UA-cam’s algorithm recommended this video. There was something about this video that seemed familiar, so I went to find the book I read last year! The Wood Fire Handbook! It’s great to put a face to the author. Glad to have found your channel
I found the first chapter of Walden a bit heavy, but after that it is great - and he'd be pleased that over 150 years later, very many of us still agree with him!
What a wonderful video Vice, thank you. I burn mostly ash and oak here in Michigan. And i often find i have to cut the logs down to a smaller size, that i get delivered. I have 4 log stands. 2 that are for seasoning the wood, 1 ready to burn that i keep near the house,and the other is for pine for the fire pit for outside fires.
Well said, Vince. I’m following this rule of thumb. This year I have put in a lot of work to try and get our wood ready for winter, next year. I am on the Southern Hemisphere, Australian and as you do, I love my wood heater. Thanks for sharing your great video.
Yes that would work too. I do find it quick after felling a tree to run the saw along two sides from about 5 inch diameter down. But the brush factory I got the idea from used three knives to put cracks in the bark as you suggest. All best. Vince
Thanks vince for another great video, I’ve recently started chopping my own wood with an axe after watching your video on it I can’t believe how enjoyable it is lol I love it . More videos please 🙏🏻
One of the simplest and excellent videos. I did not know the girdling of the log length wise would help the drying process for rounds. Been burning in my wood stove for years and this is the first I’ve heard of this technique. Excellent video. I also split my oak in 2” plank forms to dry it quicker. Elm is a pain to split with my 25 ton splitter, don’t get it much. Always wondered about the dry time.
I agree, as I had not seen ripping the bark lengthwise as a technique until I was visiting England's last brush handle factory in the 1990s. They needed even seasoning of long poles of 6" to 10" diameter. So the bark was left on, but ripped three times evenly around the pole. It struck me then as quicker and easier than splitting small roundwood firewood logs, and speeding up the drying time. The elm I get might be a bit unusual - it is slow grown in hedges and seems very dense. All best. Vince
As a kid we always cut dead elm. Now I know why. My splitter almost quit trying to split a 10" block with no knots. I turned it , flipped it multiple ways. It would not split. I've got a saw mill now and thats how I'll split my green elm, lol.
For the Aussie hardwoods i burn, 3 summers, split straight away and stacked in a woodshed. Some argue that outside in the rain and weather seasons the wood quicker. I believe its local climate dependant. My wood wont season and just rot/decay if left in the rain. Thanks for the video and great looking stacks👍
@@WoodFiresWithVince that is a great mindset. Some time ago I found your channel and about the same time my neighbor which is above 80 years old needed a help with splitting wood - I really enjoying it:-) I even bought my own splitting axe. Will ask my wife to buy my your book for xmass:-) All the best.
Good list of "well, it depends on..." s. Imo, the 2 year rule comes into play from folks who A) like BIG horkin' chunks- like 4-6" thick, and B) dry outside in stacks, where the wood is exposed to rain. Most important: GET IT OFF THE GROUND!!! Oak, especially- that wood is like a sponge, and will soak up groundwater until it's even wetter than it was green... The best advice, is plan ahead. Start cutting next year's (or better yet, the year after that) now. There really is no substitute for time. Personally, My all around favorites for burning are: Ash; Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch, Hickory, and Honey Locust. Close behind are oak, beech, and Norway Maple (a decent substitute for sugar) Pine, white birch, yellow poplar, and soft maple for campfires. Cherry and Apple for grilling. That's what's readily available to me, either free or from sellers. I cook with wood, and burn recreationally rather than heat. I'd love a woodstove, but don't have one...
I agree totally. If you want big chunks, store it for years - but beginners often get the idea that all firewood takes that long. Rain off and air through, and as you say, particularly underneath. Great woods you have in your area. Thanks for your thoughts.
@@timgiles9413 Hi Tim, That is a big question! When I was writing, The Wood Fire Handbook, I relied heavily on American research as good UK/European can be a bit scarce. I can't find the US products summary of best to worst firewoods - but this link seems pretty good. www.almanac.com/content/best-firewood-heat-values-wood-burning-tips . . . it's not come into this reply as a hot link, sorry!
Very interesting on the splitting size and dry time of oak. Next winter will be my first time burning it, if it measures 20% or lower. I'm liking the idea of smaller splits for drying but also fitting the maximum amount of wood in the woodstove for longer burn times. Here in Oregon I mainly burn alder, Douglas fir, and hemlock. Looking forward to burning red oak and maple the next few winters.. Also interested to see how much better old growth Douglas fir with thick bark burns/heats!
I have always understood that, pound for pound, bark has more heat energy than the wood itself. Your red oak should dry a little quicker than the English oak I am splitting and stacking - but the rule 'splitting smaller speeds drying' still applies of course. Good luck with it all. Vince
I dropped an elm last autumn and yesterday tried to split it with my Fiskars axe. The axe either bounced off or got stuck. I've never known anything like it. Just bought a maul online, but I may have to cut the logs even smaller. Tough stuff.
