need help...how to split, when to split, how to stack...etc

infinitymike · Sep 3, 2011

Hey guys,
Real new at this wood burning stuff.
Except for the occasional campfire or fireplace fire, I've never burned before.
Being an out door guy, framing houses for 30 years and being somewhat intelligent, I like to think I know a thing or to about wood.
But, the reality is I don't know squat.

So I have a stainless steel Wood Gun E100 gassier on order.
I am ordering a couple cords of 24" seasoned splits to get started for this winter.

I have a bunch of friends who have tree cutting companies.

In a week I have a huge amount of wood.
Stuff that ranges from 10" diameter to 24" diameter.

I have oak, ash, locust, cherry, maple, sassafras, and a very, very small amount of spruce.
Hurricane Irene has left a bunch more on the ground, free for the pickings. Alot of locust.

So I've blocked all of it out in 24" chunks.

Now for the questions.

When should I split?
I don't own a splitter but can borrow one.
Although my neighbor who has heated his house for 23 years with a wood stove, has split his wood by hand and says just wait till it's frozen and he'll show me how to put my legs into it.

How should I stack my blocks or chunks or whatever they are called before they are split?
Right now they are standing on end. 24" high by 8' wide by 30' long ( close to 3 1/2 - 4 cords, I think)

Will the bottoms rot out if they stay like that for a few months or am I worrying to much?

I can get my hands on alot of black locust, right now my guy has 30 yards of 18" long chunks in his truck ready to drop.
He has a few more jobs where he will be getting the same stuff.

Should I take that much?

Can I burn just locust in a gassifier, or should I mix it with other species?

I want to stack the splits along the back outside wall of my garage.
I'm putting the boiler in the garage so that wall would be real convenient for me.
Is that a good idea? Or am i asking for trouble with ants and or termites.

Maybe a little walking distance is worth not having to rebuild my garage?!

I guess thats all I got for now.
Actually, I dont even know what to ask. Since I don't know squat about wood!

So any info, about anything, is much appreciated.

Thanks guys.

GordonShumway · Sep 3, 2011

For starters this will only be my 2nd winter heating with wood. We use a stove, not a gasifier, so can't comment on that aspect.
Most of the question you ask, I would say are personal preference.
IMO-When to split (asap, wood seasons faster this way)
How to stack your rounds (I think it matters more so, what the rounds are stack on, ex. dirt vs concrete)
Should you take that much wood (I say if you have the space, then take all you can get. Having it delivered already rounded is half the battle)
Stacking against the house (I would proceed with caution IMO. If you raise the stacks off the ground it would help with pest and allow you to spray under it for bugs)
We had all of our rounds sitting on a mix of dirt and concrete for approx 4 mos, and when I was able to split we found 1000's of termites and carpenter ants, but didn't see a problem with wood rot for that amount of time (except of course where the pest were).

infinitymike · Sep 3, 2011

GordonShumway said:
For starters this will only be my 2nd winter heating with wood. We use a stove, not a gasifier, so can't comment on that aspect.
Most of the question you ask, I would say are personal preference.
IMO-When to split (asap, wood seasons faster this way)
How to stack your rounds (I think it matters more so, what the rounds are stack on, ex. dirt vs concrete)
Should you take that much wood (I say if you have the space, then take all you can get. Having it delivered already rounded is half the battle)
Stacking against the house (I would proceed with caution IMO. If you raise the stacks off the ground it would help with pest and allow you to spray under it for bugs)
We had all of our rounds sitting on a mix of dirt and concrete for approx 4 mos, and when I was able to split we found 1000's of termites and carpenter ants, but didn't see a problem with wood rot for that amount of time (except of course where the pest were).

Thanks Gordon,

Is it harder to split when its green? Isn't it going to be stringy?
Do you use a splitter or is it all by hand?

The rounds will be on the grass/dirt.

I am going to build a rack with pressure treated wood about 7" off the ground.
Maybe I should spray first and see if there are traps or poison I can put down.

flyingpig · Sep 3, 2011

Welcome to the forum.

