New Book about Firewood - Who would like to check this out pre-publication version?

[dumper]

Don’t believe everything people tell you! Sustainable Namibian firewood at 2% mmmmm!!!

hetas woodsure 20% moisture read the threads on here 

hornbeam not common firewood come to Essex 

i agree presentation looks like local authority waste pamphlets 

just my personal observations from pages posted 

don’t get kiln dried either

[Dan Maynard]

44 minutes ago, dumper said:

Don’t believe everything people tell you! Sustainable Namibian firewood at 2% mmmmm!!!

hetas woodsure 20% moisture read the threads on here 

hornbeam not common firewood come to Essex 

i agree presentation looks like local authority waste pamphlets 

just my personal observations from pages posted 

don’t get kiln dried either

Must admit I found myself disagreeing with some of the wood type advice. Reality is its a local thing, different mix here too.

 

Id really like to see a book which says that kiln drying is primarily to dry wood faster rather than more, because the wood will equilibrate to the environmental humidity afterwards anyway.

[GarethM]

I'm afraid that's probably inevitable when it's written like a PhD dissertation, no offense intended but having a doctorate to explain firewood might be a bit overkill.

 

The old "If you can't explain it simply".

[Stere]

Almond as firewood?

 

Uk has many almond trees?

 

 

 

No mention of sycamore or softwood Skita spruce which are both common?

 

Think it could be better......from the sample page sorry.

 

What thoose firewoods merchants say isn't that informative imo....its just partly sales patter......that needs to be seperate from actual wood info or  atleast looked abit more critically or in  more detail, the pros cons of each claim etc....

 

The moisture bit is ok  could mention that a moisture meter is cheap to buy...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by Stere

[trigger_andy]

Almond as firewood?
 
Uk has many almond trees?
 
 
 
No mention of sycamore or softwood Skita spruce which are both common?
 
Think it could be better......from the sample page sorry.
 
What thoose firewoods merchants say isn't that informative imo....its just partly sales patter......that needs to be seperate from actual wood info or  atleast looked abit more critically or in  more detail, the pros cons of each claim etc....
 
The moisture bit is ok  could mention that a moisture meter is cheap to buy...
 
 
 
 
 
 

This is the crux of an end user trying to give what appears to be professional advice.

[Paul in the woods]

I'd be interested to see the moisture meter bit, to see that you're made it clear that the meters the public are likely to use will measure on a dry basis whereas the woodsure scheme is wet.

 

I also agree with the comments on almond, not heard of it used in the UK whereas I understood hornbeam was widely used, certainly more common than almond.

 

I tend to be in the 'it'll burn ok if dry camp.'

[Steven P]

I'll read the sample pages later, but... my mum has an almond tree stump at hers (north east England), would burn for a couple of hours, however she wants to use it for climbing plants to grow up it (probably ivy or something nice) so I am not allowed to try it... this week.

 

Never come across it before though

[Steven P]

Reading through the contents list and I appreciate we all might be a bit late with the comments if you are nearly ready to publish but here we go anyway.

 

No comment on your writing style, people will pick up the book in the shop and read a bit, if they like your style will buy it, if not will buy someone else.

 

I wouldn't be too hung up on species of logs, most wood burner owners will phone up their supplier and ask for a 'load' of logs, some will specify hardwood or softwood, a small number might specify a species and an even smaller number will get the reply "Almond you say, yup I'll drop that off this afternoon". Most will be happy to get hard or soft. I'd be tempted to put that all in an appendix. I would then aim that at those who collect or produce their own firewood and split the types as worthwhile to process and not worth the time, perhaps with a suffix (H) or (S) after each type. Again if you are getting it free, not too fussy on species.

 

You have 3 pages about the ready to burn scheme... which might last, or it might change next year, so to future proof your book and make it international-ish maybe this could be a very generic description, else you could have an out of date book next year (think gas fitters, was once Corgi, now Gas-Safe, things change). Then the main question I want to know, how much wood will I need takes a page - particularly if you are looking to install a stove want to see what the costs are likely to be rather than the ins and outs of a trade scheme.

 

A final comment from me is that there is quite a large section on free firewood, but not a lot about what to do with this log you dragged back to the house and how to turn it into 18% moisture content logs roaring away on Christmas morning.... Maybe a note about tools you will need, I reckon most of us will want or need a hatchet for kindling or splitting the occasional big log, perhaps a saw, and then you might comment on a splitting axe or 2, or a maul, splitting wedges and saws - there is another book in tools and producing your own firewood but a chapter might not be a bad thing, remembering all the relevant safety kit too.

 

[DocMustard]

Morning, I have done a lot of proof reading of technical documents over the last 25 years, including PhD theses when I was doing my PhD, research papers and engineering reports in my job. I'd be happy to proof read your book if there is still a copy spare. I obtain and process a lot of log wood myself and have read other books on the subject which provide good comparators. 

Edited April 20, 2022 by DocMustard
Typo correction!

[woody woodpecker]

Good morning ,I will happily read through your book ,if you have any left.