# Cutting your own smoke wood



## mcokevin

Hey all,

Quick question here for those of you that find and cut your own wood for smoking.  My dad has cut down a couple of fruit trees at his house (one pear, one peach) and is saving the wood to use in my WSM.  

I assume we're good to just throw it on once dry but wanted to double check I'm not missing any glaringly obvious steps that would result in either unsafe smoking or generally poor flavor.  

Thanks in advance.


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## gmc2003

Nope no issues that I'm aware of. My neighbor has a few apple trees and when he trims he drops the branches off in my front yard for me. 

Chris


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## SonnyE

I have a Son-In-Law in Washington State that cuts his own smoker wood. They use Alder from their 5 Acres in a Little Chief smoker to do salmon. And it was great!
But fruit woods are supposed to be great, too.


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## PerazziMx14

Please remove


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## browneyesvictim

My chipper just makes chips: too small for my mini. After I cut branches down to manageable size I then cut them up into hockey puck sizes with my band saw or chop saw. My little mini band saw has a narrower blade so that is what I mostly do, then the chunks are thrown into 5 gallon buckets (uncovered) to season. If you put the lid on or otherwise seal the bucket, the wood will mold. The pucks are easily further broken down to the desired size with a hatchet. I like golf-ball size chunks in my WSM mini.


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## motocrash

I have purged my 40v Ryobi of regular chain lubricant and replaced it with mineral oil from cvs.I lay down a tarp where I'm processing to contain the  sawdust for easy collection.I make chunks so I cut it about 4" then split with a hatchet to about 1.5".I then put it in a milk crate over a vent and rotate once a week until satisfactorily dried.Oh-this was apple


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## phathead69

I cut my own hickory and got a pretty lage apple summer before last after a storm from my neighbor. One thing I found is while 70% is cut 12 to 14 inch long and split. The other 30% is cut 6 to 10 inch long. This gives me some options when adding to the fire.


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## mcokevin

Thanks all - much appreciated!


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## PerazziMx14

Please remove


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## SonnyE

PerazziMx14 said:


> My MES 30 also double as a kiln. When I chip up a batch of wood it gets put into aluminum pans and heated at 225* for a couple hours, stir and a couple more hours and see how they are doing. If still wet another couple hours. If pretty dry they a turned out onto clean garage floor to cool with a fan blowing over them. Pick out the big pieces of bark then into empty kitty litter buckets.



Smoked wood for your smoker....
Now that is concentrating your smoking addiction...

(It makes sense to me, my smoker is solar powered.)


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## wbf610

Someone mentioned using mineral oil instead of bar oil in the chain saw.  If I get wood that was cut by someone else, I trim the ends with the chop saw, season, then cut to size with the chop saw as well.

If I can, I get pieces cut just long enough to fit in the truck bed, to minimize that amount of trimming needed, and thereby waste.


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## PerazziMx14

Please remove


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## motocrash

Mineral oil...Tarp...Sawdust...AMNPS


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## Rings Я Us

You know what? Your not a professional smoker with a stick  burner or custom rig that has to impress anyone..
I would just go to the hardware store and buy an  8 lb bag of Apple, hickory, cherry and pecan wood chunks on sale for $5.00 and not worry about searching for, cutting, drying or storing any wood from anywhere..

Get a few bags of chunks and keep them in a shed or garage and it will make your life, and your families lives much more free of chores and bother.

Just my .03¢

Lol. Have fun!


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## mcokevin

Rings Я Us said:


> You know what? Your not a professional smoker with a stick  burner or custom rig that has to impress anyone..
> I would just go to the hardware store and buy an  8 lb bag of Apple, hickory, cherry and pecan wood chunks on sale for $5.00 and not worry about searching for, cutting, drying or storing any wood from anywhere..
> 
> Get a few bags of chunks and keep them in a shed or garage and it will make your life, and your families lives much more free of chores and bother.
> 
> Just my .03¢
> 
> Lol. Have fun!



That's what I do normally. My dad literally had a pear tree and a peach tree he was getting rid of. Told him to keep the wood. 

