The world needs more people like you making more content like this.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, have a good winter!

What calm, soothing delivery. I can listen to you all day. Great content! Thanks .

@WoodFiresWithVince

4 ай бұрын

Thank you - I think woodlands, logs and wood fires make us calm! All best wishes, Vince

I am a long time wood burner and firewood enthusiast. Great video sir. ❤

@WoodFiresWithVince

Ай бұрын

Thank you, it seems there are a lot of us out there - nice that KZread allows us to meet and share ideas. All best, Vince

white oak, red oak and hickory i have in abundance in se usa where i live. i never want to go into winter without poplar for starting my fires however. 32 years now weve heated with only wood. i love it

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Now poplar is a wood I hardly know. I do know the old rhyme is wrong saying it has a bitter smoke - it does not! We don't get hickory in England, a pity.

@timgiles9413

Жыл бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince Poplar is a hardwood but on the low end of the btu scale.

@flyingled3176

2 ай бұрын

Leaves lots of ash

@Owl4909

2 ай бұрын

I only use poplar for kindling, a little goes a long way

Hi Vince! I have your book, but these videos are great to watch and good reminders. I think I'll put that Thoreau quote on a sign for the woodshed.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

I found the first chapter of Walden a bit heavy, but after that it is great - and he'd be pleased that over 150 years later, very many of us still agree with him!

I found a dead standing Elm a couple of years ago it was excellent to burn.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Great - I am not alone then in loving elm!

Love the way you speak. Would love some more educational videos about forests.

Passionate about wood burning. Great to see

On the build up to Christmas holiday I was sorting out particular logs for the big day . Not everyone gets that way of thinking but I love it

@WoodFiresWithVince

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely right! The wood shed is a larder for you to collect the right logs for what you are wanting your fire to do. Many years ago I saved a big chunk of 'fatwood' Scots pine as my Yule log. It burnt so fiercely in the open fire on Christmas morning that the family had to leave the room - not my finest moment of fire-craft! Merry Christmas. Vince

Thank you for another excellent video. As usual, calming and informative.

Wonderful. Thanks

What a wonderful video Vice, thank you. I burn mostly ash and oak here in Michigan. And i often find i have to cut the logs down to a smaller size, that i get delivered. I have 4 log stands. 2 that are for seasoning the wood, 1 ready to burn that i keep near the house,and the other is for pine for the fire pit for outside fires.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Mike, smaller logs dry more quickly, a good thing to know - ash and oak, a nice mix and keep your pine for outside. Have a good summer. Vince

Great video Vince, you are the fire wood king. Keep them coming.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

I love everything about wood fires and I am glad that there are many of us!

So glad to see new videos in your channel. Thank you so much for the content (and your book)!

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Glad you liked the book, thank you.

Well said, Vince. I’m following this rule of thumb. This year I have put in a lot of work to try and get our wood ready for winter, next year. I am on the Southern Hemisphere, Australian and as you do, I love my wood heater. Thanks for sharing your great video.

@WoodFiresWithVince

5 ай бұрын

Hi Wayne, drying correctly is so important. Whereabouts in Australia are you? I have been to Victoria a few times, absolutely loved it. Vince

@wayneberry8703

5 ай бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince Hi Vince, I’m in Tasmania. Another beautiful state as well. I’m so glad you like Victoria. Wayne

Very informative. Looking forward to the next in your series.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Thank you - I have more ideas than I have the time to make them - but I will try!

Thanks for this video and passing on your knowledge. This is a wonderful complement to your book. Looking forward to the next in the series.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

I really enjoy making the videos - all a bit amateur I know, but fun and hopefully of some help.

Inspired by your video I ran my chainsaw along some small diameter oak logs, and then cross cut. Thank you for sharing your skills and experience.

@WoodFiresWithVince

5 ай бұрын

It is a neat trick to help with drying smaller diameter logs, glad you found it helpful. All best, Vince

This was a brilliant video to watch thanks for posting

@WoodFiresWithVince

8 ай бұрын

You are very welcome - it is such an important subject.

Thank you ! Enjoyed the video 👍🏻👋🏻

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Yes it was fun - the wasp was worrying! I got stung on the nose a few weeks ago, so am a bit careful now.

Honestly brilliant video 👍🏻

Love the videos , keep up the uploads, throughout the winter. got some Eucalyptus that needs cutting and drying. Thanks for the help.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Now that is a lovely firewood - some species are cross grained and can get difficult to split when dry. So, if it is not split now, I would get the axe out soon! Thanks for your comment. Vince

Well done, look forward to the next upload👍

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

I am about to start on the Christmas trees, so it might be a while! But thanks for your comment.