I'm also new to the wood heat and on my second year of using wood insert. So take my word as grain of salt.

About storing the round, I think that the bark will help protecting the wood from rotting or bug better than the cut surface. Also I'd store any wood AWAY from home...at least 3-4 feet to avoid termite problem. You never know what you have inside until you split them.

I've got a fresh maple recently ready cut in 18~20 inches log. So I thought it's gonna be an easy job to split. But I've found that it's too wet and my tiny splitter just sink their teeth (wedge) into the wood but not splitting it. For some of them that I could split, I sometime see a lot of water on my splitter...which I think that it was squeeze out by the splitter. So I now leave them on the concrete driveway until it dry out a bit more. But I guess it depends on what type of wood. I don't have much knowledge about that so I hope other can chime in here.

Just one thing, 24 inch log seems to be pretty long for typical stove or fireplace. Check with your gassie speck and make sure that it'll fit in.

Cheers.......Som

GordonShumway · Sep 3, 2011

It is more difficult to split when green, but if you can borrow a splitter green wood won't be much of an issue. I have only split a couple of cords by hand last year and since then have purchased a splitter. I figured that's enough of that and the fact I didn't really have the time to split by hand. If you are able to raise your stacks that will eliminate most pest issues (termites have to have contact with dirt to survive, the less there is available to them the better). I don't think you will have a problem with the rounds sitting for a couple months on dirt, especially if there is decent drainage. I am sure more experienced burners will be chiming in soon that can better answer your questions. Also welcome.

infinitymike · Sep 3, 2011

flyingpig said:
Welcome to the forum.

I'm also new to the wood heat and on my second year of using wood insert. So take my word as grain of salt.

About storing the round, I think that the bark will help protecting the wood from rotting or bug better than the cut surface. Also I'd store any wood AWAY from home...at least 3-4 feet to avoid termite problem. You never know what you have inside until you split them.

I've got a fresh maple recently ready cut in 18~20 inches log. So I thought it's gonna be an easy job to split. But I've found that it's too wet and my tiny splitter just sink their teeth (wedge) into the wood but not splitting it. For some of them that I could split, I sometime see a lot of water on my splitter...which I think that it was squeeze out by the splitter. So I now leave them on the concrete driveway until it dry out a bit more. But I guess it depends on what type of wood. I don't have much knowledge about that so I hope other can chime in here.

Just one thing, 24 inch log seems to be pretty long for typical stove or fireplace. Check with your gassie speck and make sure that it'll fit in.

Cheers.......Som

Thanks,

The Wood Gun takes up to 26" logs

k9brain · Sep 3, 2011

Hi Infinity, welcome to the forum. Split early and split often. Some species split well by hand, others need hydraulics, don't really matter how green they are. I split by hand, use a 5 ton electric for the stuff thats too tough.

All your questions have been answered multiple times on this forum. Be sure to check in often and read what others are saying, you'll get answers to problems you didn't even know you had. Dennis will be along shortly to lecture you on the proper drying times for your wood. You will do well to follow his advice.

Like most here, I like to stack on pallets. Keeps the wood off the ground and allows air flow below it. Building a rack with pressure treated wood is probably better. Good luck.

DexterDay · Sep 3, 2011

I used Rutlands "Stack-N-Store" Firewood racks. there is a 4x4 on the bottom of the bracket and a 2x4 runner that the splits sit on. So before I laid down the River Rock, the wood was 7" off the ground.

As for when to split... ASAP. Get it split open now. The sooner the better. Wood does not season in "Round" form.

When stacking your "Rounds" (Yours are cut at 24", you said). Try and put at least a 2x4, 4x4, or a landscaping timber works well. I have some under each of the 3 rows of Rounds (The 2 Rows of Oak are split now) in the Pics. They are a little hard to see. But I can see lil bits of them.

Wood will rot if it stays wet (Most anyways). Get your rounds off the ground, get them split, and take some Pics of that beast when you get it installed.

Certain wood takes awhile to season. Oak takes at least 2 yrs, but 3 yrs is best. The Oak in my Pics is for 3 seasons from now. Ash, Cherry, Silver Maple, and Pine all season pretty quick.

