Another "experiment" in the works for me. I recently got my hands on a few really nice Tulip Poplar logs. I was in need of more shoulder season wood so this works out perfectly for me. 3 days ago I brought the logs home and processed them. They had been felled and on the ground for about 6 months. Freshly split, they felt saturated so I checked them with the meter on Saturday. Average was 33%. It's been awfully hot here in southern New England (like most places I'm sure) so I got curious and checked them again today. 23%! My original plan was to use these in the spring of 2021 but I'm wondering if I can get these splits ready for fall 2020 burning. I removed all the bark that I could and loaded up all the splits I had into the back of my truck (almost a full load). I'm going to just leave them in there as long as I can where the wind and sun can do their part and dry them out for me. My daily commute to work is 60 miles round-trip on the highway and they'll get full sun most of the day. I'd really like to see how fast they'll dry baking in the 90 degree full sun day after day, and all the wind exposure from commuting. Probably a dumb experiment by most standards, probably won't try this ever again, but I'm curious to see how these turn out.
At least your gas mileage will get better the longer they are there. LOL All kidding aside, I think they'll be good to go come fall. Its only July still (for a few days anyways). Figure, you have all of August and September before you'll likely need them, maybe a good portion of October too.
Yeah, that thought crossed my mind too I wouldn't dare try this with anything heavy like Locust or Oak lol. I figured I would put these to good use somewhere around Halloween. I do have some black cherry and white pine to kick off the fall season. Shoulder wood seems to always be an afterthought for me. I'll get it right and be more prepared for next year haha
I'm sure a lot of members feel or have felt this way. I have a bunch of Pine that I plan to use for shoulder wood. Mines been split since around February, so it will be 7-8 months seasoned by the time I need it. I should get a moisture meter.
You're doing the big work, man. Keep it up with the experiments. Poplar in shoulder season is a good thing. I had to burn it for a whole winter as it was all I had, and it goes up like matchsticks. Good carving wood too, if you're into that sort of thing. My buddy carved a ladle out of a split when we sugaring one spring.
I had a hunch it was good for more than just burning. Actually I was kind of wondering myself what it could be used for in the woodworking world. There were definitely some interesting colors in some of the splits; greens and some faint purples. I'll have to put a couple pieces aside to let dry for a while, just to see what I can work out of it.
I didn't get a moisture meter until this past winter, when I was struggling to burn some oak that had been CSS for just over 2 years. Some pieces are stubborn to give up those last few percentage points.
Keep in mind that you always have to check the MC on a freshly split face (just a reminder for everybody...not sure if you did or not) once exposed for a few hours, the MC near the surface will be a little dryer than the center. I put some Tulip in the stacks this year too...but they will be on que in more like 4-5 years.
Good point, the surface reading is only as good as how deep the probes are. I did do another fresh split before re-checking, but to be fair I should've done it on one of the larger pieces I had. I like to have a variety of split sizes on hand.
Tulip poplar isn't a poplar, it has just been historically popular to refer to it as poplar. It's actually a magnolia and is supposed to be pretty good firewood as firewood goes.
This will be my first year trying it in the wood stove. I had some a while back that I burned in my outdoor pit because I heard an ill-informed opinion somewhere that it was lousy firewood. Yeah, lousy BTUs compared to some denser hardwoods, but it still has it's place for keeping the house warm.
Yeah, poplar's not that great, but tulip poplar is supposed to be better. I've burned aspen ( a poplar) and I think I'd rather have pine. Tough call.
You burn what you have available. We're lucky here in the Northeast to have a variety of species to choose from. If you head to high latitudes or high altitudes, sometimes all you have to burn are conifers or aspen.
According to the drying chart in the resources section here, Pine takes less time to season and yields more BTU's than Poplar. Eastern White Pine 13.2 MBTU/Cord---6 months dry time Poplar 12.6 MBTU/Cord---12 months dry time Red Pine is even better at 17.9 MBTU/Cord---and still only 6 months drying time If its available in your area of CT, Red Pine is the winner.
I've been thinking like you experimenting drying only with oak under rubber roofing.This heat has to be a record year here in New England it's kicking.I'd be interested in knowing your meter reading if you split a split and then took the inside reading.With that lower reading you got in just a few days I won't be surprised if that wood is ready by burning season. What brand of moisture meter is a good one ? I'd like to get one.
The one on the chart is a different species altogether (cottonwood). I don't really know the actual BTU rating of Tulip Poplar, but I've heard it comparable to a lot of pine species (take that with a grain of salt). Funny you mention red pine, I'm actually getting a truckload of that this week from a buddy.
Tulip Poplar from what I've read dries especially fast. Cut green it has a lot of moisture but readily gives it up. Concerning the moisture meter, I got mine at Home Depot for about $30. No issues with it, only thing is keeping the spare set of probes for it in a safe place. They're small and easily lost (especially when you have a house full of kids)
I think it will work. I have some TP (not toilet paper, tulip poplar) i scrounged around Christmas. I CSS it right away and the splits are feather light. Stacked under the overhang in the back of the house. Let us know how it turns out.