Thanks, Great advice! New subscriber!

@WoodFiresWithVince

7 ай бұрын

Thanks Philip, have a good winter.

great video, thanks for shearing all your knowledge.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

You are welcome - after all, it was other people shared their knowledge with me all my life!

@Tomasz2488

Жыл бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince that is a great mindset. Some time ago I found your channel and about the same time my neighbor which is above 80 years old needed a help with splitting wood - I really enjoying it:-) I even bought my own splitting axe. Will ask my wife to buy my your book for xmass:-) All the best.

Thank you

@WoodFiresWithVince

4 ай бұрын

You are very welcome - it is such an interesting subject!

Thanks vince for another great video, I’ve recently started chopping my own wood with an axe after watching your video on it I can’t believe how enjoyable it is lol I love it . More videos please 🙏🏻

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Even Einstein loved chopping firewood!

Your literally the best thing on KZread 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 keep up the good work 👍🏻

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

I have more ideas than time - I am pleased you find it all interesting. Vince

You seem very knowledgable vince. Appreciate the video. I have a load of larch rounds that I now know I have stacked poorly. Need to have a reshuffle. Appreciate the tips and info. 👌🏼

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

You are very welcome - there is always something new to learn with woodfires, and that's part of the fun. Larch is one of the best softwoods, I would split it fairly small to get it as dry as you can - I burned a lot of European larch last winter, spits a bit but is a good firewood.

South Mississippi here. I split my wood almost to toothpick size. My Buck heater just performs so much better. I don’t mind having to reload a bit more often. Ive learned too to harvest my trees in the dead of winter. Regardless of species, there’s less sap. Seasons better. Awesome video!!

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Hi Roger, many thanks. It is a simple truth to split smaller and dry quicker, I know some people don't need that. And the sap thing is like folk-lore here in England. We say, 'cut when the sap is down' - Although there is some research that shows it doesn't matter!? All best, Vince

@stevenbrown5210

7 ай бұрын

​@@WoodFiresWithVinceit doesn't matter because the sap doesn't go anywhere when it's cold, it just gets denser

I'd never even thought about splitting logs into square or rectangular shapes. I had some what I think is Western Hemlock, cut down in the back garden, so I'm going to use the square method when I split that. Cheers!

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Once you can be accurate with the splitting axe, it opens up new ideas for better woodstacks and drying - good luck with the W Hemlock.

@curt3494

Жыл бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince Thanks very much! Have a great week!

One of the simplest and excellent videos. I did not know the girdling of the log length wise would help the drying process for rounds. Been burning in my wood stove for years and this is the first I’ve heard of this technique. Excellent video. I also split my oak in 2” plank forms to dry it quicker. Elm is a pain to split with my 25 ton splitter, don’t get it much. Always wondered about the dry time.

@WoodFiresWithVince

10 ай бұрын

I agree, as I had not seen ripping the bark lengthwise as a technique until I was visiting England's last brush handle factory in the 1990s. They needed even seasoning of long poles of 6" to 10" diameter. So the bark was left on, but ripped three times evenly around the pole. It struck me then as quicker and easier than splitting small roundwood firewood logs, and speeding up the drying time. The elm I get might be a bit unusual - it is slow grown in hedges and seems very dense. All best. Vince

@timothylongmore7325

5 ай бұрын

As a kid we always cut dead elm. Now I know why. My splitter almost quit trying to split a 10" block with no knots. I turned it , flipped it multiple ways. It would not split. I've got a saw mill now and thats how I'll split my green elm, lol.

Alternatively to running your saw along the birch bark you can take your axe or hatchet to put a few cracks in it without splitting through.

@WoodFiresWithVince

4 ай бұрын

Yes that would work too. I do find it quick after felling a tree to run the saw along two sides from about 5 inch diameter down. But the brush factory I got the idea from used three knives to put cracks in the bark as you suggest. All best. Vince

For drying tool handle lumber I leave the bark on so it slows drying and helps prevent cracking. Bark definitely keeps some moisture in.

@richtomlinson7090

11 ай бұрын

I paint the ends and split it, to relieve the radial versus tangential stress in shrinkage. Leaving the bark on a split piece is okay, but not splitting it is risky.

For the Aussie hardwoods i burn, 3 summers, split straight away and stacked in a woodshed. Some argue that outside in the rain and weather seasons the wood quicker. I believe its local climate dependant. My wood wont season and just rot/decay if left in the rain. Thanks for the video and great looking stacks👍

@WoodFiresWithVince

9 ай бұрын

Thanks, and I totally agree - learn what works in your own area. Generally rain off, wind through is a good recipe. Big thing is to enjoy it all!

