Replies

1. 
   BobSmalser | Nov 21, 2003 06:59am | #1

   Other than that with formaldehyde glue like plywood and pressure-treated material...I can't think of much I don't burn for heat.

   http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/3075040/29955689.jpg

2. 
   mlbfreestyle | Nov 21, 2003 07:19am | #2

   Don't use walnut in your barbeque.  Might be fine in the fireplace though.

1. 
   IMERC | Nov 21, 2003 08:35am | #3

   Don't burn cotton wood 

   Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

1. 
   UncleDunc | Nov 21, 2003 11:49am | #5

   >> Don't burn cotton wood

   Why not? 95% of all the camping I've ever done was heated with cottonwood fires, and it worked fine for me. The fastest time I've ever seen for boiling five gallons of water was over a fire of cottonwood twigs and small branches.

   As far as cedar throwing sparks, IMO, if you're burning wood for heat and not just for entertainment, you'll have glass doors on your fireplace.

   Edited 11/21/2003 3:50:13 AM ET by Uncle Dunc

1. 
   IMERC | Nov 21, 2003 08:31pm | #8

   Yur talking open fire. Cotton wood in a stove tears up the chimeny. A lot of cotton wood gets waysided because of this. Also you have to feed the flames often. 

   Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

2. 
   forestgirl | Nov 21, 2003 08:54pm | #9

   "if you're burning wood for heat and not just for entertainment, you'll have glass doors on your fireplace. "  He probably does (or a screen), but it didn't hurt to mention it.  Caution is in order when opening that door and adding wood or adjusting things.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   UncleDunc | Nov 22, 2003 01:52am | #13

   >> ... it didn't hurt to mention it.

   No, certainly didn't hurt to mention it. In fact, I'm glad you did, because it gave me the opportunity to mention the doors. :) Between the two of us, we'll get him whipped into shape.

2. 
   Norse | Nov 21, 2003 02:26pm | #6

   "Don't use walnut in your barbeque."

   I've not heard this about walnut, why not? I know it has an herbicidal property so I don't use walnut sawdust or shavings in the compost but what's the deal on burning?

1. 
   mlbfreestyle | Nov 21, 2003 05:35pm | #7

   Go ahead and burn it, but don't don't barbeque with it.  It will impart a horribly acrid taste to the food.  Learned by experience.  Runined a perfectly good turkey in the smoker.

1. 
   UncleDunc | Nov 22, 2003 02:00am | #14

   The trick for using walnut successfully in a BBQ is probably to make sure it's burned down to charcoal before putting any food over it. Once all the volatiles are driven off, it's pretty much just carbon.

3. 
   forestgirl | Nov 21, 2003 10:15am | #4

   A bit of care when burning cedar - Snap!Crackle!Pop!  Can shoot a cinder up to 6 feet.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   robkelly1 | Nov 21, 2003 11:36pm | #10

   In the fireplace I've burned all kinds of scraps for the last 50 yrs, glued, painted, plywood, etc. I don't burn even small bits of MDF, chipboard, masonite, particle board, etc because it smells terrible, and threatens to kill everyone within a 100 meter radius of the chimney.

   I don't burn logs or large amounts of pine or fir or other resinous woods because the vaporized resin deposits in the chimney and can later catch fire. Small amounts of oily woods like cocobolo are allright if thrown on to a fire of other woods, but logs and large boards of cocobolo drip oil all over the fireplace.

   Walnut is great for BBQing.   Walnut + Weber BBQ + Lamb Shanks* + a relatively coarse red like Rioja or a chewy Zinfandel = one of the great ideas of Western Man.  

   *"butterfly" the shanks but leave the bone attached. Season with salt, pepper and sumaq. A little olive oil brushed on if you're cooking it well done (I recommend rare) will keep it from getting too dry.

1. 
   BobSmalser | Nov 22, 2003 01:17am | #11

   "...pine or fir or other resinous woods because the vaporized resin deposits in the chimney and can later catch fire."

   In some parts of the country, DF is the premier firewood...not many hardwoods here in quantity other than R. Alder.

   Start your Alder kindling with a real hot paper fire every day and you won't have a problem.  More low temp-fires than resin that makes creosote.

1. 
   Biscardi | Nov 22, 2003 01:43am | #12

   Bob,

   My father-in-law was visiting from Montana and was sort of horrified that we burn red oak. I told him we almost never burn pine because we worry about chimeny fires;  he just chuckled.

   Frank

2. 
   forestgirl | Nov 22, 2003 11:51pm | #15

   I agree, Bob, that the right temp is the important part.  Nick installed a wood stove as a Christmas present a couple of years ago, keeps the shop nice and snuggly.  The first thing I did was buy one of those thermometers that sticks on the pipe.  I try to keep it above 300* at all time, most of the time 400* and crank it way up to like 600* a couple times a week, hoping to keep it clean.

   Do those anti-creosote burning things work?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   BobSmalser | Nov 23, 2003 12:11am | #16

   Dunno.  Probably a waste of dough.

5. 
   ejant | Nov 23, 2003 07:52pm | #17

   I just got through burning all the scraps I accumulated over the summer. Three large milk crates full, all species including some plywood.

   Years ago when things were tough just starting out raising a family I would cut up and burn pallet wood.

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 23, 2003 11:12pm | #18

   Pallet-wood works great, so much of it is hardwood!  Alot of work though....  This year, for quick fire-starters, I'm gonna get a bunch of those paper ketchup cups and fill 'em with planer shavings mixed with parafin.  They sell those by the 24-ct bag down at the wood-stove store.forestgirl Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)