Stack by species?

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Great idea, and I would do it, but I'd be worried that the magic marker would poison the catalyst. I could number the splits with a wood chisel....
I don't have a cat , only 2 dogs, so not an issue.
 
Try an alpha-numeric system, A1, A2..., it will save you some ink and time. I'm considering getting a bar code generator/reader so I can enter the data associated with each split.
That's a great idea , but during the extreme polar vortex , the batteries die too fast . So if your don't back up your data daily, you'll lose it all .
 
That's a great idea , but during the extreme polar vortex , the batteries die too fast . So if your don't back up your data daily, you'll lose it all .
That's what the dedicated gen-set is for. You could set it up so that it comes on automatically based on ambient temp but that would be getting a little ridiculous.
 
As I am gearing up to build my three year plan, I am trying to figure out the best ways to organize my stacks.
As I scrounge, I get smaller supplies of specific species. I have a larger amount of Ash and can stack that with no problem, but I am debating how to organize the smaller supplies of Osage, Apple, etc.
I have a corn crib that has one side that gets tons of wind but no sun. I am thinking about making smaller bays to stack the small scrounges in. Then I can label and date each bay easily and shouldn't have to dig through big stacks to get to the stuff when I want it. There's gotta be a better way though.

How does everyone else deal with the smaller scrounges? I know everyone doesn't have just one type of tree in their stacks.


My stacks are organized on a strict first come, first served basis. If someone told me I had to do all that I'd throw myself in the river, but if you have the space, time and ambition, go for it.
 
We do sometimes separate out the oak but that is all. The rest just goes into the stack as we get it.
 
Most of my wood is pretty close in BTUs so it all gets stacked together. Like others if I run across some black locust, oak or softwood I may put it aside for use at a more appropriate time.
 
Obviously , I'm joking about the the stacks. I use the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Stupid.
I have an 1800 ft driveway, so I pull out tree length logs and pile them along side the drive . Starting early as possible after the maple syrup season and when the ground dries somewhat, my son and I start to cut , split and stack .We stack on pallets , 4 rows wide and as long as we need it , to give us about 4 cords each. Then its top covered and left to dry until October , then its moved up near the barn ,waiting for winter. My son will haul his home , land , buddy , dave fly over 010.jpg through out October for his wood gasification boiler.
 
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Obviously , I'm joking about the the stacks. I use the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Stupid.
I have an 1800 ft driveway, so I pull out tree length logs and pile them along side the drive . Starting early as possible after the maple syrup season and when the ground dries somewhat, my son and I start to cut , split and stack .We stack on pallets , 4 rows wide and as long as we need it , to give us about 4 cords each. Then its top covered and left to dry until October , then its moved up near the barn ,waiting for winter. My son will haul his home ,View attachment 128786 through out October for his wood gasification boiler.
What do you keep that driveway clear with? _g
 
I try to keep things separated at least by hardwood v softwood
Yep....that is the main thing, being able to get after softwood for the right time of day vs the hardwood. I make sure soft and hardwood are clearly separated so I can mix them as needed, also on my cart in the garage i make sure I do a percentage split of stacked and ready to bring to the stove based on the weather.
 
I have been stacking the wood that needs only one year to season separately from the wood that needs more than one. This means Red Maple, Black Cherry, a little Paper Birch, and White Pine are in one stack, oak in another. I need to burn some of this wood next winter, while the rest will have two years or more to season.
 
Hexadecimal would be the way to go. 0001 to FFFF would probably cover your 3-year plan. And branding would save on more ink, though you'd need a big fire to keep the iron hot for several weeks!
 
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I usually stack alphabetically , starting with ash ,then beech , then cherry, then hard maple, then soft maple I don't have any oak on the property , so I don't need an O pile. I burn soft maple on Monday , Cherry on Tuesday , Ash on Wednesday, hard maple on Thursday , beech on Friday , Saturday and Sunday ,I mix , so I can keep the stacks even.
Touche!
 
I go by general requirements. If it is wood,,,, it goes in a stack. Then it goes in the stove.

80% oak
18% walnut
2% "i have no idea" wood.

Next year I will be cutting mostly ash since there will be hundreds of dead ones waiting on me in the woods.
 
What do you keep that driveway clear with? _g
I use a snow blower on the back of my tractor , but I have 2 spots that get drifted pretty bad, so if I need to ,I break out my Mitsubishi dozer or backhoe. I have big toys and a big sand box.
 
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Personally, I plan to take samples of every split, and stack by species, moisture, density, then color in that order. Then recheck and restack by moisture, density, and color bimontly... jk, It'll be ordered by DNA sequence then moisture... ;lol
 
Wow some of you guys got sophisticated methods! With hardwoods I use the simple 3-4 year FIFO method. First in, first out. By aging all the wood 3-4 years I don't care if its oak, locust, maple, etc. Not sure if it was their good upbringing but they do all seem to get along!

I keep all the softwoods and assorted junk in seperate stacks.

I heap my uglies on top, I figure the higher my stacks the more likely to catch wind, with fat uglies needing the most sun and wind :)
 
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I like to have easy access to a variety. That way I can use the lowest quality wood that'll be sufficient any given day, and save the better stuff for later on.
 
Yes, I separate hard and soft wood. I am a believer in burning wood even it is ready to be burned. By separating wood it is easier to determine when it is ready. For me oak and locust go in one stack all others go Stack. I usually get a 2 to 1 ratio of soft vs hard wood.
 
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