# How healthy is your wood pile



## motolife313 (Apr 26, 2018)

Mines doing pretty good. Got about 6  cord of good dry wood not including fire wood, only smoking and couple cords that just started seasoning which is my nice white oak. I'm trying to get my pic to load. Might take a sec


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## hillbillyrkstr (Apr 26, 2018)

Your gonna need a bigger stick burner!


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## motolife313 (Apr 26, 2018)

Lol ya mines a gas saver. Should be good for a few out door camp fire cooks to. I wanna come up with a hovering cooking grate over a fire. I was using saw horses and 2x4's then a big Weber cooking grate. I got some maple I use for that


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## motolife313 (Apr 26, 2018)

I thought this was a cool looking piece of wood 
	

		
			
		

		
	






	

		
			
		

		
	
 Some of my green oak is in the middle. I got couple other big piles also


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## SmokinAl (Apr 27, 2018)

That would last me for years!
If I had a place to store it!
Al


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## BKING! (Apr 27, 2018)

I got about 2 ricks of seasoned oak and 1 rick of unseasoned oak. I also have some kiln dried for a fire pit and a downed hickory and pear tree with my name on it


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## yankee2bbq (Apr 27, 2018)

motolife313 said:


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## HalfSmoked (Apr 27, 2018)

Great looking pile of fuel there you will need a couple of whole cows and about a dozen pigs plus a lot of chicken.
I have some maple and about 1/2 cord pear.

Warren


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## ghostguy6 (Apr 27, 2018)

motolife313 said:


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I would let that dry then have it stabilized for knife handles or turning. Thats got an awesome looking grain.

My firewood pile spent the last 6 months under the snow so I.m fairly sure its all rotten.


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## motolife313 (Apr 28, 2018)

Seems to be a bit over managed around here. Now I don't no where the thread has moved to


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## archeryrob (Apr 30, 2018)

The one piece of wood should be saved for something else. I just got a knife blank and saved some cherry burles that I am going to slab cut on the table saw tonight for knife scales.


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## motolife313 (May 2, 2018)

4 cords here. 3 cords oak and 1 alder, alder has been seasoning since September.  I wanna build a roof over it!


How do U guys running stick burners buy your wood? The oak seems to be my favorite wood for smoking, that mixed with another fruit wood


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## jbellard (May 3, 2018)

I have about a cord maybe a little less and I so far have not had to buy any of it, just a little sweat equity. 
Up here in a north Louisiana we have orchards of pecan trees and tons of oak trees. 
Also my FIL has some land in NW Arkansas and we spent an afternoon cutting up and getting a truckload if hickory and white oak that he had cut down last October. I’m using that hickory now as well as some of my pecan. 
I have several places that I have simply talked to the owners and ask d if I could get some limbs that were down.  Great thing about pecan trees is that they are fairly brittle and will break especially after a good wind storm.


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## archeryrob (May 3, 2018)

I buy firewood for the house, sometimes ordering an extra 2 cords I get Cherry and use it for the smoker. I had to cut down a plum tree have two nice cherry trees in the yard I have to drop this coming winter.


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## motolife313 (May 3, 2018)

The plum is really good. I dropped one last year around this time. It grew yellow plums and has a organey pink color to it. I think the cherry splits really nice, seems to take a while to season tho. 

 I've never tried pecan. I wouldn't mind trading some wood


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## jbellard (May 3, 2018)

Pecan is pretty amazing. Sweet and smoky. Perfect in my opinion except for the fact that it doesn’t burn so hot or long. That’s why I got hickory and white oak and use some pecan for flavor.


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## motolife313 (May 3, 2018)

Sounds like it would be a good wood for me since my smoker is not that big. It's about 60 gallon I think insulated well and stainless. I wanna about another 4" exuast or build a nice wanna pan\ grease pan. I think a water pan will help a lot on keeping temps down


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## archeryrob (May 4, 2018)

This is the Cherry Burle I saved and sliced on the table saw. Some wood isn't meant for burning. ;)


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## motolife313 (May 4, 2018)

Are u going to put end sealer on the wood do it doesn't crack?


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## archeryrob (May 4, 2018)

The handle wood will likely get sealed in 60/40 linseed oil/mineral spirits and the coated with tung oil once glued to the handle. The corky spots will get sealed up.


