HH suggestions, please

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Jack Straw

Minister of Fire
Dec 22, 2008
2,161
Schoharie County, N Y
I am building an HH and would like some help. I built the base so it would sit off of the ground. I put a fence around it because I didn't want it to fall over and I'm not the best stacker.;sick I had all the the materials already and most of that was recycled. I am just having fun with it at this point and I'm not sure how to continue.

Should I:
1) Just finish stacking the outside perimeter so it dries out better

2) Completely fill in the center

3) Build an opening on the one end (seen in the last pic) so I have access to the center.

Any other ideas would be appreciated IMG00790-20120427-0947.jpegIMG00791-20120427-1010.jpegIMG00793-20120428-1745.jpegIMG00794-20120428-1745.jpeg
 
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I can't help you but wanted to say that looks great. I want to make one of those some day.
 
Sorry, sent the photo without text.
I filled the center as I went. I suggest not standing the center splits upright.
My first attempt collapsed from the splits in the center leaning.
Just lay em flat, hide your uglies in ther too.
 
I build mine so that each split on the outside ring slants inward. I think the advantage of this is that as the wood settles, it tends to shift inward rather than out when it moves slightly on the slanted split below it. You will have to use small splits as shims to make the wood slant inward, with a layer of shims every two or three or four layers of splits stacked radially. If the splits in the wouside rings are horizontal (measured along the long axis of each split) there may be a tendency for the outside of the HH to bulge and collapse. If you have a fence around the outside, this may not matter at all.

I toss the ulgies in the center as i build; that is to say I build from the bottom up evenly, not build the outside ring first. This allows me to place a few cross members between the rings of split to stabilize the stack.
 
I build mine so that each split on the outside ring slants inward. I think the advantage of this is that as the wood settles, it tends to shift inward rather than out when it moves slightly on the slanted split below it. You will have to use small splits as shims to make the wood slant inward, with a layer of shims every two or three or four layers of splits stacked radially. If the splits in the wouside rings are horizontal (measured along the long axis of each split) there may be a tendency for the outside of the HH to bulge and collapse. If you have a fence around the outside, this may not matter at all.

I toss the ulgies in the center as i build; that is to say I build from the bottom up evenly, not build the outside ring first. This allows me to place a few cross members between the rings of split to stabilize the stack.
I'll add, be careful that you dont bulge out as you go up. I had one collapse because I got careless and although I did have it angled in I had bulged outside of veritcal causing a collapse a couple days later
 
+1 to WoodDuck . . . I tilt my stack inwards too to give it more of a beehive like look and I fill the inside with my chunks and uglies as I go -- this seems to allow things to settle into the center instead of pushing the weight outwards . . . never had one blow out on me yet by going with this building method.

Don't leave it hollow or attempt to build it with an opening to the center . . . the round shape and having wood in the center is what holds this up so well. Wood in the middle will season slower . . . generally this is where I throw the chunks and uglies that don't stack up as nice.
 
I want to have some sorta of chimney in the middle to help circulate air....maybe a pvc drain pip.
 
Even though each of my splits is slanted slightly toward the center of my stacks I still make vertical sides. I think it looks cool, although I bet the beehive style Firefighterjake described would be sturdier. In the picture below you see a HH currently under construction, with a completed on in the background. You can see part of a third HH in the right background of the photo that is partially taken apart.

holz hausen under construction.JPG
 
I am with Jake and Wood Duck, plus I would pitch the fencing. If you build it right it will be your strongest wood stack. Slant the wood inwards (use occasional horizontal split on the outside to make sure). Just throw wood on the inside, great for uglies and shorties, etc. Building a chimney is probably a waste of time. I did my first one with vertical splits for a chmney and it was just a pain will no real benefit. If you see my picture on the left it ended up real nice and was a big conversation piece.
 
IMG00809-20120521-1235.jpg

I finished the HH today, I left the center empty.
 
That wood will be seasoned in no time! You have some big pieces in there, so maybe it will take a little longer - no time and a half.
 
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