# American chestnut as firewood?



## kdxken (Sep 18, 2013)

Hello,

Anyone know the burn quality of American Chestnut? I ran in to a fairly large quantity while hunting for old locust, it's well preserved and splits nicely. 

Also, I know nothing about wood turning and was wondering if it would be desired for turning.

Thanks in advance...

Ken View attachment 314795


----------



## Whitespider (Sep 18, 2013)

If it really is American Chestnut it's darn good firewood... from the Beech family.
It's kind'a hard to believe you've come across a "_fairly large quantity... well preserved_", especially in the northeast.
Are you absolutely sure it's American Chestnut and not Horse Chestnut (horrible firewood) or Chinese Chestnut (a little better than Horse Chestnut)??


----------



## haveawoody (Sep 18, 2013)

I was out on a walk in a park a couple weeks back and happened upon a bunch of very old American chestnut trees.
Rare to see them let alone very old ones but they do exist here and there.

Bad news is what you have isn't American chestnut, not sure what it is but it isn't American chestnut IMO.
American chestnut looks and burns much like beech.
Bark looks very much like beech as a younger tree and almost like elm as an older tree.

American chestnut
<img src=http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base_images/zp/american_chestnut_log_id_6.jpg>


----------



## muddstopper (Sep 18, 2013)

I cant tell if what you have is or isnt american chestnut. I will say that if it is, it was worth a lot more before you cut it into short blocks than it will ever be for firewood. Folks around here pay dearly for old chestnut lumber.


----------



## Dusty Rhodes (Sep 18, 2013)

Indeed. I would think knowledgable woodworkers would kill for usable widths and lengths of American Chestnut. I have two articles my Great Grandfather made with hand tools out of American Chestnut and they are family treasures.


----------



## z50guru (Sep 18, 2013)

Not Chestnut. You scored some VERY seasoned Black Locust there. Tight growth rings, yellowish interior, and very hard. Get as much as you can! That woods hard to beat :msp_w00t:


----------

