Wood size/split question

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KYrob

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Jan 8, 2010
146
KY
If you had a log that was 10" across, how would you split it? half, quarter, or more? I think I am oversplitting a lot but not sure which way is best. Will a half burn longer than 2 quarters? I assume it would but figured I'd ask. One reason I split more than I think is necessary is to get it to dry out quicker but will I burn it up quicker by doing so? Silly questions but thought I'd ask.

Thanks,
Rob
 
I think it really depends on the stove size and how fast you need it to season.

The wedge of my splitter is about 7 inches, I never leave anything bigger then it. On a 10" round I would probably whack 2 or 3 inches off two sides to make it more of a rectangle then split in half making 2 6x5 chunks.
 
I think it depends what you are looking for, what kind of wood it is, and when you need it for fuel.

Larger splits will burn longer since the surface area is smaller. This makes for slower outgassing of the wood gas. This works to a point. You wouldn't want to jam a 10" round into your woodstove. You would be lucky to get it to burn at all. The downside of larger splits is they take longer to dry. If you need the wood this winter, I'd split small.

Some types of wood split harder than others. Sometimes thin splits will be easier to take off than the thick ones.

Also, I've found I will split things smaller in the beginning of the day, but as I get tired, the pieces tend to get larger.

Matt
 
For a 10" round, I split it in half.
5" is a perfect size , seasons well, stacks good & burns a long time.
All that size, makes a good crossed stack on the ends of the rows.
 
Pretty much the same here. That size I mostly just split in half.
 
I like a random mix of mostly large splits with smaller ones thrown in for starting a cold stove. I've been able to get a few years ahead with my supply so even the largest splits are well-seasoned when they are needed.
 
bogydave said:
For a 10" round, I split it in half. 5" is a perfect size , seasons well, stacks good & burns a long time. All that size, makes a good crossed stack on the ends of the rows.
Click to expand...

+1

I'll make sure that, out of the 9-10 cords I split, some of those 10-inch rounds get quartered, but the majority of them get halved. As stated, the perfect size for cross-stacking at the ends of woodpiles. But a fella needs some smaller stuff to get coals going again, and my wife runs a much more conservative fire in the furnace than I do, so she needs more smaller stuff than I'd normally split. That being said, I make sure I'm the one to stoke that baby before bed so we have enough fuel to keep it reasonable overnight.
 
My log splitter has a 7" tall wedge and I use it to gauge size. I used to think it was 6" until I measured it. Anything under 6" normally gets split in half. 6" to around 12" usually gets quartered. Over 12" gets the tic-tac-toe (#) pattern. The large rectangles and the quarters pack well into the stove for overnight burns. Big halves need quarters to fill in the gaps. The small halves make for good primer on top/front. Shape to me, is more important than size when it comes to packing it in like a jigsaw puzzle.

I split everything that can be split down to around 2" so I have a good variety of sizes. If I need more small stuff at time of burning, I may resplit a few.
 
bogydave said:
For a 10" round, I split it in half.
5" is a perfect size , seasons well, stacks good & burns a long time.
All that size, makes a good crossed stack on the ends of the rows.
Click to expand...
I like using halves on the cribbing. Quarters tend to shift and topple.

Here's a pic of a crib end. The wood is bucked to 20" so 3 halves around 6.666" each work out well.

100_0350.jpg
 
For a 10" round, I will split 3-4 inches off the side, and the remainder of the round, I split in half, giving me 3 pieces.
 
10 incher . . . I'd split in half . . . like LL they make nice cribbing for the end stacks.

Generally I have several different sized wood . . . but as I've moved from Year 1 to 2 and now into Year 3 I'm finding that I prefer using the smaller splits more since they seem to catch easier and I can get more wood into the firebox more easily. I still split up some decent sized pieces for those overnight burns though. Just my own personal preference.
 