Good luck and keep us updated

GordonShumway · Sep 3, 2011

Dexter, I am almost positive that every time you post pics of your wood pile there is another row added. You are just hum dinging right along.

amateur cutter · Sep 3, 2011

Welcome

Off the ground period. I stack my rounds to be split on saplings, cants, pallets, anything. I don't like the ends of the rounds facing up or down, the ends seem to absorb moisture. Most insects will desert the wood once moisture is not readily available, hence I split mine as soon as reasonably possible. Some woods split better green, others dryer, most split more easily frozen, but in your case, I'd split whatever goes well by hand first. Then simply stack the tough stuff off to the side & use the splitter on it when it's available. Despite owning a hydraulic splitter, I still split the nice stuff by hand for exercise. If it doesn't split easily I just move on, & leave it for the hydraulics. As far as stacking next to the wall, I'd leave 2 or 3 feet for airflow. Wind is your best friend for wood seasoning. Now about that locust, TAKE IT ALL !!!

! Great heat, fairly fast seasoning, & usually splits pretty well. Hope this helps a little. A C

Edit: Dexter's stacks are disgustingly perfect, & make mine look bad, as well as giving me an inferiority complex. However, despite the blow to my ego, that's about as good as it gets right there. He & Dennis & some other "masters" on here will help make wood burning a pleasure for you.

flyingpig · Sep 3, 2011

GordonShumway said:
Dexter, I am almost positive that every time you post pics of your wood pile there is another row added. You are just hum dinging right along.

I feel that those wood piles are just only for decoration. The real heat source seems to be the gas tank hiding in between the stack.

Cheers.....Som

DexterDay · Sep 3, 2011

GordonShumway said:
Dexter, I am almost positive that every time you post pics of your wood pile there is another row added. You are just hum dinging right along.

I just recieved 6 more sets of brackets (Stack-n-Store) this week. I plan on adding 4 more rows (16 ft instead of the 8 12' that are there already to where the stacks of Oak and Ash are. Then the other 2 Racks (16 ft also) on the other side of the driveway (There is a driveway, that barely visible. Goes back to my Barn). I built the 1st 8 at 12 ft x 4.5 ft (.63 Cord). But they have done so well and also there will be a 4 ft gap from the racks to the driveway/landscaping. I decieded to make them 16 ft now. Cut at 18-19", it will be well over 3/4 Cord. More wood, Less Racks. I love it....

But I must install the 30-NC this weekend 1st. Before building a single Rack...... Maybe... Have about 1.5 Cord of Oak thats split in a heaping Pile. This Pic is when I was about half-way done with the 2 rows of Pin and White Oak My friends always tell me I shouldnt Double stack (Once in Round Form, the other in Splits) I keep a tidy place (Or try to)... As you can see. The 2 Rows of Oak are fairly large. It all needs to be stacked now. But I need the stove installed.

DexterDay · Sep 3, 2011

flyingpig said:
GordonShumway said:

Dexter, I am almost positive that every time you post pics of your wood pile there is another row added. You are just hum dinging right along.

Click to expand...

I feel that those wood piles are just only for decoration. The real heat source seems to be the gas tank hiding in between the stack.

Cheers.....Som

Thats my way of stickin it to the Man. He cant get to it, to fill it. Thats the Tank for my garage/shop. If you notice, the garage is VERY Long (Its almost 50x50) Its a 3 car garage, but the other half is a Shop. You can see my Pellet stove vent for the shop side in some of the Pics. I no longer need LP out there either. So they can take that tank, if they want it. The tank for the house is on the Far East side of the property/house.

Thanks amateur cutter... I am but am amateur too. this is my 1st year of Burning in the Woodstove (Fireplace for years along with Pellet stoves for 3 yrs). But many told me Get Wood 1st...

