Collecting wood to burn in stove

[Wild Is The Wind]

Does anyone have any hints and tips for this?

 

I'm wondering if its best to do earlier in the year to let wood try out on top of the boat before the end of winter?

 

I'm looking for fallen branches to cut to log size, but many are decaying - are they any good?

 

Are smaller bits handy to use as kindling?

 

Any advice appreciated, and if its too late in the year it will save me a job!

 

Oh no, should have said "dry out before the START of winter"

[Alan de Enfield]

Ideally wood should be stored 'dry' for 2 years before use.

Here is a useful link as to 'why'

 

http://www.euroheat.co.uk/Home/Log-Storage-and-seasoning-wood.html

 

There are three basic rules to follow when storing wood:

 

1. Allow air circulation by piling one tier wide if possible;

2. Protect wood from rain and snow by covering with a tarp or

woodshed roof; and

3. Pile wood off the ground on scrap lumber or wooden pallets.

 

The time-honoured way to cure wood is to buck, split, and stack

wood off the ground for at least one full year. However, wood can generally

be reduced to a 20 per cent moisture content in two to three

months. The ideal 10 to 12 per cent may take longer.

 

 

Edit - added above paragraph

Edited October 13, 2012 by Alan de Enfield

[Wild Is The Wind]

This is interesting, but from what i've seen most people don't wait 2 years!

[Notlostyet]

Then dont wait then

[Wild Is The Wind]

Ha Ha - it might seem like a stupid question but when you are new to boating there is a lot to learn, and even things you think will be easy are far more complicated.

 

I will probably have to stick to coal this winter, but I'd really like to know how people who use wood go about this.

[carlt]

If wood is decaying then it has been lying there long enough to become an established wildlife habitat so it's best left, in my opinion.

[Wild Is The Wind]

That's a good point.

[Grace and Favour]

Ha Ha - it might seem like a stupid question but when you are new to boating there is a lot to learn, and even things you think will be easy are far more complicated.

 

I will probably have to stick to coal this winter, but I'd really like to know how people who use wood go about this.

 

And a useful site to have a look at is: http://www.wildeye.co.uk/trees/firewood.html

[canals are us?]

I feel myself wood use will be limited for me due to lack of storage. I don't really want it on the roof, unless you built a low box for it and then mounted my solar panels on it

 

I myself fancy trying wood briguettes as easy to store and wrapped in handy bags that can store hopefully in the nooks and crannies inside.

 

No trying to burn damp unseasoned wood and risking tar and creasote formation. If you can find Ash though ideal!

 

James

[Grace and Favour]

Ha Ha - it might seem like a stupid question but when you are new to boating there is a lot to learn, and even things you think will be easy are far more complicated.

 

I will probably have to stick to coal this winter, but I'd really like to know how people who use wood go about this.

 

And you'll also find that there are different qualities of coal, too.

 

'Cheap' is not necessarily the best to burn, as it can be very smoky, smell foul, and gunge up your flue & chimney very quickly

 

(and avoid buying it from garage forecourts or B&Q too!!!) - get it delivered by a local merchant or buy from a passing coalboat

 

 

(edited to add link)

 

 

Edited October 13, 2012 by Grace & Favour

[Athy]

Wild, do you burn wood on your fire at home (or rather did you, if you are now living aboard)? You can burn the same types of solid fuel in your boat as you could in your house.

Small wood for kindling - yes indeed, BUT pick it up and try to bend it. If it bends, throw it away, it's still too "green". If it snaps, take both halves back to the boat!

Split logs will generally burn better than round ones, unless the latter are really dry. When your stove is alight, you can put logs under or around it, this will gently dry them out so that they become tomorrow's firewood, then repeat the process.

[boathunter]

One thing to note is although free, you need 20x the volume of wood compared to coal.

 

If you come across some good size chainsawed chunks, split them while they're fresh, it's much, much easier.

[Wild Is The Wind]

Ideally wood should be stored 'dry' for 2 years before use.

Here is a useful link as to 'why'

 

http://www.euroheat.co.uk/Home/Log-Storage-and-seasoning-wood.html

 

There are three basic rules to follow when storing wood:

 

1. Allow air circulation by piling one tier wide if possible;

2. Protect wood from rain and snow by covering with a tarp or

woodshed roof; and

3. Pile wood off the ground on scrap lumber or wooden pallets.

 

The time-honoured way to cure wood is to buck, split, and stack

wood off the ground for at least one full year. However, wood can generally

be reduced to a 20 per cent moisture content in two to three

months. The ideal 10 to 12 per cent may take longer.

 

 

Edit - added above paragraph

 

Many thanks for this, very helpful.

[Wild Is The Wind]

We didn't have a stove in the house, but now living aboard and looking forward to it being installed in a couple of weeks time. Many thanks for all the advice as usual I will be on the look out for useful 'bits' this winter and see how it goes.

[Jim Riley]

Dead wood may often be dry enough. A moisture content meter isn't expensive if you are worried. 16% is fine. And if wood is damp it's no great problem to clean a 5ft chimney, borrow a small child or get a 6ft length of chain to rattle up and down, or flue brush from the top. I find I can warm and dry damp or higher than ideal moisture content wood next to the fire. I often find suitable stuff raked out at by washes and it's often dry. I've just been on a 3 week trip and kept a small pot belly going by this means.

