burning stumps with old diesel, oil, etc.

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Thanks to a previous message in this forum, my neighbor and I are successfully burning stumps with a barrel that has some holes cut at the bottom.

We've been using newspaper and dry firewood to start the fires and are wondering about using some old, yucky diesel we have and used motor oil.

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), November 16, 2001

Answers

Paul: Diesel is the preferred fire persuader for everybody I know in Alaska. It's a great way to get rid of old, "Is this contaminated?" fuel. But I'd nix the motor oil idea.

-- Audie (paxtours@alaska.net), November 16, 2001.

Just don't get caught pouring any oil products on the ground even if burning them, the fines can be serious.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), November 16, 2001.

I use vegetable oil to soak the stump then charcoal under a barrel to burn it out.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), November 16, 2001.

Can you tell me to which thread you are referring? We have several stumps that need removing, but I don't want to ask a question that has already been asked. Is it in and archived thread? Thank you.

-- Jo (mamamia2kids@msn.com), November 17, 2001.

I have found the best way to dig up old threads here is with google. I fed in "countryside stump barrel" and got back this thread:

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=005lGL

The barrel thing is working really well. What's left is below the soil level, so a little compost on it with some seeds and I suspect you will never know anything was there (until the roots totally rot away in ten years and there is a depression there)

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), November 17, 2001.



I`VE SET AND LOOKED AFTER SEVERAL FIRES IN MY EARLY YEARS IN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION.WE USED TO THROW GAS OR DIESEL AND SPILL IT INTO TIRES TO GET THE FIRES STARTED.THIS WOULD ALL BE ENVIROMENTALY PROHIBITED NOW. TO GET A BURN PERMIT IN MY AREA NOW THEY REQUIRE YOU USE A TIGER TORCH OR ROSEBUD TIPPED BURNER RUN OFF A PROPANE TANK.BUILD THE FIRE WITH SMALLER STUFF AND NEWSPAPER TO GET IT GOING AND USE THE TORCH TO GET THINGS ROLLING.ONCE YOU HAVE A GOOD FIRE GOING KEEP THROWING SMALLER STUFF INTO THE HEART OF THE FIRE.IF THEY CAUGHT ME WITH DIESEL AND TIRES NOW I`D BE IN TROUBLE.[DON`T USE RADIALS IF YOU TRY TO CHEAT...THE STEEL BELTS REMAIN AND ARE A DEAD GIVE AWAY] I HAD UPWARDS OF FIVE OF THESE FIRES BURNING AT THE SAME TIME. THE STUMPS WERE SO LARGE AN EXCAVATOR WAS USED TO LIFT THEM AND PLACE THEM IN THE FIRE.THESE FIRES WOULD BURN FOR DAYS.ONCE YOU HAVE A GOOD COAL BED HAPPENING ALL YOU NEED IS TO THROW ON MORE SMALL STUFF AND GET THE FIRE BUILT UP AGAIN.THE THING I FOUND WAS YOU HAVE TO KEEP FEEDING THE FIRE AND FILLING THE VOIDS UNDER THESE LARGE STUMPS TO BE EFFECTIVE.I PROBABLY HAS 10'-20'FLAMES OVER THE TOPS OF THE STUMPS. BUT WHERE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT USING A BARREL WOULDN`T IT BE EASIER TO HAUL THEM AWAY IF THEY ARE THAT SMALL.

CORDWOODGUY

-- CORDWOODGUY (cordwoodguy@n2teaching.com), November 17, 2001.


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