# White Oak



## allthegross (Nov 27, 2007)

i have never burned it but got about a cord and a half from a neighbor that took it down. i read somewhere it is very hard to burn. now i have a insert that seems to burn anything i think if i stuck a wooden bucket of water in there that would burn too. So has anyone burned this stuff before and what do you think of it


----------



## ropensaddle (Nov 27, 2007)

allthegross said:


> i have never burned it but got about a cord and a half from a neighbor that took it down. i read somewhere it is very hard to burn. now i have a insert that seems to burn anything i think if i stuck a wooden bucket of water in there that would burn too. So has anyone burned this stuff before and what do you think of it


Don't know where you heard that white oak burns fine in my
furnace green or seasoned!


----------



## Log Splitter (Nov 27, 2007)

The only thing wrong with burning white oak is you don't still have the tree dropping acorns and baiting in the deer. White oak burns about as good as hickory, IMO.


----------



## tree md (Nov 27, 2007)

Yup, White Oak rocks... For firewood and baiting deer...


----------



## kevinj (Nov 27, 2007)

White Oak acorns are loved by deer.
But, now that it's down, split it soon.
It splits real nice when green...
Personally, stack it and wait 2 years to dry really good...
Especially, if you have other firewood waiting to be burned ...


----------



## allthegross (Nov 27, 2007)

kevinj said:


> White Oak acorns are loved by deer.
> But, now that it's down, split it soon.
> It splits real nice when green...
> Personally, stack it and wait 2 years to dry really good...
> Especially, if you have other firewood waiting to be burned ...



its been down and cut to 18 to 20 twenty inches for 8 months. I just split it all this past sunday. i have about 2 cords of other assorted hardwood but may need some more wood around the febuary. Im wondering if i sould try to find a cord or two of seasoned wood and keep this for next year
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff19/ALLTHEGROSS/woodpile009-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>


----------



## aandabooks (Nov 27, 2007)

If you have to burn it in February, that should be ok. Stack it off the ground on pallets loosely to get the best air through it though. It would probably be best if it could wait until next year.

What type of unit are you burning in? That would make a difference too.

Matt


----------



## hornett22 (Nov 27, 2007)

*i love oak period for burning.*

just got some black oak though,should be interesting.talk about hard as a rock!


----------



## wdchuck (Nov 28, 2007)

Allthegross, 

If you need the oak in February, here is another option; try and keep the most you can near the woodburner, so the radiant heat will dry it faster, and as you use it replace with new stuff so you get the most time near the woodburner. You still want to have maximum air space around the split pieces though, if they are checking on the ends then that's a good sign. Oak typically, is a multi-year seasoning wood, for optimal btus, many folks burn it after six months with best seasoning practices. 

Otherwise, oak is bested by only a few woods, btus/lb, hickory, locust, osage orange.


----------



## Frank Boyer (Nov 28, 2007)

In CA the humidity is very low all sumer. Anything that is cut in the spring/early summer is ready for the winter.


----------



## Al Smith (Nov 28, 2007)

Oak has many varieties .All oak does not split hard.White oak splits good,green or dry but best at about zero degrees.Red oak is most likely second in ease of splitting. Pin oak,because of the limb structure,knots etc,is most likely the worst.

All oaks retain moisture if left in the log form and still quite a bit if left in big rounds.Believe it or not,I've cut into downed red and white oaks that have been tipped twenty years prior and the wood is still wet.The sap wood will rot but the heart wood is solid as a rock.

Oak is not rot proof but will retain integrity for decades if up off the ground.Case in point is the old split rail fences,some dating back perhaps the first of the last century.


----------



## Husky137 (Nov 28, 2007)

Al Smith said:


> Oak is not rot proof but will retain integrity for decades if up off the ground.Case in point is the old split rail fences,some dating back perhaps the first of the last century.



And Al knows because he installed those fences.:greenchainsaw:


----------



## allthegross (Nov 28, 2007)

aandabooks said:


> If you have to burn it in February, that should be ok. Stack it off the ground on pallets loosely to get the best air through it though. It would probably be best if it could wait until next year.
> 
> What type of unit are you burning in? That would make a difference too.
> 
> Matt



Im burning a heatnglo northstar 60000 btu with a 23'' long fire box. seems to burn anything sometimes at night ill put in a whole unsplit log. as log as i have a nice bed of coals it will burn easy 8 hours. heats much better if i put a log or two in with it after it has been burning awhile.

thank for the advise i think im going to just wait and burn it if i need to. I found a local tree company willing to drop off 4 cords of unseasoned red oak in 8 foot lengths for 200 bucks i think im going to take that and split it now for next year. then again i have plenty of room maybe i should get 8 cords and have some left over that will be perfectly seasoned in two years.
<a ="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff19/ALLTHEGROSS/img349.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

this is the northstar unit there is two additional heat zones piped into the basement


----------



## PLAYINWOOD (Nov 28, 2007)

Al Smith said:


> Oak has many varieties .All oak does not split hard.White oak splits good,green or dry but best at about zero degrees.Red oak is most likely second in ease of splitting. Pin oak,because of the limb structure,knots etc,is most likely the worst.
> 
> All oaks retain moisture if left in the log form and still quite a bit if left in big rounds.Believe it or not,I've cut into downed red and white oaks that have been tipped twenty years prior and the wood is still wet.The sap wood will rot but the heart wood is solid as a rock.



