This topic has nothing whatsoever to do with home shop machining,but came about because I read some advice from one member to another about heating with wood.I live in Northern Alberta in what is known as the boreal forest,and one thing there is an abundance of is wood.I have been burning wood as my principal source of heat for the last 20 years.I have found out that there are a lot of myths about burning wood,which wood to burn,etc. etc.Here is what 20yrs. of woodburning has taught me.

                                         All wood that is likely to be available in North americe burns,and can be burnt.Hardwoods burn hotter than softwoods and also burn longer.Firewood should allways be seasoned,or 'cured'.Softwood cut green,should be seasoned for at least a year,2yrs. is better.Hardwood should be seasoned for 2 yrs.All wood contains creosote,which can gum up your chimney,and cause fires.Firewood should either be stored inside,in a woodshed or stacked,if stacked,the top should be covered with a waterproof cover(preferably not the sides,air circulation is needed).Construction waste can be burned,but plywood,O.S.B.,and any wood that has been treated should not.When burning hardwoods,excercise care,some hardwoods can burn hot enough to take out your stove,pipe or chimney!!.If you harvest your own wood,splitting your firewood will enable it to season or dry out more quickly,wood that that is not split will take longer to season,and will also not burn quite as well.

Fires,or stoves.

Fires found today are usually one of two categories,either open type,or airtight.Open fires are inneficient,and can be dangerous,most of the heat goes up the chimney,and certain kinds of wood will 'spit' live embers onto you,your carpet,and anything combustible for a radius of several feet from the fire.Never leave an open fire unattended.Open fires,while'pretty',and'romantic',are in my opinion not much use(sorry ladies).Airtight stoves are my choice for serious heating,and safety.

Chimneys.

To burn  wood safely,your chimney needs to be maintained,check your chimney at least once a year,and clean it as required,inspect it thoroughly,and if in any doubt clean it!.Lack of care of your chimney can cost you your house!!.I mentioned creosote earlier,it can be avoided.Creosote forms mostly when your stove is run 'throttled back',a stove's burning rate is usually controlled by the 'damper',which is a device for controlling the amount of air  fed to the fire,so don't leave the fire on it's lowest damper setting for long priods,it will smoulder,and that is when it will produce the most creosote in your chimney.

                                   Wood heat,especially if you can harvest the wood yourself,is the nicest form of heat there is,beats central heating hands down,and can also be the most economical.Obviously,if you want to heat with wood,you need to know your local authority regulations regarding your appliances,their installation,and possibly wood storage.Books have been written on acquiring  and burning wood,I hope what I have put in these few paragraphs are of help to members.I promise if I post again,it will be relevant,but,one final word of warning……………………..When the weather is cold and vicious out there,and you are in front of your woodstove which is going nicely,and sitting in your favourite chair,it is damnawfull hard to get up off your butt,go do the things you're supposed or even want to do,even machining…………..safe and happy heating to you all.

Tyler said:

Thanks for the clarification. I was just involved in another discussion on the forum about this because we will be moving to a place with a fireplace over the next few weeks. I imagine it was that conversation that led to your post.

Yes it's an off topic post, but in this case it's timely and helpful (for me at least). I don't mind OT posts as long as they are helpful and in some way will be of general interest to most of the forum audience. And as long as they aren't political, religious, inflammatory, or in some other way likely to insight a riot, I'm ok with them. I would imagine others on this forum feel the same way about OT posts.

In moderation, OT posts are fine. And I make them occassionally. I've made both OT and PSA (public service announcement) posts in the past. I was even thinking about making a PSA post today about a discovery I made last week – Lowes has a recycling bin for CFL bulbs, batteries, and plastic bags. I've never known where to take my CFLs or my batteries when they die, but now I do! I figure most of us have batteries that we need to dispose of, and hopefully most of use have also started using CFL's. So even though its OT, I figured it would be helpful and of general interest.

I do, however, generally title my post with "OT – …" or "PSA …" so that people know up front that the post isn't necessarily about metalworking.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to post this. I appreciate the clarification!

It was reading your post that prompted me to post Tyler,that,and the fact that when I first started burning wood,I fell foul of some of the myths and old wives tales that surround woodburning.For over a year,I did'nt burn one species of wood that is massively available up here,because I was told it was no good!.All to often,we rely on advice from people who we think are "in the know",only to find that in actual fact,they are'nt!.Personally

,I find this annoying,wastefull,and usually of great personal inconvinience,if not cost.Economic times are getting harder,energy becoming more expensive,and cheaper options such as wood are going to be looked at,hence my post.