I had the same - cut some elm to about 10 inches, my Fiskars X27 wouldn't even touch it. So I halved the logs to about 5 inches and it still wouldn't split them. The best I could do was to 'peel' them smaller by taking chunks from around the outside. Amazing wood. All best Vince
I paint the ends and split it, to relieve the radial versus tangential stress in shrinkage. Leaving the bark on a split piece is okay, but not splitting it is risky.
Fantastic channel and great advice! I would be interested to know how you rate seasoning firewood out in the open (uncovered) compared to the more traditional (in the UK) covered stacks. It seems to be far more common on the continent and elsewhere to just stack firewood out in the open and fully exposed to the elements so why wouldn't it work in the UK, is our climate too damp? I am considering trying it but being in Yorkshire I am a little sceptical😂
Morning Jon, yes I have noticed in France, Greece and central Europe that split firewood can be left out, often still in the woodland between trees. But, we don't have their summer - not yet anyway. So I would always leave the sides completely open, but put a basic roof on, which does need to be slightly above the logs for airflow. I would stay with the rule, air through- rain off. All best. Vince
We dry split Douglas fir and maple in 4 foot rows cross wind to the low RH summer winds. Piles like yours would take more than 2 years to dry to less than 20 % moisture. I'm 84 years old and. getting impatient by the day in our marine climate
Interesting - we can only work with what we have. I have friends living on a mountain in south west Scotland, where the climate so damp and the summer so short, drying logs to a state where they will readily burn is nearly impossible some years. What are RH summer winds?
A good middling firewood, nice and clean and should dry out fairly quickly. My main logs have been sycamore for the last month - mixed with a little oak. All best. Vince
After this conversation I will try and look up the relative density of the English oak and the American oaks - this is why I enjoy living with woodfires, you never stop learning!
Great stuff. I find that myboak split at about 5" or smaller dries in less than a year. I do have Great drying conditions though. I also find smaller splits burn better and give me norw heat than large smoldering chuncks
Agreed - I once visited a really old person who had always used and cooked on a wood-fired range. It was interesting that all of the wood she used was split to no more than about 3 inches. She said it burned better and gave a more even heat than bigger logs. Vince
Nice to see some of the myths gently busted. I like your birch wood too. I like to burn birch, but for the last 5 years I have burned almost entirely hazel as I'm involved with restoring 50+ year derelict hazel coppice in an ancient woodland with a huge (sika and roe) deer population. 'Cos I'm keen on woodland ecology and I have no central heating. Hazel is under-regarded as fuelwood, possibly because it is rare in big lumps. The stuff I'm cutting is rarely bigger than 8" diameter and 20 to 30' of usable length. Some of the stools are huge. I knock it over before the end of March (with a following wind) and cut into 5's and stack in a cord under the eaves of the wood where it's breezy. Biggest diameter bits get striped, usually once. End of the summer before the weather breaks (that's the plan) it gets transported home and logged in a brake, 10 or so lengths at a time. Only the very biggest bits get split once. Tops get turned into dead hedges to keep Bambi from the regrowth with directional felling to reduce moving the tops as much as possible. Tenax Dorset gates allow access. Cut logs are stacked in a wooden store with 1-way vapour barrier in the walls and open-fronted with overhang and gutter to the north. By November, it's ready to burn and burns hot and clean. A dense wood, the log lengths are clean and pale with no checking and rare shrinkage cracks, except on the cord length ends. Bark is usually tight. If I can't get it extracted (I miss the weather window) it sits in the cord until the next summer, by which time it is just starting to spalt. If you're interested in what I'm doing, this link will get you to a vid: ua-cam.com/video/LnXjrqp3x5Y/v-deo.html If you think putting a link to one of my posts is taking a liberty, knock this comment off. Thanks for posting and I look forward to viewing more of your stuff.
This all sounds really interesting - what a lovely place to work. I have seen dead hedges fail to keep deer out many times, but usually it is the Muntjac that get in first. I get the feeling you will not let yours fail! I am starting to cut my firewood for next winter tomorrow, before the sap rises, I am going to do a lot more chain saw 'stripes' to save splitting the smaller logs from now on. And your link is welcome. All best Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Thanks, Vince. I have also seen dead hedges fail and a lot of effort put in trying to 'protect' individual stools with brash. Usually a waste of time, although several 'woodland managers' have said that as long as the stools get away eventually, a bit of deer damage doesn't matter from a nature conservation point of view... Yes, the wood is lovely. There's traffic noise, but when I'm up there it is very rare to see anyone else and the ground flora is very good especially where the deer can't get. Sika will graze just as much as browse.... Good luck with the firewood cutting. Everything around here is running with water at the moment.