I had 1 chainsaw last march. Now I have 4... and a Splitter, and a Fiskars, and a Etc... addicting

amateur cutter · Sep 3, 2011

I had 1 chainsaw last march. Now I have 4â€¦ and a Splitter, and a Fiskars, and a Etcâ€¦ addicting

Image Attachments

Yea buddy! CAD Chainsaw acquistion disorder. LOL

infinitymike · Sep 3, 2011

DexterDay said:
flyingpig said:

GordonShumway said:

Dexter, I am almost positive that every time you post pics of your wood pile there is another row added. You are just hum dinging right along.

Click to expand...

I feel that those wood piles are just only for decoration. The real heat source seems to be the gas tank hiding in between the stack.

Cheers.....Som

Click to expand...

Thats my way of stickin it to the Man. He cant get to it, to fill it. Thats the Tank for my garage/shop. If you notice, the garage is VERY Long (Its almost 50x50) Its a 3 car garage, but the other half is a Shop. You can see my Pellet stove vent for the shop side in some of the Pics. I no longer need LP out there either. So they can take that tank, if they want it. The tank for the house is on the Far East side of the property/house.

Thanks amateur cutter... I am but am amateur too. this is my 1st year of Burning in the Woodstove (Fireplace for years along with Pellet stoves for 3 yrs). But many told me Get Wood 1st...

I had 1 chainsaw last march. Now I have 4... and a Splitter, and a Fiskars, and a Etc... addicting

Thanks Dexter,

I love the pics.
Knowing my perfectionist disease and addictive nature I too will have more equipment to process wood then I'll know what to do with and have more wood c/s/s in no time.
I wake up every morning dreaming of wood (that is fire wood)

. How to get more, where to store it, what to buy to split it etc, etc

I live on 2/3's of an acre. Back yard is full of stuff, pool, pond, deck, slate patio, garden, planting areas and trees, shrubs and flowwers.
Not alot of space to process. but already convinced myself and more importantly my wife that the leaning cherry tree and cedar must come down

That will give me more room.

As for stacking against my garage wall, I'm talking about after its been seasoned for a year or two.
This will be for me to use to burn throughout the winter.

I have plans to build drying racks off in the back for my newly split wood and then transfer it to the garage wall.

Thanks to everyone else's info.

Got to get out there and start building. Daylights burnin!!

Backwoods Savage · Sep 3, 2011

infinitymike said:
I have a bunch of friends who have tree cutting companies.

In a week I have a huge amount of wood. Stuff that ranges from 10" diameter to 24" diameter. I have oak, ash, locust, cherry, maple, sassafras, and a very, very small amount of spruce. Great!

Hurricane Irene has left a bunch more on the ground, free for the pickings. Alot of locust. Sounds great. Get what you can as it is excellent fire wood.

Now for the questions.

When should I split? Some say green while others say dry and yet others say when it is frozen in the winter. In our 50+ years of burning wood we've still found it best to split the wood sometime in the first year that it has been cut. Best is to cut during winter and split then if you can. We cut during the winter and stack it. After snow melts in March we then do all the splitting at one time. Stacking follows immediately.

I don't own a splitter but can borrow one. Although my neighbor who has heated his house for 23 years with a wood stove, has split his wood by hand and says just wait till it's frozen and he'll show me how to put my legs into it.

Or you can rent one. As for splitting when it is frozen, I've found it to be the opposite in that it does not split easier when frozen but harder. The only advantage is that the ground would be frozen to provide you with a solid base. Also, some folks tend to think once freezing weather hits that the wood is frozen. Not so. It takes many, many days of hard freezing to get that wood frozen.

How should I stack my blocks or chunks or whatever they are called before they are split? Right now they are standing on end. 24" high by 8' wide by 30' long ( close to 3 1/2 - 4 cords, I think)

Wood should not be stacked on the ground (with few exceptions) and should be stacked on something to allow air flow under the wood and to keep the bottom row from getting wet and/or sinking into the ground. That is a formula for rotting wood.

Will the bottoms rot out if they stay like that for a few months or am I worrying to much? Not a few months. But get it split before stacking if you can.

I can get my hands on alot of black locust, right now my guy has 30 yards of 18" long chunks in his truck ready to drop. Fantastic!

