• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

I think I am about finished... with firewood

A friend used to live in Mich. His neighbors all planted corn even though it was mini farms form 5-40 acres. They had people with farm machinery plant and harvest the corn and when at the mill a percent was given to the harvester and the mill and the rest was on account for the homeowners use. the homeowners feed a pellet boiler with the corn and they all said the cost was minimal. My friend said the house smelled like popcorn all winter long.
 
Wood trivia question. What is it? I've split a lot of wood but this is the most gnarly, hateful, stringy, tough, spiteful, toughest of all of them. I cut up a dead tree and the last two pieces, I said the heck with splitting it.
Hint: It's not native to the U.S.
That looks to be Red Elm. If so, absolute Cadillac wood!! burns hot, little ash. I would burn that ahead of anything else(where I live). Tough splitting though.
 
Wood trivia question. What is it? I've split a lot of wood but this is the most gnarly, hateful, stringy, tough, spiteful, toughest of all of them. I cut up a dead tree and the last two pieces, I said the heck with splitting it.
Hint: It's not native to the U.S.
Red elm. Best firewood in Wisconsin and I've been heating with wood all my life.
 
When I was farming, I heated the house with wood. As I split all of my wood with a sledge hammer and wedges, I preferred seasoned White Oak. It split beautifully. Then a couple of businesses started up that made wooden golf club heads. They only used Persimmon. There is/was a lot of waste because it had to be perfect. They were happy to get rid of it. I would take the truck with the 400 bushel grain bed and they would fill it up for $15.00. It burned hot and settled down to the nicest bed of coals and lasted for quite a while. I was worried about burning through the grate in the wood stove, but it handled it.
There is an elm tree around here (Central Ky) that is called "Piss Elm". That is the gnarliest and stringiest wood I have ever seen. It is very good for tool handles but that's it. I was trying to split a hunk of it with no progress. The wedges would just bounce straight up. Tried an axe, that didn't work. Wrestled that slab all the way down to the creek behind the house. I carried it back up to the house. Went and rented a splitter. The hydraulic hoses swelled up, the engine bogged down, but finally split it. Put it in the fireplace and enjoyed every second of watching it burn along with a jelly glass of Maker's Mark.
 
Our Elms in Oklahoma burn cold with lots of ash. Some species native some invasive i think. Hackberry is my favorite. Medium weight. Not set up for total home heat but darn sure suppliments the heat pump for a cold spell.
 
I’m 72, love splitting wood by hand. Been doing it all my life except in Florida.
we do have a gas furnace now though.
I think it depends greatly on the wood. Straight grained stuff, not too wide, cut 16” long, is far more splittable than 22” long rounds of burly oak. I have a hydraulic splitter because some of it is a brutal sledge and wedge job by hand.

I heat my home with a wood furnace and it takes 2-3 cords per year here in SC Pa. I do enjoy it but it takes space, time, and a fuel source. Hopefully my next home will accommodate that.
 
A friend used to live in Mich. His neighbors all planted corn even though it was mini farms form 5-40 acres. They had people with farm machinery plant and harvest the corn and when at the mill a percent was given to the harvester and the mill and the rest was on account for the homeowners use. the homeowners feed a pellet boiler with the corn and they all said the cost was minimal. My friend said the house smelled like popcorn all winter long.
Corn use to be a pretty big fuel source here in Michigan some years ago when I didn't cost much to burn. It's still pretty cheap but I heard it's very dirty. Can't imagine it being any dirtier than wood. Many still use them here but wood pellets became more popular.
 
does not get cold here---found out years ago when I went off to school that the ash was making me sick. took a couple years admittingly to realize it. propane is cheap and neighbors gladly get the dead trees as they come....and a heckuva lot less work! my sinuses have been clear ever since
 
does not get cold here---found out years ago when I went off to school that the ash was making me sick. took a couple years admittingly to realize it. propane is cheap and neighbors gladly get the dead trees as they come....and a heckuva lot less work! my sinuses have been clear ever since
Having a high efficiency furnace, fully dried wood, and a tall chimney makes a huge difference. But for sure you have to be careful about airborne particulates.
 
Having a high efficiency furnace, fully dried wood, and a tall chimney makes a huge difference. But for sure you have to be careful about airborne particulates.
yeah. I am pretty sensitive to it--they did a control burn south of me last friday and the smoke (not much) closed up my sinuses in no time. It would seem a rural farmboy could handle it.---but nope, not me. my wife gets pissed because i leave when her and the kids build a fire in the pit outside--tears me up. no hot dogs and smores for me.
 
Be thankful you live where you do..... here in Los Angeles county they banned wood fireplaces in new construction. Natural gas only now.
just think how many years of fuel they wasted with Californacation green deal not to mention lives lost ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
166,237
Messages
2,213,981
Members
79,448
Latest member
tornado-technologies
Back
Top