Thanks for another fabulous video. Brilliant to see over 1000 subscribers. I have been trying to get people to sub since I found you at about 980. Great content and relaxing.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for helping - with threats of power outages this winter a wood fire is a real blessing.

Very interesting on the splitting size and dry time of oak. Next winter will be my first time burning it, if it measures 20% or lower. I'm liking the idea of smaller splits for drying but also fitting the maximum amount of wood in the woodstove for longer burn times. Here in Oregon I mainly burn alder, Douglas fir, and hemlock. Looking forward to burning red oak and maple the next few winters.. Also interested to see how much better old growth Douglas fir with thick bark burns/heats!

@WoodFiresWithVince

3 ай бұрын

I have always understood that, pound for pound, bark has more heat energy than the wood itself. Your red oak should dry a little quicker than the English oak I am splitting and stacking - but the rule 'splitting smaller speeds drying' still applies of course. Good luck with it all. Vince

The best trick to seasoning firewood is get three years ahead, that's what i do .

@WoodFiresWithVince

5 ай бұрын

That is the 'Holy Grail' - but only for those with the space to store it all! All best. Vince

Hi Vince, great video. How do you fell the trees/what permissions do you need to do this? Thanks

@WoodFiresWithVince

11 ай бұрын

Hi David, In the UK it is a bit complicated as it depends on whether the land or trees is/are designated, how much you want to fell and what it is for - own use or sale. The best thing would be to talk to the Government's forestry department and get local guidance. Hope it works out ok. All best. Vince

Good list of "well, it depends on..." s. Imo, the 2 year rule comes into play from folks who A) like BIG horkin' chunks- like 4-6" thick, and B) dry outside in stacks, where the wood is exposed to rain. Most important: GET IT OFF THE GROUND!!! Oak, especially- that wood is like a sponge, and will soak up groundwater until it's even wetter than it was green... The best advice, is plan ahead. Start cutting next year's (or better yet, the year after that) now. There really is no substitute for time. Personally, My all around favorites for burning are: Ash; Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch, Hickory, and Honey Locust. Close behind are oak, beech, and Norway Maple (a decent substitute for sugar) Pine, white birch, yellow poplar, and soft maple for campfires. Cherry and Apple for grilling. That's what's readily available to me, either free or from sellers. I cook with wood, and burn recreationally rather than heat. I'd love a woodstove, but don't have one...

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

I agree totally. If you want big chunks, store it for years - but beginners often get the idea that all firewood takes that long. Rain off and air through, and as you say, particularly underneath. Great woods you have in your area. Thanks for your thoughts.

@timgiles9413

Жыл бұрын

In Ohio USA we have great wood to choose from. Can you make me a list of the best to worst wood to use in my non-catalytic wood stove? Thanks

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

@@timgiles9413 Hi Tim, That is a big question! When I was writing, The Wood Fire Handbook, I relied heavily on American research as good UK/European can be a bit scarce. I can't find the US products summary of best to worst firewoods - but this link seems pretty good. www.almanac.com/content/best-firewood-heat-values-wood-burning-tips . . . it's not come into this reply as a hot link, sorry!

@timgiles9413

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your list :)

@timgiles9413

Жыл бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince Thank you :)

Any idea on Sycamore. Just had tree felled and is now axed up. Great content. Thanks.

@WoodFiresWithVince

2 ай бұрын

A good middling firewood, nice and clean and should dry out fairly quickly. My main logs have been sycamore for the last month - mixed with a little oak. All best. Vince

@yorki222

2 ай бұрын

Thanks so much, really appreciate your quick answer.

Fantastic channel and great advice! I would be interested to know how you rate seasoning firewood out in the open (uncovered) compared to the more traditional (in the UK) covered stacks. It seems to be far more common on the continent and elsewhere to just stack firewood out in the open and fully exposed to the elements so why wouldn't it work in the UK, is our climate too damp? I am considering trying it but being in Yorkshire I am a little sceptical😂

@WoodFiresWithVince

2 ай бұрын

Morning Jon, yes I have noticed in France, Greece and central Europe that split firewood can be left out, often still in the woodland between trees. But, we don't have their summer - not yet anyway. So I would always leave the sides completely open, but put a basic roof on, which does need to be slightly above the logs for airflow. I would stay with the rule, air through- rain off. All best. Vince

The air is drier in CA. I would say oak seasons at an inch a MONTH, not a year

@WoodFiresWithVince

7 ай бұрын

That may well be true, partly the air as you say, and partly the species of oak you have in CA

@stevenbrown5210

7 ай бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince mostly Live Oak in my area 😉

@WoodFiresWithVince

7 ай бұрын

After this conversation I will try and look up the relative density of the English oak and the American oaks - this is why I enjoy living with woodfires, you never stop learning!

