Free Firewood

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dave schiller

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Apr 7, 2017
287
65
Raleigh, NC
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There is a wood-yard not too far from my house that offers various wood products such as firewood, specialty cut beams, hardwood mulch, etc.  I was recently out scrounging for wood for my offset and saw a pile of scraps there.  I asked if I could have some of it and was told to take all I want anytime.  The pile is probably the rejects, splits and splinters produced from their firewood splitting operation.  But there are lots of nice pieces that are perfectly usable for smoking meat.  All are totally dry, cut to about 16" long, and all are oak.

After picking the biggest pieces from the pile, I looked over and saw another pile, this one of slabs from squaring logs.  A sign said Free Firewood.  So now I have two piles to select from.  The slabs are too long to go into my pickup, so a bit of work with my chainsaw is needed.  Then I can split them with my Kindling Cracker to get the size I want.

Nice to have an indefinite source of free, dry wood.  I should add that I use charcoal for heat and add the wood for smoke.





 
The slab pile may be a mix of different woods.  I haven't started looking through it yet, since I didn't have my chainsaw to cut them to length.  I just today noticed the Free sign.  The end view of the biggest slab is white oak, about 3" thick and 8-9" wide and 8-10 feet long.  Both piles are replenished on a regular basis, so I check by about once a week.  I don't need or want much more, since I use wood for some added heat but primarily for smoke/flavor.  My wood bin is full, but I hate to let the stuff go to the landfill or be given away.
 
Nice score! And now I apparently have a new gift idea for myself... never heard of the Kindling Cracker before. Looks so much safer than the maul I've been using! I take it you would recommend it? Is yours the 6" or 9"?
 
I'm a bit ambivalent about the Cracker.  Mine is the 6" model.  It works great on dry, straight grained wood.  On wet stuff, not so good.  And some woods have stringy grain, so they don't pop apart (even when dry) as many of the videos show.  For best results, it needs to be anchored to a very solid object such as a tree stump (which I don't have).  Otherwise, it will bounce around.  I used a 4# hammer on some fresh red oak, 6" diameter, without success.  Red Oak usually splits very cleanly if there are no knots.  I gave up on that and am letting it dry.
 
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I really like my kindling cracker. It does a great job on dry wood. I have the 6" model. I have never seen the 9" one. I don't have a stump, but I have a log about 12"-14" in diameter and about 18" long and I don't even have mine secured. I just sit it up on top.

With that much free available wood, why not just use the charcoal for a starting bed of coals and cook with the wood?
 
Joe B, the reason I use charcoal and a BBQGuru is laziness, pure and simple.  I admit it.  For a long cook, such as for brisket, I get a bed of charcoal hot in the firebox, then add the remainder of the bag, and set the Guru to whatever.  Then I can walk away, throwing in a piece of oak every now and then for smoke.
biggrin.gif


I should add that I haven't seen the 9" cracker either.  Around here, Northern Tools carries the cracker.
 
Free Firewood - Continued

I went back to the woodyard this morning and saw that the slab pile has had a lot of supplementing.  The slabs need to be cut to length since some are about 12-15' long.  This time I took my saw and cut a bunch to 12-14" long to fit in the firebox.  Some of the slabs must be 6-8" thick and 15-18"  wide, many with bark off or loose.  It's wet wood and will need to be seasoned and split. All oak (white and red).

The reason I post this is that there is much more than I need and plenty to share.  So if any of you in the Raleigh area want/need some, contact me and I'll be happy to show you where it is.  It's easy pickings; you can back your vehicle next to the pile.


 
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