LLigetfa said:
bogydave said:
For a 10" round, I split it in half.
5" is a perfect size , seasons well, stacks good & burns a long time.
All that size, makes a good crossed stack on the ends of the rows.
Click to expand...
I like using halves on the cribbing. Quarters tend to shift and topple.

Here's a pic of a crib end. The wood is bucked to 20" so 3 halves around 6.666" each work out well.

100_0350.jpg
Click to expand...

I can honestly say thats a nice pile of wood .
Dont you guys have any branches on your trees . That explains why I have all the crotches in my pile .
 
I'm new at this woodburning but I have to say that a lot of these stacks of wood look like a photoshop job. Just kiddin, but man you guys stack wood like it's an art form or something.

Rob
 
KYrob said:
I'm new at this woodburning but I have to say that a lot of these stacks of wood look like a photoshop job. Just kiddin, but man you guys stack wood like it's an art form or something.

Rob
Click to expand...

+1. That looks more like a nice "fence". My stack looks so ugly compare to yours.

Som

FX33
 
flyingpig said:
KYrob said:
I'm new at this woodburning but I have to say that a lot of these stacks of wood look like a photoshop job. Just kiddin, but man you guys stack wood like it's an art form or something.

Rob
Click to expand...

+1. That looks more like a nice "fence". My stack looks so ugly compare to yours.

Som

FX33
Click to expand...

Even ugly wood keeps a man (or woman) warm once seasoned . . . trust me . . . I have lots of ugly looking wood . . . crotches, branch stubs, twisty wood . . . for me it's not a beauty contest . . . it's all about getting the wood seasoned and keeping me warm through the winter.
 
Maybe we should start a thread for the ugliest wood pile .......... I know I would be in the running but I am sure I would get beat out .
My brothers wood pile looks just LLigetfa but I know what he cuts too. Nothing over 16 inches and no less than 4 inches . If he gets near the top by the branches of the tree he just cuts it off and lets it lay . If you ever talk to him and ask him whats up he will just say it takes too much time to produce and just cuts down another tree . I really dont think he has a bad piece in his pile they all look the same . He also wont cut a dead tree down Says the woods not worth it . Thats when you are spoiled with 60 acres of wood land .
 
Those pieces from crotches in the tree burn nicely so he is throwing away one of the best parts of the tree.

On the dead wood, when you have a lot plus a lot of standing trees that need cutting most will not cut the dead stuff, including me. I even have tended to not cut as much of the tops of the trees lately simply because we have so much ash dead or dieing. A positive point on leaving more of the tops is that deer like to lay next to them as it makes an excellent bedding spot for them. When they lay next to a top they are extremely hard to spot and that is one reason they like it. So not I have a lot of tops laying around just for the deer to have a nice bedroom.
 
webie said:
Maybe we should start a thread for the ugliest wood pile .......... I know I would be in the running but I am sure I would get beat out .
My brothers wood pile looks just LLigetfa but I know what he cuts too. Nothing over 16 inches and no less than 4 inches . If he gets near the top by the branches of the tree he just cuts it off and lets it lay . If you ever talk to him and ask him whats up he will just say it takes too much time to produce and just cuts down another tree . I really dont think he has a bad piece in his pile they all look the same . He also wont cut a dead tree down Says the woods not worth it . Thats when you are spoiled with 60 acres of wood land .
Click to expand...

Well I have access to well over 150 acres of land (granted some of this is taken up with farmland), but I still take the crotches and odd-ball pieces and even take relatively small rounds (2-3 inches in diameter) that some folks would leave behind . . . I just hate to let good wood rot and figure if it's seasoned it burns well enough. Surprisingly enough I don't see a lot of standing dead wood on the family property (I do have a few dead elms left on my own property though) . . . some softwood at the family property . . . and I will admit I am a bit leery in cutting dead wood as the tops and branches sometimes have a tendency to snap off.
 
A 10" round . . . goes in the boiler. What is all this splitting you speak of?
 
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