Last month to process logs to sell this coming Winter ?

[Mortimer Firewood]

Works particularly well with conifer IMHO. I leave mine in lengths on the pile for a few years, then cut and split - no resin and drys very fast

 

Some times a little too well.

 

Same with silver birch its bark is almost water proof so lets little water out got some in the yard harvester cut 9 months ago half the bark is missing it could be cut and delivered.

[openspaceman]

The major benefits with a kiln is when your out of stock of dry wood you can dry more wood ready

 

That was my take and the fact that cash flow begins to seriously hamper you if you need to cut, split and store wood a season in advance.

 

I always likened it to owning a combined harvester, it only works for a couple of weeks a year but you cannot harvest your crop without it, mind nowadays I guess they work a bit more if a ring shares them.

 

Similarly in the late 70s early 80s there was a seasonal variation in demand for bars, I calculated that a growing area of 2000 ha of conifer could justify £80k for a poclain and sifer head on the timeliness grounds alone over having to maintain a gang of hand cutters harvesting year round.

 

Anyway I have just set up a little air drying experiment of wood fresh felled this week:

 

I'll calculate their actual moisture content in the morning and will hang them in a sheltered spot to see how dry they get before October.

[R5log]

Hi R5 then Yours would only take 3 days to seasons if anyone 1 hr to season you would say 10 mins thanks Jon

 

 

But logs only take days in a kiln, that's the idea of it!

And I have said mine takes days

So, what the problem with that?

[mendiplogs]

But logs only take days in a kiln, that's the idea of it!

And I have said mine takes days

So, what the problem with that?

 

Hi R5 it just way your winding people up Or is it just me thanks John

[R5log]

Hi R5 it just way your winding people up Or is it just me thanks John

 

 

Keep to your big butts!!

Thank plogs

[openspaceman]

 

Anyway I have just set up a little air drying experiment of wood fresh felled this week:

 

I'll calculate their actual moisture content in the morning and will hang them in a sheltered spot to see how dry they get before October.

 

I cut out 3 circa 30 gram samples from the middle of the other parts of the cleft logs and weighed them, on checking again this evening they have all lost more than 5 grams, the birch lost the most, 7 grams which is 24% of its weight and assuming 50% mc when green is near enough half the water gone in 10 hours.

[Mortimer Firewood]

I cut out 3 circa 30 gram samples from the middle of the other parts of the cleft logs and weighed them, on checking again this evening they have all lost more than 5 grams, the birch lost the most, 7 grams which is 24% of its weight and assuming 50% mc when green is near enough half the water gone in 10 hours.

 

I would imagine the first week water will be lost very quickly then it will get slower and slower as the water works out from the centre.

 

Do you have any timber thats been sat ages? [years]

Would be an interesting comparison

[openspaceman]

I would imagine the first week water will be lost very quickly then it will get slower and slower as the water works out from the centre.

 

Do you have any timber thats been sat ages? [years]

Would be an interesting comparison

 

Nothing old and in the length to hand.

 

I just weighed each of the firewood logs and they had lost 70-100 grams. I suggest that indicates that airflow is the limiting factor in the early stages.

 

As I pointed out in an earlier thread from an energy yield point of view just getting that first 50% of the moisture out is probably sufficient.

[Logsnstuff]

oak log in the round for 2 1/2 - 3yrs and a birch log 18 months to 2 years both under 10" diameter and 3 - 4m long no bark on either piece. been sitting in the yard for years and finally processed today. meter set for 75f and individual species.

[Mortimer Firewood]

oak log in the round for 2 1/2 - 3yrs and a birch log 18 months to 2 years both under 10" diameter and 3 - 4m long no bark on either piece. been sitting in the yard for years and finally processed today. meter set for 75f and individual species.

 

i bet they will be sub 20% in less than 3 weeks