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Cutting wood

Diablo54

Senior Member
7,082
126
Outside
We cut a lot of wood. Mostly ash. Ash splits nice! And every time I throw a big piece of ash on the splitter dad says "damn look at that piece of ass" idk if he just likes saying that so thats what he goes after or if it's that good of wood. I know oak is good to. Dad could ramble about it for hours.
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
We keep an eye on the local sawmill and we have permission cut all their "can't" logs. That is logs they can't saw because they have metal in them. Their saw blade has a metal detector in it and as soon as it picks up the metal it will stop and back up to keep from ruining the blade. Anyway, we get a lot of premium wood(red oak, white oak, cherry) just about all hardwood. It is green wood so we cut it into 18"-20" lengths and then haul it to the stockpile, split it, and then leave it lay until next winter. When we get to rolling in the stockpile we can really split some wood. Dad has three splitters and when myself, dad, and my brother all get the splitters going it doesn't take long to split a jag of wood. We have a lot of fun and some good quality time when we head to the stockpile. Hard to beat the memories of the years past at the stockpile.
 
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MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
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SW Ohio
If you get to the point where you need to drop trees, go out this spring and find the Ash trees that have been decimated by the Ash Borer, and mark them. That way this Fall/Winter you will know which ones are dead and you can drop them before they rot.

Just don't get caught transporting the ash wood across county lines. The Warden down in Wildcat Hollow would come in and check out firewood if we brought any in.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
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Here is a link that has a chart for how many million BTUs per cord of different species. It's handy to print out and keep in the truck. I also carry an autobahn society field guide to North American trees. That way when you find a tree that's easy pickins you can decide if its worth your time.

http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
40,490
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Ohio
as you go , you will learn what to stay away from . soft woods leave alot of ash and dont burn hot , but quick . such as cotton wood . a waist of time for it . i wont burn it for camp fire wood . i burn alot of cherry . maple , walnut , they classafy walnut as a hard wood , but they must be retarded . most all burns ok . i burn alot of wood , so im not to picky .

No doubt there. I got access to a HUGE score of firewood. The catch? I can't cherry pick it. Have to take hardwoods and softwoods. Unfortunately, the first log we cut was cottonwood. I figured it wouldn't make much difference since I have an outdoor wood boiler. Throw it in and if I use more wood then it will be gone quicker. NOT at all how it has worked out. The cottonwood simply does NOT get the water up to temperature. While hardwoods will get the water to 170 degrees (thermostat set at 155), and a mix will keep me in the 150's easily, cottonwood struggles to get my water to 120 degrees. It simply doesn't put out the BTU's needed. I will be burning it the rest of the year to get rid of it. From here on out I don't really need the water as hot since there won't be as much demand from here until summer.

Learn your wood. The resources and ideas Jackalope suggested are good ideas.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
33,005
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SW Ohio
I love to cut firewood and drink a few beers while doing it. When I start to haul and stack...that's when the beers start to really go down.

Like Don said about locust burning hot, so does Osage Orange! Hell type of hot! Lol
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
5,320
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I love to cut firewood and drink a few beers while doing it. When I start to haul and stack...that's when the beers start to really go down.

Like Don said about locust burning hot, so does Osage Orange! Hell type of hot! Lol

havent lived till you drank a few beers that had wood chips in them! hahaha

Do you all ever burn sumac? I have heard you cant and I have heard you can?
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
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SW Ohio
The sumac I'm talking about wasn't poison sumac or else I misidentified it. Ron knows what small saplings I'm talking about. It grows a lot around field edges and in sloughs or draws and bucks love to rub it. It breaks easily and has big seedy bulbs that are brownish orange in color and when it has the long green leaves on it in the summer, the smell is quite overbearing and pungent. I bet Jagermeister knows what it is.
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
5,320
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The sumac I'm talking about wasn't poison sumac or else I misidentified it. Ron knows what small saplings I'm talking about. It grows a lot around field edges and in sloughs or draws and bucks love to rub it. It breaks easily and has big seedy bulbs that are brownish orange in color and when it has the long green leaves on it in the summer, the smell is quite overbearing and pungent. I bet Jagermeister knows what it is.

exactly what Im talking about. Always thought there was a diff, thanks for the heads up guys.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,548
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Appalachia
The sumac I'm talking about wasn't poison sumac or else I misidentified it. Ron knows what small saplings I'm talking about. It grows a lot around field edges and in sloughs or draws and bucks love to rub it. It breaks easily and has big seedy bulbs that are brownish orange in color and when it has the long green leaves on it in the summer, the smell is quite overbearing and pungent. I bet Jagermeister knows what it is.

Yep, that's sumac. Not the poison variety though. We have burn it while clearing brush before...
 

Dannmann801

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Springboro
Excellent thread.

Ya know, I remember Joe telling that story about coming into that opportunity of cutting that big bunch of prime wood at the Springfield construction site. I remember it because I was impressed with how lucky/smart he was to nail down a big haul for free so close to home. What blows my mind is that it's been 4 years ago...seems like yesterday. Crazy...:smiley_confused_sch:smiley_breakdance:
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
The sumac I'm talking about wasn't poison sumac or else I misidentified it. Ron knows what small saplings I'm talking about. It grows a lot around field edges and in sloughs or draws and bucks love to rub it. It breaks easily and has big seedy bulbs that are brownish orange in color and when it has the long green leaves on it in the summer, the smell is quite overbearing and pungent. I bet Jagermeister knows what it is.

I know what you're talking about Ric. If I'm not mistaken its sometimes called lanthis too. I may be wrong lanthis may be something completely different but I think they are one in the same.
 

Jackalope

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Ah. I know the tree. Yeah they stink like crazy even cutting them down. When you burn them its like burning a shithouse pit. I had one of those trees close to the house. Cut it down and 100 shoots sprang up for 50 yards through the lawn. Apparently it goes in to defense mode and sends up shoots from the root system. I drilled a big hole in the stump and poured in undiluted brush killer to stop it. Deer do love rubbing them and they grow super fast.