Like I mentioned at the beginning of this page, firewood is best used when the moisture is under 20%. Simple steps can speed up the drying process. After cutting green wood, allow it to sit outdoors for six to 12 months to allow it to properly "season," or dry. Remember, the yearly climate plays a big role in how long it takes your firewood to dry. A bow saw is a much smaller type of saw for single person use, ideal for cutting logs for a wood stove or open fireplace. One sure sign that your band saw blade is getting dull is if you have to tighten the blade frequently while cutting. © 2020 - Timber Gadgets | All rights reserved, How Long to Dry Firewood: A Beginner’s Guide. Typically 2 to 3 feet long, it has a "C" shaped frame fitted with a blade lined with rough teeth, suitable for cutting rapidly through logs, typically 5 inches or more. These little devices are typically hand-held, having an LCD display which outputs the percentage of moisture within the wood. For more on kiln drying have a look at our video showing a solar kiln. Oak, which takes around 2 years to dry; hickory around the same time. Should I quarter-saw all the material?”. If you need help with something not mentioned on this page, please ask in the comment section below. The art of firewood isn't cut and dry, here's how to make your wood dry thoroughly to burn well. Answer: It’s not necessarily the age you have to worry about; it’s the amount of moisture within the wood. More smoke is produced and with enough airflow, the fire can get out of hand. You should seal the ends within minutes after being cut down; you should not wait hours, and definitely not days! When dry or “seasoned” firewood has a moisture content at or below 20%, its ready to burn. Click here to check the price on Amazon. (Sawing and Drying Forum) From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor: As a rule of thumb, there will be a measurable loss in four to six weeks of warm (over 50 F) weather. Well, the answer to that question is: It depends. Now that you know how to tell if your firewood is seasoned, I’ll give you some tips for drying the wood that isn’t quite ready to burn. Air Drying Lumber Depending on the thickness of the lumber and where you live, weather and time of the year, it will take anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 months. Generally, the firewood needs 6 months to dry. This is some good information on how to dry wood; Cutting And Drying Logs Into Boards – Woodworkers guild of […], Enter in your email and password to create a FREE account. However, you can easily waste a lot of time if you are cutting the logs in the wrong way. You’ll need a spot to store it where air can move over it, but it doesn’t get direct sun. It’ll take about one year per inch of material thickness to completely air dry the material, getting it down to about 12% – 14% moisture content. However, using a tarp can become a problem when its left on the wood for too long. From the type of wood you’re using (species of tree) to the changes in climate that year, the length of the log, and the way you store it all play a role in the drying time. Hey, I’m John, the founder of Timber Gadgets. Before you can start putting your house together, you must treat the logs for building. Frustrating situations like this can be avoided if we take the time and change the blade when we should. As in, I’ve got a cord of freshly cut firewood and its about to rain – what should I do? That’s true in some cases but it depends how you store the wood too. Keeping your firewood outside, exposed to natural humidity, usually keeps the moisture content of the wood above 10%. Raw or Boiled Linseed Oil for Axe Handles. Lay your slabs out on your cross pieces. I tested how much force it took to chop the various logs by dropping a maul from various heights onto each log. Carefully set the first layer of wooden boards on top of the stickers, … Previous articles covered log procurement (June 2006) and the different strategies for sawing logs (October 2006). Burning the wood after this period will yield the best results. Remember that even from your plain sawn logs the planks near the center of the log are similar to quarter sawn, so you can isolate those boards and put them into your quarter sawn pile.