I'm in need of a large slice today! You've heard me say it many times, shoot, it's even in my signature: "The best device for determining the moisture content of split firewood is a multi-year calendar." Today I was cleaning up the wood lot and going to bring some Honey Locust that had been split and stacked, in the wind and sun, for 3 years and 4 months. By chance I had my moisture meter in my toolbox so I checked the Honey Locust just for giggles and grins. I about fell over when it read 35%!!!I checked 9 pieces from different parts of the stack and got readings from 28% to 35%. man I've never had any wood take so long to season. Funny thing is there was some black locust, cut on the same day, from the same lot, split and stacked in the same week as the Honey Locust and it read 15 to 18%. I think I need a new calendar and a new mantra
I have never had wood dry that slow no matter what kind it was, at 35 percent that is going to sizzle.
There goes the red oak off the top of the list that dries the slowest. WOW Can you think of anything that's different. ? Bark on/off, bigger splits ? (next to a water sprinkler ? LOL )
Was it getting wet somehow? If you top cover, and there's a problem with it, it can get one part of your stacks really wet, cause it's redirecting all the water there.
Wow, that's just nutty! A neighbor has a dead HL that I'm gonna grab at some point. I figured it would dry about the same as BL but I'll monitor it closely after reading this.
Pullin one out of the archives there.....he don't need know doctor because he was already medicated LOL
Are you sure the MM isn't on the fritz? I burned almost 3 cord of 3 year split honey locust last winter and it was bone dry........hmmmmm
possible if very large splits in medocre/ marginal drying area , around here for me this last summer was terrible for drying.
If it isn't top covered I would believe that. If you get it top covered it will quickly dry out. There is a difference between moisture in the grain/wood and wood that is wet from sitting out.
Thats odd...Did you clink them together? What did it sound like? How big was your splits? Left whole? I've burnt dried 2 year old Honey Locust last year... Honey locust gives its moisture up pretty decent.
To answer some of the questions asked above. Yep I did and they sounded like a line drive to deep left center field when hit together which is why I thought they were dry. The stack has never been top covered and neither has any of the rest of the 10 cord in that lot. Pretty sure the M.M. is working: 2 year old ash 17% 3 year old red oak 19%, 2 year old walnut 15%. The lot is not subject to flooding or standing water and all wood is off the ground. Average sized splits, nothing large. No dogs in the area and I just shot the groundhog that was digging under the barn. I'll try to get pictures today and post them.