@@anemone104 Hello, I can't believe that the sap is up already! 16th Jan! Oh well, so be it. I have been a woodland manager and would offer one point - which I think you will already know. You mention in your video wanting the coppice to be commercial - to ensure its longevity as woodland. People whose opinion I trust have told me that commercial hazel needs to grow straight - if to be good for cleft hurdles and thatching spars, etc. So protecting the stools with brash, and any deer damage, may not matter from a conservation point of view - as some 'managers' have told you, but matters hugely when people come to cut and use the rods . . . I think you probably know this, but thought worth a mention if for nothing else than to reinforce your opinion! Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Thanks for the reply - good to compare notes: One stool in the wood I work in showed risen sap on the 6th of Jan. And around a big oak standard and under the leaf litter bluebells were starting to poke their heads up. A bit disquieting. I totally agree about 'commercial' hazel coppice - to be viable commercially, hazel must be straight, the right diameter and there must be sufficient density (kind of follows), which is why I have been trying to layer in new hazels. Alas, even given the 'holy grail' of grade 1 coppice, it is difficult to make a living wage. Given sub-optimal form and density of stems, things get more difficult. Alas, in my experience the need to manage hazel for quality and density of standing crop is often disregarded as being 'too difficult' or 'not worth it'.
I do a bit of camping in the summer and like to stock up on my firewood for my trips away. I do chop the wood up into similar piece's you have . I store them in the garage, is that okay to do ?
The big thing is to have some airflow, particularly if the wood is damp when first stored. I would say only gather dry wood or store it under cover outside until it is dry - and then it is fine to store in a dry garage for as long as you like. There is the consideration of bringing insects into your garage. I find elm to be so full of woodworm I do not bring it to the house until I am going to burn it. Also of course, firewood for camping does not need to be as dry as 'house wood' as there is no issue with damaging a chimney or flue. Enjoy your trips away - all best wishes. Vince
That is a fairly difficult thing to do, I am thinking to make a video on log identification one day. But the most important thing is that a log is as dry as you can get it, whatever the species. All best wishes, Vince
Interesting point. I think what is happening here is that big old fully grown elm are exactly as you describe - but we hardly get them in England any more after Dutch Elm disease. And the western Wych elm is less dense. But the English elm suckers that grow in hedgerows, and then die when about 4 to 5 inch diameter, I find are very dense and excellent firewood. All best. Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Interesting point. I have lots of elm and I hate splitting it with my axe or with a gas powered splitter! Miserable work when they are 14" plus rounds.
Large wood lasts longer all that little stuff you have burns very quickly if yo need your home 80 F and hotter theres something wrong with you? 12 " and up sugar maple / oak off the stump in summer is DRY for the the winter AFTER it gets to 40 F below here burn little stuff like that you will be up 4 times a night sleeping at 60 /65 F is common sense if your wood heater wont keep youwarm yiu need a bigger heater/ better insulation/ common sense people selling firewood dont want you to use LESS wood lol
It is interesting and perhaps the most important thing that we all need to find what suits our own home and climate. I have gone for massive insulation and small fires and it's good to hear that you too have a system that works for you. All best, Vince
white oak, red oak and hickory i have in abundance in se usa where i live. i never want to go into winter without poplar for starting my fires however. 32 years now weve heated with only wood. i love it
Now poplar is a wood I hardly know. I do know the old rhyme is wrong saying it has a bitter smoke - it does not! We don't get hickory in England, a pity.
Hi David, In the UK it is a bit complicated as it depends on whether the land or trees is/are designated, how much you want to fell and what it is for - own use or sale. The best thing would be to talk to the Government's forestry department and get local guidance. Hope it works out ok. All best. Vince
South Mississippi here. I split my wood almost to toothpick size. My Buck heater just performs so much better. I don’t mind having to reload a bit more often. Ive learned too to harvest my trees in the dead of winter. Regardless of species, there’s less sap. Seasons better. Awesome video!!
Hi Roger, many thanks. It is a simple truth to split smaller and dry quicker, I know some people don't need that. And the sap thing is like folk-lore here in England. We say, 'cut when the sap is down' - Although there is some research that shows it doesn't matter!? All best, Vince
Absolutely right! The wood shed is a larder for you to collect the right logs for what you are wanting your fire to do. Many years ago I saved a big chunk of 'fatwood' Scots pine as my Yule log. It burnt so fiercely in the open fire on Christmas morning that the family had to leave the room - not my finest moment of fire-craft! Merry Christmas. Vince
You forgot one important factor... the SIZE of your wood stove. My wood stove takes 2ft. logs... that's 24 inches. If I burned small crap like yours it would burn up in less than 2 hours With big logs It can burn 4-5 hours, and the stored heat in my house lasts another 2-3 hours.
The principals of drying are the same, and dry logs are more efficient - even with the big crap! All you say is fine and true, the logs will just take longer to season.
@@WoodFiresWithVince Wrong: That's because I can store my entire years supply of firewood in the room where my woodstove is. I like to call it the furnace room. The wood stove acts as a kiln and dries out the wood in no time while at the same time humidifying the rest of my 2-story house.
You seem very knowledgable vince. Appreciate the video. I have a load of larch rounds that I now know I have stacked poorly. Need to have a reshuffle. Appreciate the tips and info. 👌🏼
You are very welcome - there is always something new to learn with woodfires, and that's part of the fun. Larch is one of the best softwoods, I would split it fairly small to get it as dry as you can - I burned a lot of European larch last winter, spits a bit but is a good firewood.
