New to the site and new to wood burning

[Bushmans]

Hi all!
Just a quick hello. I purchase my first house in July and it has a fireplace. My first ever and it has been quite the learning experience.
I'm new here and was searching this site trying to id some wood I was fighting with. Turns out I think it was white elm. Twisted grain and would hardly split with my 22 ton splitter.
Went back today and cut down some different wood. unsure on the id though. Think its silver maple.
View attachment 214091View attachment 214092View attachment 214093
This stuff split like a dream. It was a blowdown from a storm this summer. Figured I'd get a jump on next years wood. There is more right next to it. Also a giant cottonwood although I don't think I'll cut that. I gave up on the white elm. There is still about a face cord laying on the ground. Also blown down were cherry, oak and many other maples. I searched high and low for some ash as I love to split and burn that but none to be found. A couple nice hickory here and there but still up and healthy. Main problem is it is about a hundred yard walk through the woods to get to it. I have no quad or children willing.
Here is also a pic of some cherry I cut this summer for next year and a bunch of ash.
View attachment 214094View attachment 214095

I race a 20 inch Stihl Farmboss 029 and a Huskee 22 ton splitter.
I have a fireplace with a heatilator that heats almost my entire house. Next year it will be replaced with a woodstove insert. Fireplace is chowing up the wood!
Thanks for reading.
Bushman

 

[Fifelaker]

Welcome lots of reading learning and B.S'n have fun.

 

[mimilkman1]

Welcome! Where in Michigan are you?

 

[shelbythedog]

Have some rep from a fellow Michigander.

 

[Iska3]

Sent you a Rep.. Save that elm. Some day you just might need it. Try to split it off center and slice off pieces from the sides. Elm is good wood to burn.

 

[meadowsuper]

Hello and have fun

I love the fact that the wood is stacked around the buck mounts and over the fridge! I reckon you probably belong here.

 

[camr]

Welcome and enjoy. You will pick up a lot of useful info from this site.

 

[reaperman]

I race a 20 inch Stihl Farmboss 029 and a Huskee 22 ton splitter.
Bushman

Well, for a beginner, you already have the tools of the trade. Stick around here and you will be looking for second saw, wood hauler pickup and trailer, and perhaps a tractor.

A insert will serve you well, do your homework and dont be shy about asking users on this forum for advice. There are many photos of some beautiful installs posted on this site. Inserts can be had cheaper in the spring of the year vs fall. Maybe you can snag a deal if you keep your eyes open in the coming months.

 

[GM_DaddyMac]

Fellow MI rep sent. Welcome to AS!

 

[dingeryote]

More Michigan Rep sent your way!

Get that Elm stacked in rounds, and wait untill late Jan. when it's in the single digits. It wont split like Popple or Ash, but freezing it takes some of the fight out of it. Elm burns nice, even if half the BTU's are left over from the energy put into splitting it.

No Quad, tractor, or kids and only one saw....
We have some work to do.:hmm3grin2orange:

Good having ya!!


Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Bushmans]

Welcome lots of reading learning and B.S'n have fun.

Charlotte, just south of Lansing

 

[TADD]

Another Michigan member who likes your your wood stacking, very time saving layout.
Stack Wood...drink a beer...more wood... another beer...etc.
Finally drink a beer... admire wood stack, and hunting trophies.

 

[beerman6]

have some rep from a fellow michigander.

ok!

 

[beerman6]

That Elm is evil,you should load it up and bring it to me,I'll dispose of it properly for nothing!

 

[Suz]

Welcome to the "group". But, we forewarned there are some on the board who will enjoy feeding you a bunch of BS along the way! :biggrin:
Back when I was a young man and only had a bunch of elm to cut and burn, I used to split the stuff with a single bladed axe. Just put the round on the ground, and start chopping "slabs" off the edges as you walk around the chunk. Don't ever just try to split one down the middle because all you will do is get frustrated and work up a big sweat. I've had wedges pop right back out of elm when trying to hammer them in with a maul. Like the old saying goes, elm heats you twice. Once splitting it and once burning it.

So, that deer is really a mount and not some buck looking at your wood stash from an open window! (Just asking!! :hmm3grin2orange

Have fun!

 

[ponyexpress976]

With access to all the blow downs and "advertising" here, you better get as much up to the house as you can. All those home staters that sent you rep are wood vultures circling!

Welcome to the site and have fun learning.

 

[carlseawolf]

Welcome to the forum!

I know what you mean about open fires eating up wood , so grab what you can when avalible .

Cotton wood can be used in the shoulder season that way leaving your good stuff when it gets cold.

carl

 

[mitch95100]

Hi all!
Just a quick hello. I purchase my first house in July and it has a fireplace. My first ever and it has been quite the learning experience.
I'm new here and was searching this site trying to id some wood I was fighting with. Turns out I think it was white elm. Twisted grain and would hardly split with my 22 ton splitter.
Went back today and cut down some different wood. unsure on the id though. Think its silver maple.
View attachment 214091View attachment 214092View attachment 214093
This stuff split like a dream. It was a blowdown from a storm this summer. Figured I'd get a jump on next years wood. There is more right next to it. Also a giant cottonwood although I don't think I'll cut that. I gave up on the white elm. There is still about a face cord laying on the ground. Also blown down were cherry, oak and many other maples. I searched high and low for some ash as I love to split and burn that but none to be found. A couple nice hickory here and there but still up and healthy. Main problem is it is about a hundred yard walk through the woods to get to it. I have no quad or children willing.
Here is also a pic of some cherry I cut this summer for next year and a bunch of ash.
View attachment 214094View attachment 214095

I race a 20 inch Stihl Farmboss 029 and a Huskee 22 ton splitter.
I have a fireplace with a heatilator that heats almost my entire house. Next year it will be replaced with a woodstove insert. Fireplace is chowing up the wood!
Thanks for reading.
Bushman

I know many Bushmans here in Iowa and If there as good as you are youl be pretty popular to the site. Welcome!

 

[Bushmans]

Thanks everyone for the welcome!
I didn't realize how much ash I had on the truck that day. It was a tad green still so I opted to keep it in the garage hoping it would dry faster. When the stack started getting higher I was afraid it would push the freezer over so I stacked on top tof the freezer. Then of course I had to go around the deer. I thonk it looks cool, wife says I'm a nut job but then again who keeps her warm?
I have burned some but there was even more than that and some on the wall next to the freezer you can't see. I put up 2.5 face out of one short bed pick up load.
I'll probably go back late in the season and round out that elm.
I was told that what I thought was silver maple is actually box elder. I didn't realize that so I'm hesitant to go back for the rest of it. The wood just looked to darn white and straight grained to be box elder.
Anybody burn that? What kind of havoc does that reek on a chimney?
View attachment 214236
Another picture for a third opinion!:msp_thumbup:

 

[Fifelaker]

I't can't harm your chimney if it's dry i.e. <20-25%mc. I burned a lot of not so dry stuff over the years keep HOT coals and mix it with dry and lit it rip a bit. Think kiln dried and check the pipe once a week until you know the correct formula. And being called a buzzard but I must tell the truth I can circle about 5 mi. from my house and find more wood than I can burn in 10 years in my owb.