oak with Punk on the outside, I started shaving it off with a hatchet, after about 10 splits I said to hell with that. Every time since then, I just split it stack it and cover it immediately. There is still a lot of solid wood in the pieces that will burn very well. If you don't get it covered and keep it covered it will soak water up like a sponge, can't burn water, If it freezes, well you can't burn ice One thing you do not want to do is fill your stove up with a load of that stuff with an inch or inch and a half of punk on it, that is really dry, that punky wood is porous and will light up and burn like crazy hot for a short time, when I did that I had to turn my stove blower on and also set another fan blowing on the stove to get it cooled down, once that punk is gone it will Cruise along just like any other Oak, so mix it in with other stuff not a full load.
OMG your stove will explode ! Send all that oak here and I will dispose of it properly for you. FHC cares.
Another +1 on the 'don't bother', just keep it dry. Punky wood is still wood, it just burns faster is all. I'll knock it off with an axe or the splitter once in a while, if it's really bad it just stays in the woods.
Oh my God, no, it won't explode, but it will burn hot, if you put a full load of that punky stuff in there
I dunno, devil's advocate here, maybe easier to just zip the punk off now, instead of obsessively keeping it dry for two years, and then burning it a piece at a time to avoid overheating.
