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Tamarack firewood?

Started by Firewoodjoe, September 04, 2014, 11:42:57 AM

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Firewoodjoe

Well here in northern mi firewood is pricey and getting highly needed. I have a customer that has 40 acres of dead tamarack and I was doing some looking and it has decent btu's and is used in the west. Do you think I could market it or be to hard to convince them?

terry f

   In the Northwest, Tamarack is really Western Larch, but its our best (at least most expensive) firewood, Doug Fir coming in second.

beenthere

Wood is wood, and by the pound and dry, it is the same heat value.

And if wood is needed as you suggest, then convincing shouldn't be a problem.

Have you processed any yet to see how it looks to you, and from that make a judgement if it will sell?

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

BradMarks

Burns well, easy to split. It's an east-side forest species here. Also was used for shingles back in the day.

Dave Shepard

I bet you will have a tough time selling it if it has not been a historically approved species. In the PNW, it is common to burn conifers, but in MI?
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Firewoodjoe

Something to think about I guess. I could try a little and see what I think of it. But I'm sure come January when wood is really really costly and their cold they'll try it!

Dave Shepard

I bet it would be great in an OWB.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

trapper

We burned a lot of it when I was young.  It was dead and I liked to cut it.  Drag it 50 yards through the brush and most of the limbing was done.  Throws too many sparks to use in open fireplace.
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thecfarm

If you did sell it,I doubt you would get hardwood price for it. I don't think it would last as long as hardwood.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

SwampDonkey

You might be stuck with it. Tradition goes a long way. But also remember if people need to put wood away, space is a premium. And you want the longest burning species you can get, with some nice coals behind. An OWB doesn't matter much about space, except maybe yard space. Although, my neighbor told me wading snow for his wood to feed the boiler was getting old last winter. He was also cutting it off the stump in the dead of winter, which compounded his frustrations. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

beenthere

Looking at the charts *,  tamarack (3145) is higher in lbs/cord than red elm (3060), and the same as cherry (3145), but lower than red oak (3570), sugar maple (3740) and white oak (3910). 

So depending on what mix of hardwood you (firewoodjoe) have, the tamarack may fit in just fine if not a "tradition" hangup as SD mentions.

*
https://chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Dave Shepard

It's the tradition part I'm worried about. We've had fuel injection in cars for almost 20 years now, but you still have people that pump the accelerator and hold it to the floor before starting. :D
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

VTwoodworker

I burn a lot of tamarack in my OWB.  I have a bunch that is dying as well.  I am not really sure why it is dying but it seems to have a fungus that is growing on the trees just prior to dying and continues while standing dead.  This fungus seems to accelerate the decay of the wood.  It is only good for fire wood for a couple of years after dying, which is interesting because tamarack is usually some what rot resistant. 

It can be a pita to split and if I was trying to sell it commercially for fire wood I would try to mix it possibly with one run per cord with the traditional fire wood and offer a small price break per cord.

SwampDonkey

Might be bugs killing them to. They've been hit here and in MI the last few years. Larch sawfly for example. I've never seen dead tamarack stand long. Not like a dead white cedar that stands a lifetime.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Firewoodjoe

I guess beavers dammed this up and the land owner says that's what killed it. Real wet so I may have to pass on it. Time will tell just a thought I had. Prolly my first mistake

r.man

I would want to negotiate a test run to see how hard it is to get the wood out and what the wood looked like processed. If you like what you see you might want to take a reasonable amount this year for a sales test with a set option for the rest at your discretion.
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

deastman

I have some leftover hemlock pulp and a few logs that I cut two years ago and was gonna have the truck that hauls my wood pick it up and take it in for biomass. But after talkin to my father about it he said to run it thru the firewood processor and use it in my OWB. He said the old timers used to burn it and that it put out a lot of heat. Guess I'll find out in a couple of months.
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thecfarm

I use to burn hemlock in my wood stove. I could control it and it leaves some coals. I now have a OWB and can burn white pine and cedar with a control burn. I burn alot of hemlock now. I had a lot of tops to get rid of when I built The Women Cave.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Clark

Dave, that's a good example of tradition!

Around here tamarack is used for firewood commonly enough. I know loggers who gladly buy it just to sell as firewood. If you've got dead, standing tamarack you've got a limited time to cut it before you start to see notable loss due to fungus. Granted, I think some of that started while the trees were alive but it certainly accelerates when it is dead.

I would think you would be able to sell. Maybe show customers a BTU chart, tell them it splits easy and it's cheaper than hardwoods. That should be enough to convince some customers.

Clark
SAF Certified Forester

barbender

Tamarack is great in an OWB. It leaves a heap of coals and burns HOT.
Too many irons in the fire

Barney II

I would want to know how much "tar" is being left in your chimney.  It would probably help to burn some oak along with the tamarack?
Ya never know
Woodmizer  1985 lt30

boilerman101

I've been burning Tamarack in my Classic and now in my Eclassic for years by choice. Burns hot like a hardwood and burns down to powder with very little ash to shovel out. It has become my favorite wood to burn in my OWF. Can buy at a good price in 8 ft lengths by the truckload. Usually comes in 4" up to 10" rounds which I just block up into 24" lengths. I don't split any of it and it works great! I think you would have a great market for it for the OWF burners in your area once they try it. I've had no issues with any creosote buildup in chimney burning it straight.

r.man

Boilerman, what part of the continent are you in and do you season your wood? The following is a link to an article I read a few years ago about Tamarack flooring. An interesting story and read although I don't know if the market ever fully matured for this product.
http://www.forestnet.com/archives/June_05/small_sawmilling.htm
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

boilerman101

The cold country of central MN. Lots of standing dead tamarack here, so can cut in Aug and burn that winter. Works even better if blocked and burned the following season in my Eclassic. Some kind of a beetle killing it here.

r.man

I have a fair number of dead Tamarack but I think they are too far gone. I noticed that they are starting to snap off at the top. I may try a few field trees to see what they are like since I should get rid of those anyways.
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

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