Now that is a lovely firewood - some species are cross grained and can get difficult to split when dry. So, if it is not split now, I would get the axe out soon! Thanks for your comment. Vince
Hi, it is a concrete base - then a pallet under and behind the wood-stack. I have had an earth base in the past and it dried out fine. But I did have a shallow cut-off drain to stop any water. All best. Vince
I'd never even thought about splitting logs into square or rectangular shapes. I had some what I think is Western Hemlock, cut down in the back garden, so I'm going to use the square method when I split that. Cheers!
It's a lot of work but if the bark is removed altogether, the wood dries much faster. Smash the bark with the back of the axe or maybe use a small jack hammer with a compacting foot on it. The wood also burns better without bark on it.
Agreed - but that is a lot of work! There is also the subtlety that the bark generally has slightly more heat energy than pure wood, - weight for weight. And against that the bark creates far more wood ash, weight for weight. But as you suggest, drying the logs is king and anything to get wood to dry well and quickly is helpful. Thanks for you thoughts. All best, Vince
Thanks for another fabulous video. Brilliant to see over 1000 subscribers. I have been trying to get people to sub since I found you at about 980. Great content and relaxing.
My pet peeve is when people spread the idea that you should leave it out in a pile in the weather, so it turns darker and looks old. I know that you can dry wood and still have it look like lumber, without all the oxidation and small splits and fungus. Dry is dry, it doesn't help to expose it to the weather out in a field. I think this is a story that firewood processors use to explain why they have a mountain of wood out in the snow, but it's because they didn't have the energy to split and stack it in time.
15 seconds into the video and it was apparent it's just another waste of time. Why do folks on UA-cam portend they are the next widescreen Hollywood producer. Just present the process. Takes 3-4 minutes.
The world needs more people like you making more content like this.
Thank you, have a good winter!
Thanks for sharing, especially the comments about beech and making oak smaller to dry out earlier than a year.
Thanks - I have been out today getting beech branches, 2" - 3" diameter and burn a treat. Have a good winter, all best, Vince
UA-cam’s algorithm recommended this video. There was something about this video that seemed familiar, so I went to find the book I read last year!
The Wood Fire Handbook! It’s great to put a face to the author.
Glad to have found your channel
Thank you - I hope there were some bits in the book that were helpful!? All best wishes, Vince
What calm, soothing delivery. I can listen to you all day. Great content! Thanks .
Thank you - I think woodlands, logs and wood fires make us calm! All best wishes, Vince
Hi Vince! I have your book, but these videos are great to watch and good reminders. I think I'll put that Thoreau quote on a sign for the woodshed.
I found the first chapter of Walden a bit heavy, but after that it is great - and he'd be pleased that over 150 years later, very many of us still agree with him!
I am a long time wood burner and firewood enthusiast. Great video sir. ❤
Thank you, it seems there are a lot of us out there - nice that UA-cam allows us to meet and share ideas. All best, Vince
Inspired by your video I ran my chainsaw along some small diameter oak logs, and then cross cut. Thank you for sharing your skills and experience.
It is a neat trick to help with drying smaller diameter logs, glad you found it helpful. All best, Vince
What a wonderful video Vice, thank you. I burn mostly ash and oak here in Michigan. And i often find i have to cut the logs down to a smaller size, that i get delivered. I have 4 log stands. 2 that are for seasoning the wood, 1 ready to burn that i keep near the house,and the other is for pine for the fire pit for outside fires.
Thanks Mike, smaller logs dry more quickly, a good thing to know - ash and oak, a nice mix and keep your pine for outside. Have a good summer. Vince
Well said, Vince. I’m following this rule of thumb. This year I have put in a lot of work to try and get our wood ready for winter, next year. I am on the Southern Hemisphere, Australian and as you do, I love my wood heater. Thanks for sharing your great video.
Hi Wayne, drying correctly is so important. Whereabouts in Australia are you? I have been to Victoria a few times, absolutely loved it. Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Hi Vince, I’m in Tasmania. Another beautiful state as well. I’m so glad you like Victoria. Wayne
Passionate about wood burning. Great to see
Great video Vince, you are the fire wood king. Keep them coming.
I love everything about wood fires and I am glad that there are many of us!
Very informative. Looking forward to the next in your series.
Thank you - I have more ideas than I have the time to make them - but I will try!
So glad to see new videos in your channel. Thank you so much for the content (and your book)!
Glad you liked the book, thank you.
Thank you for another excellent video. As usual, calming and informative.
Thank you ! Enjoyed the video 👍🏻👋🏻
Yes it was fun - the wasp was worrying! I got stung on the nose a few weeks ago, so am a bit careful now.
Alternatively to running your saw along the birch bark you can take your axe or hatchet to put a few cracks in it without splitting through.
Yes that would work too. I do find it quick after felling a tree to run the saw along two sides from about 5 inch diameter down. But the brush factory I got the idea from used three knives to put cracks in the bark as you suggest. All best. Vince
Thanks for this video and passing on your knowledge. This is a wonderful complement to your book. Looking forward to the next in the series.
I really enjoy making the videos - all a bit amateur I know, but fun and hopefully of some help.
