Softwood drying times

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

1 hour ago, difflock said:

This, heats this, the projecting garden Room, and the two open-plan rooms behind as well for 24 hrs, via this.

Bloody Brexit!

 

Bananas have gone to shit since the EU ‘bend’ was removed...

[Gav73]

Anyone got a recommendation for a decent wood grenade? 
 

Nope, I’ve had three different ones over the years, I bent one, broke one in half and the last one mushroomed so much it was almost flat.

It’s quicker and less hassle to cut the gnarly bits down with a chainsaw unless you have a decent splitter

[Gav73]

Just to add to the drying times - I have a lot of log stores dotted around and some season wood quicker than others depending on which way they face and the amount of wind they get. My best ones are at the top of my garden, get the sun all day long and are exposed to the maximum amount of wind. If I put softwood in them, it can season in as little as four months (depending on when it was felled and split).

So my suggestion would be to experiment a little on where to put your log stores.

[peds]

Fair enough, I'll just keep on with the current system. 

Have to say, I've never used one, I've only ever seen them at my neighbour's house, outside his woodshed, buried to the hilt in some gnarly chunk.

 

I'll continue to give them a miss. 

[Stere]

Quote

Nope, I’ve had three different ones over the years, I bent one, broke one in half and the last one mushroomed so much it was almost flat.

It’s quicker and less hassle to cut the gnarly bits down with a chainsaw unless you have a decent splitter

Same

[AHPP]

Wood grenades (or indeed any splitting wedge) are like a large displacement, high torque engine that only works at 20 rpm. Munts through anything but what’s the point. Constant resetting it. Very little work achieved.
Doing straight stuff on a block gets you up to 1000 rpm in a misfiring 2002 Ford Fiesta, nearly a useful amount of work but still very inefficient doing all the block loading.
Manual splitting nirvana is achieved by wading into a pile on the floor and flicking and golf swinging through it at 13,000 revs, the Formula 1 of axe work. Don’t waste effort on tricky bits; saw them or discard them. I use them as axle stands.

[Paul in the woods]

On 17/01/2022 at 10:57, Ben Pinnick said:

The main problem to focus on is getting the oil/creosote out of them.

Why? I thought the oils are one of the benefits of softwood?

 

I thought creosote in the flu was the result of burning any wood that's too wet and/or without enough air?

[Stubby]

20 minutes ago, Paul in the woods said:

Why? I thought the oils are one of the benefits of softwood?

 

I thought creosote in the flu was the result of burning any wood that's too wet and/or without enough air?

 Exactly . There  there is no creosote in wood .  As above that comes from burning wet/unseasoned wood and deposits in your flu . People pay top dollar for " fat wood " kindling coz it has all the resin in it . 

[trigger_andy]

Bought a Rock Machinery 22t road tow splitter. 4 way head optional. Not had a log I can’t split. I do 10 dumpy bags a day for my own use. Can’t see the point messing around with anything less. Cheap as chips too.

[difflock]

"Manual splitting nirvana is achieved by wading into a pile on the floor and flicking and golf swinging through it at 13,000 revs, the Formula 1 of axe work."

 

This is how I split Ash when 16-17-18, so satisfying.

Same as nibbling in around a knot, without getting the Axe stuck.

Then if I had teenage angst to assuage I used the couple of prehistoric steel splitting wedges with a sledge on knots or other knarly stuff.