Great vid. Liked abs sub’d. Here in South Carolina

@WoodFiresWithVince

6 ай бұрын

Thank you - have a great winter.

It's a lot of work but if the bark is removed altogether, the wood dries much faster. Smash the bark with the back of the axe or maybe use a small jack hammer with a compacting foot on it. The wood also burns better without bark on it.

@WoodFiresWithVince

7 ай бұрын

Agreed - but that is a lot of work! There is also the subtlety that the bark generally has slightly more heat energy than pure wood, - weight for weight. And against that the bark creates far more wood ash, weight for weight. But as you suggest, drying the logs is king and anything to get wood to dry well and quickly is helpful. Thanks for you thoughts. All best, Vince

My man loves his wood like I love my burgers.

@WoodFiresWithVince

8 ай бұрын

Thanks Cesar, I do love a wood-fire cooked burger too!

We dry split Douglas fir and maple in 4 foot rows cross wind to the low RH summer winds. Piles like yours would take more than 2 years to dry to less than 20 % moisture. I'm 84 years old and. getting impatient by the day in our marine climate

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Interesting - we can only work with what we have. I have friends living on a mountain in south west Scotland, where the climate so damp and the summer so short, drying logs to a state where they will readily burn is nearly impossible some years. What are RH summer winds?

Hi, perhaps I've just missed the info but what is the ground like in your shed?

@WoodFiresWithVince

3 ай бұрын

Hi, it is a concrete base - then a pallet under and behind the wood-stack. I have had an earth base in the past and it dried out fine. But I did have a shallow cut-off drain to stop any water. All best. Vince

@lucasdesjardins5905

3 ай бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince Good to know, thanks!

The same maple log size as your elm log will burn twice as long and will produce twice as much heat. But you have to dry it for 20+ months.

@WoodFiresWithVince

8 ай бұрын

I wish I had your maple around here then - sounds excellent.

How do I recognise the difference in species?? 👍

@WoodFiresWithVince

2 ай бұрын

That is a fairly difficult thing to do, I am thinking to make a video on log identification one day. But the most important thing is that a log is as dry as you can get it, whatever the species. All best wishes, Vince

@silverfox8801

2 ай бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince thanks buddy 👍

try oak takes just as long to dry or try ash burns almost as long and dries fast usually 6 to 12 months

No Sugar Maple? I find it the best firewood.

@WoodFiresWithVince

7 ай бұрын

Sadly Sugar Maple is virtually unknown in the UK. It was not planted in our woodland or forests, just an occasional tree in gardens and arboretums.

My pet peeve is when people spread the idea that you should leave it out in a pile in the weather, so it turns darker and looks old. I know that you can dry wood and still have it look like lumber, without all the oxidation and small splits and fungus. Dry is dry, it doesn't help to expose it to the weather out in a field. I think this is a story that firewood processors use to explain why they have a mountain of wood out in the snow, but it's because they didn't have the energy to split and stack it in time.

@WoodFiresWithVince

11 ай бұрын

I agree - the key thing is rain off and air through, and the wood being properly dry is so very important.

Can damp-rid dry firewood?

@WoodFiresWithVince

2 ай бұрын

I don't know, dehumidifiers in a closed space certainly work.

Nice to see some of the myths gently busted. I like your birch wood too. I like to burn birch, but for the last 5 years I have burned almost entirely hazel as I'm involved with restoring 50+ year derelict hazel coppice in an ancient woodland with a huge (sika and roe) deer population. 'Cos I'm keen on woodland ecology and I have no central heating. Hazel is under-regarded as fuelwood, possibly because it is rare in big lumps. The stuff I'm cutting is rarely bigger than 8" diameter and 20 to 30' of usable length. Some of the stools are huge. I knock it over before the end of March (with a following wind) and cut into 5's and stack in a cord under the eaves of the wood where it's breezy. Biggest diameter bits get striped, usually once. End of the summer before the weather breaks (that's the plan) it gets transported home and logged in a brake, 10 or so lengths at a time. Only the very biggest bits get split once. Tops get turned into dead hedges to keep Bambi from the regrowth with directional felling to reduce moving the tops as much as possible. Tenax Dorset gates allow access. Cut logs are stacked in a wooden store with 1-way vapour barrier in the walls and open-fronted with overhang and gutter to the north. By November, it's ready to burn and burns hot and clean. A dense wood, the log lengths are clean and pale with no checking and rare shrinkage cracks, except on the cord length ends. Bark is usually tight. If I can't get it extracted (I miss the weather window) it sits in the cord until the next summer, by which time it is just starting to spalt. If you're interested in what I'm doing, this link will get you to a vid: kzread.info/dash/bejne/fqKMzNSqoJbeZbw.html If you think putting a link to one of my posts is taking a liberty, knock this comment off. Thanks for posting and I look forward to viewing more of your stuff.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

