seasoning cherry wood

[rb_in_va]

When I split this stuff I noticed it was still somewhat wet in the middle. I was wondering it would better to leave it outside to continue drying, or store it in my unheated garage. Keep in mind that in the next 10 days I will be having many above 50F.

 

[wdchuck]

If you can stand to leave it outside for a couple few weeks before putting it in the garage, that would be good, but I have known guys who've split and then stacked in a closed building with out issue too. Are you looking to burn it this winter yet? It'll be great for next winter.

 

[rb_in_va]

If you can stand to leave it outside for a couple few weeks before putting it in the garage, that would be good, but I have known guys who've split and then stacked in a closed building with out issue too. Are you looking to burn it this winter yet? It'll be great for next winter.

Well, the wood has been sitting cut but not split for 2 years. I would like to burn some of it soon. I might try a few pieces tonight. Supposed to be the coldest day of the year so far today, like 33F! Then tomorrow is supposed to be 56F.

 

[wdchuck]

ONe way to hasten drying is to stand the pieces up as near to the stove as possible while you are around and let it dried that way, two days lead time and you should be good to go. Just keep air space around each piece, not in a pile.

There's a 4' space between the back of my wood furnace and the basement wall, I lean the wood against the wall, two days later it is noticeably lighter, plenty of checking, and ready to go. Be sure to keep it at a reasonable distance though, and the house will smell purty while its drying too.

 

[rb_in_va]

ONe way to hasten drying is to stand the pieces up as near to the stove as possible while you are around and let it dried that way, two days lead time and you should be good to go. Just keep air space around each piece, not in a pile.

There's a 4' space between the back of my wood furnace and the basement wall, I lean the wood against the wall, two days later it is noticeably lighter, plenty of checking, and ready to go. Be sure to keep it at a reasonable distance though, and the house will smell purty while its drying too.

That's a good idea, but I have a fireplace not a woodstove. Plus there are some bugs in some of the pieces (mainly near the bark). I'm leary of even storing too much in the garage. I will probably burn some tonight, and I can put some pieces around the inside of the fireplace after I get a good fire going. I've done that before.

 

[firemankris]

Well, the wood has been sitting cut but not split for 2 years. I would like to burn some of it soon. I might try a few pieces tonight. Supposed to be the coldest day of the year so far today, like 33F! Then tomorrow is supposed to be 56F.

Oh no 33 degrees. It was -4 when I got up this morning and its 7 right now. But it might warm up to 30 tomorrow. I love new england.

 

[rb_in_va]

Oh no 33 degrees. It was -4 when I got up this morning and its 7 right now. But it might warm up to 30 tomorrow. I love new england.

I know, I say that jokingly because I know that there are folks here who run around in a t-shirt when it gets up to 33F! But folks around here act like it's really really cold. I grew up in north Idaho, and I know what cold is.

 

[Brushwacker]

I don't know if it was just the one tree I got a hold of but I removed a Wild Cherry tree for a friend from town that had been standing dead two/three years. There is no way a man could split that stuff by hand unless you had all day to split half a cord. I even tried the splitter but it was so knotty I ended up with very odd ball porcupine pieces. The grain would twist about 120 degrees in one 20" stick of wood, that also made for very interesting splitting. The 041 Super got a work out on the rest of it ripping fries until it was all "split"

I've been curious to try to smoke some meat with it, is it worth while?

Some trees blow around in the wind sometime through their growing process causing the grain of wood to be twisted up instead of straight, which makes splitting difficult. Dry cherry usually splits harder then green, or just being full of knots could be the problem.

 

[musch]

I know, I say that jokingly because I know that there are folks here who run around in a t-shirt when it gets up to 33F! But folks around here act like it's really really cold. I grew up in north Idaho, and I know what cold is.

It was like 38 degrees here today, and I was out in a light weight long sleeved shirt, no jacket.
In the sun, it was actually nice.

Regarding the cherry, if you smoke anything, (meats, etc!!! )
Make yourself some chips of that stuff. It is better than apple or hickory IMHO.

 

[Mkarlson]

Cherry left in rounds for over a year and ends are showing the drying cracks will split so easy...I do all the straight pieces with a axe

What I meant to say I think is the dry straight pieces are easy to split. I have split alot of nice straight cherry, but I have had some seriously twisted pieces also. A few of those bent and twisted pieces have actually slipped out of the splitter and came darn close to the family jewels. I have four children now so I dont worry bout jewel damage much anymore :bang:

 

[sawyerDave]

What a shame

:bang:I guess its just me, but I hate burning cherry-I'd rather be making furniture out of it. From your desciption of it, it might be showing a lot of highly figured grain (curly, or quilted, or spiral) this would cause it to be hard to split. The other thing that you have to take int account is how cherry grows-typically at field edges and fencerows, and most grow crooked just trying to get to the light.

 

[Woodsrover]

I love burning cherry. It's probably 75% of what I burn all year. I'm into a couple rows of ash right now and I can't wait to get though it. I'm finding myself splitting this ash further down as it doesn't throw a lot of heat unless there's lots of surface area. Unlike oak, maple and my cherry, it doesn't seem to burn well in large chunks. I"ll take cherry all day long!

jim

 

[rb_in_va]

:bang:I guess its just me, but I hate burning cherry-I'd rather be making furniture out of it. From your desciption of it, it might be showing a lot of highly figured grain (curly, or quilted, or spiral) this would cause it to be hard to split. The other thing that you have to take int account is how cherry grows-typically at field edges and fencerows, and most grow crooked just trying to get to the light.

Well, this cherry was already cut into firewood lengths. Better to turn into BTUs than for it to end up in the landfill, right?

 

[sawyerDave]

True enough

Better to burn than to throw out. I was just suggesting an alternate use, and explaining why it might be hard to split. For the record I burn any wood which will fit into the stove, and its been so cold lately I just burnt up a pair of old shoes!