I think I'm going to try a couple pieces in the outdoor pit this fall. That'll be a good indication of where things stand. The heartwood is still looking great so I'm cautiously optimistic. Actually so much so that I went back for more of that red oak today The tree I bucked had been down for 4-5 years but it was snagged and off the ground a couple feet. I'll give it a go. Either it'll turn out to be campfire wood at worst, shoulder season wood, or even average winter day burning wood at best. I can't really go wrong here, I'll burn it regardless.
Nope you cant go wrong. It may not win a blue ribbon at the fair but it’ll burn just fine. I burned mostly Tulip and Catalpa one year. A lot more tending to the stove but it did just fine. In fact I think you can create more heat not dealing with the slow coaling wood if need be.
I'm interested to see how Tulip burns, I have a little in my stacks now. I know where to get a lot more of it if I want it... Hey, if it keeps the house warm I'm all for it. That stuff splits easy and doesn't weigh much either. Probably is the perfect firewood on a lot of those 40 degree days we get.
I've got a couple HUGE White Oak trees back by the creek that have been down for 15 years or so. The trunks are up off the ground. The bark is gone, the sapwood is mostly gone but the heartwood is as solid as ever. I had planned on cutting most of it up for firewood, but I wanted to run a couple crotches on the sawmill first. After seeing some of the results of that, there may not be much firewood coming out of those. But I'm not sure what I'll do with all these slabs... This stack is just two small crotches. Never mind the busy basement... LOL Some of these slabs were awesome great ray patterns. I wish I had taken more pix but I was in a hurry to get done that day. I think most of these are going to become serving trays and charcuterie boards for friends and family. Most of these were at 20% to 25% moisture the day they were cut.
Incredible. I thought I was pushing my luck at 5-6 years. Those slabs look great! I guess under the right conditions oak will hold up just fine for a long time to come.
I'm thinking there were 4 Huge White Oaks that were girdled back when this land was timbered the last time (15 or so years ago, 7 years before we got the property). They were wolf trees that really didn't have much potential as commecial lumber and probably killed to allow younger straight trees to replace them. It's a shame because the one was a local family landmark that took more that four people to reach around it and touch hands. Family members used to walk back there to see it and still talk about it. When we moved back here it was one of the first places we walked to and were bummed to find the Big Grand Daddy was dead.
Like many others said, not the best and is dirty/messy, but will dry and burn well. Use it all the time in wood stove at the hunting cabin where dirty/messy not an issue.
White Oak is quite rot resistant. Red just the opposite although if it’s not constantly wet it does pretty well. Here’s an oldie. This red oak had fallen on the state forest side. I watched that tree for 5-6 years. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore. Had to have it. Screw the state I’m goin in!! Nice wood still. Bark slid right off which is always nice. little rot in the base where the ants got in. Recruited sister to help, one day in and out cover the tracks LOL The trailer is also red oak. Had that wood sawn up back in 1994. Sticked and stacked, top covered. Then injuries and work I quit woodworking. Top cover fell down and full of holes. I knew it was rotting mess underneath. Decided to rebuild the wagon. Free wood. Picked out some good pieces and went at it. It’s still out there near the processing area.
That wood doesnt look bad at all. It will dry quicker than green wood and give very good heat. I have processed a bunch like that. Look at this white oak log. It was still very heavy. Made very good wood and heat.
Paint that wagon to match the tractor and it will be good for another 40 years... Just ask any JD dealer...
Nice load of oak inside a seriously heavy duty hauler too. I'll bet that'll last for a lot of years to come.
Scotty Overkill once posted that he got into a stand of oak that had been standing dead for 30 years. Not sure what kind. The sap wood was gone but the heart wood was perfectly solid. And still WET!!
Got a little more for the cause today It was just below 90F and I had about 15 minutes to spare before work so I went for it. The bark, sapwood and complimentary mushrooms will get composted and that nice heartwood... I'll put it to good use for sure. There's probably another 10 feet of nice straight trunk from this tree left that I'll grab tomorrow. The area where I got it was hit hard by gypsy moths a few years back and the trees were cut down proactively to prevent road hazards, and simply left to rot.
As long as you keep it dry, the sapwood will burn fine, no more than is on those logs. Knock off the bark and stack it. I have had some logs that had a big sap ring than was worth taking off.
It was close to 36". I think it grew fast. I had let it lay for about 18 months. Wasted some good wood. Guess that's why I'm pushimg hard to get more CSS this year.
Yes. The sapwood turns into a soaking wet mess out in the rain, once it's punky. Since it's about all I cut, I top cover it immediately.
Alright, here’s the last of what I feel like grabbing at this point in time. I think I have about 3/4 of a cord between what I just processed and what I started with. In this heat it can stay just as it is, in a haphazard pile, until October I’ll stack it nicely when it’s cooler outside. I’ll cover it on rainy days at least. There’s enough here for my “experiment” and if I think of it I’ll update you guys in the future to let you know how it burns. I’ve had my share of hand splitting for today.
