Making Firewood ?

[OCHTO]

What would be best to get the driest wood, cut firewood in the winter when a lot of the water in the tree has been drawn into the roots or cut the tree in summer leaving the branches and leaves to draw the moisture out for a few weeks before bucking? Or is it a horse apiece?

[upsmapleman]

Probably not much difference. It still will need to dry. If you cut it in the summer the bark will come off. In the winter it will stay on for the most part. I always like to fell the trees in winter so the bark stays on as it is not quite as dirty.

[BreezyHill]

We try to cut wet with leaves on as you said and cut a few weeks later. If you want to speed it up drying even more stack so a cut edge is in the sun to draw out more moisture.

If you put wood in a cage from a cage tank you can rotate them and cover them with clear plastic and they will dry all winter long. We used the cages last season and it worked really well. Hope to have a greenhouse up for this winter to get more drying time.

[maple flats]

Breezy, with a greenhouse you'd best if you use the vent fan anytime there is condensation on the inside of the greenhouse covering. A woodstove in there works even more to dry the wood.

[n8hutch]

Burning wood to dry wood seems counter productive. Lol, I am sure it works great its just kind of funny to think about. I guess when it comes down to it you have to burn fuel to make fuel. No matter what kind .

[BreezyHill]

Flats, It is a modified Cornell design. Both peaks will have a manual overrideable louver system to allow for full time ventilation when wood is in for drying.

Its the Scottish blood that makes me cut the fan power to dry wood and my boys would have me committed if I burned wood to dry the wood. Processing wood is not a ...cherished task. Has to be done so we have fun while we do it but I bet one of them would take out the wood stove the first chance they had. LOL

Right now would be a great time to have it drying. 145 with vents open, in the one greenhouse we have now; but we are still doing hay.

A crate of White burch that was to wet to use is nice and dry just sitting in the sun.

[maple flats]

OK, but it takes very little wood burning to dry out the area. Might usually only take 1 short fire a day. The other way, is to cut farther ahead. My sugar wood is cut, split and stacked 2 yrs ahead.

[wishlist]

The best way to " make firewood " is having a multi year calender! I agree with flats, cut farther ahead . I want to boil sap NOT waste available btu's to boil water in the splits.

Leaving a log with the leaves on to suck moisture out will do little to season the wood. Studies were done in the Pacific Northwest and also I believe in Wisconsin that showed it doesn't work . Get the wood bucked, split , and stacked ASAP !

[OCHTO]

Thanks all for the replies. I do prefer to cut wood in the winter but could have knocked a few trees down now. I have a lot of standing dead elm I use for sugar wood but I've got the easy stuff out. Next I will be using Iron wood or rock elm, I'm not really sure what it is but it doesn't get very big, 3 to 5 in., and it's super dense. Won't have to split it. That mixed with dry aspen should give me a super hot fire.

[maple flats]

While 3-5" diameter will burn whole, I split everything 3" and over at least once. It will dry better and burn faster. To boil sap, you want the hottest fire you can get. Remember, try to get it down to wrist size.

[wishlist]

Thanks all for the replies. I do prefer to cut wood in the winter but could have knocked a few trees down now. I have a lot of standing dead elm I use for sugar wood but I've got the easy stuff out. Next I will be using Iron wood or rock elm, I'm not really sure what it is but it doesn't get very big, 3 to 5 in., and it's super dense. Won't have to split it. That mixed with dry aspen should give me a super hot fire.

That sounds like ironwood ochto. Bark is thin and has kinda of a retangular shape to it. I don't burn the ironwood in the evaporator, that wood is saved for the house ! Standing dead elm will work well for you especially if it has grown in the woods. The large elm fence row stuff that grows more in the open can be a nightmare to split, all twisty and stringy.