Just wondering if anyone has any experience with live Oak? I had heard it contains oil and does not have to season as long? And it was not someone on Craigslist trying to sell me some of it.
Isn't there some lore about the USS Constitution being planked with green Live Oak, which deflected some of the cannon shot and earned her the nickname "Old Ironsides"?
I would thing that there’s a big difference between seasoning wood in Reno and Lake Tahoe... Short distance apart but big difference in climate... that said, there’s a difference between seasoning enough to get it to burn and seasoning enough to allow the wood to dry... even if there are resins to help it burn, if the wood contains water, your burn will still be inefficient as you’ll spend a lot of BTUs boiling off water. I haven’t cut, seasoned or burned any live oak. If I had some, I’d get it split and stacked ASAP and check it periodically with a moisture meter.. perhaps someone will come along with experience.
I got some European/English Oak, cut and split - zhe bark is also removed. Its stacked outside with no rain cover, so the rain can wash out the tannin. Will stay exposed until next year, followed by another 2-3 years covered. Is that a common thing over at your end of the world? I read Live Oak contains little tannin, thats mibe why it supposed to season quicker?! As its Oak i can imagine, the longer you let dry, the better. Ive burned Oak, seasoned for 2 years, mostly small limps - acceptable low moisture. It was ok but not a satisfying result and in the end i didnt burned alot - let it season well and get the most pleasure out of it. ... my 2 euro cents.
I can’t confirm the old iron side part but the Dept of the Navy built the Pensacola Navel Air Station as a ship yard back pre civil war because on the location and availability of large tracts of live oak trees.
Very interesting stuff! I saw that ship when we visited the area on a family vaca. Didn't tour it, we spent a lot of time on the USS Yorktown.
The story I heard was that they were in such a rush to get the ships built that they just slapped 'em together as the timber was being milled. Can't recall exactly where I heard that though.
USS Constitution - War of 1812 To the amazement of Dacres and his crew, the 18-pound iron cannonballs launched by Guerriere bounced harmlessly off the American frigate’s 24-inch triple-layered hull, which was made of white oak and live oak sheathed in copper forged by Paul Revere. One British sailor supposedly yelled out, “Huzza! Her sides are made of iron!” Thus, Constitution was christened “Old Ironsides.” From - How USS Constitution Became ‘Old Ironsides’ She was just restored. The copper plating, just below the waterline, was removed, and restored.
