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Author Topic: Low BTU firewood  (Read 2266 times)

zxcvbob

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Low BTU firewood
« on: June 30, 2012, 12:36:58 PM »
The city is trimming some giant cottonwood trees about a half a mile from my house.  They're cutting it into 4' lengths and pile it up on the curb; eventually it will get hauled off to the dump or something.

I collected 1/2 a pickup load yesterday and barely made a dent in one of the piles.  I burn wood in the winter for supplemental heat, but I don't have a lot of room to store it.

I would never pay good money for cottonwood cordwood, but is it worth getting for free?  (my inner cheapskate says "yes" but he lies to me sometimes)  It has about the lowest BTU's per cord of anything, even lower than basswood or willow or catalpa.  I've read conflicting info about how easy it splits.

I put a handful of the sawdust in some lead that I'm melting and it generated an awful lot of ash.

I'm thinking of just getting the smaller stuff that I can burn w/o splitting.
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RoadKingLarry

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2012, 02:25:41 PM »
I've not heard anything particularly good about it other than it being sort of OK for the very early season burning and very late season fires (shoulder season).

Are you familiar with this website?
http://www.hearth.com/talk/

Some pretty good info on heating with wood but I'd suggest staying out of the politics section.
« Last Edit: June 30, 2012, 11:00:24 PM by RoadKingLarry »
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zxcvbob

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2012, 06:46:37 PM »
Quote from: RoadKingLarry on June 30, 2012, 02:25:41 PM
I've not heard anything particularly good about it other than it being sort of OK for the very early season burning and very late season fires (shoulder season).

Are you familiar with this website?
=) http://www.hearth.com/talk/

Some pretty good info on heating with wood but I'd suggest staying out of the politics section.

I split a piece of it, and the wood is stringy enough and weak enough that it just kind of eats wedges.  It did split a little, and I chopped it apart with an ax to rescue the wedge.  It might split better when it's dry.  I will use this truckload, but I don't think I will go back for more.  I might give some of the big pieces I picked up to a friend who has bonfires in the fall...

Actually, I should call him; he might want all of what's left for his next bonfire.
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Jim147

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2012, 07:09:55 PM »
I have cottonwood all over the place here. I'll use it for bonfires and to help get the wood stove going. The bark will take right off if dry. I mix it with hedge in the wood stove to even out the fire some.

Keep it dry, split it frozen if possible and try to use it up within about the first year.

jim
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charby

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2012, 07:41:41 PM »
Actually I think Cottenwood is high BTU but very short burning duration.

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K Frame

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2012, 09:35:01 PM »
Very low btu. 16.8 million btu per cord. Bottom of the list.
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Scout26

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2012, 12:05:25 AM »
Yep, I'd load it in the truck and take it back.  Only way I'd keep it is if I had absolutely nothing else to burn.
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stevelyn

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2012, 01:57:05 AM »
About the only thing cottonwood is good for is smoking fish. It'll creosote up a stove faster than most evergreens I've seen.
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geronimotwo

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2012, 08:39:49 AM »
if it is like willow: 

it will be hard to dry. 
when dry it needs to be continually fed into the stove.
it splits like a sponge.
it makes a lot of ash. 

other than that it's the perfect wood. ;/
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K Frame

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2012, 09:40:27 AM »
Willow makes a decent bed of coals but doesnt burn worth crap.
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French G.

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2012, 09:47:27 AM »
Well, if it's like willow will it make lovely charcoal for blackpowder?
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zxcvbob

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #11 on: July 01, 2012, 10:25:15 AM »
Quote from: French G. on July 01, 2012, 09:47:27 AM
Well, if it's like willow will it make lovely charcoal for blackpowder?
It should.  I'm going to try some of it.  I usually use cedar to make gunpowder.  Not sure which species of cedar, but I think it's white cedar; the lightweight wood used for fence pickets.
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JonnyB

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Re: Low BTU firewood
« Reply #12 on: July 02, 2012, 09:29:00 AM »
Make sure it gets stored under cover. I had some Cottonwood fire-logs that I left sitting outside. In 18 months it was soft and mushy. I burned it but in a pile with a bunch of other 'slash'.

Kept in the shed, some has been OK, about on par with box elder.

Cottonwood *is* considered a hardwood, so should have more potential energy in it than pine or spruce.

jb
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