Thanks vince for another great video, I’ve recently started chopping my own wood with an axe after watching your video on it I can’t believe how enjoyable it is lol
I love it . More videos please 🙏🏻
Even Einstein loved chopping firewood!
The best trick to seasoning firewood is get three years ahead, that's what i do .
That is the 'Holy Grail' - but only for those with the space to store it all! All best. Vince
One of the simplest and excellent videos. I did not know the girdling of the log length wise would help the drying process for rounds. Been burning in my wood stove for years and this is the first I’ve heard of this technique. Excellent video. I also split my oak in 2” plank forms to dry it quicker. Elm is a pain to split with my 25 ton splitter, don’t get it much. Always wondered about the dry time.
I agree, as I had not seen ripping the bark lengthwise as a technique until I was visiting England's last brush handle factory in the 1990s. They needed even seasoning of long poles of 6" to 10" diameter. So the bark was left on, but ripped three times evenly around the pole. It struck me then as quicker and easier than splitting small roundwood firewood logs, and speeding up the drying time. The elm I get might be a bit unusual - it is slow grown in hedges and seems very dense. All best. Vince
As a kid we always cut dead elm. Now I know why. My splitter almost quit trying to split a 10" block with no knots. I turned it , flipped it multiple ways. It would not split. I've got a saw mill now and thats how I'll split my green elm, lol.
This was a brilliant video to watch thanks for posting
You are very welcome - it is such an important subject.
Great video. You have a very good teaching style.
Thank you - it is a really important subject. All best, Vince
For the Aussie hardwoods i burn, 3 summers, split straight away and stacked in a woodshed. Some argue that outside in the rain and weather seasons the wood quicker. I believe its local climate dependant. My wood wont season and just rot/decay if left in the rain. Thanks for the video and great looking stacks👍
Thanks, and I totally agree - learn what works in your own area. Generally rain off, wind through is a good recipe. Big thing is to enjoy it all!
great video, thanks for shearing all your knowledge.
You are welcome - after all, it was other people shared their knowledge with me all my life!
@@WoodFiresWithVince that is a great mindset. Some time ago I found your channel and about the same time my neighbor which is above 80 years old needed a help with splitting wood - I really enjoying it:-) I even bought my own splitting axe. Will ask my wife to buy my your book for xmass:-) All the best.
Good list of "well, it depends on..." s. Imo, the 2 year rule comes into play from folks who A) like BIG horkin' chunks- like 4-6" thick, and B) dry outside in stacks, where the wood is exposed to rain.
Most important: GET IT OFF THE GROUND!!! Oak, especially- that wood is like a sponge, and will soak up groundwater until it's even wetter than it was green...
The best advice, is plan ahead. Start cutting next year's (or better yet, the year after that) now. There really is no substitute for time.
Personally, My all around favorites for burning are: Ash; Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch, Hickory, and Honey Locust. Close behind are oak, beech, and Norway Maple (a decent substitute for sugar) Pine, white birch, yellow poplar, and soft maple for campfires. Cherry and Apple for grilling. That's what's readily available to me, either free or from sellers. I cook with wood, and burn recreationally rather than heat. I'd love a woodstove, but don't have one...
I agree totally. If you want big chunks, store it for years - but beginners often get the idea that all firewood takes that long. Rain off and air through, and as you say, particularly underneath. Great woods you have in your area. Thanks for your thoughts.
In Ohio USA we have great wood to choose from.
Can you make me a list of the best to worst wood to use in my non-catalytic wood stove? Thanks
@@timgiles9413 Hi Tim, That is a big question! When I was writing, The Wood Fire Handbook, I relied heavily on American research as good UK/European can be a bit scarce. I can't find the US products summary of best to worst firewoods - but this link seems pretty good. www.almanac.com/content/best-firewood-heat-values-wood-burning-tips . . . it's not come into this reply as a hot link, sorry!
Thank you for your list :)
@@WoodFiresWithVince Thank you :)
Thanks, Great advice! New subscriber!
Thanks Philip, have a good winter.
Very interesting on the splitting size and dry time of oak. Next winter will be my first time burning it, if it measures 20% or lower. I'm liking the idea of smaller splits for drying but also fitting the maximum amount of wood in the woodstove for longer burn times. Here in Oregon I mainly burn alder, Douglas fir, and hemlock. Looking forward to burning red oak and maple the next few winters.. Also interested to see how much better old growth Douglas fir with thick bark burns/heats!
I have always understood that, pound for pound, bark has more heat energy than the wood itself. Your red oak should dry a little quicker than the English oak I am splitting and stacking - but the rule 'splitting smaller speeds drying' still applies of course. Good luck with it all. Vince
I dropped an elm last autumn and yesterday tried to split it with my Fiskars axe. The axe either bounced off or got stuck. I've never known anything like it. Just bought a maul online, but I may have to cut the logs even smaller. Tough stuff.
I had the same - cut some elm to about 10 inches, my Fiskars X27 wouldn't even touch it. So I halved the logs to about 5 inches and it still wouldn't split them. The best I could do was to 'peel' them smaller by taking chunks from around the outside. Amazing wood. All best Vince
For drying tool handle lumber I leave the bark on so it slows drying and helps prevent cracking. Bark definitely keeps some moisture in.
