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How many years or heating seasons are you ahead on wood?

Started by uplander, January 03, 2013, 09:32:36 AM

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muddstopper

I have all of this years, and most of next, split and stacked in the shed. My sons where all up over the holidays and I intended to split the last cord or two that is in the pile. Rain and a general lack of interest prevented that from happening. I'll get around to it eventually.

Tiewire

 

                                                                                  About 3 yr's I believe. Don't really like to get much further ahead than that. Lets see if this pic shows.

beenthere

Got it!!

Nice pic.
Is that a model 430 in the pic? or maybe a 420? 

Appears you keep a fire going while splitting. Is that to just clean up around, or to keep you warm?   ;D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Tiewire


r.man

I'm very weak on geography, does it get cold in Missouri?
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

Weekend_Sawyer

 
r.man, yes but probably not as cold as your area gets but a little more than my area. Clear as mud eh?

I have about half of next years wood cut. Hope to make a little more of a dent in it tomorrow. Because why do today what you can put off till tomorrow...

Jon
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

Tiewire

Quote from: r.man on January 05, 2013, 12:32:02 PM
I'm very weak on geography, does it get cold in Missouri?
Yes r.man it can get pretty cold the lowest temp I saw this week was 8 Degrees on my woy to work.This morn was 18 but is supposed to be in low 40 this afternoon.

doctorb

Quote from: martyinmi on January 03, 2013, 10:40:11 PM
We've got around 30 cords, plus or minus one or two. About half is split. I'd split it all, but my gasser doesn't like it if it gets too dry(under 15% mc).

Could you tell me what your gasser and dry (?really dry) wood don't like about each other?  Burns too fast?  Doesn't create lasting coal bed?
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

beenthere

I'm interested too. Pretty unusual to get air dried firewood stored outside (and not in a heated place) to dry more than 12% mc, if that.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Al_Smith

Marty is in St. Johns Mich. ,nothing is dry up there .Lawdy during summer they have mosquitoes the size of crows .

martyinmi

I can't speak for all gassers, so I won't. The two that I've owned-my Portage and Main 250 and the Empyre Pro Series 100 do not like wood that is too dry. I noticed 3 winters ago when I had the Empyre that it would "Huff" quite often when I had a load of really dry wood in it. This "Huffing" was actually the unburned gasses igniting in the primary burn chamber and exploding and forcing smoke clear back and out of the blower housing.
I called Pro Fab(the Canadian company who manufacturers the Empyre line) and was able to speak to one of their engineers about the situation. I won't go into a bunch of detail about our conversation, but in a nut shell, he explained that a gasser needs at least 15% mc to help control how fast the gasses are released from the wood. Not enough moisture and too many gasses are released too fast, thus the "Huffing". Too much moisture and gasification is harder to achieve. He said that mc's should ideally be between 15 and 25%.
My P&M behaves the same way as my Empyre did. I'm the type of person who doesn't waste wood. If it is as big as my wrist, I'm cutting it up and bringing it home. If I load my 250 with a bunch of small, too dry dead Ash, it will start huffing and blowing a lot of smoke through the blower and out the back of the stove.
If your blower,solenoids, or actuator flaps have a bunch of creosote on them, the same thing is happening to you. Mix in some wetter wood and problem solved.
Beenthere, you are very close about the ambient mc for this area. I have some Ash that I've had split(split very small for the little Empyre) for 5 years and off the ground, and if I cut a piece in half and check the mc, it reads as low as 11% on two different moisture meters. It averages in the 15% range. I mix it with fresh cut standing dead Ash(around20-25%) to get rid of it.

Bigger than cows Al? come on now! They can take down a crow in mid flight, but that does not make them bovine sized! :D 
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Know God, Know Peace!

WindyAcres

2011 Woodmizer Lt40 Hyd G28, Stihl Chainsaws, Tractor with Farmi Winch, Woodturning Lathe,....

thecfarm

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that does not give the time to firewood.  :D
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

forest

I have between two and three years in split hardwood (26 cords) depending on the winter. I also have a pile of poplar that needs to be split.

John Mc

I'm usually at least a year ahead, and let any Oak dry through at least two summers.  When I first got into this, I borrowed a moisture meeting and tracked the MC with various stacking methods.  I found if I cut and split and put it right in my woodshed (open on 3 sides) in the Spring while still somewhat green, it was still wetter than ideal by the time the heating season rolled around.

If I cut (16"), split & stack in single rows out of my woodshed, exposed to the sun and wind, I can cut in the Spring (even late spring) and have most species well below 20% by the time the heating season starts that fall.  Generally had very little trouble getting it down to 15% MC average (I cut up some logs and tested MC ever 2" or so, out of curiosity, and to "calibrate" my eyeball/feel moisture estimates).  This does involve some extra handling, since I eventually move it into the woodshed, but I end up with dry wood hen I need it.

Usually, I'm cutting and stacking in the woods at least a year early, to get started on drying. Then I bring it out into better drying conditions as I have time.  I'm a bit behind that schedule now.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

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