I'm not trying to be a hero, just taking advantage of free wood.


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## Rings Я Us

You will use one or two branches a year.


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## Rings Я Us

It's more work than its worth. But I guess it's good exercise.


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## bluewhisper

This is one thing I like about burning sticks, you can scavenge wood like this. I cut with a 30-inch bow saw.

A few years ago I grabbed some maple; whoever cut it had their chain saw oiler open so much that the cuts were painted blue with oil. I cut them off and split the rest.


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## wbf610

PerazziMx14 said:


> Honestly unless you are using a chain saw w/ regular petroleum based bar oil and using it to cut wafers I wouldn't worry about it. A 18" long section of wood 6" in diameter once split down or chipped for smoker duty would only have a negligible amount of bar oil. Honestly I'd worry more about the pesticides in the wood if it came from commercial orchard. If you ever used pre packed chips, wood chunks, saw dust and/or pellets I'd bet they buy their bulk fruit wood from old orchards.


Trimming ends won’t waste that much.
I live next to a 300 acre apple orchard.  I wouldn’t take any wood from them.  They spray several times a year.  No thanks.  A friend and coworker casually mentioned that he needed to cut a few apple trees down on his property.  I asked what he was doing with it, he said burning it as he cut it.  I asked him to save me pieces up to 6” round, no more than 4’ long.  He did, and I have it seasoning now, should be ready this spring.  He has four more to take down, I told him I’d help if I can load my truck up with similar sized pieces, he graciously accepted.  We are taking it down with a chain saw, then going to use a bow saw to cut my pieces up, then finish with the saw.  I know it’s not that much money to buy the chunks, but it’s free, should be good wood, and I get out of the house for the day.  I’ll have all the Apple I need for a few years.  I might do a stick burn once just to see if there is any difference in the end result.  Oh, he’s thinning out some maple, cherry, and hickory as well, and said I’m welcome to all of it if I want.  I’ll be set for years!!  



Rings Я Us said:


> You know what? Your not a professional smoker with a stick  burner or custom rig that has to impress anyone..
> I would just go to the hardware store and buy an  8 lb bag of Apple, hickory, cherry and pecan wood chunks on sale for $5.00 and not worry about searching for, cutting, drying or storing any wood from anywhere..
> 
> Get a few bags of chunks and keep them in a shed or garage and it will make your life, and your families lives much more free of chores and bother.
> 
> Just my .03¢
> 
> Lol. Have fun!



I agree with you, but why pass up free wood if you can get it?


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## Rings Я Us

Cutting wood for 5 minutes is not free. It's labor intensive and I would rather watch cars go by on my porch than gather or chop wood. Worth $6 to not bother thinking about wood chopping.. lol


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## wbf610

Rings Я Us said:


> Cutting wood for 5 minutes is not free. It's labor intensive and I would rather watch cars go by on my porch than gather or chop wood. Worth $6 to not bother thinking about wood chopping.. lol



I’ll have maybe $10 in gas for the truck, another $5 for the saw.  It is work, but I won’t put a cost on my time since he needs help doing it, and the exercise isn’t going to hurt, I need it.  I like cutting wood.  In the end, I’ll get a few hundred $ worth of chunks, or more.  I have plenty of dry storage as well.


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## Rings Я Us

Lol..  I don't know.. I use 30 lbs a year maybe. It's all good. Just not my idea of fun. I have no place to store it either.. no saw.. no hatchet. No chainsaw.. no lust for free wood.


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## wbf610

Rings Я Us said:


> Lol..  I don't know.. I use 30 lbs a year maybe. It's all good. Just not my idea of fun. I have no place to store it either.. no saw.. no hatchet. No chainsaw.. no lust for free wood.


No saw, that’s goes against some man law I think.  Lol.  No lust for free wood, just taking some since it’s available, and helping a friend out.


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## Rings Я Us

Good deal.. I'm just being a dillweed. Lol

Have fun.. enjoy.


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## wbf610

Rings Я Us said:


> Good deal.. I'm just being a dillweed. Lol
> 
> Have fun.. enjoy.


Cheers!


