Firewood

[kmcconaughey]

Saturday I started cutting up some firewood.

 

[klindstedt]

Kraig, that looks like a project!

Hijacking the thread here for a second... I have a black walnut tree that was struck by lightning. Half the tree leafed out the following year, now three years hence it is definitely dead. It has been shedding its bark last year and this year. Does anyone have any experience with lightning-struck trees with respect to if the wood would still be suitable for furniture, or just firewood at this point?

 

[kmcconaughey]

Kevin, the larger pile on the left in the photo is about a half semi load of 8' logs. I've cut up many a semi load over the past 26 years of heating with wood. This coming winter will be the first time that wood heat becomes the backup heat for me rather than the primary heat. I'm looking forward to not having to cut so much wood each year.

Regarding your Black Walnut, I believe the most damage will be in the cambium layer as that's where the moisture (sap) is. The cambium would be the layer just under the bark. No idea if it will be usable as lumber.

I've never cut up a tree for lumber, only firewood. I had a Poplar tree get hit by lightning many years ago, it died as did a large White Pine that was growing nearby. Their roots were growing in the same area and the soil there was all tore up from the lightning. The Poplar made good firewood, the White Pine, not so much.

Have a look at what a Google search says.

 

[kide]

Kevin - you'd almost have to cut it down, look at the end grain to check for internal damage, but IIRC, lightning often travels the exterior (and yes, I've seen blown apart trees too). I never had luck at burning black walnut, too dense was my theory.

Kraig - congratulations, you've moved your wood burning to "Hobby" status.. Actually my long suffering next door neighbor Mike always needled me about my "Hobby" and that was when we heated with wood full time LOL. I really like your geothermal setup, beautiful work. I replaced my oil furnace 8 years ago with another one, I should have replaced the gun fired hot water heater and changed fuels and gone to a heat pump then. (just realized it's been eight years in October I quit heating with wood)... time flies

edit.. Hi Kraig, we crossed posts... edit edit.. I liked this thread on the question:

 

[kmcconaughey]

Gerry, yep, I read that thread first after I did the Google search.

Thanks. I agree I think the Geo installer did a nice job.

 

[dschwandt]

Kevin, if this tree was in town, you might have a tough time finding anyone to risk sawing lumber from it for fear of hardware (nails, bolts, wire etc) etc)

About 20 years ago we lost a HUGE oak tree at the home place, I mean HUGE, had to be 125 years old. Any way, we sliced it p and found all kinds of crap in it. Way towards the center was a big bolt with a ring forged into it, I suspect for a horse and wagon to be hitched up??
I saved that split part with the iron still in it, hanging in my shed!

 

[klindstedt]

Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it. I plan to take it down later this summer or fall. Where it stands it is in no danger of hitting any structures so no rush to take it down.

David - shouldn't be any hardware in it, but you never know. This is on family-owned land going back decades if not a century. Was previously on the edge of cow pasture.