How thick is the wood you burn??

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RedRanger

RedRanger

New Member
Nov 19, 2007
1,428
British Columbia
This spring I managed to buy a couple of cords of Douglas Fir in "rounds" so I have split it myself. Decent price ($130) a cord. I have been splitting it into average 6.5inch thickness, and the usual 15" length. Previously, I have gotten my wood split and del. And the average thickness was about 4.5 to 5 inches thick. Because I can`t burn my thicker splits until next winter, I don`t know how that is going to work out? I`m thinking that a longer burn time, and maybe even more heat? Which begs the question? What are most of you experienced burners using? Even bigger splits, smaller? And the results? I believe I can pickup another 2 cords of this nice stuff in March, and wouldn`t mind knowing in advance if I should be splitting this even larger,or what? I don`t need smaller pieces to get a rip-roaring fire going, also got 5 cords of cedar last year (mill ends) so lots of good kindling. @My insert is a 1985 PE with new baffle., SS liner right to the top of chimney. (5.5") good draft. 22ft. It looks like with the larger splits I can cram 4 in there at one time for a longer burn. Thanks Guys, and all the best for the season.!!
 
I usually try to split my wood in 3 sizes if I can. The bigger for the overnighters, (as big as I can fit in the box). Medium size, (bread loaf), for the daytime, and smaller size, (baseball bat size), for the warmer days, and to get the fire going good. And you can always add more wood to fill the box up.
 
I am now burning doug fir seasoned more than one full year. If the splits are too big it uses up all the coals in the firebox to get them going really good but does smolder for a longer time. Splits too small burn up too quickly but burn clean and hot. I find that a medium split of the fir works better for my Heritage. More like a 5" max dimension. If you split your entire woodpile into the big overnighters then plan on lots of splitting as you burn. Try for a mix which includes some big ones.
 
The size of my splits in my wood pile depends on how lazy or tired I was at the time I split them. They range anywhere from big quarter round chunks to smaller splits. I keep a pretty good variety.
 
Lignums said:
I usually try to split my wood in 3 sizes if I can. The bigger for the overnighters, (as big as I can fit in the box). Medium size, (bread loaf), for the daytime, and smaller size, (baseball bat size), for the warmer days, and to get the fire going good. And you can always add more wood to fill the box up.
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Yep, that is my strategy - especially if you take the easy splitting logs down to the baseball bat size and do as little splitting as possible on the gnarly / twisty / crotch pieces.
 
Highbeam said:
I am now burning doug fir seasoned more than one full year. If the splits are too big it uses up all the coals in the firebox to get them going really good but does smolder for a longer time. Splits too small burn up too quickly but burn clean and hot. I find that a medium split of the fir works better for my Heritage. More like a 5" max dimension. If you split your entire woodpile into the big overnighters then plan on lots of splitting as you burn. Try for a mix which includes some big ones.
Click to expand...
Well, seeing as how we are both burning the same type of firewood, I think that I will buy the 2 cords of rounds that I will split into 6.5" dimensions, and then get my usual delivery of another 2 cords, which on average is split smaller. I also have a supplier that brings me (fir mill-ends) for $115 a cord, will also get a delivery from him , that is nice stuff to throw on that fire to bring the temp up in a hurry, and lots of coals. I didn`t mean to say that I was only going to load those larger spits, of course I always try to mix it up. but was thinking after burning all day, to throw 3 of those big boys on for an overnite burn. Thanks to all, for your input. Don`t know how you guys do it. but for me it has always been a 2 year supply on-hand. And sometimes that only works out to be a season and a half. Like this one is shaping-up to be.!
 
Very disapointed, with the response, how much more important can this subject get?? Of course, I know that most of you in the East can`t respond, huge storm, probably no power!! When it`s over I would like to see lot`s of comment on this subject. Hope ya all is back on line soon. These power outages is crap.!! I am still going to make the big spits,cause I have tonnes of cedar for start up and lots more (kiln dried fir-ends) for beefing it up.. I am still inclined to make my rounds into huge splits ...
 
I have not ( yet) burned anything but hard woods.

But I have a variety of lengths and diamters of splits and rounds to burn, and it allows me to pack the firebox to meet the requirement at the given time.

I guess if I had it figured out better, and there were no other variables ( moisture content, outside temp, wind) I could do them all the same, but I am simply not that good.

so, its a hodge podge of sizes, and I select and adapt to fit the need at any given time.
 
This subject and the responses are pretty much as simple as you can get. In all honosty, it comes down to what you like, and performs in your stove the best. I wouldn't care if some dude way up in Monatana splits pieces so big as one piece fills up a wheel barrow; I wouldn't be doing that crap. Some people can't handle the weight of the bigger pieces, others may not like how long it takes them to season. It is all up to you. We all here dance to the same tune in so far as burning wood, it is that some people like to waltz, others like to line dance, and I prefer a mosh pit, but we all are dancing.
 
