Large splits

If it's dry and it fits, then it will burn. Great for longer burns and overnight. It does take a long time to dry pieces that large! I would split a few and see if the middle still feels dry.

Andy99 said:

I got a cord of seasoned wood for a real good price. It appears to be pretty well seasoned but the splits are much larger then my other 3 cords. Some of them are 3x10 others are 7x7 squares with no bark. Others are 8 inch triangle with bark. Can I burn these big splits after I get my stove nice and hot with the smaller stuff first or will I need to re-split this into smaller pieces???

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I'm running a Jotul F400 and have found that the smaller splits allow me to burn at the temperature I want easier. I have burned larger stuff, similar in size to what you describe, but find it takes a while to get going and generally stays lower in temperature. The smaller splits allow for a quicker buildup and I can then use the air control to choke it back allowing for the long burn. Larger splits have required me to leave the air flow fully open during the entire burn.

Having said all that, I am just splitting my wood as I take it from the pile. It takes an extra 5-10 minutes to get my wood for the next 24 hours, but I enjoy the act of splitting, so I don't mind spending a few minutes a day doing it. We'll see about that in the dead of winter though!

large splits are where it's at... i split my stuff a little too small....

I've been splitting all oak recently and been splitting it smaller if possible, since it'll only have a little over a year to dry for next year's burnin'.

I like to split our wood in all sizes. The larger stuff for holding fires longer and the smaller stuff for daytime use or when you don't want a long fire. As long as your wood has enough time to season you are okay. Some stuff we don't even split at all and that is best for longer fires.

The firewood guy delivered a fair amount of big chunks one time. I mentioned it and it seems to have improved some, but time is money I guess. I have a small cheap electric splitter in the garage that I could use to split them down if I wanted to.

Honest- I plan to get ahead on wood this winter. Once next year's is taken care of (mostly oak), I will be splitting larger stuff that has 2-3 years to dry.

Size does matter. I'm saying that, and I'm Irish.

If they are indeed dry and they fit in your stove, as others said use em' for overnighters. When you bring wood up bring up the small stuff with a few pieces of the big stuff.

I split my stuff in various sizes but the bulk is larger stuff. I've found that most locals that sell wood split it too small. If i'm buying wood I prefer too big as I can make it smaller. I can't make the smaller stuff bigger.

Adios Pantalones said:

Honest- I plan to get ahead on wood this winter. Once next year's is taken care of (mostly oak), I will be splitting larger stuff that has 2-3 years to dry.

Size does matter. I'm saying that, and I'm Irish.

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Ha! Too funny....in the same mind set. The stuff I split for next years supply isnt much larger than normal, but the 'getting ahead more than 1 year' splits are pretty darn honkin. Will be creating a new holz hausen for those big boys. A lot of the splits I'm pulling out of my 2 year old HH are large too....so incredibly seasoned, I can barely wait to see those things in my firebox.

I split all my wood to a size that my wife doesn't mind working with. The hell with what's the biggest thing my stove will take, I appreciate the help with building & tending fires. She ain't a big woman, and she ain't gonna wrestle with 24" long 8" diameter rounds. Cut that to 16" and split it in halves or quarters, and she'll do fine. More work prior to the season, less work during. Lots of variety in my woodpiles, sizewise. Rick

What goes into my firebox each year is always a mix from multiple different racks/holz hausens. Smaller stuff on racks thats easy to stack (and of course load after seasoning), larger stuff in the HH's or designated racks. When I'm refilling the indoor rack which then feeds the firebox, I normally pull from multiple racks to get a good mix of big/small, uber-seasoned and moderately seasoned, etc. I'm not all about 100% splits that I spend 2 minutes trying to wedge in there cuz they're too big. But they are nice for the long burns, and it doesnt hurt that I live alone and dont have to worry about anyone else's preferences but my own.

usually as the day progresses the splits get bigger when I'm doing the splitting, I can always make it smaller later.

Actually, I am thinking about another thread on this very subject? Big difference in large splits with no secondary burn tubes-versus not having them damn things to worry about!!


Later!!

Backwoods Savage said:

I like to split our wood in all sizes. The larger stuff for holding fires longer and the smaller stuff for daytime use or when you don't want a long fire. As long as your wood has enough time to season you are okay. Some stuff we don't even split at all and that is best for longer fires.

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Exactly what I do. Two large splits fill my stove and hold a fire for hours. Air needs different adjustment than for small splits, but pretty much set it and forget with my stove.

18" or so rounds, usually 4 splits. Bigger than that, 6 splits. Smaller splits out of smaller stuff.

I put my larger splits in a separate stack, when I am ready for an over night or out of the house for a while burns I grab from that stack, I find it easier.
I do suggest as others may have mentioned is to split & check the moister & stink of the wood (I don't use a meter).
Some times those large pieces look seasoned on the outside, but inside is another story.
My experience with those square pieces w/no bark types they are usually high in moisture.

Girl said:

I put my larger splits in a separate stack, when I am ready for an over night or out of the house for a while burns I grab from that stack, I find it easier.
I do suggest as others may have mentioned is to split & check the moister & stink of the wood (I don't use a meter).
Some times those large pieces look seasoned on the outside, but inside is another story.
My experience with those square pieces w/no bark types they are usually high in moisture.

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Heartwood is often that way, being so dense and all. But once seasoned, oh wow is it worth the wait (& weight).

I took a sample 2 yr old piece of square red oak heartwood, only about 3" side at the outside, dry as a bone on the outside according the meter (no surprise there). nicely checked & all. When I split it open to do a moisture test, even thought the core was also nice & dry (barely even registered on the meter), there was still a surprisingly strong smell (you all know that oak scent I'm referring to and love it). So I've found that while on the ends of splits, the oak scent does dissipate rapidly as the ends dry. But in the core, even after it's seasoned & ready for the stove, it still had a nice aroma to it.

Tossed it in the stove and no hissing at all, so it definitely was dry.

Once the coldest part of the winter hits, the majority of my wood is pretty large. I tend to (after good bed) put one semi-small piece and 2-3 large ones in the stove, air all the way open. Once a good rolling flame, damper down to about2/3 then half and then maybe about 1/4-1/3 open. Stays this way for a good 5 hours or so and then start turning back up to do the same again. This is on an Oslo.
Chad

I've found you can take certain small splits and make them bigger. It's all in which pieces you select, and how you stack them. Imagine stacking 18" lengths of 2x4s in your burn box, then stacking another bunch of 2x4s immediately in front of that, with minimal/no air space between the stacks. These 2x4s in total will burn somewhat similarly to a 4x8 block of wood. Not identical... but you CAN get smaller splits to behave a little more like larger splits.

I scored maybe 1.5 cord of pine this weekend (had to take down a tree for a friend- leaning towards his house). I am splitting it larger (using a splittah)- and like to rive out boards of a sort on many splits. Next year in shoulder season I'll stack it up in the firebox flats against flats to limit air space- rebuilding one big chunk of dry wood. have to do what you can with pine- like what derecskey is saying.