Burning Lime wood.

[coppice cutter]

Let me say first of all that I am firmly in the "anything dry will burn" camp therefore I've burnt Alder, Leylandii, Elderberry, Willow, and all sorts in the past with no issue.

 

However, lately I've burnt my first decent bits of Lime and it does seem particularly hopeless. It was cut two full years ago, it's been covered, plenty of airflow, and wasn't especially thick to begin with. It behaves as if it's still not properly dried, a bit dead and smouldery, but the Willow and Alder cut at the same time and treated the same way is fine.

 

The reason I'm asking for other peoples experiences of it is firstly, is it something that needs a particularly long drying time? But secondly, if it's just an especially poor burner, in future I'll probably just confine the cutting of it to whatever is necessary for thinning and put my coppicing efforts in to something a bit more worthwhile. They're lovely trees and the leaves are nicer in a salad than any lettuce you'll ever buy, the regrowth from the ones already cut is also very healthy, but the burning experience so far is not impressive!

 

All relevant experiences welcomed.

[nepia]

When I'm unfortunate enough to obtain willow, poplar or lime that's too big for the chipper and needs to go for firewood I put them in the softwood pile.  I hadn't noticed that lime was any poorer than pop, say, but it's certainly not great as a firewood

 

Must try the salad thing 👍

[GarethM]

Definitely in the burn anything category too, generally keep the lump size down and providing it's dry it burns.

[Puffingbilly413]

I treat it like softwood. Find it dries well and burns fine - just goes hot and quick like softwood. If the bark looks like it's coming off easily then I'll pull it off. Lime always seems quite wet when green so perhaps this has helped mine dry quicker.

 

I'll keep a bit if it's nice and straight but otherwise I tend to give it away as storage is tight for me.

[Squaredy]

3 hours ago, coppice cutter said:

Let me say first of all that I am firmly in the "anything dry will burn" camp therefore I've burnt Alder, Leylandii, Elderberry, Willow, and all sorts in the past with no issue.

 

However, lately I've burnt my first decent bits of Lime and it does seem particularly hopeless. It was cut two full years ago, it's been covered, plenty of airflow, and wasn't especially thick to begin with. It behaves as if it's still not properly dried, a bit dead and smouldery, but the Willow and Alder cut at the same time and treated the same way is fine.

 

The reason I'm asking for other peoples experiences of it is firstly, is it something that needs a particularly long drying time? But secondly, if it's just an especially poor burner, in future I'll probably just confine the cutting of it to whatever is necessary for thinning and put my coppicing efforts in to something a bit more worthwhile. They're lovely trees and the leaves are nicer in a salad than any lettuce you'll ever buy, the regrowth from the ones already cut is also very healthy, but the burning experience so far is not impressive!

 

All relevant experiences welcomed.

Don’t bother burning lime, sell the best bits to sawmills.  Always good demand for lime.  I buy poplar as well, but not willow.

[jameshs22]

"Lime burns bright but it's pretty shite". Never burned it personally but that was what I was told 

[GarethM]

I live by everyone is picky about firewood until it's cold.

[Stere]

Limes valuable stuff:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Basswood-Carving-Whittling-Unfinished-Crafting/dp/B09PHKV3LD/ref=asc_df_B09PHKV3LD/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=599377443289&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7777288593243331759&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007441&hvtargid=pla-1660920102139&psc=1

 

 

[coppice cutter]

45 minutes ago, Stere said:

Limes valuable stuff:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Basswood-Carving-Whittling-Unfinished-Crafting/dp/B09PHKV3LD/ref=asc_df_B09PHKV3LD/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=599377443289&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7777288593243331759&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007441&hvtargid=pla-1660920102139&psc=1

 

 

Excuse my ignorance, so Basswood is Lime?

[Squaredy]

26 minutes ago, coppice cutter said:

Excuse my ignorance, so Basswood is Lime?

Yes that is what the yanks call it.  And linden.