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[doow14]

Made a deal with a guy couple weeks ago for 4 cords at 140 each,He brought out the first cord last week it was after dark him and my boy pitched it out.He said its tops that have been down 2 yr.He is cutting it to length spliitin and hauling it to me same day.I go out and look at it next morning,its not what I call seasond wood its pretty heavy still. so I guess my question is how long does it take for tops to  season.I talked to an old buddy of a couple days ago said he read some where that a cut log will only season about 1/2 " a year.The quality of the wood is ex all oak,cherry,hickory.whats your thoughts on how long it takes for a log to season proper?

[WoodMOJoe]

Do you know if the trees were topped when the sap was up, or down (winter)?

We had a big ice storm here in 07, and I was burning the downed trees the following winter.  They were plenty dry by then but the sap was down in the tree when they went fell.

[slimjim]

Different species = different drying times, tree length certainly will not dry as fast as split up cordwood, I like to kill the tree in early spring as soon as the leaves start to open up and let it lay, be sure to cut it completely off at the stump, the leaves will suck a lot of the moisture out of the trunk and as soon as the leaves dry up and fall off, buck the wood up and split it. Seasoned wood in 6 months.

[doow14]

I don't know exactly when they were cut he just said a couple years ago.Thats pretty interesting slim, never heard that concept befor.Makes sense.

[slimjim]

It's the old way of doing things and still works, try it one year and you will continue.

[doow14]

put this in the wrong conversation here it is again granddad told me they always set rounds on there ends for a while then flip over and hand split,he said it splits a lot easier.

[tawilson1152]

I do the leaving the leaves on also. Can't prove it works and I've had people tell me I am nuts but the leaves stay green for a week or so. They must be getting their moisture from somewhere.

[jrider]

Count me in as another guy who likes to do the leaves on method for a week or two minimum.  I was taught this way from my BIL from Vermont and it does work quite nicely.

[MattyNH]

Yup leaving the leaves on in def sucks the water out of the trunk…But far as oak..It will still sizzle..Takes forever to to dry that wood out..To get your wood seasoned is to cut it, spilt it, stack it  and put it under cover

[LittleJohn]

This is just me, weird yes, does it work YES; during heating season here is the process; two racks (custom 4' cube metal pallets) sit under roof a couple of feet from boiler out side, next two racks of seasoned wood sit on forks of tractor in heated garage/wood shop, rest out side air drying.  I feel by placing in heated garage for a few days, it help get rid of any excessive moisture in the wood.  Most firewood I burnis al least a year or two old.

[AirForcePOL]

I have always been told that it will take a long time for wood to dry if it isn't cut into firewood length since the moisture escapes from the ends of the logs and not the outside.  I cut down a huge oak about a month ago that had been dead for at least 5 years but the moisture content was still somewhere in the 25% range. 

[MattyNH]

I have always been told that it will take a long time for wood to dry if it isn't cut into firewood length since the moisture escapes from the ends of the logs and not the outside.  I cut down a huge oak about a month ago that had been dead for at least 5 years but the moisture content was still somewhere in the 25% range.

Oak will hold water forever..Dont matter how old it is..Its still gonna sizzle in the stove..

[mlappin]

Oak just about has to be cut and split for it to dry well.

I like burning ash or red elm when possible, followed by cherry then the other elms. Oak is my least favorite, even when dry that stuff is heavy, when green forget it.

[slimjim]

The trick is guys, cut it off at the stump, don't even leave it sitting on the stump, cut it clean off when the leaves come out as buds, standing anything will draw moisture from the ground but oak has to be one of the worst, it will be standing dead for 5 years and the only dry part will be the outside and it's so darn dry that it gives off very little BTU's, the rest is waterlogged

[MattyNH]

The trick is guys, cut it off at the stump, don't even leave it sitting on the stump, cut it clean off when the leaves come out as buds, standing anything will draw moisture from the ground but oak has to be one of the worst, it will be standing dead for 5 years and the only dry part will be the outside and it's so darn dry that it gives off very little BTU's, the rest is waterlogged

Yeah your right on that..Oak takes forever to dry...