henry d Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 I just wanted to know if willow is any good for burning as I cut down a willow for the local angling club yesterday. I normally burn ash and birch in my chimenea so if it`s too smokey it won`t do. Cheers guys :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted June 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Cheers sorted now :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Willow is pretty bad for burning when green as it has a very high water content. It needs to be very well seasoned (a year or so once split) before use, but once it is it is useable, so if you have the space to stack it then you might as well take it. As long as it has been seasoned it should not be too smoky at all ZB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 yep it'll burn ok when seasoned and will be fine in a chimnea, but it'll burn fast and won't hold heat long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 HD this old ditty works for me BUT unfortunately it doesn't mention willow so I guess they were always reserved for cricket bats! I'd be interested in how/what you decided. LOGS FOR BURNING Beechwood fires are bright and clear if the logs be kept a year. Chestnut’s only good, they say, if for long it’s laid away. Make a fire of elder tree, death within your house shall be. But ash new or ash old is fit for a queen with a crown of gold. Birch and fir logs burn too fast; blaze up bright and do not last. It is by the Irish said, hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread. Elm wood burns like a churchyard mould; e’en the very flames be cold. But ash green or ash brown is fit for a queen with a golden crown. Poplar gives a bitter smoke, fills your eyes and makes you choke. Apple wood will scent your room with an incense-like perfume. Oaken logs, if dry and old, a king shall warm his slippers by. ***** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr W Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Surely the last line should be Oaken logs, if old and dry, a king shall warm his slippers by otherwise it doesn't rhyme Sorry just being pedantic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chard Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Surely the last line should be Oaken logs, if old and dry, a king shall warm his knackers by otherwise it doesn't rhyme Sorry just being pedantic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden22 Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 I don't want to hijack your thread Henry (please delete this if it's inappropriate) but does anyone know why willow is used for cricket bats? Does it have some quality that makes it especially suitable, or is it just tradition? Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 I don't want to hijack your thread Henry (please delete this if it's inappropriate) but does anyone know why willow is used for cricket bats? Does it have some quality that makes it especially suitable, or is it just tradition? Robert The bat is traditionally made from willow wood, specifically from the Cricket-bat Willow (Salix alba var. caerulea), treated with linseed oil. This wood is used as it is very tough and shock-resistant, not being significantly dented nor splintering on the impact of a cricket ball at high speed, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Just try hitting a cricket ball with a piece of oak and you'll find out why! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 That made me chuckle. You could also try it with balsa wood... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden22 Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 (edited) . Edited July 22, 2009 by Maiden22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Thank you Bob for a typically informative and gracious reply. I shall ignore the childish hootings from others who shall not be named (Highlander and Mungler) . Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Bob's reply is spot-on. If willow is well-managed, it also grows very straight and without knots. A lot of Britain's cricket-bat willow is grown in Essex, and a fair proportion is exported. The trees love moist soil, and grow very well alongside rivers on land that would otherwise be scrub. A lot of local landowners have willow beds, and a tree reaching maturity after 15 years can sell for about £220-£250. If you're fortunate enough to own a mile or so of river bank, that's a healthy source of income (and one that requires almost no time and financial investment from the landowner). Willow does spit when burnt, which makes it unpopular for open fires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted June 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Willow does spit when burnt, which makes it unpopular for open fires. That`s why I won`t be using it, I had hoped to use it in my Chimenea on my wooden decking Cheers everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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