I have some pine rounds that have been stacked for a little. Im sure they're getting punky and ants have moved in. They're longer than my stove can handle and with other hoarding and projects going on, they've taken a back seat to being processed. I'm sure I'll have a bon fire some day. I do pass by a house quite reguarly that has a nice stack of oak that is slowly going to pot. Uncovered and starting to fall down. It's been there for quite a long time. Most of the splits are a very dark grey. I try not to look at the abuse when I pass by.
This is what really irks me. Did a small job Tuesday for a repeat customer. I hauled some wood out of there back in Winter 2023 and asked the neighbor about the fresh cut cherry logs next to where I was parked. Keeping for their own use. The cherry still sitting there untouched since then.
Some people are funny they may have wanted to sell those logs but didn’t know how much or how to ask or it could be one of the other. We all know these people nothing for free or they think they are sitting on a gold mine
Have you ever stopped and asked about the logs Maybe they are in over there heads and can’t cut and split them
I would've asked the neighbor again but nobody was home. And honestly after sitting that long I really don't want them. I still prefer scrounging green and clean wood.
I'm sure the ants have moved in by now...might still be good firewood, but not as good as it was...cherry left lay goes bad quickly
IME cherry heartwood lasts a long time. Although I have seen plenty of punky ant filled fresh cut logs too. I just hate the mess associated with rotting wood.
I hear you guys talk about this long lasting cherry heartwood, but never seen any...center of the tree goes first IME
I often find long dead small cherry logs at a lot of my cuts. usually small but solid and clean. Maybe as it gets bigger the rot resistance goes away? Just a guess on my part.
On my house there’s a mechanical doorbell as opposed to electric. On the outside crank mechanism I crafted a temporary handle out of cherry wood. Just happened to be a wood I had scraps from leftover from building the house. Always wanted a cast iron coffee grinder wheel outside hence the temporary nature. Before I found a coffee wheel I determined the doorbell was too annoying and loud. Everyone got a kick out of ringing the damm thing all the time lol That was built in 1993. That cherry handle is still out there showing no sign of rotting. Raw wood, never oiled or painted. Maybe you’re seeing it rot inside the bark like birch or beech?
A lot of my younger male customers gather firewood with the intention of splitting it, but never do. This guy has some nice maple rounds that are two years old. I recommended we lay some out and stack the hickory on top to keep it off the ground since he didn't have a storage rack.