At home I burn just wood all winter, dried over the summer, 6/9 months drying in a sunny position that catches the wind. My gas bill is lower in winter than summer, they've replaced the meter twice suspecting it was faulty though I've told them it's the stove. However I have a woodpile that must be about 6cu m to last all winter, hard to achieve on a boat roof. Oh and get an ecofan.

[Mac of Cygnet]

Do you have a chainsaw and know how to use it? If not, there is just no way that you are going to be able to gather enough wood to keep you going.

 

Like many boaters, I do have a chainsaw, and have never failed to find enough dead wood dry enough to burn by keeping an eye out as I cruise along. If I was moored in one place for the winter, though, and living aboard, it may be more difficult. But there are alternatives - my neighbour gets all the offcuts from the boatyard and a nearby joinery business, and I cut it up for her.

 

The 'cut, split and stack for two years' scenario - well I don't believe any boater does that, unless they have a very good legitimate supply by their permanent mooring. If it burns, it's good enough for me, whatever others may say. Wood that isn't perfectly dry will produce more smoke and tar, but it depends what your priorities are.

 

'Legitimate' - who does the wood belong to? I regard any wood on the towpath side as fair game unless it is obviously fenced off on private land. If in doubt, I take what I can unobtrusively, stick it on the roof and cut it up somewhere else. I never touch live wood.

 

Ideally your stove should have different arrangements for burning wood and coal - wood burns best on a solid base, while coat needs a grate to allow air in from below. But I've left my grate in, and burn wood OK. Only trouble is that the ash doesn't consolidate, and has to be removed every other day, while my dedicated woodburner in the house goes for 3 weeks between ash removal.

 

HTH

 

Mac

 

Edited to say I've just read Jim Riley's post and agree with all of that except the ecofan, 'cos I,ve never used one, but if you you search for 'ecofan' on the forums, you'll find more than enough!

Edited October 13, 2012 by Mac of Cygnet

[Pykebird]

I tend to take a carrier bag with me when I walk my guys and pick up any dry kindling that i see on my way. I also couldn't live without my trusty chainsaw and have been cuting logs up today etween the hail stones! As my wood is always "free" I can't be too fussy so I tend to saw and chop it as quickly as I can to help it dry out.

As said before if you work ahead of yourself you should end up with dryish wood to burn although you can always mix it with some coal as well.

edited for crapy spelling

Edited October 13, 2012 by pykebird

[Mac of Cygnet]

When your stove is alight, you can put logs under or around it, this will gently dry them out so that they become tomorrow's firewood, then repeat the process.

 

SAFETY ALERT!

 

Do NOT leave wood in direct contact with the outside of a stove. This I believe has been the cause of a few fires.

Edited October 13, 2012 by Mac of Cygnet

[Jim Riley]

And if you have a chainsaw get the safety kit, helmet ear defenders and visor, chain proof leggings, gloves, tools to tighten and sharpen the chain. A cut femoral artery in the middle of beyond doesn't bear thinking about. Always brake the saw when you put it down.

But If you are traveling and burning what you find then a bowsaw may be ok, then you get warm twice.

 

Re the ecofan, if I have the fan on the stove the kettle won't boil, no fan, kettle boils. That heat is being spread round the house.

[Jim Riley]

Edited cos I posted the twice.

Edited October 13, 2012 by Jim Riley

[bizzard]

I use a bow saw and cut wood off and on throughout the summer, better exercise than a chainsaw keeps you warm and is a lot quieter. To be honest if you take into account the cost of a chainsaw, its petrol, 2stroke oil, chain oil, chains, safety ware ect and all the time taken up messing about with them, and the likelyhood of causing life threatening injury (decapitation)apart from deafness to people around and about, its probably much safer and cheaper to buy logs in.

There are people here that fool about with them for cutting up a few sticks and twigs.

[Jim Riley]

A gallon or two a year in fuel, safety kit cost me 75, new saw 270, paid for in first year, green renewable fuel too. 5 or 6 days work to cut and split. Seen cut n dried split logs at 150 a tonne delivered. 2 tons large wet logs £40.

Gas bill circa 150pa for 3 bed house.

Sums work for me.

[DeanS]

If you're CC-ing through winter, a chainsaw is what you'll need....find big dead trees and you're in luck.

If you're in a marina for winter, buy coal. So much easier.

 

Last year I used a bow saw to cut wood, and to be honest it's a LOT of effort.....and wood burns up so much faster than coal, you'd need to cut a LOT to last the whole winter

 

A bag of coal should last a week (nearly). You would need a LOT of wood for 1 weeks equivalent heat.

 

 

just my thoughts....

[JerryP]

find it ,cut it ,burn it.

[Athy]

SAFETY ALERT!

 

Do NOT leave wood in direct contact with the outside of a stove. This I believe has been the cause of a few fires.

Hmm, possibly not wise if you have one of those stoves which are steel and have no fire bricks. Ours at home, a Clearview, is iron and has firebricks. The one on the boat, a Godin, has a double skin (the outer one is latticed iron). No danger in either case, I would think.