Combined threads on firewood

[Timberwerks]

How do you guys dry your wood? I've done bucking a let dry for 1 year before splitting. Also bucking, splitting and then drying for the year. I and my customers prefer the look of the recently split wood compared to the wood that has been split for a year. What do you guy's do?

Dale

[beenthere]

It will dry faster if split, rather than unsplit. So it is a trade-off, IMO. Need to satisfy the customer, and only get in a pinch if the customer wants both, dry wood and fresh split. 

I split mine as soon as possible, which sometimes is not right away.  :D

[Tobacco Plug]

If you can store your freshly split firewood under a shelter out of the wind and rain, say inside a barn or something, your wood will look pretty and still be dry.  We used to keep our firewood inside and old log tobacco barn and it looked like freshly split wood when we took it out to burn.  Nowadays, I don't bother with putting it in a barn, this was something my father insisted on doing.  He said that the wood would produce less creosote that way.

[ohsoloco]

I use beenthere's method of splitting it as soon as I can, then rank it on pallets and leave it sit uncovered.  In the fall when I start to burn it I grab the big tarp out of the shed and cover it up so I always have dry wood.

[Part_Timer]

I do it the same way.  I slpit as soon as I can then stack it on scraps from the mill to keep it off the ground.  Then when I bring it up to the deck in the fall I toss the scraps on top and use it kindling

Tom

[rebocardo]

I cut my firewood before I stack it so

a) I handle it less
b) it dries faster
c) it helps kill the bugs, especially if they are under the bark

[mike_van]

I don't sell anymore,  my back can just about handle the 10 cord we use between 2 houses. My log pile just grows all year, in the spring, I split & stack. One house has a wood shed, mine gets stacked in rows & covered with old metal roofing on top, sides are open all summer on an old concrete slab.  Works good, woods always dry by fall.

[SwampDonkey]

Mine gets cut in June-July and dries in the hot sun until mid september and the ends are all checked. I don't have creasote problems. I don't consider it green when I burn it because the bark comes away from the wood and it has large open checks. Sure starts easy when I use it. This year my new wood will be stacked in the basement furthest away so I'll be burning last years wood first. It doesn't take long for the new wood to dry even further.

[theonlybull]

we cut our when the snow's on and the grounds froze.  then we junk as soon as the snow melts. it then gets split and piled to dry till early sept.  it's allways nice and dry.

[Timberwerks]

I get plenty of Elm, Maple, Ash from my local Tree Services but I would like to get some Hickory, Cherry, Walnut, and Oak. These are not trees people have removed in my area. Where can I find and buy logs to use for firewood? What is the average cost and quantity I would need to purchase? I do not have a forklift but I can arange to have a skid loader here if needed. Any suggestions and help is apreciated.

Dale

[Don_Papenburg]

If you can get elm and ash ,why would you want to burn cherry and walnut?

[Jeff]

yea, I dont understand that question at all.  Your simply not going to find someone that is going to be selling firewood loads of cherry and walnut.

[Buzz-sawyer]

Are you looking for low grade walnut to saw?

[Don_Papenburg]

Even Low grade walnut makes for some nice looking wood. Unless your definition is rotted .

[DanG]

Seems like a reasonable question to me. ;)  Timberwerks, have you checked with some of the small-scale loggers and land-clearing outfits in your area?  The loggers don't sent the limbs to the mill, do they?  Down here, land-clearing companies are usually glad to have firewood hunters reduce their burn piles, as long as they don't get in the way and delay the job.

The want ads sometimes have "free wood" ads, too.  Ya never know what it is until ya call.

[Timberwerks]

Hi Guy's

This is the main reason for other types of wood http://www.wisconsinfirewood.com/
I get calls from people who ask if I can supply them with an assortment of Oak, Cherry etc like Wisconsin Firewood can. I'd like to be able to say yes to a few. Wisconsin Firewood has a large marketing budget so they advertise in my area as well. I would like to offer my local customers the same types of wood. I explain to them that there is nothing wrong with Elm, Maple etc that I have a good supply of but they like the reputation that the other woods have as well. Oak and Cherry are the most asked for.

Dale

[beenthere]

DanG has a good suggestion for you, if you have the means to 'collect' firewood from a logging site.  You may get your hands on cherry that way, as Wisconsin doesn't have 'great' cherry logs for lumber, from what I hear. I have cherry on my place, and not a tree around that would make a respectable saw log, in size or in quality.

