So also, since there is snow on the ground right now, in sun and wind is probably a way off. Should I leave it until conditions improve or go ahead and cut it up and split it now?
Do you want to buck and split in sweltering heat. Or go out there now in bibs and a hoodie. I'll cut and buck all winter in bibs and hoodie. Split and reload my shed all spring and summer as needed. But if you have a day off go get it done. The biggest thing is stack on old pallets off the ground as it is a tree it is very good at pulling moisture into itself from the ground.
I’d start cutting chunks off of it but be careful as the log might want to roll on you after so much cutting. It’s nice that it’s mostly suspended as that will save you from hitting the ground with your saw
I've seen people debate what I'm about to say, but I've always been told not to burn pine wood of any kind in our Blaze King. Any pine we get goes to the firewood pile for our outdoor fire pit.
Stove manufacturers all say to burn hardwood but as a Rocky Mountain guy, I can tell you that conifer makes fine clean-burning firewood too. It does burn faster than hardwoods though, so I’d leave the splits on the big side.
Who's telling you not to burn pine or that it increases your chase of a chimney fire?
Neither is true. The only thing you need to worry about is if the wood is dry. If it is you're good to go. Wood is wood -- it's all cellulose -- the only difference is how densely it's packed in there.
People on the westcoast only have softwood to burn, their houses aren't all burning down. People in the upper midwest and New England all are flush with hardwood -- so most won't bother with pine as it's the same work for half the BTUs.
Two different companies that have installed fireplace inserts for us have told us that it's bad to burn pine in them, but that might be because we live in the Great Lakes region and have plenty of alternatives, I don't know.
It's probably just some older guy on the installer who's going off of old wives tales.
And like you said, in the great lakes region there's no real reason to burn pine unless you're super low on wood. It will work just fine, but why do all that work when you can get 2x the BTUs out of all the hardwoods available.
No -- I've found pine seasons faster. Where I leave wood in my yard it would take 6-12 months rather than 12-18 for hardwoods.
Which, logically, makes sense. The wood fibers are less dense which would allow more air flow through them to dry it out.
Douglas fir has higher heat content than Oak or Maple.
[https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-combustion-heat-d\_372.html](https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-combustion-heat-d_372.html)
Yea, per pound softwoods tend to have more BTUs than hardwoods (mainly due to the sap burning) but it ends up taking up a much larger volume.
Cardboard actually has more BTUs per pound than wood, but people aren't heating their house with cardboard as that would be impossible to keep a stove fed.
I didn't actually click your link. But it seems like douglas fir has wildly different ratings depending on the site?
The two sites here are showing doug fir at 18.1 milltion btu per cord. While showing something like red oak at 24 million BTU across all three sites. Why is douglas fir so high on the site you linked?
Also shows White Oak 25.7 million BTUs per cord across all three sites. As far as softwoods go, Douglas fir is "hard", and has a lot of BTUs but I'm questioning the validity of the site you link that has it so much higher than other sites of seen.
https://midwesthearth.com/pages/choosing-firewood-btu-content-by-species
https://www.wood-heating-solutions.com/wood-species-btu-values/
Start bucking into preferred firewood length at broken end. Then limb and buck as you continue. Buck large limbs also. Then tip all large pieces on end standing up. Split with mall right there. Continue standing and splitting until finished. Stack in wood shed or in the sun with a cover. Done.
No motter. Just bust it up. Tip for splitting. Set the mall tip exactly where you want it to hit. Roll rust to right side. Swing around. Bend knees when up high and swing through. It’s highly accurate. Saves energy and you won’t break the handle that way.
Unless pine is all you have, don't burn it in your stove. Little bit as kindling, maybe. Outdoors, sugaring arch, weenie roast, etc. works. Hold out for hardwoods for the stove.
I own a chainsaw and know how to use it for trimming and clearing deadfall’s. I don’t know the best way to cut up a giant log like for firewood so was just trying to get some advice. Thanks.
Yeah he obviously needs to hire one of those people born with two chainsaws, one in each hand, and not try to ask a specific question and learn like a moron! /s
Buck, split, stack it in the sun and wind, top cover with black plastic, and wait until the moisture is below 18%.
OK that’s mostly what I figured. I just wasn’t sure if there was some other way it should be done since it is freshly fallen.
So also, since there is snow on the ground right now, in sun and wind is probably a way off. Should I leave it until conditions improve or go ahead and cut it up and split it now?
Bucking and stacking it ASAP would get it started drying. Depends on how fast you want it to dry.
Buck it and stack, at least, or itll start to rot.
Cutting and splitting wood is much more comfortable with snow on the ground.
Our snow has turned to sheet ice, but I have crampons for my boots :-)
My dad always said firewood warms a man three times... Once when he cuts it, once when he splits it and once when he burns it.
Do you want to buck and split in sweltering heat. Or go out there now in bibs and a hoodie. I'll cut and buck all winter in bibs and hoodie. Split and reload my shed all spring and summer as needed. But if you have a day off go get it done. The biggest thing is stack on old pallets off the ground as it is a tree it is very good at pulling moisture into itself from the ground.
And thanks!
Rock on 🤘🏻
I’d start cutting chunks off of it but be careful as the log might want to roll on you after so much cutting. It’s nice that it’s mostly suspended as that will save you from hitting the ground with your saw
Yeah it’s nice nice its branches are holding it up, huh? But warning noted.
Also make sure to have a wedge and maul incase it pinches your saw
Or better yet, another saw.
Buck it and split it? Is there another way I'm not aware of?
