Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Fire Wood => Topic started by: jnicol6600 on May 09, 2014, 06:56:10 PM

Title: sawmill scrap
Post by: jnicol6600 on May 09, 2014, 06:56:10 PM
Anybody have any experience burning this stuff. It is the scrap off of the edger. I've burnt slabs before and seems like they go fast but I didn't let them dry long enough. I don't want to waste my time because I can get a lot of the stuff. I guess the best part would be no splitting.
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: slimjim on May 10, 2014, 04:32:53 AM
Be cautious when cutting that stuff up, it can raise heck with your shinbones
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: cantoo on May 10, 2014, 04:48:51 PM
You can buy oak slabs, edgings already cut to 16" here for about $40 for a 6x10 dump trailer load. Even at that it just isn't worth the effort in a owb. I got a couple of loads as rent for my dump trailer, I burnt it up but it was a pain. Another local mill is selling 4' long stuff for a little less, it might be worth handling if you don't have a source for free wood/logs. I thought it would be handy for shoulder season but the handling is a pain.
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: coolidge on May 10, 2014, 05:54:27 PM
I agree with Cantoo and Slim, I bought a couple bundles a couple years ago, got wacked in the shins >:( and a pain to handle.
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: jnicol6600 on May 10, 2014, 06:43:05 PM
HA. Looks like i'll be buying some shin guards.  I wish i could find a buzz saw for my tractor. I have access to as much as I want.
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: hoardac on May 11, 2014, 01:57:02 PM
My friend ties his up before he cuts it, seems to work for him. He stacks it in front of his boiler and cuts it right there.
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: sceptre74 on May 11, 2014, 02:10:58 PM
Buddy of mine made a rack and puts some pieces in it and then cuts them like that. Seems to work well
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: jnicol6600 on May 11, 2014, 05:22:16 PM
Great ideas thanks. its just hard to pass this stuff up if it will burn ok.
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: cantoo on May 11, 2014, 06:38:11 PM
I have 2 buzz saws and don't use either one. Amish mills here cut them into either 4' or 16" (or much less) long pieces.
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: LittleJohn on May 12, 2014, 06:37:58 AM
I know it might be more work to burn, basically a high bark to wood ratio, and because of the smaller sizes of slabs they do not tend to hold heat as well.  BUt hey FREE WOOD = free wood.

Back in the day, a local sawmill used to sell there slab and some time cut them if you were friend, family or regular who buys LOTS.  There setup up was pretty nice, had a rack 4'x4'x8'; once full they wouldband it in either 1 or 2 spots depending on length, if 24" twice, if 32" once.  They wouldthen bring the bundle over and break out the chainsaw with the crazy big bar (like 54" of 60") big enough to cut thru whole stack, 2 or 3 cuts and WHAM a cord of fire wood
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: jnicol6600 on May 12, 2014, 07:55:46 PM
Great idea Littlejohn. I was thinking of an easy way to get it cut up. I need to build me a rack like 2' by 2' and around 16' long and just band them before i cut them up. I wonder if a saw would get pinched alot.
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: gainerspot on May 24, 2014, 10:26:11 AM
I was planning on building something like this to help speed the process up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPOWV61xMSE# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPOWV61xMSE#)
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: Wood Nutt on May 25, 2014, 08:09:50 AM
Looks good in theory, but I don't have that many straight sticks of firewood that long in five trailer loads to fill the cutting rack once! :o
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: gainerspot on May 25, 2014, 08:27:02 AM
Then bundle them together with ratchet straps or something to give the bunch as a whole a straighter bundle.  Im sure you can come up with something to save time.  Free wood is hard to turn down.
Title: Re: sawmill scrap
Post by: jnicol6600 on May 26, 2014, 12:40:01 PM
I might try to see if shrink wrap will last sitting outside. the sun will probably break it down but maybe it will last a year.