How long to wait before chopping wood

If you need the wood right away, splitting it as soon as possible is important to allow for it to better dry and become useable.

Otherwise, if you have better sources of timber you can leave damp logs by sources of heat to dry a bit first before you tackle them. If you are using a manual method, like an ax or maul, to split your wood, then surprisingly wet green wood can be easier to split. Deciduous trees, like oak and maple, can become incredibly hard once dried and can take considerable effort to split by hand. However, trees like conifer and pine can be too soft when wet and are easier to split when drier.

Why dry wood before use? Firewood needs to be dry so it can burn effectively and not consume some of its energy in evaporating water.

Wet wood will produce harmful smoke when burned for this reason. Woodworkers like to use dried wood as the dehydration process shrinks the wood and causes cracks, compromising the integrity of the material. Once dried, the material strength and size are established and can be used effectively. Hey, I'm Jim and the author of this website. I have always been interested in survival, fishing, camping, and anything in nature.

In fact, while growing up I spent more time on the water than on land! I am also a best-selling author and have a degree in History, Anthropology, and Music. I hope you find value in the articles on this website. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or input!

My dad was a fisherman, my husband is a fisherman, so fish just seem to present themselves for cooking at my house on a regular basis. The two things about frying fish that have been taught to me First off, a disclaimer: You will probably not learn many real-life survival skills from my selections on this list. Just watching "Naked and Afraid" or "Alone" are much better for that. Instead, I Method 1: Using an Axe, Maul, or Hatchet These tools have been chopping wood for millennia, relying on personal strength, stamina, and coordination to cut through wood.

Splitting Technique Many of the principles of dealing with wet wood are the same when it comes to dealing with the dry variant. Prop the log up on a chopping block or similar platform to help stabilize it.

Otherwise, you can just use the ground and surrounding dirt to stand it up. Position yourself so that with your arms fully extended the head of the axe drives into the center of the log. An important tip is to position yourself so that the axe will hit the side closest to you. Make sure your legs are apart so that if you miss, the axe will go in between your legs as opposed to into them.

Having your legs slightly apart also helps with balance. Pull the axe over your head and bring it down in a single swift motion. Remember that you are not using your back or arm muscles for force. Instead, your body is merely acting as a stabilizer for the axe head as it builds momentum on its way down.

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Contact Us. Instead, raise it on a stand or crate, stacking neatly. Once stacked, cover the wood with a tarp, making sure to tuck the edges to keep out rainwater. If you have a shed, this could be an ideal space for your wood. However, make sure the shed is not damp or humid.

Moisture will attract mold, wood rot, and bugs. You can find a firewood rack with a cover on Amazon. In most cases, split wood takes about six months to dry.

Times will vary, depending on the following factors:. If wood is exposed to rain or snow, it will take longer to dry. If it gets a lot of sun and wind, it will dry faster. Some wood is prone to longer drying times. Smaller pieces of wood will dry faster than large chunks. Likewise, wood with little to no bark will dry faster than pieces with excess bark. While splitting wet wood can be more difficult than splitting dry wood, it makes it dry faster.

The bark acts as a barrier, holding in moisture. Once the wood is split, the moisture is able to evaporate from the wood. The less bark the wood has, the quicker it will dry. Wet wood will smell slightly different than dry wood. Breathe it in deeply; if it has a fresh smell, it needs to season longer. Seasoned wood will look darker and have a yellowish tint to it.

The ends of the wood will also begin to separate once it has seasoned. Take note of the sound when you knock two pieces of wood together. If it gives off a solid thud, it is probably not dry enough. However, if it sounds hollow, the wood is well-seasoned.