Holtz Hausen

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BucksCoBernie

BucksCoBernie

Feeling the Heat
Oct 8, 2008
450
Does anyone have an update on their Holtz Hausens? Any difference in pile size after a full summer of seasoning?
 
The top of my 7 fotter is now about 6'. almost 20% reduction.
 
Footer, too many Labor day beers
 
My holz hausens seem to be about 8 to 10 inches shorter than they were when I built them almost a year ago. Some of the wood was partially seasoned when I built the holz hausens, probably reducing the shrinkage a little.
 


My Holz Hausen is finally completed. This thing was like a black hole, it kept gobbling up giant cherry trees like they were going out of style. It is 10 foot in diameter and it is on a slope so it is about 7 feet on the high side and almost 9 feet from the low side.

I built mine a little different and it is extremely solid, I can not make it budge. I only put a chimney right in the center because standing them upright is a pain and unstable. I stacked the ones around the chimney in a neat sprial shape the same as the out side. If anyone would like to see the other pictures during the process I will post them. It took me about one month from start to finish working nights and weekends. I bought a new Stihl 390 that is a beast.

I will get the in process pictures uploaded soon. Here are the finished ones.



 
golfandwoodnut said:


If anyone would like to see the other pictures during the process I will post them. It took me almost 2 months from start to finish working nights and weekends.
Click to expand...

No offense golfandwoodnut, but this is the dumbest sentence. OF COURSE WE WANT TO SEE PICTURES!!!! ;-) BTW... welcome to the forum!
 
Ja, curious to see how you managed to make that tight inner circle for the chimney/vent.
 
The tight inner circle is easy when you create the internal spiral, the hole left in the center is what is filled vertically. I found it handy to leave piece of the pie open while building 70% of the holz hausen so that I could walk inside and continue filling the chimney, otherwise it would have been awkward to crawl in. Once I got my chimney to full heigth I then filled in the missing piece to the pie with no problem. Finally you do the upslope to make the roof and finish with a nice shingle job. I left the very center of the roof clear of shingles to help with the venting process and I figure if rain enters here it should pretty much go straight to the bottom since the logs are vertical.

It was quite a project that I obsessed over, my kids think I am going nuts. It was like the people in close encounters of the third kind got wrapped up into building the mountain.
 
Welcome to the forum golfandwoodnut.

Looks like a lot of work went into building that thing. I'm curious if you got the top layer on with maybe a 3 wood?
 
Nice HH, I love the roof!!!
 


Thanks guys for the comments. This did screw up my golf game a little bit, and caused me to miss a few rounds. I guess the split swing is a little different than the golf swing and lifting some of those logs are tough on the back. My one friend told me I should split the wood sideways like I was hitting a golf ball. I split it all with my trusty monster maul you see in the one picture. I should start a thread on that someday. It is an amazing weapon waying 16 lbs of pure steel, including the handle. It never gets stuck in the wood. I understand the company went out of business but there are clones on the market. I never use a wedge.
Notice in the pictures that I left a way into the HH as I built my chimney, then I closed it up as I started putting on the roof. A neat feature I found is that there were certain places I could get a foot hold in the side so I could step up, like a ladder, and get the top of the roof on. I am 6'2" so I tried to make it a size that I could just barely reach the top with a step up on the sides. Going up 10 feet would have made it difficult to put a nice roof on. I would also recommend bringing the sides inward as your proceed up and keep the wood slopping inwards. The strength created is impressive, not wobly like my usual rows.
I did prespire like a pig, but I did lose about 5 lbs. I guess I should build a few more to get in shape for my daughters wedding, but to be truthful I am pretty worn out.

 
Mine is almost done. Had to stop for lunch.
 

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Damn! I am impressed! I can't afford all the beer I would need to tackle a project like that.


KC
 
Hilarious brother bart. That pink umbrella and matching thurmos is very cute.
 
BB, you forgot to split it before you stacked! Now you have to take it all down and start over.
 
golfandwoodnut said:
This did screw up my golf game a little bit, and caused me to miss a few rounds.
Click to expand...
Sorry to break it to you, but all those splits are bark side down. You need to tear it apart and start over, bark side up next time.
 
...I am not worthy....
 
iskiatomic said:
Damn! I am impressed! I can't afford all the beer I would need to tackle a project like that.


KC
Click to expand...

Try a Heapin Hausen. That took me a half day, some cheap materials like wire fencing, and only two beers (Heinekens, of course).
 

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JotulOwner said:
iskiatomic said:
Damn! I am impressed! I can't afford all the beer I would need to tackle a project like that.


KC
Click to expand...

Try a Heapin Hausen. That took me a half day, some cheap materials like wire fencing, and only two beers (Heinekens, of course).
Click to expand...

I think your on to something there. The problem with the HH is they tend to collapse if they aren't built perfectly.
 
Todd said:
JotulOwner said:
iskiatomic said:
Damn! I am impressed! I can't afford all the beer I would need to tackle a project like that.


KC
Click to expand...

Try a Heapin Hausen. That took me a half day, some cheap materials like wire fencing, and only two beers (Heinekens, of course).
Click to expand...

I think your on to something there. The problem with the HH is they tend to collapse if they aren't built perfectly.
Click to expand...

That is why many of us do not even bother...that and I think that the rows season better...
 
To each their own. However, I can't imagine how many rows it would have taken to equal what is in my HH and I guarantee some of those rows would be falling down way before the HH does. It is real space saver and looks pretty nice too. I stack em both ways so we will see how it seasons. I think I may be on to something with my method of not standing them all upright in the middle, that is what is the pain and what makes them unstable. The outside rim slopped inwards is incredibly strong and I have walls within walls on the inside. I can climb up and down the beast, I can't imagine climbing up and down rows.
 
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