Relatively Free Firewood Source?

[Ken Scharabok]

If you have sawmills in your area which cut railroad ties check what they do with the cut-off ends. Locally one mills put them to the side of the area and allows them to be picked up for free. Often these are about 7" x 8" and from 10" to 20" in length. Usually oak. First come basis.

I picked them up for a while for a friend who was having health problems. Lots in the summer about 3:30 PM when they knocked off work. During winter they are picked up about as quickly as they come off the cutting line.

My friend hired a local guy to use a log splitter on them. Three slices and he had four nice pieces of firewood which stacked very compactly for drying.

I have a dozen or so of them on the farm I use as blocking when needed.

[brownegg]

We have a veneer factory close to us. For years one could get all the log butts from the mill at no charge. Oak, hard maple, black walnut, hickory, basswood, it all depended on what type of wood they were working with.
I'am talking really nice stuff, all debarked. Piles the size of a house. People were driving miles for the free fuel. Some so large it took 2 or more people to help load on your truck. Having to split the wood was a must.

The plant finally got smart and put state of the art boilers and wood chippers to heat and use any by products produced by the mill.

I was able to stack enough wood for 3 years before they stopped giving the free wood away. There were 100's of familys that were bummed out when we all lost the free wood source.

[MaineFarmMom]

You can ask mills about their oversized and bent logs, too. The mill here sells them inexpensively. You need a self loading truck to get the logs.

[tinknal]

Around here you can get a semiload of slabwood delivered for around $150.

[ladycat]

No saw mills here in the semi-desert, but I used to get discarded wood from a pallet shop for free. LOTS of it.

[Gladey]

Around here when the coal companies log bits of their land to put in roads and gas lines, they dump the logs by the road. If you drive along some of these back roads, you can get all the wood you can haul, mostly oak, poplar, and hickory.

[fantasymaker]

Originally Posted by Gladey

Around here when the coal companies log bits of their land to put in roads and gas lines, they dump the logs by the road. If you drive along some of these back roads, you can get all the wood you can haul, mostly oak, poplar, and hickory.

Um I know Im beating a dead horse but where is here?

Please put your location in your header it will make both your comments and the answeres to any questions you ask more acurate

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Here in the 'burbs, people just put wood out to the street all cut up nice and neat to meet pick-up requirements, so I just drive along and throw it in the trunk. I figure I am saving tax dollars!

[Muskrat]

Sawmills also provide slabs (the first 'board' on the log that slices off the bark and squares the log), sawdust (1,001 uses), and chipped bits.

We've found a nice pie, applied to the right person, helps in knowing when to pick up.

[Jack_IA]

if you are in an rea where there are a few tree services you can get the wood they cut down usually in manageable pieces .other wise they have to pay to get rid of it.
I have a few that just truck in and dump where I want it and I take it from there.

[paulaswolfpack]

one on 181 south in dora,mo. lunas mill $3.00 a load to bad I cant heat with wood moblie home.

Originally Posted by Muskrat

Sawmills also provide slabs (the first 'board' on the log that slices off the bark and squares the log), sawdust (1,001 uses), and chipped bits.

We've found a nice pie, applied to the right person, helps in knowing when to pick up.

Same here. There is one located just a couple of miles from me. They charge $5.00 a pickup load. All you have to do is cut them down to size for your fireplace. Which some people around here use a radial armsaw and cut up a load fast.

I sometimes pickup a load to do outdoor dutch oven cooking and grilling with. Been wanting to get some and try that Plankboard Cooking technique. See how that works out.

[Ken Scharabok]

"one on 181 south in dora,mo. lunas mill $3.00 a load to bad I cant heat with wood moblie home."

Check out www.outsidewoodheater.com. These were designed to heat mobile homes. Since the units sit outside your home owner's insurance company should approve their use.

Mill where I use to get the tie ends from chips up the slab boards and sells it to some plant.

On cutting up slab boards I have heard of people stacking them in an a holder made from T-posts and then just running a chainsaw down through a stack.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Try free cycle after any big storm in a city you will have to cut it and dry it and they are practicaly beging you to take it. so even cut it and place on the curb just to get rid of it

[Ramblin Wreck]

I get slabs and "crooked" logs from my brothers little band saw mill. The past couple of years, I've had enough "blow down" to keep me in firewood, although some of it is not the best wood, like sweet gum for example.

[BeckyW]

cities will give away their tree trimmings/cuttings. usually the trimmings are put through the shredder. A couple of years ago I was downtown when a crew was doing several blocks of old trees, cutting huge branches back. I needed several pieces and asked if I could have them. The supervisor told me I could have the entire 2 blocks worth, if I wanted it! Since we didn't have a wood stove, I thanked him (and hoped someone else claimed the blessing!), telling him I needed just two long branches. He told me to pick out what I wanted then he told one of the crew to cut and trim it to exactly what I wanted!

I remember a year or so ago someone posting about mountains of free cut and stacked wood their city/county begged people to take for free in one midwestern community. I don't think the situation was unique. Sadly, too many people don't want to roll up their sleeves and do the physical work of loading all the FREE wood they want into their own truck! I remember him talking about more than 1000 cords just sitting waiting to be taken!

With all the ice storms this winter, I would think you could handily get a multi-year supply this summer.
BW

[Kevingr]

Not sure if you can still do this in Minnesota or not, but in the early '80's my dad would get a permit from the DNR that allowed you to go in a cut up dead and downed trees from logging. When they'd clear cut an area they left a lot of wood behind. The permit was free and we'd go in and get a 4-5 pickup loads every year. It was work, but except for time and gas, it was free.

[RedneckPete]

Look up demolition in your yellow pages and call the contractors.

Demolition contractors knock down houses and other buildings, and often remove trees on land in preparation for new development.

Pete

[e.alleg]

I've used all the above resources. lol I guess that means I'm cheap. The best I have found for free or nearly free is to ask the logging companies for the scraps or the tops that are left over. This is real cordwood that cuts, splits, and stacks easily. You'll probably need 4 wheel drive or a tractor with a heavy duty trailer but it's worth it. Slab wood and pallets are fine but not very much fun to cut up and the pile looks really ugly in my opinion. When I lived in the suburbs I hauled a full truckload of nicely cut wood just about every day when the power companies were trimming the tree branches away from the wires. All it took was a box-o-joe from D&D and the guys had the branches cut nicely in 14" long pieces easily managed by myself. I don't use wood anymore but have switched to Anthracite coal, it isn't free but considering all the costs involved in getting wood (even free wood) it's pretty close economically and a lot more heat.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by e.alleg

Slab wood and pallets are fine but not very much fun to cut up and the pile looks really ugly in my opinion. When I lived in the suburbs I hauled a full truckload of nicely cut wood just about every day when the power companies were trimming the tree branches away from the wires.

People use what's available. No lumber mills in my area. I guess the nearest one must be a few hundred miles away. Not much of trimming the tree branches away from the wires, either, since there's not much in the way of trees.

The nearest city won't save branches for people. They shred them, compost them, and once a year those with proof of residency in the city limits are allowed to get one load of compost per family.

Every area is different, and people use what they can get. If it's ugly, so be it. If all you can get is ugly, then you get what is ugly.