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Questioning my stacking

Started by WoodBurner19, January 27, 2017, 04:45:35 PM

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WoodBurner19

Hey Guys.  I'm constantly trying to be more efficient with my firewood. So I started stacking for next year. I have them on plastic pallets that work great. I also put 2x4's set in concrete that are removable, instead of building the ends. Just concerned about the middle bottom pieces if they will season. Its about 25' long x 8' wide.  Thoughts and opinions welcome.


MS 270 C   MS 461,  Remodeling Contractor, Married, 2 kids, 2004 Dodge Deisel, 2013 4X4 KingQuad, Stihl saws, 35 ton 4way Splitter.

Woodcutter_Mo

As long as it gets plenty of air and stays reasonably dry, I think it would season by next year. I think I personally would leave a few feet air gap between to two rows of pallets if your worried about the middle of the stack.
Will you be covering the top with tin or something?
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Bill Saf

Man that's a lot of work you have done and then want to know if it will be ready for next fall. it may and may not. Im with wood cutter on spacing between the pallets and cover the top. I know I would not pull it a part after all the work done.

WoodBurner19

So I bucked up some Walnut & Red Oak today. Im going to split & stack soon for the winter of 2018/2019. Trying to be pro active and have good seasoned wood. Yes, I will put corrugated roofing over it, like the row to the right. I wanted to maximize space & have 3 large rows. I had single rows of pallets last year & it was ok. The row that is in question is all Cherry, Ash & Hickory. And I will not take that row apart. :D
When do you all think I should cover the top? I usually don't cover till October.

MS 270 C   MS 461,  Remodeling Contractor, Married, 2 kids, 2004 Dodge Deisel, 2013 4X4 KingQuad, Stihl saws, 35 ton 4way Splitter.

DMcCoy

Wow.  That looks like a lot of work.  Do you have any help? 
After my kids got smart and found good jobs I lost all my help and I took a good hard look at making firewood.  A splitter was my first purchase, a horz/vert unit I converted into horz only, with side tables, and I made a lifter.  Then I built a conveyor, and I cannot stress enough the time savings a conveyor will give you. 
Very basically, every time I touch a piece of firewood that is part of my life I don't get to spend doing something else.  I like making firewood but there are other things I enjoy more.
My process.  Rounds get cut from the deck and loose piled with the tractor bucket inside a simple wood framed greenhouse covered in plastic with the sides down and the ends partially open.  The greenhouse sides open for air when running the splitter.  The rounds go through the splitter and onto the conveyor and are loose piled to dry. The pile is roughly 7' tall and 15' wide in a long wind row.  From there wood gets loose piled in large pallets with wire baskets as needed and brought to the house to burn.

1 summer inside that greenhouse and my firewood is so dry it makes chimney cleaning almost unnecessary.  Internal temps of that greenhouse must be close to 120-130 on a hot summer day even with a slight breeze from end to end.  You can walk in and hear the wood cracking.

Woodcutter_Mo



1 summer inside that greenhouse and my firewood is so dry it makes chimney cleaning almost unnecessary.  Internal temps of that greenhouse must be close to 120-130 on a hot summer day even with a slight breeze from end to end.  You can walk in and hear the wood cracking.
[/quote]

Sounds like your green house works about like a kiln ;D
-WoodMizer LT25
-592XP full wrap, 372XP, 550XP, 455 Rancher, RedMax GZ3500T
-Fixer-uppers/projects:
024AV, MS260, MS361, MS460, Shindaiwa 488, 394XPG

WoodBurner19

Yea I love being outside & working in the fresh air with NO cell phone blowing up! I bucked up that last load & stacked it up in 3 hours myself. But I usually have my employee or kids help me out splitting (I split, they stack). Your operation sounds like it works for you & thats awesome. It's work but I enjoy it, and I'm 47!! :D
MS 270 C   MS 461,  Remodeling Contractor, Married, 2 kids, 2004 Dodge Deisel, 2013 4X4 KingQuad, Stihl saws, 35 ton 4way Splitter.

Bill Saf

yep the good old days or should I say younger days things change. As the years go by ask how I know that one all to well! 8) As do other members here. be safe and watch your back

Bill


doctorb

That is precisely how I stack my outside wood.  While i try to stay 2 years ahead of my fuel needs to assure drying, if the wood is split fairly small, it seems to burn just fine given a full spring,summer, and falll to season.  Left in larger pieces, I don't think a year is enough.  I don't cover it.  I am of the opinion that it does not soak up water like a sponge.  If I'm worried about that, I just cover the stack about a month before I'm going to use it.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

WoodBurner19

Quote from: doctorb on January 29, 2017, 05:08:44 PM
That is precisely how I stack my outside wood.  While i try to stay 2 years ahead of my fuel needs to assure drying, if the wood is split fairly small, it seems to burn just fine given a full spring,summer, and falll to season.  Left in larger pieces, I don't think a year is enough.  I don't cover it.  I am of the opinion that it does not soak up water like a sponge.  If I'm worried about that, I just cover the stack about a month before I'm going to use it.