Should I take that much? If you have the room, take it!

Can I burn just locust in a gassifier, or should I mix it with other species? Yes, you can burn locust alone just fine.

I want to stack the splits along the back outside wall of my garage. That should not be done! You need air circulation to dry the wood. Stacking against the garage will not allow this and will take a lot longer for the wood to dry.

Is that a good idea? Or am i asking for trouble with ants and or termites. You very well may be asking for trouble although I've seen folks do it. I would not. Why take the chance?

Welcome to the forum Mike.

Mike, wood needs time to dry properly. Also, the wood does not dry until it has been split because the bark holds the moisture in and the moisture can get out only through the ends. I've always recommended having 2-3 years wood supply on hand that is cut, split and stacked. That way you know the wood is dry and should some unforeseen calamity come unto you, you'll still have good wood to burn.

We are many years ahead on our wood so this is how we stack. Notice there are some saplings that we laid down and then stacked the wood onto. If you need wood to dry fast then it is best stacked in single rows but we have the time for drying so stack more than one row to a time. We stack usually around 4 1/2' high which will shrink to around 4' by fall (we split in March and/or April). We do not cover the wood until just before snowfall and then cover only the top of the wood piles. Never cover the sides or ends.

jatoxico · Sep 3, 2011

Welcome from a fellow LIer. You have already gotten excellent advice from wood burners with much more experience than me and I agree, get that wood up :cheese: off the ground. I had 2.5 cords of locust from tree work I had done. First cord was split within a few weeks of felling, no problem. The second cord and a half was done this August but had been stored in a pile on the ground. Not good.
Locust has very soft bark with a thick papery layer beneath, Well, earthworms and every other bug in the world love this stuff. I had big earthworms eating up that layer and making soil in the whole pile, some of which was 3-4' off the ground. Had to peel the bark layer off each round. PITA!
The heart wood was perfect as you might expect with Locust but it was a mess and could have been avoided if I had the sense to stack it on pallets or something. Probably happen to some degree with most wood but never saw anything as extensive before.

weatherguy · Sep 3, 2011

So I have a stainless steel Wood Gun E100 gassier on order.
I am ordering a couple cords of 24â€ seasoned splits to get started for this

Do you have a pic of the stove or a website address, I never heard of that particular stove.

Get all the black locust you can fit on your property, it wont rot and burns great.

k9brain · Sep 4, 2011

One other thing, 24" logs are a bit long and will take longer to properly season. If you don't have the time to properly season try smaller splits or shorter logs so they get as dry as possible.

jensent · Sep 4, 2011

GordonShumway said:
It is more difficult to split when green, but if you can borrow a splitter green wood won't be much of an issue. I have only split a couple of cords by hand last year and since then have purchased a splitter. I figured that's enough of that and the fact I didn't really have the time to split by hand. If you are able to raise your stacks that will eliminate most pest issues (termites have to have contact with dirt to survive, the less there is available to them the better). I don't think you will have a problem with the rounds sitting for a couple months on dirt, especially if there is decent drainage. I am sure more experienced burners will be chiming in soon that can better answer your questions. Also welcome.

My experience is that wood always splits much easier when green. It will also dry much faster when split as soon as it hits the ground. We try to split every piece to the size of a 2x4. Season three full summers and your chimney stay clean. We check our chimney every 5 to 7 years just to be sure. Cut, split and stack 10 to 12 cord per year by hand and you will stay in good shape. I parked my Oak and Iron splitter six years ago and only use it for large customer order when necessary.
Tom

infinitymike · Sep 4, 2011

weatherguy said:
So I have a stainless steel Wood Gun E100 gassier on order.
I am ordering a couple cords of 24â€ seasoned splits to get started for this

Click to expand...

Do you have a pic of the stove or a website address, I never heard of that particular stove. here is the link http://www.alternateheatingsystems.com/WoodGasification.aspx

Get all the black locust you can fit on your property, it wont rot and burns great.

infinitymike · Sep 4, 2011

Backwoods Savage said:
infinitymike said:

I have a bunch of friends who have tree cutting companies.

