Did I find some Fatwood?

[PBJ]

I picked up a load of some sort of pinetrees or fir-trees at the dump yesterday. The pieces ranged in diameter from 10 to 22 inches. My chainsaw cut them into carry-able sizes.

Today I notice some black stuff in the middle of a piece I had cut down the middle. I thought it was black dirt that had gotten into wood after I had cut it- that is until I tried to scrape it out. This black stuff was gummy and looked a bit gooey, too-nothing like dirt. This made me wonder if this was what some of you experienced fellows call "fatwood". I haven't got a camera otherwise I'd post a pic of the stuff.

Anybody got pics of fatwood? I guess the only way to know for certain is to try lighting it on fire, eh?

 

[IUKE12]

Based on your description my guess is that you do not have fatwood. It is solid and almost looks translucent in appearance.
Once you've worked with the stuff you will never mistake it for anything else.

 

[Skrapmetal]

Wish I knew. Pine is a fairly uncommon tree around here. Same with birch and cedar.

Some gets guy all of the good tinder.

 

[mykel m]

Here is some I scored last year.

And the stump I got it from.
I'm lucky that there's fatwood stumps all over where I camp.
The area had been logged a long time ago & there are stumps a plenty oozing sap.
You can find it in the roots of fallen trees also.

 

[mewolf1]

The black stuff was probably bug poop, Carpenter Ants maybe. Termites, depending on were you live.

 

[DeadFall27]

I believe that this is fatwood, I scored it yesterday at my grandparent's property. This is my first experience with it; I still cannot get over how easily it takes a spark and burns...

 

[SERE 9601]

Smell it: does it smell like you stuck your head in a bucket of pinesol?
Shave some and light it: does it light up faster than Zeus`s bellybutton lint?

To truly know, take a thumb diameter piece of suspect material and any other tinder and stick them in a bucket of water, and then go have a sandwich.
when you come back..and are all full and happy, you will know it`s pitch because it`s the one that you can take out of the water, wipe off on your shirt, make some shavings and light right up.

P.s. if it`s man made tinder your testing, you need to do the stomp test on the packaging first. stomp it till the seal is broken and retest. You can stomp on pitchwood all day and it wont care.

 

[Quirt]

Mykel, that stump looks like it is a pondy pine? Usually pine creates that golden rich resin unlike Doug Fir. Do you have those on the West side of the PNW where your profile says your from? Or is it from the east side?

 

[mykel m]

Hey quirt,I live in the wet west side, but camp in the drier east side of the Cascades & yep Ponderosa it is. :thumbup:

 

[infocus2006]

That is a awesome fatwood stump! Dig it up and store it out of the sun and only chip off what you need and it will last you and a buddy a lifetime if used right. I have a couple hundred pounds of this stuff.

 

[infocus2006]

The riches pieces are the roots usually. And don't use a chainsaw blade you care anything about to cut it loose. It will dull a saw it seconds.

 

[lambertiana]

The riches pieces are the roots usually. And don't use a chainsaw blade you care anything about to cut it loose. It will dull a saw it seconds.

I'll second this. By far the best fatwood I have found was from the roots of a ponderosa pine that had fallen over.

 

[upnorth]

Here is some I scored last year.

And the stump I got it from.
I'm lucky that there's fatwood stumps all over where I camp.
The area had been logged a long time ago & there are stumps a plenty oozing sap.
You can find it in the roots of fallen trees also.

Man oh man that is good FW !

 

[lambertiana]

Here's some typical ponderosa fatwood; there is plenty of this where we have the California Bush Bash, and we make it a point to find more every time we go there.

 

[upnorth]

Here's some typical ponderosa fatwood; there is plenty of this where we have the California Bush Bash, and we make it a point to find more every time we go there.

Doesn't get better than that. :thumbup: The resin saturated stuff always reminded me of honey.

 

[seelow123]

I'm going to have to take a hike later and try to find some of this stuff. I will report back later if I find anything ( yeah right )