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## phatbac (May 4, 2018)

My wood pile is looking pretty anemic right now. i am bout out i have 5-7 smokes worth of wood left so will order some more next month. Last time i got wood was a mix a pecan and apple with a small amount of white oak mixed in to make a full truck load. my guy knows i prefer fruit or pecan wood for my smoking. I buy a pick up load about a little more than a 1/3 of a cord and have it cut short and split twice (to make better splits for the smoker) and he delivers and stacks it at my house and the charge is $90. that amount lasts me about 6-7 months.

about 4 years ago i had a friend give me a small apple tree that feel and a downed plum tree. i made him some CSR's from the wood on my WSM and the plum wood had purple streaks in the middle. weirdest wood i ever saw. i had to cut all that small for the WSM but made some good ribs and pork!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


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## BAMA J (May 11, 2018)

My grandad had a pecan tree blow over in a storm. Gonna have plenty soon.


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## jbellard (May 11, 2018)

Enjoy that pecan. My favorite smell


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## HalfSmoked (May 12, 2018)

jbellard said:


> Enjoy that pecan. My favorite smell




We had a guy bring pecan wood to the PA gathering last year it was great. Like you said a great smell and has mild flavor

Warren


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## phatbac (May 13, 2018)

I bet it was Joe...a few years ago he burned pecan at the NC gathering on his 250 gal smoker and i have used it as much i can ever since, i love the smell and the flavor!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


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## HalfSmoked (May 13, 2018)

phatbac said:


> I bet it was Joe...a few years ago he burned pecan at the NC gathering on his 250 gal smoker and i have used it as much i can ever since, i love the smell and the flavor!
> 
> Happy Smoking,
> phatbac (Aaron)



You can't keep any secrets can you.  :D:D

Warren


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## ReelFaster (Jun 11, 2018)

I've got about 2 cords of seasoned oak and close to another unseasoned drying out. Most of the oak is white, chestnut, and little bit of red oak. I burn it in the winter a little as well!


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## Bearcarver (Jun 11, 2018)

archeryrob said:


> This is the Cherry Burle I saved and sliced on the table saw. Some wood isn't meant for burning. ;)
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> View attachment 362609



That's gonna be a Pretty handle---I'd Like to see it when it's done.
A Step by Step would be nice.:cool:
Don't let me miss it, if you post it!!!

Bear


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## archeryrob (Jun 11, 2018)

I have it all for you Bear. This was it just linseed oiled. It has 5 more coats of tung oil on it and likely to get a couple more. This is my packable deer gutting and skinning knife now and it shaving hair sharp!! I had a bigger piece of burle and it was all rotten inside, I almost cried. :(











Here is the handle making and there is the sheath making. I messed up on the sheath where I should have put the belt loop on the opposite side. Its made as if for the left side and its backwards to draw it on the right. It may end up being mounted upside down on my left backpack shoulder strap. Then it will be perfect if ever needed


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## Bearcarver (Jun 11, 2018)

Thank You Rob!!!
That's Downright Beautiful !!
A Prize Possession!
You should be Proud of that!!

FYI: Don't get into sanding any "Spalted" wood. A long time ago I read about a "Turner" who used to Turn Old Tree Roots that had beautiful grain patterns, and he was dying of a Lung disease he got from the Dust. Apparently there are creatures that live in Rotted (Spalted) wood, and he got some in his lungs & they were reproducing & taking over.
He was advising people who turn Spalted wood to wear completely Self contained Breathing units.
The story was in a copy of "Fine Woodworking" a long time ago.

Bear


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## archeryrob (Jun 11, 2018)

Wow, I never heard of that and Maybe I guess I'll wear the respirator when making any more and set the fan to blow the dust away out the door. I would assume there is some Fungi dust as the fungi is the reason for the burle. Although, its done in moderation. I doubt I'll make too many more knives. They are only for mine or family and friends pleasures.


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## Bearcarver (Jun 11, 2018)

I didn't want to alarm anyone, but people might be more careful if they heard about this.
Yes it was a fungus.

That's the kind of things I did---Wear a plain mask & use a fan, and hardly ever worked with Spalted woods.
In my Cabinet Shop I never wore a mask when working with Kiln Dried Hardwoods, but I had a good dust collector. Still should have wore a Mask, but didn't.

Bear


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## flatbroke (Jun 11, 2018)

Nice knife.  My wood pile is smaller than some and larger than most.  it is all oak and mostly green still


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## Carvendive (Dec 5, 2018)

Hopefully this loads... Currently I have 8 full cords split and stacked plus another 6 on the ground. It's all oak and maple. Here's a pic of a 24*18 maple burel I'm working into a clock for my shop. The numerals are carved (hard to see) and I'll inlay them with coffee grounds in a clear epoxy.


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## ReelFaster (Dec 5, 2018)

motolife313 said:


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Stacks are looking great!! You need to check Firewood Hoarders Club (FHC) having that much firewood. Am sitting on close to 6 cords but most of that is still wet. 

I just scored some mulberry and more cherry few weeks back, and my hickory chunks should be ready to rock this spring/summer. I love oak too mixed with a fruit wood, usually it's cherry for me.


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