Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Fire Wood => Topic started by: woodfuel on February 04, 2012, 06:43:18 PM

Title: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: woodfuel on February 04, 2012, 06:43:18 PM: Does anybody know if old railroad communication telephone poles are ok to burn? Were they treated "back in the day", or just plain lumber? Thanks in advance!!
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: Scott7m on February 04, 2012, 07:54:29 PM: There treated and they smoke like crazyyyyy lol
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: Bull on February 05, 2012, 06:15:09 AM: Yep they are pressure treated with creosote just like the ties
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: woodfuel on February 05, 2012, 08:24:48 AM: So these are bad for owb, right?
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: tree climber on February 05, 2012, 08:58:45 AM: not bad for boiler but bad for your health
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: lugnut on February 05, 2012, 11:47:43 AM: Quote from: tree climber on February 05, 2012, 08:58:45 AM
not bad for boiler but bad for your health

AND...your neighbors!!!!
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: Bill G on February 05, 2012, 01:49:17 PM: Makes me recall my firefighting days....120 plus old telephone poles the neighborhood kids lit up at the local electrical authority! They burn like soaked in gas, but smoke that rivals any tire fire I've seen. The run off water ruined anything it came in contact with. Impossible to clean. Got us new hose and turnout gear because of the creosote. Don't even think about it in your OWB! It will surely give us all a black-eye, black lung, black-balled from the local OWB club!!!
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: willieG on February 05, 2012, 02:14:35 PM: Quote from: Bill G on February 05, 2012, 01:49:17 PM
Makes me recall my firefighting days....120 plus old telephone poles the neighborhood kids lit up at the local electrical authority! They burn like soaked in gas, but smoke that rivals any tire fire I've seen. The run off water ruined anything it came in contact with. Impossible to clean. Got us new hose and turnout gear because of the creosote. Don't even think about it in your OWB! It will surely give us all a black-eye, black lung, black-balled from the local OWB club!!!

now that draws a dark picture!
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: woodfuel on February 08, 2012, 06:48:52 PM: Thanks willie! I'll stay away from them!!
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: tulenutn2o on February 08, 2012, 07:27:42 PM: The whole pole isn't creosoted is it? Around here we cut the creosoted part off and use for fence(make great corner posts) and burn the rest.
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: HandyMark on February 12, 2012, 07:54:05 PM: The whole pole is treated. The portion above ground looses some of it's potency as it is exposed to 40-50 years of sun and rain. There is still more chemical in there than I would want to expose myself, my family, or my $6000 dollar OWB to. I would much rather use them as fence posts.
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: Bull on February 12, 2012, 09:25:42 PM: Quote from: HandyMark on February 12, 2012, 07:54:05 PM
The whole pole is treated. The portion above ground looses some of it's potency as it is exposed to 40-50 years of sun and rain. There is still more chemical in there than I would want to expose myself, my family, or my $6000 dollar OWB to. I would much rather use them as fence posts.

What HandyMark ^^^^ said
Title: Re: old railroad communication telephone poles
Post by: gspren on February 13, 2012, 02:46:03 PM: Also remember that the green tinted poles are treated with salts like much pressure treated lumber and leave a highly corrosive ash, I wouldn't want any of that in my stove.