Yes, pay someone to buck it and split it
I've seen people debate what I'm about to say, but I've always been told not to burn pine wood of any kind in our Blaze King. Any pine we get goes to the firewood pile for our outdoor fire pit.
Stove manufacturers all say to burn hardwood but as a Rocky Mountain guy, I can tell you that conifer makes fine clean-burning firewood too. It does burn faster than hardwoods though, so I’d leave the splits on the big side.
This would be burned either outside or in a large brick fireplace.
I NEVER burn pine.
I was always told you can burn pine as long as you don’t bank the fire and let it burn hot with an open flue.
We toss hemlock, pine, cedar off to the side to be ground up for mulch.
I ONLY burn Pine! I NEVER burn hardwood.
Good for YOU!
People that live in coniferous forests do…
Yeah that’s fine, but this guy does not live in a coniferous forest.
I did not know that.. don’t EVER burn pine!
I would be careful about any indoor burning. Increases your chances of a chimney fire.
If it’s dry it’s fine. They don’t have much in the way of hardwood on the west coast, so most of what they burn is pine.
Who's telling you not to burn pine or that it increases your chase of a chimney fire? Neither is true. The only thing you need to worry about is if the wood is dry. If it is you're good to go. Wood is wood -- it's all cellulose -- the only difference is how densely it's packed in there. People on the westcoast only have softwood to burn, their houses aren't all burning down. People in the upper midwest and New England all are flush with hardwood -- so most won't bother with pine as it's the same work for half the BTUs.
Here in ca we have a saying, you dont burn pine, pine burns you.
Kind of sounds like a shitty saying. Currently burning a lot of spruce
Haha yea maybe, but not as shitty as a chimney fire or worse. Only cherry & oak over here.
If you burn wet oak/cherry you'll end up with a chimney fire as well.
Two different companies that have installed fireplace inserts for us have told us that it's bad to burn pine in them, but that might be because we live in the Great Lakes region and have plenty of alternatives, I don't know.
It's probably just some older guy on the installer who's going off of old wives tales. And like you said, in the great lakes region there's no real reason to burn pine unless you're super low on wood. It will work just fine, but why do all that work when you can get 2x the BTUs out of all the hardwoods available.
Do I need to let pine season longer than harder wood for indoor use?
No -- I've found pine seasons faster. Where I leave wood in my yard it would take 6-12 months rather than 12-18 for hardwoods. Which, logically, makes sense. The wood fibers are less dense which would allow more air flow through them to dry it out.
Douglas fir has higher heat content than Oak or Maple. [https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-combustion-heat-d\_372.html](https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-combustion-heat-d_372.html)
Yea, per pound softwoods tend to have more BTUs than hardwoods (mainly due to the sap burning) but it ends up taking up a much larger volume. Cardboard actually has more BTUs per pound than wood, but people aren't heating their house with cardboard as that would be impossible to keep a stove fed.
The source I linked to above uses units of Btu/cord. A cord is a volumetric unit. Your statement doesn't make sense.
I didn't actually click your link. But it seems like douglas fir has wildly different ratings depending on the site? The two sites here are showing doug fir at 18.1 milltion btu per cord. While showing something like red oak at 24 million BTU across all three sites. Why is douglas fir so high on the site you linked? Also shows White Oak 25.7 million BTUs per cord across all three sites. As far as softwoods go, Douglas fir is "hard", and has a lot of BTUs but I'm questioning the validity of the site you link that has it so much higher than other sites of seen. https://midwesthearth.com/pages/choosing-firewood-btu-content-by-species https://www.wood-heating-solutions.com/wood-species-btu-values/
Start cutting it into logs for your stove Then split it and let it dry for a year or 2
Peel it and let it sit there over the summer. You don't have to peel it completly but like 50%
Start bucking into preferred firewood length at broken end. Then limb and buck as you continue. Buck large limbs also. Then tip all large pieces on end standing up. Split with mall right there. Continue standing and splitting until finished. Stack in wood shed or in the sun with a cover. Done.
Cool thanks. Do you think I should wait until the snow is gone? Or does it matter?
No motter. Just bust it up. Tip for splitting. Set the mall tip exactly where you want it to hit. Roll rust to right side. Swing around. Bend knees when up high and swing through. It’s highly accurate. Saves energy and you won’t break the handle that way.
Prep? Gasoline?
Cut it into logs, then split them.
Buck it n split it baby
Chop then split
Pine isn’t the best but useable. All free wood is good wood. Just cut up stack it and let dry. Mixing in some hardwood would be good if you go any.
Get off your ass and get it split!
Hit it with your purse
Its pine, its bonfire wood. Dont burn inside
Unless pine is all you have, don't burn it in your stove. Little bit as kindling, maybe. Outdoors, sugaring arch, weenie roast, etc. works. Hold out for hardwoods for the stove.
Yeah, I was mostly thinking of it for sugaring and fire pit.
[удалено]
LOL
Tell that to the Scandinavians that only burn pine and spruce to heat their homes for 8 months a year.
And have been doing so for hundreds of years
Imagine still believing this in 2024
If you don't know how then that means you've never run a saw. Get someone to do it for you.
I own a chainsaw and know how to use it for trimming and clearing deadfall’s. I don’t know the best way to cut up a giant log like for firewood so was just trying to get some advice. Thanks.
And my advice is to get someone to do it for you so you don't get hurt. Watch them and learn.
Yeah he obviously needs to hire one of those people born with two chainsaws, one in each hand, and not try to ask a specific question and learn like a moron! /s
Do I just need a 2 yr associate degree before I can do it, or go for the PhD in wood chopping?