I paint the ends and split it, to relieve the radial versus tangential stress in shrinkage.
Leaving the bark on a split piece is okay, but not splitting it is risky.
Wonderful. Thanks
Fantastic channel and great advice! I would be interested to know how you rate seasoning firewood out in the open (uncovered) compared to the more traditional (in the UK) covered stacks. It seems to be far more common on the continent and elsewhere to just stack firewood out in the open and fully exposed to the elements so why wouldn't it work in the UK, is our climate too damp? I am considering trying it but being in Yorkshire I am a little sceptical😂
Morning Jon, yes I have noticed in France, Greece and central Europe that split firewood can be left out, often still in the woodland between trees. But, we don't have their summer - not yet anyway. So I would always leave the sides completely open, but put a basic roof on, which does need to be slightly above the logs for airflow. I would stay with the rule, air through- rain off. All best. Vince
We dry split Douglas fir and maple in 4 foot rows cross wind to the low RH summer winds. Piles like yours would take more than 2 years to dry to less than 20 % moisture. I'm 84 years old and. getting impatient by the day in our marine climate
Interesting - we can only work with what we have. I have friends living on a mountain in south west Scotland, where the climate so damp and the summer so short, drying logs to a state where they will readily burn is nearly impossible some years. What are RH summer winds?
My man loves his wood like I love my burgers.
Thanks Cesar, I do love a wood-fire cooked burger too!
Any idea on Sycamore. Just had tree felled and is now axed up. Great content. Thanks.
A good middling firewood, nice and clean and should dry out fairly quickly. My main logs have been sycamore for the last month - mixed with a little oak. All best. Vince
Thanks so much, really appreciate your quick answer.
The air is drier in CA. I would say oak seasons at an inch a MONTH, not a year
That may well be true, partly the air as you say, and partly the species of oak you have in CA
@@WoodFiresWithVince mostly Live Oak in my area 😉
After this conversation I will try and look up the relative density of the English oak and the American oaks - this is why I enjoy living with woodfires, you never stop learning!
Great stuff. I find that myboak split at about 5" or smaller dries in less than a year. I do have Great drying conditions though. I also find smaller splits burn better and give me norw heat than large smoldering chuncks
Agreed - I once visited a really old person who had always used and cooked on a wood-fired range. It was interesting that all of the wood she used was split to no more than about 3 inches. She said it burned better and gave a more even heat than bigger logs. Vince
The same maple log size as your elm log will burn twice as long and will produce twice as much heat. But you have to dry it for 20+ months.
I wish I had your maple around here then - sounds excellent.
Nice to see some of the myths gently busted. I like your birch wood too. I like to burn birch, but for the last 5 years I have burned almost entirely hazel as I'm involved with restoring 50+ year derelict hazel coppice in an ancient woodland with a huge (sika and roe) deer population. 'Cos I'm keen on woodland ecology and I have no central heating.
Hazel is under-regarded as fuelwood, possibly because it is rare in big lumps. The stuff I'm cutting is rarely bigger than 8" diameter and 20 to 30' of usable length. Some of the stools are huge. I knock it over before the end of March (with a following wind) and cut into 5's and stack in a cord under the eaves of the wood where it's breezy. Biggest diameter bits get striped, usually once. End of the summer before the weather breaks (that's the plan) it gets transported home and logged in a brake, 10 or so lengths at a time. Only the very biggest bits get split once. Tops get turned into dead hedges to keep Bambi from the regrowth with directional felling to reduce moving the tops as much as possible. Tenax Dorset gates allow access.
Cut logs are stacked in a wooden store with 1-way vapour barrier in the walls and open-fronted with overhang and gutter to the north. By November, it's ready to burn and burns hot and clean. A dense wood, the log lengths are clean and pale with no checking and rare shrinkage cracks, except on the cord length ends. Bark is usually tight.
If I can't get it extracted (I miss the weather window) it sits in the cord until the next summer, by which time it is just starting to spalt.
If you're interested in what I'm doing, this link will get you to a vid: ua-cam.com/video/LnXjrqp3x5Y/v-deo.html If you think putting a link to one of my posts is taking a liberty, knock this comment off.
Thanks for posting and I look forward to viewing more of your stuff.
This all sounds really interesting - what a lovely place to work. I have seen dead hedges fail to keep deer out many times, but usually it is the Muntjac that get in first. I get the feeling you will not let yours fail! I am starting to cut my firewood for next winter tomorrow, before the sap rises, I am going to do a lot more chain saw 'stripes' to save splitting the smaller logs from now on. And your link is welcome. All best Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Thanks, Vince. I have also seen dead hedges fail and a lot of effort put in trying to 'protect' individual stools with brash. Usually a waste of time, although several 'woodland managers' have said that as long as the stools get away eventually, a bit of deer damage doesn't matter from a nature conservation point of view... Yes, the wood is lovely. There's traffic noise, but when I'm up there it is very rare to see anyone else and the ground flora is very good especially where the deer can't get. Sika will graze just as much as browse.... Good luck with the firewood cutting. Everything around here is running with water at the moment.
