Storing fatwood?

myright

myright

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Hey fellas - I've got a pile of fatwood. I had bought a big bag of it at Lowe's and I also have some that I was able to get from the wild.

I've got it all in my garage jammed into a plastic bag. Originally I hadn't thought it would make a difference how to store it since the fatwood is actually made by sitting dead over time. But it seems to have lost a bit of its smell. I mean it doesn't smell as strong anymore.

My question is - what is the proper way to store this stuff? I don't use it all that often but would like to keep it fresh if that is even possible.

I know, I know, kind of an off-the-wall question and all....
 
I'm no specialist but fatwood supposed to include various chemical fuels, some volatile, so yes it may "degrade" with time.
I'd suggest you keep it in some airtight container like plastic bag.
 
I've got around 80 lbs of fatwood in cardboard boxes in my storeroom, some of it for 4 or more years.

It still burns fine. I suspect that if it is still around in another 100 years, it would still be fine.
 
I've had some pieces of fatwood now, for over 10 years, with no problems. Just keep it relatively dry, as it might get moldy if it's kept too damp. Other than that, it'll keep and keep and keep.
 
Keep it dry. The loss of smell is from some losses of volatiles that occurred from fresh cutting the fatwood. This loss is pretty much restricted to a micro-layer of fatwood at the surface. Cut into it and the fresh cut will smell as good as when you got it.
 
bhoff said:
Just throw it in a pile in the backyard-good to go.
Click to expand...

I have stumps in the yard that have been there for many years too. The little I keep ready looses it's smell on the outside, but when cut into ,it is still there.
 
It shouldn't matter how it's stored, as long as it doesn't keep getting wet. I'de say just leave it in big chunks until you're ready to use it.
I recently started working an Osage stave(not fatwood, but also very resinous) that appeared to be stored outside for a very long time. The bark and sapwood were rotten and it was checked badly in a few places, but when the outer wood was removed, it was just as yellow and waxy as fresh cut Osage. The nature of these woods makes them resistant to the elements for much longer than typical fire wood.
 
I just bag my fatwood (after drying indoors for a bit) in heavy duty freezer bags and toss them into my gear cabinets.

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I agree with KGD on this one. I have fatwood in a box and they loose their smell - but when you cut them they smell fresh and burn great.

TF
 
I guess your best bet for wild found fatwood at least would be to not process it until you need it. Less surface area = less loss of volatile components?
 
It's not a big deal, if you even start shaving a light layer off of the fatwood you'll just get the same smell. still burns fine.

You really can't do much to kill/ruin fatwood besides burning it, maybe soaking it in alcohol or another solvent would remove a lot of the resin, but that shouldn't be a concern.
 
I used a bag of fatwood this weekend to start several campfires. This wood was cut from a 6' long, 8 inch diameter log that has been stacked in a pile for better than 50 years. It ignites like a thermite grenade.
I might have mentioned before, that the stack of logs is man high, and about 20 yards long. It's ALL MINE!!!!
 
You guys are awesome - thanks for the tips. It seems as if the way I'm storing it now is just right!!!!

Thanks again.
 
Think about this, it is laying around in the woods for who knows how long and still works like a champ. I have a couple of chunks laying in the garage that have been there for years and still burn like crazy. Chris
 
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