Any wet firewood tricks?
Any tricks to dry out wet (as in damp from rain, not green) firewood? We typically use the dryer pieces and stack the wetter ones around the outside of the fire ring so they can start to dry a bit as...
Forum Discussion
Lowsuv wrote:
Dewey and Laman are in error on this particular issue because they have not witnessed it first hand .
The science that makes this work is the fact that the OSB square that is on top of the fire is parallel to the ground and reflects the heat back into the fire and gets the wet wood burning hot enough to eliminate the smoke .
A 2x12 would work as good but is not readily available anymore because those 2x12 joist sizes have been mostly replaced by I-Joists in actual construction .
Neither Dewey nor Laman has witnessed first hand the science that makes this Top Panel reflectivity that stops the smoky fire .
If they had they would not have taken their position .
If you want to have a non-smoky fire from now on , try the reflected OSB panel on top of a smoky fire once .
One piece proves the remedy suggested to be effective .
After that you can make your own determination .
As to toxic , these fellows do not understand that the higher heat of the fire works to lower the emissions not unlike the catalytic principle in autos .
This is a case where actual campers building actual fires with practical experience have better insight to the solution .
I don't have any doubt that your OSB method of burning wet wood works. My comment wasn't on the effectiveness of your method, but rather the safety of it in terms of burning engineered wood products in a firepit that you or those who use the site after you will be cooking on.
As for your comment about actual campers building actual fires (and by implication the understanding of wood and fire science): I am a graduate forester, with training in wood technology and fire science. I have camped in all situations from wilderness to RV camping, I worked for the US Forest Service for 33 years, including fighting fire and as the program manager for wilderness and recreation, including managing 30 developed campgrounds.
Telling others to burn engineered wood in a campfire to start wet wood is like telling someone who needs additional money to rob a bank. They both accomplish the objective, but are not advisable, can have unintended consequences, and in many states, both actions are illegal.