This all sounds really interesting - what a lovely place to work. I have seen dead hedges fail to keep deer out many times, but usually it is the Muntjac that get in first. I get the feeling you will not let yours fail! I am starting to cut my firewood for next winter tomorrow, before the sap rises, I am going to do a lot more chain saw 'stripes' to save splitting the smaller logs from now on. And your link is welcome. All best Vince

@anemone104

Жыл бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince Thanks, Vince. I have also seen dead hedges fail and a lot of effort put in trying to 'protect' individual stools with brash. Usually a waste of time, although several 'woodland managers' have said that as long as the stools get away eventually, a bit of deer damage doesn't matter from a nature conservation point of view... Yes, the wood is lovely. There's traffic noise, but when I'm up there it is very rare to see anyone else and the ground flora is very good especially where the deer can't get. Sika will graze just as much as browse.... Good luck with the firewood cutting. Everything around here is running with water at the moment.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

@@anemone104 Hello, I can't believe that the sap is up already! 16th Jan! Oh well, so be it. I have been a woodland manager and would offer one point - which I think you will already know. You mention in your video wanting the coppice to be commercial - to ensure its longevity as woodland. People whose opinion I trust have told me that commercial hazel needs to grow straight - if to be good for cleft hurdles and thatching spars, etc. So protecting the stools with brash, and any deer damage, may not matter from a conservation point of view - as some 'managers' have told you, but matters hugely when people come to cut and use the rods . . . I think you probably know this, but thought worth a mention if for nothing else than to reinforce your opinion! Vince

@anemone104

Жыл бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince Thanks for the reply - good to compare notes: One stool in the wood I work in showed risen sap on the 6th of Jan. And around a big oak standard and under the leaf litter bluebells were starting to poke their heads up. A bit disquieting. I totally agree about 'commercial' hazel coppice - to be viable commercially, hazel must be straight, the right diameter and there must be sufficient density (kind of follows), which is why I have been trying to layer in new hazels. Alas, even given the 'holy grail' of grade 1 coppice, it is difficult to make a living wage. Given sub-optimal form and density of stems, things get more difficult. Alas, in my experience the need to manage hazel for quality and density of standing crop is often disregarded as being 'too difficult' or 'not worth it'.

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

@@anemone104 Sad, but true - good talking to you - I was very involved in all this back in the 1990s and really enjoyed it.

I never found Elm to burn very hot. Burns a long time, but not very hot. Most BTU ratings have it on the low end of hardwoods.

@WoodFiresWithVince

10 ай бұрын

Interesting point. I think what is happening here is that big old fully grown elm are exactly as you describe - but we hardly get them in England any more after Dutch Elm disease. And the western Wych elm is less dense. But the English elm suckers that grow in hedgerows, and then die when about 4 to 5 inch diameter, I find are very dense and excellent firewood. All best. Vince

@Michael-ji3gw

10 ай бұрын

@@WoodFiresWithVince Interesting point. I have lots of elm and I hate splitting it with my axe or with a gas powered splitter! Miserable work when they are 14" plus rounds.

I just bought a shed load of logs, they seem to be about 35%. Oh well.

@WoodFiresWithVince

7 ай бұрын

Good luck getting the logs to a useable mc - split smaller, lots of airflow, etc . . . I hope they didn't tell you they were 'ready to burn'?

Use paper towels

Sorry but that is a back log fml. Wtf 😂

15 seconds into the video and it was apparent it's just another waste of time. Why do folks on KZread portend they are the next widescreen Hollywood producer. Just present the process. Takes 3-4 minutes.

Great stuff. I find that myboak split at about 5" or smaller dries in less than a year. I do have Great drying conditions though. I also find smaller splits burn better and give me norw heat than large smoldering chuncks

@WoodFiresWithVince

Жыл бұрын

Agreed - I once visited a really old person who had always used and cooked on a wood-fired range. It was interesting that all of the wood she used was split to no more than about 3 inches. She said it burned better and gave a more even heat than bigger logs. Vince

Really good video, very good information, thanks for taking the time to make this. And another subscriber!!🪵🔥

@WoodFiresWithVince

Ай бұрын

Thank you - I really do love all of this stuff and I am glad it shows and has some useful bits. All best, Vince