@@anemone104 Hello, I can't believe that the sap is up already! 16th Jan! Oh well, so be it. I have been a woodland manager and would offer one point - which I think you will already know. You mention in your video wanting the coppice to be commercial - to ensure its longevity as woodland. People whose opinion I trust have told me that commercial hazel needs to grow straight - if to be good for cleft hurdles and thatching spars, etc. So protecting the stools with brash, and any deer damage, may not matter from a conservation point of view - as some 'managers' have told you, but matters hugely when people come to cut and use the rods . . . I think you probably know this, but thought worth a mention if for nothing else than to reinforce your opinion! Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Thanks for the reply - good to compare notes: One stool in the wood I work in showed risen sap on the 6th of Jan. And around a big oak standard and under the leaf litter bluebells were starting to poke their heads up. A bit disquieting.
I totally agree about 'commercial' hazel coppice - to be viable commercially, hazel must be straight, the right diameter and there must be sufficient density (kind of follows), which is why I have been trying to layer in new hazels. Alas, even given the 'holy grail' of grade 1 coppice, it is difficult to make a living wage. Given sub-optimal form and density of stems, things get more difficult.
Alas, in my experience the need to manage hazel for quality and density of standing crop is often disregarded as being 'too difficult' or 'not worth it'.
@@anemone104 Sad, but true - good talking to you - I was very involved in all this back in the 1990s and really enjoyed it.
Great vid. Liked abs sub’d. Here in South Carolina
Thank you - have a great winter.
I do a bit of camping in the summer and like to stock up on my firewood for my trips away. I do chop the wood up into similar piece's you have . I store them in the garage, is that okay to do ?
The big thing is to have some airflow, particularly if the wood is damp when first stored. I would say only gather dry wood or store it under cover outside until it is dry - and then it is fine to store in a dry garage for as long as you like. There is the consideration of bringing insects into your garage. I find elm to be so full of woodworm I do not bring it to the house until I am going to burn it. Also of course, firewood for camping does not need to be as dry as 'house wood' as there is no issue with damaging a chimney or flue. Enjoy your trips away - all best wishes. Vince
How do I recognise the difference in species?? 👍
That is a fairly difficult thing to do, I am thinking to make a video on log identification one day. But the most important thing is that a log is as dry as you can get it, whatever the species. All best wishes, Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince thanks buddy 👍
try oak takes just as long to dry or try ash burns almost as long and dries fast usually 6 to 12 months
Do you have any advice on how to fire drywood?
Of course perhaps the first point is it matters hugely what the local climate is.
I never found Elm to burn very hot. Burns a long time, but not very hot. Most BTU ratings have it on the low end of hardwoods.
Interesting point. I think what is happening here is that big old fully grown elm are exactly as you describe - but we hardly get them in England any more after Dutch Elm disease. And the western Wych elm is less dense. But the English elm suckers that grow in hedgerows, and then die when about 4 to 5 inch diameter, I find are very dense and excellent firewood. All best. Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Interesting point. I have lots of elm and I hate splitting it with my axe or with a gas powered splitter! Miserable work when they are 14" plus rounds.
No Sugar Maple? I find it the best firewood.
Sadly Sugar Maple is virtually unknown in the UK. It was not planted in our woodland or forests, just an occasional tree in gardens and arboretums.
Can damp-rid dry firewood?
I don't know, dehumidifiers in a closed space certainly work.
I just bought a shed load of logs, they seem to be about 35%. Oh well.
Good luck getting the logs to a useable mc - split smaller, lots of airflow, etc . . . I hope they didn't tell you they were 'ready to burn'?
Use paper towels
Large wood lasts longer all that little stuff you have burns very quickly if yo need your home 80 F and hotter theres something wrong with you? 12 " and up sugar maple / oak off the stump in summer is DRY for the the winter AFTER it gets to 40 F below here burn little stuff like that you will be up 4 times a night sleeping at 60 /65 F is common sense if your wood heater wont keep youwarm yiu need a bigger heater/ better insulation/ common sense people selling firewood dont want you to use LESS wood lol
It is interesting and perhaps the most important thing that we all need to find what suits our own home and climate. I have gone for massive insulation and small fires and it's good to hear that you too have a system that works for you. All best, Vince
Sorry but that is a back log fml. Wtf 😂
I found a dead standing Elm a couple of years ago it was excellent to burn.
Great - I am not alone then in loving elm!
white oak, red oak and hickory i have in abundance in se usa where i live. i never want to go into winter without poplar for starting my fires however. 32 years now weve heated with only wood. i love it
Now poplar is a wood I hardly know. I do know the old rhyme is wrong saying it has a bitter smoke - it does not! We don't get hickory in England, a pity.
@@WoodFiresWithVince Poplar is a hardwood but on the low end of the btu scale.
