Willow
- Thread starter Stingercargill
- Start date
Would I be better to split them in a month or two then ?they are all cut to size ready to splitGreen willow literally drips like a sponge in the log splitter, you can see why they thrive in boggy areas. Will it really be ~20% in just a year (split)?
The green rings weighed an absolute ton but you can tell most of the weight is water weight
csl
Administrator
I don't know, I'm in the same boat as you... chopped up a willow for free firewood in September (before I got there I was told it was an ash on the ground and it turned out to be a willow at 45 degrees but that's another story 
)
If you've got a decent splitter it splits pretty easy (except where you get the grain crossing at forks) so you might as well split it early as possible and reduce the seasoning time.
I was just asking about the posts above saying it it would be ready in a year, was just curious about that because the water content is obviously extremely high...
Alex
)If you've got a decent splitter it splits pretty easy (except where you get the grain crossing at forks) so you might as well split it early as possible and reduce the seasoning time.
I was just asking about the posts above saying it it would be ready in a year, was just curious about that because the water content is obviously extremely high...
Alex
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These six are at an angle similar to yours as well , I panicked a bit and phoned a friend to help or should I say cut them down for me
csl
Administrator
How confident are you with the saw? 
There's plenty of much more experienced guys on here than me who can advise I'm sure but 'crack' willow like its name, is notorious for splitting on you, especially when it's on the lean like that. In fact you can see in my photo above I had one bow split on me despite putting a cut in from underneath first. Just take your time with it and try to take the load off bit by bit.
Another good resource for a bit of research is arbtalk
If you're not confident get some experienced help... only takes a split second to go very wrong!....
Alex
There's plenty of much more experienced guys on here than me who can advise I'm sure but 'crack' willow like its name, is notorious for splitting on you, especially when it's on the lean like that. In fact you can see in my photo above I had one bow split on me despite putting a cut in from underneath first. Just take your time with it and try to take the load off bit by bit.
Another good resource for a bit of research is arbtalk
If you're not confident get some experienced help... only takes a split second to go very wrong!....
Alex
I'm confident if the wind blows them overHow confident are you with the saw?
There's plenty of much more experienced guys on here than me who can advise I'm sure but 'crack' willow like its name, is notorious for splitting on you, especially when it's on the lean like that. In fact you can see in my photo above I had one bow split on me despite putting a cut in from underneath first. Just take your time with it and try to take the load off bit by bit.
Another good resource for a bit of research is arbtalk
If you're not confident get some experienced help... only takes a split second to go very wrong!....
Alex
csl
Administrator
Well if you've got 3 on the deck already and you're not dead then you're probably over the worst of it by now (standard disclaimers apply 
)
What worries me is the 'celery factor' (more calories required to eat it than gained eating it ) ... it cost X calories of sweat cutting it down, X litres of two stroke, X calories graft getting it trailered, diesel transporting it home, diesel splitting it, sweat stacking it... then season it for a year... it's free and you get a feeling of satisfaction, yeah, but....
The big question is are you (we) going to to be left with something that weighs a fifth of what it did green and burns like *poof* into ash in minutes!
(standard disclaimers apply )What worries me is the 'celery factor' (more calories required to eat it than gained eating it
) ... it cost X calories of sweat cutting it down, X litres of two stroke, X calories graft getting it trailered, diesel transporting it home, diesel splitting it, sweat stacking it... then season it for a year... it's free and you get a feeling of satisfaction, yeah, but....The big question is are you (we) going to to be left with something that weighs a fifth of what it did green and burns like *poof* into ash in minutes!
Compared per kilo at the same moisture level all wood has a similar energy level.
To stop it going 'poof' control the oxygen available to it - put it in a stove.
Alex you must have both tall and broad shoulders to have cut your willows from standing safely at ground level and not using the saw above shoulder height
And as somebody posted get a moisture meter it will save you ££££
To stop it going 'poof' control the oxygen available to it - put it in a stove.
Alex you must have both tall and broad shoulders to have cut your willows from standing safely at ground level and not using the saw above shoulder height
And as somebody posted get a moisture meter it will save you ££££
Well if you've got 3 on the deck already and you're not dead then you're probably over the worst of it by now
What worries me is the 'celery factor' (more calories required to eat it than gained eating it
The big question is are you (we) going to to be left with something that weighs a fifth of what it did green and burns like *poof* into ash in minutes!
csl
Administrator
Alex you must have both tall and broad shoulders to have cut your willows from standing safely at ground level and not using the saw above shoulder height
LOL!
How very dare you! How do you know I didn't climb up with my silky saw?
John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
There are many 'cricket bat" willows along the creek here that were planted 100 years ago or more,many are in ordinary shape and i use the ultra dry willow wood for getting a red hot fire going straight away followed by those super hard woods grrey box /yellow box and red gum which outlast willow 15-1
There are weeping and pussy willows here also but the "cricket bat" trees were I`m told planted for that purpose....any ideas on the variety? Some are up to 6' in dia.
There are weeping and pussy willows here also but the "cricket bat" trees were I`m told planted for that purpose....any ideas on the variety? Some are up to 6' in dia.
csl
Administrator
Fair copCos at that angle the sawdust gets in your eyes and you end up trapping and breaking it
I did take some time off a couple of years ago to do NPTC CS30/31 so as a frustrated computer desk jockey I'll happily accept grief from any arborists who have done their Cisco CCNA and Microsoft MCSE
Picking up on the stove/controlled burn thing here's my stovax burning leylandii (yes, I'll process/burn pretty much anything!
)You can see the gasification and secondary burn of the vapour
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csl
Administrator
Is this a dig about the Ashes?
Need some photos of the leaves/bark I reckon... white willow is white and fuzzy underneath isn't it? There's loads of different species and they all tend to have different local names which makes it harder....
If the willow can do that I'll be pretty pleased but somehow I doubt it will.... it can't have the resin content of the leylandii can it? It seems to leave a load of gunk on the chain after cutting it though so I don't know?! That leylandii you need to get it burning super hot then choke the air right down and the glass smokes right up and then clears again then you get that nice dancing flame. Satisfying turning monster hedge nightmare into free heat.
weeman
Well-Known Member
If it's free and can be allowed to season then great.
Great for my anger management in swinging an axe splitting wood.
Only tree I'll always avoid is the monkey puzzle. Helped felling one few years back. Bugger to climb, handle and split. Chucked a set of clothes away after.
Great for my anger management in swinging an axe splitting wood.
Only tree I'll always avoid is the monkey puzzle. Helped felling one few years back. Bugger to climb, handle and split. Chucked a set of clothes away after.
csl
Administrator
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