Firewood

[stig]

Been that way since about forever.
Nothing new.
Antrodia sinuosa is wrecking havoc on castles and other historical buildings in Europe.
It was traced to a shipment of lumber brought from Nepal to England some 300 years ago.
The happy little fungus that killed of the Castanea dentata all over the eastern US is not a new thing either.

Once we started trading all over, we frigged the World up.

 

[Burnham]

Even just exploring. Mosquitos got to Hawaii in water casks on the first western European ships that called there. It's a long story.

 

[Bermy]

So how is sycamore for burning? Just cut and split some yesterday. It was a dying tree.
It has some nice colouring inside, spalting and even some green streaks. If I had a woodshop I'd get so sidetracked.

 

[Altissimus]

Have a friend heating with Sycamore now ... he says its good , internet says it just a squeak below Cherry for BTU's per Cord

 

[Nutball]

I haven't burned it much, but have considered it low energy wood similar to but worse than elm

 

[pigwot]

Quarter-sawn Sycamore has beautiful rays, like it a lot. Burns well, too - not as much heat as locust or osage, my favorite firewood choices.

 

[stig]

Quartersawn sycamore is sold under the name lace wood for that reason.
Big ones can be turned ( As in wood turnning) into the most amazing platters and low bowls.

 

[Bermy]

Oops, you all make me want to stick it back together!

 

[lxskllr]

 

[BeerGeek]

I'm assuming those burning sycamore are doing it with the American species (Platanus occidentalis) and not it's allergy inducing, European cousin (which is another tree I can't stand), Acer pseudoplatanus?

 

[Marc-Antoine]

Acer pseudoplatanus is a mapple and has nothing to do with the Platanus (London plane).
The only health issue I'm aware of for the Acer pseudoplatanus is the soot like bark disease with the spores being a serious pulmonary threat (beside killing the tree). I didn't heard of allergy due to the tree himself.
London plane, on the other side, is very agressive. Its young leaves are covered with very thin hairs flying everywhere like dust at each touch/blow. They give a severe reaction in the eyes, nose and throat. I dscovered two years ago that spring isn't a good season to mess with them, even if it's just for deadwooding. A landscaper helping me on the ground for a pollarding was badly affected, heavily coughing, sneezing, until pucking. Me, not so much this time, but some days later on an other job ( cleaning-deadwooding in 100'+ alley's trees), I took it seriously. With the sun shine, I clearly saw the puff of dust and my instenaneous reaction if I was in contact or under the wind. Not a pleasant week at all.

 

[SeanKroll]

Respirator tree or while-raining tree.

 

[BeerGeek]

You are correct Marc; dummy me misread the Wikipedia page on it. The London Plane is the European one that is mistaken by many here. Thx.

 

[Dave Shepard]

I've quarter-sawn a bunch of sycamore. My favorite of the domestic figured woods.

 

[Ed L]

Sycamore is not a widespread tree here, 99% l've seen growing naturally are along the local river.

Ed

 

[Jomo]

The Sycamore native to my locale is a river side native Platanus racemosa, that has an incredibly twisted wood grain.

Rounds are hard to split, and unlike euc n others, sycamore structural failures, rarely hit the ground here, preferring to hang about vertically, and breaking loose if you shake em enough ascending them.

There's an old native Indian folktale here that decades of tree litter below native sycamores were excellent sources for dirt/clay to build adobe homes from.

I believe it.

Jomo

 

[treebilly]

Does anyone here sell firewood bundles? I’ve been entertaining the idea since I’ve noticed lack of quality and unreliable service to several of my local small businesses. Seems simple enough to build a wrapper or a bagger. I’m just not sure if I want to mess with it.

 

[Tree09]

No but I've also thought about it too

 

[lxskllr]

They're $7/bundle here. I can't believe people buy them, but they do. Seems like easy beer money to me to service a couple gas stations. More of a PITA to do it "professionally". A lot of driving around, and maintaining stock.

 

[Nutball]

My boss sells them to a gas station. He buys bags and hand loads them, and sells 20 bags at a time every 2 weeks. The store is right across from a camp site.

 

[Cobleskill]

I put up a stand on a good route close by. I tied bundles up. Made a loop of twine for a handle. Sold lots and hardly ever lost any. Did get some Canadian money at par. Should do it again.

 

[Ed L]

I think its one of those things one learns by doing. Pretty labor intense process to generate the final product and make a profit.
Case in point: local farm, (very good at thinking "outside the box") decided to get into sunflowers and sell bird feed.
Created their own brand, bought bags and equipment to bag it. Bought parts to convert their planter & combine.
Started selling both whoseale and roadside.
2 years in, figured out it wasn't worth the input. Found a big company to buy their crop right from the grain bin....and they even send their own semis to pick it up....now they plant about 300 acres per year.

Ed

 

[Tree09]

Not to mention the dove hunting!!!

 

[Ed L]

Not legal here....the dnr has tried several times to get a season. Keeps getting shot down (pun intended).

Ed

 

[Ed L]

Had a an omen today in the woods.
Small group of quaking aspen close to my main landing. 7-8 trees left, 2 have already fell, 6 to 12" dbh. Several dead, others not far behind.
Plan was to drop all of them this past winter, didn't get there.
Had some good wind last week, 1 1/4" of rain, wet spring ground,....1 took down 4 of them in a big heap.
Just happy l wasn't in the middle with a saw, pretty sure my hardhat wouldn't have done much good.

Ed