Lightening struck lumber

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If a tree has been hit by lightening can it still be used for lumber?

I had an old guy tell me it won't even make good firewood. All the BTU's are burn out of it. I figure if the btu's are gone, shouldn't it be pile of ash.:thumb:
 
i would say that it has a good potential for having stress cracks threw out in the lumber steve,, as for fire wood the guy is full of it there ..if its ash the btu's are gone if its not hey are still there waiting to be released
 
When lightening strikes a tree the heat produced boils the sap and ruptures the cell structure, often explodes the cells, this converts to splinters rather than solid wood... ergo... useless for woodworking, but not useless for firewood. You have to burn the wood to get your BTUs so consuming the wood in your fires gives you the BTUs :thumb:
 
Maybe it STORED up some electrical energy and your saw would run faster while cutting it . . . :rofl:

It would be interesting to see what if anything is usable . . . especially since I won't be the one doing the work . . .

Jim
 
The olde dude may have a slight point. Wood provides better BTUs when it burns evenly with good embers and coals. Splintery wood will burn more rapid and consume itself into ashes more rapidly and therefore produce less BTUs for your enjoyment. So maybe he might be sorta right maybe kinda... From Ash to ashes w/o delivering its potential reward.
 
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