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## Rings Я Us

;)


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## mcokevin

Of all the questions that could start a debate, I did not think this would be one of them!


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## motocrash

mcokevin said:


> Of all the questions that could start a debate, I did not think this would be one of them!


This one always "opens a can"
The main thing is work smarter,not harder in processing.That's why I cut to length and split to size initially so it will season/dry faster and also use natural bar oil since I save the dust.


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## Rings Я Us

I say my time is worth $20 an hour. If I used 10 hours finding, transporting , cutting and putting away piles of wood chunks to fit in my $29.00 smoker, that's $200 to me doing some work. After I worked 45 hrs.
I can buy 30 bags of any type wood chunks for that $200 time investment. That's like 5 years worth of chunks to use up. 
It's not going to break the bank for me to use $6 or $7  six  times a year. 
 I think that if people enjoy cutting wood and they have the tools and spare time to do it, that's great..   I can just think of 500 other things that are much easier or fun to me than chopping up wood for wood chunks.
It's to easy for me to reach out and grab a bag or 5 and toss it in the cart like if it were a can of beans. Lol
If I used 500 lbs of wood a year for my smoker I would try and find it free and cut it.


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## gmc2003

I don't know, being outside with the smoker or kettle going listening to a ballgame on the radio with the pooch at my side trimming up a few tree limbs I find very relaxing. In my case no traveling is required as my neighbors have apple trees and I have maples on my property. Bonus, I can take a dip in the pool afterwards.

Chris


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## mcokevin

I'm certainly not going to go out and cut my own smoke wood all the time.  This was a case where two trees were available and being cut down anyway, so I asked for some pieces to be saved. 

I wouldn't want to do it all the time, but I don't mind the manual labor now and then.  I have a job that is either in the office or sitting on airplanes traveling from place to place, so it's nice to use my hands for stuff around the house.


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## johnh12

Rings Я Us said:


> Cutting wood for 5 minutes is not free. It's labor intensive and I would rather watch cars go by on my porch than gather or chop wood. Worth $6 to not bother thinking about wood chopping.. lol


Yes but the wife can't talk to you when you're wearing ear protection and running the chainsaw! ;)


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## SonnyE

I spent more than 20 years heating with wood.
The saying, "Cut your own wood and it warms you twice." That is BS!
It warms you *6 TIMES*, or more.
1. You cut it.
2. You load it.
3. You unload it.
4. You split it, work it down.
5. Stack it, store it.
6. Bring it in, and eventually it warms your butt.

I'm glad to use Pellets or Pucks now. Oh, and Natural gas.
Shoot, I can warm our bottoms from my danged phone.

I should probably sell my chainsaw and Power pruner now that we are tree less....

Hey Johnny, I got a 20 pound bag of Hickory Pellets at Walmart for $10.95 last September. Golll-y. :rolleyes:


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## SonnyE

johnh12 said:


> Yes but the wife can't talk to you when you're wearing ear protection and running the chainsaw! ;)



My wife got an abstract lesson. She came out chatting about something when I was doing some test cuts on my table saw.
I shut it off, but as it was spinning down, a small piece was dancing slowly toward the slowing blade. I reached down and flicked it away....
But my pinky extended and the blade was _almost_ at a standstill. Cha-ching! Got a little nibble on the side.
All she saw was something fly away that looked whiteish, me yank my hand back, and blood.
She bout fainted, she thought the little piece of wood was my finger. :eek:

She use to come home from work and check the bathroom trash. If there was bloody tissues in it she'd come right out and ask what I cut this time.
When anybody came over, if I was in my shop, she made them wait while she stood at the door until I stopped, and any machine was stopped, before she'd tell me somebody was there. She wouldn't let anybody distract me.

