cusas6 Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Hi All, My preteen daughter had 11 of her closest friends over this past weekend and they decided they wanted to have s'mores. I had just barbequed burgers and dogs so the coals where hot, but they were no flames. So I got to thinking, I have a shop full of wood, what could I toss in my grill to give that campfire feel? I immediately discarded pressure treated and plywood. But what about the douglas fir 2 x 4's or the scraps of red oak from the project I'm working on, or some of the redwood from the gate that I built last year. I ended up finding some hickory chips that I threw right on the coals rather than soaking in water for smoking. So I throw the question out to the forum. Is there any of this wood that would be OK to throw in a fire and cook food over? Sorry, I know its a bit of an odd question. -Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reiska Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 I'd say that anything untreated goes fine. I smoke BBQ meat with a load of different wood types and they're fine for cooking. Just steer clear of anything that has either been treated with something or has glue in its construction (particle board, MDF, plywood, deck boards, lacquered/painted pieces, etc. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paoloberno Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Untreated, not painted and not glued hardwoods are good, softwoods usually have a lot of resin and are less suitable for cooking however you can use them to start the fire then add the hardwoods... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 I burn any and all scrap solid stock in my back yard chiminea. No: - Composites (MDF / plywood / particleboard ....) - Finishes or glues, except shellac and Titebond. - Dumping sawdust on the fire - Pallet wood that's not local. Pallets that travel are often soaked or pressure treated with pesticides. I have access to locally made, untreated pallets that are fine in the fire. I sweep my hand plane shavings into a separate bin, as they're fantastic for starting fires. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdale51@yahoo.com Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 The red oak you mentioned is awesome for cooking over. I think the best steaks I've ever grilled were over red oak. I ran out of charcoal and used some smaller pieces of red oak from the firewood pile. I personaly would avoid most of the exotics and wood with high oil content, just because I have no personal knowlege of their suitability for cooking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted April 17, 2012 Report Share Posted April 17, 2012 Its very common to find hardwood flooring and moulding scraps in lump charcoal. Wicked Good and Big Green Egg both usually have millwork scraps. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted April 18, 2012 Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 I pretty much use all of my scraps for kindling. I just split it up small (about thumb width) and use them in the woodstove. As Barry said, def no pressure treated, MDF, particle board, or skids. All hardwoods and softwoods (unfinished) are fine. Also like Barry, I save all off my hand plane shavings to start the woodstove instead of using newspaper. It is great fire starter! Just don't add planer shavings after the fire is going - they light up like gasoline! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derwood Posted April 18, 2012 Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 CessnaPilotBarry- Is it possible to burn my old aired out rags in a chimnea as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted April 18, 2012 Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 CessnaPilotBarry- Is it possible to burn my old aired out rags in a chimnea as well? Possible or safe? I burn everything from rags to sandpaper in my pit but wouldnt grill a weiner over a burning finish soaked rag. Rags are good fire starters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted April 20, 2012 Report Share Posted April 20, 2012 Avoid burning exotic lumber scraps as well. Some contain natural oils similar to the irritant in poision ivy. Never burn poision ivy ,oak or sumac ! The smoke can harm your eyes and lungs . Cocobolo dust can cause contact dermatitis similar to poision ivy. Besides that even the smallest scrap of exotic wood can be used as an accent or inlay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted April 20, 2012 Report Share Posted April 20, 2012 CessnaPilotBarry- Is it possible to burn my old aired out rags in a chimnea as well? I don't. As Don posted, it might be good for starting fires, but I wouldn't cook over them or get too close to a burning fire. Personally, I'll stick to shavings for starting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbarton22 Posted April 26, 2012 Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 I burn any and all scrap solid stock in my back yard chiminea. No: - Composites (MDF / plywood / particleboard ....) - Finishes or glues, except shellac and Titebond. - Dumping sawdust on the fire - Pallet wood that's not local. Pallets that travel are often soaked or pressure treated with pesticides. I have access to locally made, untreated pallets that are fine in the fire. I sweep my hand plane shavings into a separate bin, as they're fantastic for starting fires. Why no sawdust? The last fire pit I started, I grabbed a pile of turning shavings, put them in a brown paper bag, and whammo! Fire starter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted April 26, 2012 Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 Why no sawdust? The last fire pit I started, I grabbed a pile of turning shavings, put them in a brown paper bag, and whammo! Fire starter! Fine sawdust flairs when thrown on an open flame. Sawdust itself does not burn well. If you just fill your pit with sawdust it burns the top lay but goes out do to lack of oxygen. Sure make tring to get rid of a pile of sawdust a pain. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick2cd Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 i find the best wood for firewood is anything i try new joinery for about the first 3 times......badabing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derwood Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Lol ) touché lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derwood Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Dwacker- sawdust, used at least 20 feet from any building is great filler in the yard for evening out those unsightly depressions and whatnot. Also can be used around plants/shrubs to help retain moisture. Plenty of other things in the yard it's good for but I imagine you already know all this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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