Related
sweetened chewing gum , a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree genus of the Latin name Liquidambar , is found around the man . The American Sweet Gum ( Liquidambar styraciflua ) , native to North and Central America , is one of the most common hardwood in the Southeastern United States , where it preferably develop in humid and temperate climates . Its beautiful foliage , which is in particular colorful in the free fall months , also make it a cracking selection as an cosmetic tree .
But does it make good firewood ? permit ’s get hold out .
Sweet Gum Firewood Details
Firewood name : Sweet Gum
BTU:20.6
Weight:3,850 to 4,550 wet and 2,250 to 2,950 dry
mollify Time:1 year
Resin / Sap Content : high-pitched
Splitting Difficulty : hard
smoking : low to medium level of locoweed
Smell : no noticeable smell
Sweet Gum Varieties
There are three other species under the Liquidambar genus .
The Chinese Sweet Gum
Scientifically known as Liquidambar formosana , this is a democratic Sweet Gum variety regularly called Chinese Sweet Gum . The Chinese Sweet Gum is typically found in Central and Southern China , Indochina , and Taiwan . It grows mostly in the timberland of the warm temperate region .
Turkish Sweet Gum
A native tree to the eastern Mediterranean area occurring as pure stand majorly on the Greek island of Rhodes and floodplains of sou'-west Turkey is the Turkish Sweet Gum .
Liquidambar Acalycina
Also is known as Chang ’s gum , is a tree diagram aboriginal to East Asia , specifically in Southeast China , the Liquidambar Acalycina . Chang ’s gum can also be found in the United States of America and Southern China , though not in as great numbers as in Asia .
Seasoning Time
Properly drying out Sweet Gum is a difficult task , compared to dry out out othertypes of firewood . This can even be more difficult if you are planning to use it for furniture . It might take up to a class to mollify a sweet gumwood .
After splitting your wood , properly store it under a roof or cover because Sweet Gum is more potential to molder quickly and bring forth mould when you expose them to moisture .
Due to its interlocking grain , it is more likely to warp gravely when it dry . This would n’t only increase the hardness but also vary the overlook of the piece of furniture .
To overcome this , you might have to habituate a 12 - inch sticker spacing to increase the time of drying . Or , you could stack the wood in a tall tidy sum using the right-hand form offirewood rackto get superior air - flowing and thus better seasoning clock time .
The moisture cognitive content of 20 percent or less is okay for burning , but the optimal wet content for Sweet Gumwood firewood is around 12 percent . Burning it with less than 20 percent moisture content gives off undecomposed BTUs , burns longer , and makes good coals .
BTU
Although Sweet Gumwood does take much work and vitality in splitting into usable sizes it does burn hot . It produce around 20.6 million BTU per corduroy , which is reasonably decent . It also burns for a longsighted time , although when compared with other woods , such as Oak , it has a short burning clip .
However , how long it will burn depends on the moisture content . If you are using sweet Gumwood solely , then you should buy more forest than you would if you were using an Oak tree or you’re able to increase the burning time by mixing it with other woodwind such as Hickory and Oak .
Another large thing about this firewood is that it is very easy to start a ardor with it . This is due in part to high the higher than median rosin content found in it .
Resin / Sap Content
The Sweet Gum has gamy resin contentedness and is light to work with . aside from the torture due to warping , which lessen after initial drying , the Ellen Price Wood still goes through a considerable amount of movement in service .
provision , formation , wearisome , and turning is quite well-fixed . Although when you consider the planning alone , the workability is quite low , most likely because of the interlocked grain . It also responds quickly to turns , stains , gum , and finishes well .
As easy as Gumwood is to play with , any slight modification in the moisture content will change the control surface flatness , leading to a variety in bond military posture . If you want to glue it , the best matter to do is to paste immediately , to avoid any moisture change and subsequent warp . For sanding , you might take sassy sandpaper to smoothen out the fibers in the interlocked areas .
heating choped wood pile ready for the winter
Overall , in terms of workability , the Sweet Gumwood is average in comparison to other types of firewood .
Splitting
One of the thing that disappoint many people about Sweet Gum is the difficulty of splitting it . Splitting sweet gumwood is without a dubiousness one of the worst aspect of using it for firewood .
As mentioned earlier in this clause , when mellifluous gumwood dries , it becomes more likely to warp . The warping causes the already interlinking fibers to become even harder . This ends up making it even more difficult to cut through . That said , the well time to convey out the splitting of Gumwood is when it is green , just powerful before it dry out .
Remember , the more it dries , the more it tend to warp . So your best stake is to check that you do the chore in the beginning to make things well-to-do for yourself .
heating choped wood pile ready for the winter
Furthermore , a Hydraulic wood splitter may be involve for this occupation because splitting Sweet Gumwood is more like shredding , ripping , tearing apart . This is just a description of the process .
However , you may still split your gum with a penetrative Ax . Start with the outside edges and then process your way around the outside of the wood till you get to the core . Do not split the wood down the center , just focus on the boundary .
Smoke
The kind of smoke that Sweet Gum produce depends on its wet content . It also calculate on how long you have left it to dry and warm up after flavouring . When juiceless , Sweet Gumwood smokes lightly . Sweet Gum that is not properly season puts off medium to gamey levels of fastball .
Additionally , the creosote output is not high when seasoned properly . But , if you use it often you may require to have your lamp chimney inspected for build - up because it is not unusual to get some " popping " when burning Sweet Gum . This popping can ignite the combustible stuff and get an blowup .
Smell
Sweet Gum does n’t put off a characteristic smell . That order , it can sometimes give an unpleasant odor , especially when it is not in good order season before fire . Many people who burn Sweet Gum firewood describe the smell as yeast or beer - like .
If you delight the smell of firewood , types of wood such as Cedar , Poplar , and Oak may be preferable to you .
Sweet Gum FAQ
Is Sweet Gumwood useful for anything?
Yes , it is very utile aside from being cauterise as firewood . Sweet Gumwood is one of the master species of trees to produce commercial hardwood in the United States . It is used for numerous purposes , which include the qualification of upholstered furniture , electronic cabinetwork , veneer floor and railroad siding , plyboard , crates , palette , and much more .
Is Sweet Gumwood a softwood or a hardwood?
Sweet Gum is a hardwood . Even more , it is one of the most significant hardwood in the Southeastern US for manufacture . In terms of callosity , it is a little higher in stiffness and strength than many species of hardwood .
Does Sweet Gumwood burn good?
Sweet Gum burns beneficial when dry , like most other types of hardwood . It produce up to 20.6 million BTU per electric cord , which is well than the average for burn . Although the Mrs. Henry Wood burns quickly , mixing it with other hardwood will give you good results .