My experiences also....
Black Oak is sold commercially as a "red" oak and also does well in the btu department but I find it only needs 1 hot summer season to cure. White oak of any variety (pin,swamp white ) usually needs 2 summers to cure.Both okay to split/cut in straight grain pieces but a PITA if you run into knots or a crotch.Bigger pieces will give your back a workout lifting up on the splitter as its one of the densest/heaviest woods in North America.

Either way,great burning wood so see if you save a cord for next year and regionally I would choose it over Shagbark/smoothbark hickory anyday for burn time and btu's. I have no scientific proof but just my opinion.


----------



## Al Smith (Nov 28, 2007)

Husky137 said:


> And Al knows because he installed those fences.:greenchainsaw:


 Actually I did about 8 years ago but it was cedar,not oak.It's in the picture behind the red oak log.I do have about 20 oak rails though that are most likely 100 years old.


----------



## wobdee (Nov 28, 2007)

I agree with others that Oak takes a long time to dry. I have some White Oak that is close to 2 years old split, and some of it still registers 31% on the moisture meter. Maybe if you split it into small pieces it will ready by Feb, but I would just wait til next season.


----------



## ray benson (Nov 28, 2007)

They have been posted before - but here is a couple charts for comparing firewood.
http://www.blountweb.com/goddards/firewood_ratings.htm


----------



## WVhunter (Nov 28, 2007)

Great firewood, I burn it all the time.
Tom


----------



## JBinKC (Nov 28, 2007)

Its what I end up burning most of the time since it is the dominant tree in my locale. Its very good wood because it splits fairly easily and has a higher btu than red oak but it has some reservations. 

The wood's reputation of being hard to burn is rooted to the bark of the tree which tends to stay intact no matter how old the wood is and can act like a moisture retainer and definitely can be harder to season especially if you keep it in a round form and out of the sun-wind and exposed to the elements.


----------



## allthegross (Nov 29, 2007)

I burned some last night and it burned fine. still had a good bed of coals this morning. here is the link to the site where i read it was tough to burn. i will be sure not to take any advise from these guys. maybe i should also send them a link to this thread.

thank for the info guys



http://www.mastersweep.com/wood.htm


----------



## allthegross (Nov 29, 2007)

*wow*



Al Smith said:


> Actually I did about 8 years ago but it was cedar,not oak.It's in the picture behind the red oak log.I do have about 20 oak rails though that are most likely 100 years old.



would love to see a pic of you cutting through that oak. how much wood do you think is there?


----------



## Al Smith (Nov 29, 2007)

allthegross said:


> would love to see a pic of you cutting through that oak. how much wood do you think is there?


 I forgot how much actual firewood there was .I still have most likely over a cord of the bigger stuff I saved for the crotch wood etc. I still have the logs I haven't got around to sawing for lumber yet.I don't know maybe 3 to 4000 bfd feet ,give or take.Never the less it was a big old tree for the heart land.


----------



## SCOOTER (Nov 29, 2007)

I burn white oak, red oak, hickory, and locust. With white oak being my favorite, usually let it dry aboutr 9 months, then works fine after being split of course. Locust and hickory burn's a little hotter, but white oak is the absolute best in my neck of the woods, Virginny


----------



## JBFab (Nov 29, 2007)

your friend was right, White Oak is a horrible wood to burn, you should package each piece cut to length and split, and send it to my address where I can properly bur . . . errrr . . . dispose of it.


----------



## ropensaddle (Nov 30, 2007)

Ahhhhh I sure am enjoying burning some right now furnace
is full of it and time for bed be warm for 8 hours or so!


----------



## allthegross (Dec 31, 2007)

Tried burning some last night didn't work out so well temp went down to 150 on the insert and it was hard to keep a flame. after about two hours it seemed to burn better and temp went back up to 350. Its definitely not ready yet but if i mix it with some dryer wood its fine


----------



## allthegross (Jan 24, 2008)

*good now*

buring pretty good now end of the wood has alot of cracks and it burns really hot seems once it was stacked and split it dried muck quicker and man it gets hot if i open the doors to my insert i cant stand in front of it


----------



## allthegross (Jan 26, 2008)

filled the insert with it last night at about 9:30 and got up this morning about 7:00 and had enough coals to get it going again....wow thats 9 1/2 hours. i should say i certainly wasnt getting any heat a 7am but did have enough coals to get er up and heating quick


----------



## allthegross (Feb 23, 2008)

less than a cord left now. super dry. i find myself burning it only at night. Heats great. I would say definitly a great wood wish i could find some more. had a big red oak come down at the neighbors workin on getting that split for next year now


----------