I use a mix of wood types form white pine to kickory and everything in between. I also split the way lignums does. My firebox is small so my typical long burn is on 6-8" big boy on back wall bottom, a small or 2 and medium in front and a few small to fill the remaining spaces. Mornings and eves I burn mostly a mix of small and mediums loosely packed. Softer woods when its warmer, hard when it's really cold. If you split to large you can always split them again, split too small and that's what you got!
 
Bigger is better. At least as far a firewood is concerned. There is only so much oxygen available in the firebox. Efficient stoves try to add secondary preheated oxygen to get a secondary burn, a fire above the fire. If you are not burning all the hydocarbon, you are adding pollutants, creosole and potential energy up your vent. Sounds serious doesn't it? Okay, always burn seasoned wood. Don't overspit. Splits have more surface area and need more oxygen. Try to burn the biggest log you can get through the door. The height of the firebox is an important dimension in the whole cubit foot capacity figure. My new QuadraFire is deficit in this department. "No stacking allowed."

I don't burn any pine however. Too much pitch. They can overfire and spit out too much creosole.
 
I don't think it's possible to starve my Ultima at the top; using small splits just means that even with the primary closed down all the way you get a lot of secondary air and a heck of a hot fire at the top. I tend to have a lot of smaller (3"-4") splits because it's easier to pack my modest firebox (height is also my problem) with smaller splits, and also they dry faster. I've got large splits too, spread out through my stacks. Seems to depend on my mood when splitting.
 
I'm using mostly slab wood during the day, none of it over 3" thick, and then a few regular cord wood splits overnight for a longer burn. The size of your firebox probably determines what will work best for you. Slab wood is cheap, and is very easy to load into our small stove. It also burns very well and leaves a finer ash, which also reduces the need to clean out a smaller stove. Cord wood lasts longer, but requires that the air intake be wide open to avoid a lot of clinkers in the ash.

Last year, we had pine splits to start the season and we were very happy with it. Larger splits seemed to burn to a finer ash and the chimney stayed nice and clean. The stuff was seasoned 2 years and easy to handle. There is a real bias here in the East against pine, but that is good, since a lot of people will just give it away to get rid of it. My neighbor has a lot down now and wants me to take it, but I will wait until next spring when I have room in the wood yard to stack it up.
 
I got wood of every size length shape and thickness laying around. I got white oak that'll barely fit through the door of the stove. I got cherry that's flat and wide, I got apple thats 2 to 4 in. rounds, I got walnut splits around 6 inches, I got boxelder around 4 to 6 inches, I got white ash around 4 to 6 inches, I got some poplar and cedar and hickory all sorts of sizes. I got lengths from 5 to 22 inches. You name it, if it came from a tree on my property, I'm burnin' it :)
 
It depends on my mood when splitting. More importantly how tired I am. The beginning of the splitting session has smaller pieces. The end has larger chunks. I have a small firebox so most of the pieces are split small. Odds are also the wife will not try to start a fire with a chunk of wood the size of the firebox if she has smaller pieces around. I love her to pieces but I have no idea how many times I have come home to a smoldering chunk of wood 1/2 the size of the firebox with the burnt remains of a firestarter stick under it. *sigh* She tries.

I remember one time she stuffed 5 or 6 magazines into a cereal box and tossed it in to start a fire. I came home to a smoking cereal box...

Matt
 
EatenByLimestone said:
Odds are also the wife will not try to start a fire with a chunk of wood the size of the firebox if she has smaller pieces around. I love her to pieces but I have no idea how many times I have come home to a smoldering chunk of wood 1/2 the size of the firebox with the burnt remains of a firestarter stick under it.

Matt
Click to expand...

I have hardwood of all types and sizes .. I also sort it as I fill the wood box with the largest going in for overnight. Wife couldn't get a fire going with a blowtourch and small nuclar reaction.. Daughter can drag a few embers to the middle and have a nice fire going when I get home from work.
 
I cut to 20".......I split small, medium, and giant.


WoodButcher
 

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author="Gary Russell" date="1197800509"] Try to burn the biggest log you can get through the door.
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Not unless the firebox is very hot or you are willing to work with a smoldering fire. Maybe you meant splits but when loading full 'logs' without the help of good hot splits you are going to pollute whether you have a Cat or non-Cat stove.
 
I don't know guys/gals, but I don't think the answer to this question is "bigger is better." Larger logs burn less efficiently, and contribute a greater amount of environmentally unfriendly gases from incomplete combustion going up your chimney and polluting the environment, than splits not exceeding 6." Larger logs probably don't make you any warmer either. But what do I know, I'm a coal burner.....

A quote from woodheat.org:

"Next, split the wood to the proper size for your burner. For most efficient wood stoves, this is usually no more than six inches measured at the largest cross sectional dimension. Furnaces can use wood that is slightly larger in cross section. Even for furnaces, though, big unsplit pieces make lousy firewood. A range of piece sizes is best so that when kindling a fire or reloading on a coal bed you have some smallish pieces that will help you achieve the desirable instant ignition. A selection of sizes from three to six inches in diameter for wood stoves and an inch or so larger for furnaces will probably serve you well."
 
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