If I were looking into competing for the firewood market, I would look for the 'niche' that others can't provide, rather than try to be everything that the competitors say they have. One cherry in that big semi load being dumped would qualify it to be mixed with cherry.  A local firewood producer sells white birch, almost exclusively. At one time, he thought his customers would really like some good hickory in with the birch.  They complained - the fire lasted too long with the hickory. His customers are the Chicago area, where a bundle of wood is good for one fireplace fire in an evening. They want it out with no embers left before they retire for the night. The hickory apparently kept burning too long.   Just pointing out some 'fussiness' on the part of customers.

Find your niche, that works for you, and do it well and you should succeed. Have you thought of setting up a vending spot like the vegatable and fruit growers do, on a street corner or in a vacant lot?  Either bundles of wood, or a trailer load or pickup load with advertising may get you some added business. I'd assume you would have a delivered price, and a delivered and stacked price, as well as a 'will split at your site' price (and I think your 3½ hour job splitting for only $100 was giving the store away - read that in your previous posts last night  ).  Wish you well in your endeavor.

[Jeff]

http://www.wisconsinfirewood.com/ must be doing quite well, or someone has some disposable income or a friend who does web design. That menu is pretty cool and would not be cheap to hire done.

I do notice they dont list walnut. I would think that a firewood dealer that does promote the fact that they sell walnut firewood would be questioned about it at every turn due to the general public's perception that walnut is gold with roots.  We all know that birch is not a very good heat wood, and I suspect cherry isnt either but you see by thier website that they are out of both.  Tells me that they are selling a lot to urban markets not for heating purposes but for decorative reasons.  White birch looks good by the fire. Cherry makes a pretty fire.

[DanG]

That is a neat website, for sure.  I noticed in their "about us" section, they are getting their wood from tops and culls left behind by the loggers. ;)

[OneWithWood]

The idea of tying into consulting foresters, loggers, and landowners can work.  I am working a property now that was recently logged.  The landowner had it logged to make pasture for his horses. He wants all the tops broken down and the pile of end cuts removed.  I hope to get enough wood to last me for this year and next.  The material is predominantly white oak and hickory with a smattering of cherry.  The loggers did not leave much of the cherry lying around.

[Gabby]

As usual I've done things back-as wards. For years I would order a load of cull logs from a local logger for firewood to supplement what I cut on my own property. I notice alot of cherry, hard maple, oak that looked like they might make small logs for a mill. What a shame to cut them for firewood. A bolt of lighning struck! I bought a band sawmill. Only took me about 12 years to figure this out! Now the firewood I sell covers the cost of the logs delivered, gas for the saws and mill. About 15-20% of the "culls" become lumber. Good luck in you search and as previously mentioned I hook up with a local logger. Be careful.

[Ron Scott]

Also in addition to what's already been mentioned, if you are located near State or National Forest system lands, check with them as they often have firewood areas available for thinning or cutting dead and downed wood.

[ohsoloco]

Ron made a very good point.  Here in PA I think a fuelwood permit is $10 a cord.  I'll burn walnut if I have some to get rid of, but I'd rather burn cherry...I think it makes a nice hot fire that lasts a long time.  I can throw a few big chunks of cherry in the woodstove and still have lots of good coals in the morning    My firewood pile (for my home heating) is mostly oak, with the occasional ash, hickory, and cherry thrown in. 

[Timberwerks]

Thanks for your input everyone. I'm going to start making some phone calls and see what I can come up with. Even though Wisconsin Firewood does not list Walnut I thought it might be worth listing. One tree service I know did a lot clearing last year and removed about a dozen small Walnut trees. The land owner had them cut for firewood since they were on the small side for milling. I'm kind of hoping a situation like this comes up again but the owner wants all trees off the property. Bottom line is I enjoy the firewood buisiness and I would like to offer my area the best selection and service I can. It's hard work but I really enjoy it and learning more about the buissiness.

Thanks Again Everyone
Dale

[Timberwerks]

Does anyone know off a good reference page for these measurements? I explain to callers what each unit is but I would like to give them a visual reference. Some sites I have seen focus mainly on the measurement of a cord. Some people that call are confused about the size of a face cord vs a half cord.

Thanks
Dale