Ash for firewood?

oneokie · #21 08/27/13, 03:06 PM

When most cooking was done on a wood cookstove, ash was the preferred wood.

Forerunner · #22 08/27/13, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twp.Tom

Ash is great firewood-have burned it for years. As said previously by Dale,it has a very low moisture content,when green. Here in Northern Ohio,the ash trees are being devoured by the emerald ash borer. I have been foraging ash out of the local State park,the last two seasons. Folks around here do not want dying ash trees standing on their property,they will pay you to remove them.Only drawback-it seems to leave more ash in the firebox when burned-thus the name ash?

Too many ashes couldn't be construed as a setback!

Wood ashes are your garden sweetener, your laundry soap ingredient and your buckskin processing agent....... not to mention your home made hominy wonder ingredient.

pheasantplucker · #23 08/28/13, 10:44 AM

I've burned ash exclusively at my cabin in my wood stove for the past six years now...great to split, burns very nicely...no problems whatsoever.

o&itw · #24 08/28/13, 03:51 PM

I'm not an ash fan nor an elm fan. What we have here doesn't split easily at all ( wouldn't be making handles out of it if it split easily) For the volume of wood it produces little heat. Give me oak or hickory any day.

Of course, I have burned a lot of it, because it was free, or in the way and I had to cut it anyway. But when I have plenty of Oak and hickory on hand I put it on the brush fire no matter how big it is. I have a 14' log that is 25" dbh laying in the woods now. Perfectly clear with no knots or branches. I called my buddy with a sawmill who like all kinds of wood and he is happy to get it, though not as happy as I was to give it a way. I did cut and split the rest of the tree......wish I had had a brush pile going.

That being said, if it is the wood one can get, it is certainly better than nothing.