Leaves lots of ash
I only use poplar for kindling, a little goes a long way
Hi Vince, great video. How do you fell the trees/what permissions do you need to do this? Thanks
Hi David, In the UK it is a bit complicated as it depends on whether the land or trees is/are designated, how much you want to fell and what it is for - own use or sale. The best thing would be to talk to the Government's forestry department and get local guidance. Hope it works out ok. All best. Vince
South Mississippi here. I split my wood almost to toothpick size. My Buck heater just performs so much better. I don’t mind having to reload a bit more often. Ive learned too to harvest my trees in the dead of winter. Regardless of species, there’s less sap. Seasons better. Awesome video!!
Hi Roger, many thanks. It is a simple truth to split smaller and dry quicker, I know some people don't need that. And the sap thing is like folk-lore here in England. We say, 'cut when the sap is down' - Although there is some research that shows it doesn't matter!? All best, Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVinceit doesn't matter because the sap doesn't go anywhere when it's cold, it just gets denser
Thank you
You are very welcome - it is such an interesting subject!
Your literally the best thing on UA-cam 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 keep up the good work 👍🏻
I have more ideas than time - I am pleased you find it all interesting. Vince
On the build up to Christmas holiday I was sorting out particular logs for the big day . Not everyone gets that way of thinking but I love it
Absolutely right! The wood shed is a larder for you to collect the right logs for what you are wanting your fire to do. Many years ago I saved a big chunk of 'fatwood' Scots pine as my Yule log. It burnt so fiercely in the open fire on Christmas morning that the family had to leave the room - not my finest moment of fire-craft! Merry Christmas. Vince
You forgot one important factor... the SIZE of your wood stove.
My wood stove takes 2ft. logs... that's 24 inches.
If I burned small crap like yours it would burn up in less than 2 hours
With big logs It can burn 4-5 hours, and the stored heat in my house lasts another
2-3 hours.
The principals of drying are the same, and dry logs are more efficient - even with the big crap! All you say is fine and true, the logs will just take longer to season.
@@WoodFiresWithVince
Wrong: That's because I can store my entire years supply of firewood in the room where my woodstove is.
I like to call it the furnace room. The wood stove acts as a kiln and dries out the wood in no time while at the same time humidifying the rest of my 2-story house.
@@indrekkpringi Good for you
You seem very knowledgable vince. Appreciate the video. I have a load of larch rounds that I now know I have stacked poorly. Need to have a reshuffle. Appreciate the tips and info. 👌🏼
You are very welcome - there is always something new to learn with woodfires, and that's part of the fun. Larch is one of the best softwoods, I would split it fairly small to get it as dry as you can - I burned a lot of European larch last winter, spits a bit but is a good firewood.
Love the videos , keep up the uploads, throughout the winter.
got some Eucalyptus that needs cutting and drying. Thanks for the help.
Now that is a lovely firewood - some species are cross grained and can get difficult to split when dry. So, if it is not split now, I would get the axe out soon! Thanks for your comment. Vince
Hi, perhaps I've just missed the info but what is the ground like in your shed?
Hi, it is a concrete base - then a pallet under and behind the wood-stack. I have had an earth base in the past and it dried out fine. But I did have a shallow cut-off drain to stop any water. All best. Vince
@@WoodFiresWithVince Good to know, thanks!
I'd never even thought about splitting logs into square or rectangular shapes. I had some what I think is Western Hemlock, cut down in the back garden, so I'm going to use the square method when I split that. Cheers!
Once you can be accurate with the splitting axe, it opens up new ideas for better woodstacks and drying - good luck with the W Hemlock.
@@WoodFiresWithVince Thanks very much! Have a great week!
Well done, look forward to the next upload👍
I am about to start on the Christmas trees, so it might be a while! But thanks for your comment.
It's a lot of work but if the bark is removed altogether, the wood dries much faster. Smash the bark with the back of the axe or maybe use a small jack hammer with a compacting foot on it. The wood also burns better without bark on it.
Agreed - but that is a lot of work! There is also the subtlety that the bark generally has slightly more heat energy than pure wood, - weight for weight. And against that the bark creates far more wood ash, weight for weight. But as you suggest, drying the logs is king and anything to get wood to dry well and quickly is helpful. Thanks for you thoughts. All best, Vince
Thanks for another fabulous video. Brilliant to see over 1000 subscribers. I have been trying to get people to sub since I found you at about 980. Great content and relaxing.
Thanks for helping - with threats of power outages this winter a wood fire is a real blessing.
My pet peeve is when people spread the idea that you should leave it out in a pile in the weather, so it turns darker and looks old.
I know that you can dry wood and still have it look like lumber, without all the oxidation and small splits and fungus.
Dry is dry, it doesn't help to expose it to the weather out in a field.
I think this is a story that firewood processors use to explain why they have a mountain of wood out in the snow, but it's because they didn't have the energy to split and stack it in time.
I agree - the key thing is rain off and air through, and the wood being properly dry is so very important.
Honestly brilliant video 👍🏻
15 seconds into the video and it was apparent it's just another waste of time. Why do folks on UA-cam portend they are the next widescreen Hollywood producer. Just present the process. Takes 3-4 minutes.
Really good video, very good information, thanks for taking the time to make this. And another subscriber!!🪵🔥
Thank you - I really do love all of this stuff and I am glad it shows and has some useful bits. All best, Vince