not cut to length garbage!

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
ColdNH

ColdNH

Minister of Fire
Oct 14, 2009
599
Southern, NH
Got one of those scores that is hard to complain about.

Long story short, Some rich guy bought a hosue 3 years ago, and in his "carriage house" was a solid 2/3+ of a cord of split red oak, white oak and birch that sat there for 3+ years (it was there when he moved in) Well he finally got around to having his "help" post it on craigslist as a truckload of hard wood for 20$. me thinks great, even if its just a truck load its worth checking out. I drive down there and low and behold its at least 2 FULL/Overloaded truck loads of very well seasoned hard woods all for a whopping 20$

Got one load tonight, going back for another load tommarow on my lunch break. Im tempted to throw the "help" another 20$

So as the title says, the only downside is 80% of the splits are cut in 20-24" lengths. So now I ponder "Do i cut these in half or do i cut them to 16-18" lengths and end up with pancakes?"
 

Attachments

  • IMAG0377.jpg
    IMAG0377.jpg
    45.2 KB · Views: 2,192
That is all I get. The little I cut gets cut to my ideal length and the shorties get tossed in a pile to be burned before the snow starts to pile up.

BTW, nice load for 20 bucks.
 
I'm not too much of a stickler. I'd cut in half
 
Both, then you can have those pieces to really stuff the stove...
 
I think I'd cut them in half. It would be easier, and I wouldn't mind the pieces being a little small.
 
I would burn them just like that in my stove. :)
 
Congrats on the Score!! :coolsmile:

Before my new insert I cut 4+ cords at 22"-24". So I just set up my my table saw at 16" and cut. The drops are what I burn during shoulder season.
 
Great find. Cut them however you will be comfortable handling and burning.
 
ColdNH I would cut it 16-18 and save the short pieces for burning after starting a fire, this will also make it easier for stacking.


zap
 
Nice score . . . for the record I would cut to the 16 inch length and use the chunks for the shoulder season.
 
all good points, i may just cut them to length and use the scraps for starter wood/filler wood as i tend not to burn completely 24/7 so I tend to restart every once in a while and I dont have much kindling set aside currently

Whats the best method for cutting this to length with a chainsaw?
 
Not sure its the best, but I screwed a 2x8 down the middle of a pallet so the splits hang off the edges. Then line them up and cut in batches while standing on them. The other method often mentioned is building a frame, strapping them and then batch cutting.
 
That's not garbage. That right there is a nice score! Do what you like with it, and tell us of the outcome.
You could use the small cutoffs on a nice bed of coals to warm the house in the morning.
So many choices.
 
ColdNH said:
all good points, i may just cut them to length and use the scraps for starter wood/filler wood as i tend not to burn completely 24/7 so I tend to restart every once in a while and I dont have much kindling set aside currently

Whats the best method for cutting this to length with a chainsaw?
Click to expand...

trim just one end
 
First, I think it would a good thing to give his assistant a tip for the great score.

A table saw would make quick work of it. Or you could make a jig to hold the lengths in place for your chainsaw.
Nothing wrong with having a pile of oak chunks to fill up the corners of the stove.
 
Would need a table saw with a 12-14" blade to be able to cut it without having to turn the log several times. Easier to just use a chainsaw IMO.
 
Cut them to your regular desired lengths and use the rest for off season burning as others have said. This will help with the stacking. The ends will not go to waste as wood is wood. Nice price btw!
 
NATE379 said:
Would need a table saw with a 12-14" blade to be able to cut it without having to turn the log several times. Easier to just use a chainsaw IMO.
Click to expand...

That oak would also overheat and dull out the table saw blades, unless cut real slooow....... and that would get old real fast. Until a practical light saber is invented, the chainsaw is the tool for firewood. I do not know how people heated with wood before the invention of the chainsaw.
 
If you dont want to use a table saw. Take 4 posts and make a frame that makes "a slot" to stack the wood in where the ends you wanna cut off stick out from the posts. You then just take the saw and cut off all the ends. It holds the wood in place. Make sense?? I make it about 5 feet high. I put a piece of scrap wood on the bottom so the saw doesnt hit the ground.
Looking down from the top, the posts would look something like this..

@ @
End of wood sticks out here
@ @
 
not a bad idea, sounds safer then standing on the logs and pretty quick and easy to put together, may just try this out!

westkywood said:
If you dont want to use a table saw. Take 4 posts and make a frame that makes "a slot" to stack the wood in where the ends you wanna cut off stick out from the posts. You then just take the saw and cut off all the ends. It holds the wood in place. Make sense?? I make it about 5 feet high. I put a piece of scrap wood on the bottom so the saw doesnt hit the ground.
Looking down from the top, the posts would look something like this..

@ @
End of wood sticks out here
@ @
Click to expand...
 
ColdNH said:
not a bad idea, sounds safer then standing on the logs and pretty quick and easy to put together, may just try this out!

westkywood said:
If you dont want to use a table saw. Take 4 posts and make a frame that makes "a slot" to stack the wood in where the ends you wanna cut off stick out from the posts. You then just take the saw and cut off all the ends. It holds the wood in place. Make sense?? I make it about 5 feet high. I put a piece of scrap wood on the bottom so the saw doesnt hit the ground.
Looking down from the top, the posts would look something like this..

@ @
End of wood sticks out here
@ @
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

ColdNH I made this last year, seems that it worked for my needs.


zap
 

Attachments

  • 100_0358.jpg
    100_0358.jpg
    36.6 KB · Views: 1,855
  • 100_0359.jpg
    100_0359.jpg
    57.8 KB · Views: 1,836
  • 100_0360.jpg
    100_0360.jpg
    48.7 KB · Views: 1,799
I've got a short firebox, so I love the chunks for starting fires. I lay regular splits east west, put in a super cedar, chunks north/south, then a split on top. Light the cedar and I'm good to go.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
Novelist asks: how long to cut 20 cords of wood?
Replies
24
Views
3K
The Wood Shed
MatthewMaryland
M
Freyja
Lopi Large Flush Update
Replies
28
Views
1K
Travis Industries: Lopi, Avalon, FPX
stoveliker
stoveliker
HisTreeNut
Latest Scrounge
Replies
3
Views
991
The Wood Shed
Woodsplitter67
Woodsplitter67
Isaac Carlson
The wood hauler lives again!
Replies
24
Views
2K
The Gear
Stelcom66
Stelcom66
I
Just bought a cord of not actually seasoned wood...
Replies
71
Views
7K
The Wood Shed
vbu
vbu
Top Bottom
Back