Does anybody debark their firewood?

[Creamer]

I was thinking today as I was cutting up some more firewood that I have not seen any posts on debarking firewood. It makes so much less mess and ash when it doesn't have bark. Who does it and how do you do it?

 

[4570Man]

Sometimes I get debarked reject logs from the sawmill. They’re nice, but I haven’t found an efficient way to do it short of waiting a year.

 

[bunyip]

Depends on the species and some falls off not long after felling which we use as a starter.

 

[MossRoad]

If I leave my locust logs laying in a pile for a year or two, most of the bark falls off. Its still wet under there, and stinks to high heaven. Then it takes another year to dry after I split it.

 

[oosik]

After felling - pine will reach a state of "curing" where the bark peels off easily. Usually this happened, to me, after I had the splits already racked up in the woodshed. I usually took the time to peel the firewood before bringing in the house. Lot less mess.

Note: Mt St Helens erupted in May, 1980. We came down from AK in May, 1982. The first few huge pines I fell for firewood really amazed me. As they fell - there was a GREAT trail of ash left in the air on their path of fall. It was the volcanic ash in the bark of the pine. I soon learned that one of two things were happening. I could simply forget about the volcanic dust in the bark and resharpen the chain on the chainsaw four or five time a day. OR if somebody was there to help me - they could debark the big 'ol tree and I would only need to resharpen at the end of the day.

Many days I worked well into dusk and noticed the tip of the chainsaw looked like a kids sparkler if the tree was not debarked.

The volcanic ash is still in the bark of the big pines, even today, but to a much lesser degree.

The volcanic ash and all the bugs were the major reasons we converted from firewood to pellets.

 

[Looking4new]

The way I figure it, if the bark doesn't fall off then the wood isn't dry enough to burn. We use it for kindling, too. Keep in mind that I burn mostly Oak, Maple and Beech. I get some white or yellow Birch for kindling, too.

 

[LD1]

The way I figure it, if the bark doesn't fall off then the wood isn't dry enough to burn. We use it for kindling, too. Keep in mind that I burn mostly Oak, Maple and Beech. I get some white or yellow Birch for kindling, too.

All depends on the species.

Some bark comes off easily on green wood. And other bark still.clings on tight even when we'll seasoned.

I would not use bark falling off as an indication of seasoned wood

 

[FTG-05]

All depends on the species.

Some bark comes off easily on green wood. And other bark still.clings on tight even when we'll seasoned.

I would not use bark falling off as an indication of seasoned wood

AMEN!

 

[CobyRupert]

Cheese and rice! I handle the firewood nine times from log to stove, and now I'm suppose to debark it too!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I normally handle my firewood 5 times, starting from the time I walk up to the tree with a chainsaw, and there's STILL no way I'm debarking it!

SR

 

[Looking4new]

All depends on the species.

Some bark comes off easily on green wood. And other bark still.clings on tight even when we'll seasoned.

I would not use bark falling off as an indication of seasoned wood

if the bark doesn't fall off then the wood isn't dry enough to burn.
This is not my only indicator, just one of a few. Keep in mind that I only burn Oak, Maple and Beech with the exception of some Birch to start the fire.

 

[4570Man]

If I get the tree cut, split and stacked in the wood shed while it’s fresh the bark usually doesn’t fall off. If I leave the logs laying outside the bark will fall off in a couple months but the wood is still green at that point.

 

[LD1]

If I get the tree cut, split and stacked in the wood shed while it’s fresh the bark usually doesn’t fall off. If I leave the logs laying outside the bark will fall off in a couple months but the wood is still green at that point.

Yep.

Cut split and stacked out of the weather, red oak, ash, and some maple....the bark holds on even when seasoned down to below 15%

Laying out in the elements....bark will peel long before wood is seasoned....even if already split

 

[MossRoad]

I think we've had this conversation before about how many times firewood has to get touched. Why would anyone take the bark off it? I burn about 3600 pieces of wood per year, give-or-take. As I mentioned, the only wood that bark seems to fall off of is my black locust, and that's if its been sitting for a while. It'll fall off when I'm splitting it. There's a slimy stinky film under it. But I can't recall any other wood doing that on a regular basis. Oak, cherry, maple, sassafras, are the only other woods I burn with any regularity, and none of their barks fall off unless its from a tree that was standing dead for a while.

As for handling, I physically touch it when I:
1. Load rounds on the trailer to bring home.
2. Load rounds off the trailer when I get home.
3. Set it on the splitter.
4. Stack it on the pile.
5. Load it into the cart from the pile.
6. Stack it in the basement.
7. Load it in the stove.

So for me its about 7 times.

I'd like to eliminate steps 1 & 2, but I can't figure out how to fell the trees onto the trailer....

 

[Sawyer Rob]

1. cut the tree down/logs out

2. cut the log into firewood lengths over my wagon

3. put on the splitter (the splits are pushed into a drying box or self unloading trailer

4. throw the splits into my basement

5. put them into the wood stove.

It would add one more IF I stack them into the drying box.

SR

 

[dmccarty]

1. cut the tree down/logs out

2. cut the log into firewood lengths over my wagon

3. put on the splitter (the splits are pushed into a drying box or self unloading trailer

4. throw the splits into my basement

5. put them into the wood stove.

It would add one more IF I stack them into the drying box.

SR

6. Cleaning the ash from the stove/fire place.

7. Cleaning chimney.

:laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[mcfarmall]

It all burns.

 

[LD1]

It all burns.

Yep.

While bark may create more ash....it's also makes BTUs. So burn it.

I try to keep as much of the handling of the of the operator and use the tractor and grapple. But that is I'd weather permits taking it to the woods if it ain't too wet or muddy.

About 8 cord that I sold this year....was only handled by my hands one time.

Tractor drags logs to near splitter for bucking. Tractor pushes bucked wood into pile by splitter for splitting. My hands touch wood to load onto splitter for splitting. Which then falls off end into pile.

Tractor/grapple then loads splits into dump trailer for delivery

 

[Larry Caldwell]

One of the reasons Madrone (arbutus menziesii) is a premium firewood is the bark. It's a broadleaf evergreen with deciduous bark, so the remaining bark is paper thin except on the lower trunk. There's no place for bugs and dirt to hide. It also burns hot with a minimum of creosote, and if you let it dry it almost splits itself with shrinkage checks. It's not uncommon for broadleaf maple to have an inch of moss, one of the reasons most people don't bother with it for firewood.

 

[LD1]

Wow, living in Oregon and not bothering with maple for firewood..
I would have thought any hardwood tree out there would be a premium