Longs

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ironspider

Feeling the Heat
Nov 13, 2013
329
Flanders, NY
Who would have done this?just picked up a half cord of really nice fresh oak, the only problem is they are all 22" or so but they are split. I can't fit longer than 19" so I have to chuck a half cord of splits and be left over with hundreds of little chunks.

It's taking hours when I could be splitting nice logs. Who else would have taken this project for nice oak?

I
 
Have had the same problem. It is a pain, but those chunkies will season faster, if it is any consolation. I put mine in plastic milk-style crates, stack them up and cover the top.
 
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I'm fortunate. My Jotul F600 can fit a 24" log straight in and 26" on an angle...Glad I bought the Big Stove..:)
 
Just stacked a quarter cord of oak chunks in the shed along with the rest of next years wood. Like Rick said. It's fuel.
 
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That is the big chunks. The ones cut off the end of splits to shorten them will cook a lot of steaks this summer.
 
The shorter ones will probably season. Quicker.....
Nothing wrong with cutting some in half either.....
 
Certainly nothing wrong with cutting them off. Those cut-offs also make great fires in the fall of the year when you don't want too much fire.
 
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I like to shove them in between where a split won't fit, especially when I would to cram the firebox for a long night.
 
Short chunks are a PITA in my opinion. One reason why I don't like random tree man rounds even when free.

Make a jig with a few pallets so you can set up 10 or more pieces at once and and then run your saw down the front. It doesn't take that long to go through 1/2 cord. If you set your jig up right next to your stack one handling gets the pieces out of the jig and stacked. It is a lot quicker then doing it one by one.
 
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Those short pieces get burned outdoors for me usually during the summer months. What's left is burned indoors in October, saves my better wood for the colder months.
 
Who would have done this?just picked up a half cord of really nice fresh oak, the only problem is they are all 22" or so but they are split. I can't fit longer than 19" so I have to chuck a half cord of splits and be left over with hundreds of little chunks.

It's taking hours when I could be splitting nice logs. Who else would have taken this project for nice oak?

I

So, I am confused a little...are you saying you are cutting off 3 inches (to have 19 inch splits) ?

Would it be better to cut them in HALF and end up with 11 inch splits?
 
So, I am confused a little...are you saying you are cutting off 3 inches (to have 19 inch splits) ?

Would it be better to cut them in HALF and end up with 11 inch splits?

I wrestle with that with some of the stuff a tree service whacked for my neighbor. Most of the time I cut'em at 16-18 and barbeque with the lopped off ends rather than mess with doing puzzle pieces in the stove.
 
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So, I am confused a little...are you saying you are cutting off 3 inches (to have 19 inch splits) ?

Would it be better to cut them in HALF and end up with 11 inch splits?

11-12 " would screw up my stacks.
 
Yes - to the free oak question. I would either 1/2 them or pile the chunks and burn them in shoulder season, BBQ or fire pit. Or buy a BIGGER stove! But no way in H_ _ _ would I throw out oak that was handled and touched by the saw.
 
I had some like that but i decided to cut them in half. Cut in half they fit N/S into the insert.
 
For my stove 11-12" are perfect for north south burning. This winter I had a half cord of shorts because of a situation like yours, I decided to bit the bullet and half them rather then have a bunch of 4" pieces. FWIW my stove burns a lot better N/S but cutting everything that length would be a lot more work.
 
My neighbor uses an old chop saw to cut weird size splits down. He thinks it works faster than a chainsaw.
 
wrestle with that with some of the stuff a tree service whacked for my neighbor.

I wrestle with that all the time, and have turned down good wood when there was other stuff available. Love it when they haul it out in log form.....

I had some like that but i decided to cut them in half. Cut in half they fit N/S into the insert.

This is always my preferred method for longs. Less work, they stack better.
 
Wood is wood--I take it all. Except rot wood. Since I have to purchase the bulk of my fuel, any freebies are welcome.
 
I grill with my chunks
 
Oak chunks burned down to the coaling stage is the most magical fuel a steak or burger could ever be cooked with. Load up the webber and get to cooking.
 
I took a pallet, put post's on each corner then wrapped it with chicken wire. Anything short or twisted funny that wont stack right goes in. My stove wants 24-26 length (I try for everything to be 24) and my splitter is a 24 so if it isn't just right I get a short. I have a bunch of twisted cherry too. I think the pieces will be nice to throw on the bottom when you sleep in and there's not much to get big stuff fired up again.
 
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