I get it. The stacked stuff was done in Oct & should be ready for next year. They are split in mixed sizes so... The stuff I just bucked is for 2 years from now, so that should be premium. I think I'm going to keep stacking it this way unless someone really convinces me otherwise :)
MS 270 C   MS 461,  Remodeling Contractor, Married, 2 kids, 2004 Dodge Deisel, 2013 4X4 KingQuad, Stihl saws, 35 ton 4way Splitter.

WoodBurner19

Quote from: Bill Saf on January 29, 2017, 04:27:11 PM
yep the good old days or should I say younger days things change. As the years go by ask how I know that one all to well! 8) As do other members here. be safe and watch your back

Bill

Ah C'mon Bill! Your still young! Do your push ups & sit ups! Lets go!! 8)
MS 270 C   MS 461,  Remodeling Contractor, Married, 2 kids, 2004 Dodge Deisel, 2013 4X4 KingQuad, Stihl saws, 35 ton 4way Splitter.

Ed_K

 Stacked bark side up and you won't have a problem with drying without covering the top.
Ed K

Greyhound

Your stacks are impeccable.  If you are looking for constructive criticism (as suggested in your OP), here's my thoughts.  1) You could use a little more room between rows to really get the air to circulate.  2)  The time it takes for wood to dry is highly dependent on MANY variables, such as, temperatures, humidity, wind, covering, size of split, and very importantly SPECIES of wood,  etc.  For instance, I can cut and stack tulip poplar in the spring and 3-6 months later it's at or below 15% MC; whereas, if I do the same with white oak, it will take 2-3 years to get under 20%.  My advice is to get yourself a cheap, pin-style moisture meter and learn what your local climate and stacking really does to your individual woods.

gspren

  First a question, they look like postal skids and my BIL gave me some so are the posts just stood up and concrete poured? And how easy do the concrete/posts come out the first time? As to the covering the one time I feel the need to keep covered is old standing dead oaks that have an inch of soft wood on the outside, it does act like a sponge.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

John Mc

Quote from: doctorb on January 29, 2017, 05:08:44 PM
That is precisely how I stack my outside wood.  While i try to stay 2 years ahead of my fuel needs to assure drying, if the wood is split fairly small, it seems to burn just fine given a full spring,summer, and falll to season.  Left in larger pieces, I don't think a year is enough.  I don't cover it.  I am of the opinion that it does not soak up water like a sponge.  If I'm worried about that, I just cover the stack about a month before I'm going to use it.

I can remember some of your early posts when you first got on this forum. I think you had just bought, or were about to buy, a wood boiler and were asking abut seasoning firewood. Your inquiries sparked some great conversations on the topic.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

WoodBurner19

Quote from: Greyhound on February 18, 2017, 10:58:18 PM
Your stacks are impeccable.  If you are looking for constructive criticism (as suggested in your OP), here's my thoughts.  1) You could use a little more room between rows to really get the air to circulate.  2)  The time it takes for wood to dry is highly dependent on MANY variables, such as, temperatures, humidity, wind, covering, size of split, and very importantly SPECIES of wood,  etc.  For instance, I can cut and stack tulip poplar in the spring and 3-6 months later it's at or below 15% MC; whereas, if I do the same with white oak, it will take 2-3 years to get under 20%.  My advice is to get yourself a cheap, pin-style moisture meter and learn what your local climate and stacking really does to your individual woods.

Hi Greyhound.  I know I should leave a little gap between the stacks, but 5 rows fit perfect on the plastic pallets. I have Cherry, Oak, Ash, Hickory, Walnut & Maple. All good hardwoods. I'm currently stacking for 2-3 yrs from now. So I feel confident that the wood (even deep in the center) will season. And I do have a moisture meter. So I will check what the bottom center pieces are in July and let ya know. Thanks for your advice!
MS 270 C   MS 461,  Remodeling Contractor, Married, 2 kids, 2004 Dodge Deisel, 2013 4X4 KingQuad, Stihl saws, 35 ton 4way Splitter.

WoodBurner19

Quote from: gspren on February 19, 2017, 01:39:20 PM
  First a question, they look like postal skids and my BIL gave me some so are the posts just stood up and concrete poured? And how easy do the concrete/posts come out the first time? As to the covering the one time I feel the need to keep covered is old standing dead oaks that have an inch of soft wood on the outside, it does act like a sponge.

Yes they are durable plastic pallets & work very well. I don't know yet how the posts will pull out yet. First time trying this method. It's a lot faster stacking the ends this way instead of criss crossing them to make ends. I'll let ya know when I pull them.
MS 270 C   MS 461,  Remodeling Contractor, Married, 2 kids, 2004 Dodge Deisel, 2013 4X4 KingQuad, Stihl saws, 35 ton 4way Splitter.

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