Thread: 1,000 acres of dead white/red Stringy Bark

Originally Posted by gotmilk

I have 1,000 acres of White/Red Stringy bark that has been dead for 5-20 years with an average diameter of 8-10 inches. Any suggestions as to what this could be used for? Does it make a suitable firewood? I am new to the industry and could use some advice.

standing or felled?

Standing

Theres a possibility you might get timber out of it but the grubs usually get into it after a year or so and the logs seem a bit small for milling.

But you don't know till you have a real good look.

Stringy makes good firewood

White stringy is good for fence posts and poles too.

It'll make a nice big log cabin (woodwork shop!)

firewood for sure, u might get some turning wood or rustic pieces that may be useful...good luck

Originally Posted by gotmilk

I have 1,000 acres of White/Red Stringy bark that has been dead for 5-20 years with an average diameter of 8-10 inches. Any suggestions as to what this could be used for? Does it make a suitable firewood? I am new to the industry and could use some advice.

Can I have it???? Just kidding. "White" ?? Could be what I call Yellow. I have had a lot to do with Yellow Stringy and a little to do with Red Stringy. Yellow Stringy was preferred by the Gov. for railway sleepers, it will go plus F17 green or dry.
Try and mill what you can out of it.
I once lined the exterior of a house with it sliced with a ban saw in to 1" thick planks leaving the bark on in an under over pattern
You can cut it in to short lenghts and make shingles with it, splits easily.
Sell anything small for posts or rails
I can't vouch for Red Stringy but Yellow Stringy will not rot and white ants will crawl all over it but they won't touch it.
And it polishes up real nice

If you want to clear the area contact a fire wood contractor about cuting it, they should pay you a royalty per tonne but dont expect fast results.

I think you'll find that if it's been dead standing that long the moisture content will be so low that it won't burn as firewood. I once felled some eucalypt which had been standing dead for 7 years. it just wouldn't burn. It would smoulder until the outer was black and would then go out. This was in a wood heater. The load I cut went to the tip. I don't know how it would go milled. my guess is that it would be full of checks and grub holes. Anyway I could be totally wrong.

Dead too long?

MAybe it wasn't a suitable species for firewood, Woolybutt will smoulder for a while then go out.

Dead too long? that's a new one.

May be your heater needed cleaning to allow more air in.

Originally Posted by Shedhand

I think you'll find that if it's been dead standing that long the moisture content will be so low that it won't burn as firewood. I once felled some eucalypt which had been standing dead for 7 years. it just wouldn't burn. It would smoulder until the outer was black and would then go out. This was in a wood heater. The load I cut went to the tip. I don't know how it would go milled. my guess is that it would be full of checks and grub holes. Anyway I could be totally wrong.

Shed hand this sounds like bloodwood, as a firewood, if it used exclusively in a fire, the fire will go out, regardless of how old/dry the timber is.

Not to rain on your parade, but the drier the wood is the better it burns generally, unless you get a wood resistant to burning such as bloodwood. Ask guys who live on the land they will tell you fencing in bushfire prone areas tends to be made using bloodwood as it chars the outside, but does not actually burn so the fencing will stay up regardless of multiple fires.

I appreciate the comments and advice. I will look into fenceposts and sale what I can as firewood. Does anyone know anyone in NSW that would be interested in moving that much wood as firewood or fencposts?

Before you do that you may want/need to check with local natural resource authorities such as Department of Natural Resources, State Forests and/or the local Catchment Management Authority to ensure that you have appropriate permits to exploit the resource. Whilst I personally can't picture anything being a problem, the boys and girls in your area may have other ideas.

As for firewood contractors, have a squiz in the Yellow Pages for Brisbane, Sydney and see if anyone in there would be interested in travelling. Cause you'll need to find someone who can handle volume rather than the odd tipper load.