+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 19

Thread: Basswood for firewood?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Aitkin, Minnesota
    Posts
    53

    Default Basswood for firewood?

    Hi, does anybody have any experience burning Basswood? Is it worth cutting and spitting? I have a lot of it but have not been using it.
    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Pownal, VT
    Posts
    56

    Default

    I think you'd do better selling it (at least the big chunks) to woodcarvers and getting wood with more heat value. Should be no problem to burn, just might not be the most economically sensible use for it, and not the hottest wood since it's kinda low-density.
    Two turkey pans on cinderblocks in the 1970's
    4x5 no-baffle stainless pan, built sugarhouse ~1980 - buckets and snowshoes. 17 gallons in best year. Went off to college, nothing for 25+ years.
    Thinking about getting going again in new location, in a small way. •• Cats, Coffee, Chocolate...Vices to Live By.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Sunapee, NH
    Posts
    155

    Default

    Depends on what you have for markets around your area. Basswood at least here in NH does not pay big money, it is less than what the mills pay for pine around here. We send our basswood to the pulpmill with the pine pulp for biomass or put it in the sugarwood pile to burn during the season. It has a low btu rating but just like the softwoods, and popular it burns hot and fast.
    Harding Hill Farm
    2650 taps
    3rd Generation Sugar Maker with a Chocolate Lab named Acer

    http://www.hardinghillfarm.com
    www.facebook.com/hardinghillfarmnh

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Norwood, NY
    Posts
    1,872

    Default

    It will make smoke
    Maple syrup makers never die, they just evaporate.

    Kubota M-5040,Kubota B-2650,Kubota XRT 900, Sugarhouse is now a guest cottage.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Crown Point, NY
    Posts
    407

    Default

    leo just like others said i mix it in with my sugarhouse wood and i also use it for get the fire going in the house but not to heat the house.But i will say this i've been buring alot of mix would wood this year in the house and have no trouble keeping it warm in here with the temps out side
    100 buckets for 09
    180 buckets for 2010
    300 on gravity and 300 buckets for 2011
    1000 total for 2012
    250 taps on shurflow pumps
    G.H.Grimm 3x10 raise flue auf
    snowmobile and grizzly 660 four wheeler
    8 beagles an 1 aussie shepherd for company
    and last a wonderful companion that lets me do all the stuff i love (maple sugaring) and doesnt ask questions!!!!!!!!!!!


    http://s1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc375/cpmaple/

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    maine
    Posts
    376

    Default

    I burned some bass wood in my house just because it fell over the pasture fence it does not burn good just likes to smolder and make smoke it might be ok in the evap if it was mixed in with some other wood
    2 1/2 x 10 with steam away leader drop flue inferno arch.
    550 in gravity

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,692

    Default

    I have burned it in the house but it is very low BTU. It might be the lowest BTU rating of any hardwood. Never tried it in the arch but I think it would be ok, just refuel a little sooner.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    belmont new york
    Posts
    447

    Default

    depends on how big you are, if you are a hobby producer like myself, i would burn anything that is available. i would mix it with hardwoods but if its free then i would not throw it away. like others have said hardwood burns best but i have had decent luck burning dry softwoods they burn hot and fast so you have to add more often. like the maple producers guide says cut and use it especially if it helps clean up your woods, and releases more benificial species.
    2008 700 ranger xp sap hauler/45 hp 4x4 tractor/028 super stihl
    2x4 mason hobby/blower/new for 2014 smoky lake hybrid pan
    2014 300ish buckets and still need bigger evaporator/14 x 20 square log shack
    2015 2x6 drop flue phaneuf approx. 325 buckets, 1 year older, not sure about the smarter part ?
    gets expensive in a hurry!!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    191

    Default

    Basswood is pretty low on the heat scale, like other said, but it is real nice for carving and getting a fire going. I personally would use it if it was free, but I would see myself constantly feeding into the fire.
    2010: 3 taps and a Coleman stove
    2011: 30 taps, knock on wood! Home built fuel oil tank arch, lotsa buckets, 2 55 gallon drum storage tanks.
    2012: ??
    No dogs or chickens, but plenty of stray cats, an opossum or two, a couple groundhogs and a hawk.

    http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m...view=slideshow

    http://www.youtube.com/user/MiWilderness

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Lanark, ON
    Posts
    2,403

    Default

    We've burned hundreds of cords of basswood. Split it early so it dries out and you won't have troubles with smoke. It's the best wood for splitting but you'll reload often due to the low BTU's.

    With not much market for it as logs we burn it because I don't want to see it rot in the woods!
    5,000 Taps on vacuum
    9,400 gallons storage
    3 tower CDL RO
    3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
    10" CDL Wesfab Filter Press
    Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
    www.ennismaple.com

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts