Green firewood is for the most part easier to split than dry, so try to split the wood as soon as possible after felling trees. And splitting the green wood speeds the process of “seasoning” (drying out) the firewood, which ensures more efficient burning. Green wood is also easier to saw.
How long does it take to season firewood? It can take 3-12 months or longer to season firewood. On average, it usually takes around 6-months to dry out the cut-firewood that you purchased from a store or supplier. Depending on the original timber's moisture content, it can take more or less time to season.
Wet wood is easier to cut and does not harm chainsaws, but the places where it is found can be quite treacherous. Slippery ground, high winds, and driving rain can all make working outdoors more dangerous, so extreme caution should be taken when operating powerful cutting tools in these conditions.
It's a lot easier to move and split dry, seasoned logs than it is to split fresh "green" logs that are denser because they're full of sap. Besides, instead of burning for a nice, long time, green wood tends to just smoke briefly before the flame dies out.
To identify well-seasoned wood, check the ends of the logs. If they are dark in colour and cracked, they are dry. Dry seasoned wood is lighter in weight than wet wood and makes a hollow sound when hitting two pieces together. If there is any green colour visible or bark is hard to peel, the log is not yet dry.
Firewood needs to be dried from its freshly cut moisture level to below 20%, preferably to 15%. Softwood that is split and stacked in a dry place takes 4-6 summer months to dry to an acceptable moisture level. Hardwoods take at least 12 months to dry after being split and stacked.
It isn't recommended to split the logs using the chainsaw due to safety concerns, however, cutting the wood down to the appropriate size is ideal for the chainsaw.
Cutting on or near the ground puts you at risk for sinking the bar into the dirt. When learning how to use a chainsaw safely, one of the first things you should do is make sure to make your cuts off the ground. Dirt can dull the blades and damage the chain, which you want to avoid at all costs.
Luckily, the wood dries quickly. To speed up the process and shorten the time it takes for it to dry, there are few things you can do: Cut and chop your wood right after felling.
Damp wood burns at a cooler temperature, resulting in incomplete combustion, more smoke, and dangerous creosote build-up in the chimney (a fire hazard). Excess wood smoke can decrease air quality both inside and outside the home, contributing to breathing issues. In short, avoid burning unseasoned wood!
The drying conditions and structure of wood can substantially affect the intensity of color change. Wood discoloration is a complex phenomenon, mainly affected by heat, light, and physiological and biochemical reactions. It is generally accepted that color changes increase as temperature increases.
Forced air drying is faster than natural air drying, allowing for quicker turnaround times. The process can be used to dry wood in a controlled environment, such as a kiln. It can be used to dry wood to a specific moisture level, which can be beneficial for certain types of projects.
Depending on the species and your climate, it can take from 2 to 12 months to bring 4/4 lumber from green to air-dry (12- to 20-percent moisture content, depending on your location). Air-dry isn't dry enough for indoor use. If you're planning to use the lumber for outdoor projects, airdrying outdoors is fine.
You may not know, but the need to cut a log lengthwise using a chainsaw often comes when building projects like furniture pieces, bench chairs, or fences. Besides that, users creating materials for buildings also tend to use these lengthwise lumber cuts to fulfill their demanding project requirements.
Characteristics of balsa wood make it a unique hardwood albeit, when weight for weight basis is excluded, it is the weakest of all commercial species.
The right sharpening angle depends on the saw chain and the wood that you want to cut. The sharpening angle will generally be between 25° and 35° – the harder the wood, the greater the angle. To maintain the correct angle, we recommend that you use a sharpening grid or a filing gauge as an aid.
Dirt Causes A Chainsaw To Dull
If you're cutting through logs and your angle of approach is too steep, a simple cut through could nick dirt or even worse, rocks on the floor causing your chainsaw to jerk, thus dulling.
Amish or Shaker Method for Building a Round Firewood Stack
Begin with a center pole, log, or large branch that measures approximately 8in in width and 16in in length. Lay split firewood and logs in a circular fashion against the center pole. Make sure you lay at least two rows deep during this step.
When is the best time to split logs for firewood? Late winter and early spring is the best time to fell trees and split logs for firewood as this allows ample time for the logs to season. Splitting the logs when green will greatly reduce the amount of time required for the logs to properly dry for burning.
As a rule of thumb, log lengths of 16- to 18-inches will fit in most stoves and fireplaces. Splitting opens the log and exposes the wood to air, helping it dry. Split firewood is also easier to handle and fits into fireplaces and stoves better than un-split logs.