Until she learns, don't get distracted. ;)
Work Safe! Oh, and still got all ten. :D


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## Bearcarver

SonnyE said:


> My wife got an abstract lesson. She came out chatting about something when I was doing some test cuts on my table saw.
> I shut it off, but as it was spinning down, a small piece was dancing slowly toward the slowing blade. I reached down and flicked it away....
> But my pinky extended and the blade was _almost_ at a standstill. Cha-ching! Got a little nibble on the side.
> All she saw was something fly away that looked whiteish, me yank my hand back, and blood.
> She bout fainted, she thought the little piece of wood was my finger. :eek:
> 
> She use to come home from work and check the bathroom trash. If there was bloody tissues in it she'd come right out and ask what I cut this time.
> When anybody came over, if I was in my shop, she made them wait while she stood at the door until I stopped, and any machine was stopped, before she'd tell me somebody was there. She wouldn't let anybody distract me.
> 
> Until she learns, don't get distracted. ;)
> Work Safe! Oh, and still got all ten. :D




Sonny,
Your Wife plays it smart. I worked with wood all my life & 20+ years in a Cabinet shop, and years of Chainsaw carving.
It's not a good idea to startle someone running a Table Saw or Shaper, Etc.
I've felt the wind from the saw blade, on the hair on the back of my fingers a few times, but I still have all 10 fingers too.


*And to those cutting Smoking Wood:*
If you use a chainsaw, and I've used a few for long times, I think the best thing to do is to drain your Bar & Chain oil reservoir, and fill it with "Cooking Oil".
It won't hurt your saw, and it won't hurt your Smoked Meat.

Bear


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## SonnyE

bearcarver said:


> Sonny,
> Your Wife plays it smart. I worked with wood all my life & 20+ years in a Cabinet shop, and years of Chainsaw carving.
> It's not a good idea to startle someone running a Table Saw or Shaper, Etc.
> I've felt the wind from the saw blade, on the hair on the back of my fingers a few times, but I still have all 10 fingers too.
> 
> Bear



Glad to hear you worked safe all those years, Bear, and have all 10 still.
But don't stop being careful. ;)
I think a successful life is getting all of yourself in the exit box.

I'd be more likely to use my 18" (Oil-less) Jet band-saw, than Mama's salad oil in my chainsaw. But that's just me.


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## Bearcarver

SonnyE said:


> Glad to hear you worked safe all those years, Bear, and have all 10 still.
> But don't stop being careful. ;)
> I think a successful life is getting all of yourself in the exit box.
> 
> I'd be more likely to use my 18" (Oil-less) Jet band-saw, than Mama's salad oil in my chainsaw. But that's just me.




LOL---Yup, That'll work too, if you have one!!
I got some Chainsaw carving Buddies who do more of it than I did, and they sometimes cut in certain areas on State Parks.
They are told to do the Cooking Oil routine on those lands.

Bear


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## SonnyE

I do. The whole shop is out there. But the back can't do the work any longer.

Very interesting about the State Parks.
Say, when the chain heats up, does the woods smell like French Fries?
Inquiring minds want to know. LOL!


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## Bearcarver

SonnyE said:


> I do. The whole shop is out there. But the back can't do the work any longer.
> 
> Very interesting about the State Parks.
> Say, when the chain heats up, does the woods smell like French Fries?
> Inquiring minds want to know. LOL!




I don't know---I never went to the Parks with them.:D
I sold all my Big stuff when I closed my Cabinet shop, except I gave my Son the Table Saw & Beisemeyer, Band Saw, Dust collector, Binks Spray System, and many power & Air Tools. He has the Chainsaws too, as I had to quit everything.
Don't know if you saw this:
*A Bear from Log to Finish*


Bear


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## SonnyE

Yes Sir I did, and I enjoyed it immensely. You uncovered a true vain of creativity in yourself.
Pretty wonderful.

I'm just a very advanced DIY'er. Made my own custom moldings as well. It was fun.
Mostly made what I needed for remodeling. I had as much fun figuring things out as I did with the finished project.

But livin on the outskirts of city, it's just too easy to buy Plastic Wrapped wood to smoke my Plastic Wrapped fish. :D
If I lived with the Daughter and SIL on their wooded 5 acres in Washington State, shucks, I'd stumble around and collect wind fall branches, like they do for smoker fuel.


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## bbqsmokee

Large log absorbs more heat than a smaller piece and thus it takes longer to reach ignition temperature.


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