In a week I have a huge amount of wood. Stuff that ranges from 10" diameter to 24" diameter. I have oak, ash, locust, cherry, maple, sassafras, and a very, very small amount of spruce. Great!

Hurricane Irene has left a bunch more on the ground, free for the pickings. Alot of locust. Sounds great. Get what you can as it is excellent fire wood.

Now for the questions.

When should I split? Some say green while others say dry and yet others say when it is frozen in the winter. In our 50+ years of burning wood we've still found it best to split the wood sometime in the first year that it has been cut. Best is to cut during winter and split then if you can. We cut during the winter and stack it. After snow melts in March we then do all the splitting at one time. Stacking follows immediately.

I don't own a splitter but can borrow one. Although my neighbor who has heated his house for 23 years with a wood stove, has split his wood by hand and says just wait till it's frozen and he'll show me how to put my legs into it.

Or you can rent one. As for splitting when it is frozen, I've found it to be the opposite in that it does not split easier when frozen but harder. The only advantage is that the ground would be frozen to provide you with a solid base. Also, some folks tend to think once freezing weather hits that the wood is frozen. Not so. It takes many, many days of hard freezing to get that wood frozen.

How should I stack my blocks or chunks or whatever they are called before they are split? Right now they are standing on end. 24" high by 8' wide by 30' long ( close to 3 1/2 - 4 cords, I think)

Wood should not be stacked on the ground (with few exceptions) and should be stacked on something to allow air flow under the wood and to keep the bottom row from getting wet and/or sinking into the ground. That is a formula for rotting wood.

Will the bottoms rot out if they stay like that for a few months or am I worrying to much? Not a few months. But get it split before stacking if you can.

I can get my hands on alot of black locust, right now my guy has 30 yards of 18" long chunks in his truck ready to drop. Fantastic!

Should I take that much? If you have the room, take it!

Can I burn just locust in a gassifier, or should I mix it with other species? Yes, you can burn locust alone just fine.

I want to stack the splits along the back outside wall of my garage. That should not be done! You need air circulation to dry the wood. Stacking against the garage will not allow this and will take a lot longer for the wood to dry.

Is that a good idea? Or am i asking for trouble with ants and or termites. You very well may be asking for trouble although I've seen folks do it. I would not. Why take the chance?

Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum Mike.

Mike, wood needs time to dry properly. Also, the wood does not dry until it has been split because the bark holds the moisture in and the moisture can get out only through the ends. I've always recommended having 2-3 years wood supply on hand that is cut, split and stacked. That way you know the wood is dry and should some unforeseen calamity come unto you, you'll still have good wood to burn.

We are many years ahead on our wood so this is how we stack. Notice there are some saplings that we laid down and then stacked the wood onto. If you need wood to dry fast then it is best stacked in single rows but we have the time for drying so stack more than one row to a time. We stack usually around 4 1/2' high which will shrink to around 4' by fall (we split in March and/or April). We do not cover the wood until just before snowfall and then cover only the top of the wood piles. Never cover the sides or ends.

thanks dennis

great pics
like they say a pic is worth a thousand words

I took a bunch of pics and will post them sunday

Im beat spent all morning rolling and stacking the rounds.
then went out to go to home depot and found a 12 inch cherry tree laid out from Irene
filled my pick up with 24 inch blocks. another back buster.

amateur cutter · Sep 4, 2011

Im beat spent all morning rolling and stacking the rounds.
then went out to go to home depot and found a 12 inch cherry tree laid out from Irene
filled my pick up with 24 inch blocks. another back buster.

Ha! Glad to see I'm not alone, if free wood is available everything else gets put on hold. Bugged the wife a little till we went a full year on one tank of LP. Now she'll ask " when are you cutting again". Gotta love it. A C

Woody Stover · Sep 4, 2011

Every kind of wood you mentioned will split pretty well by hand, except possibly Maple. Woods trees tend to be straighter-grained with less branching than yard trees, so they split easier. I just split for an hour or two, then go in and reward myself with a cold beverage. :cheese: But if you've been framing for 30 years, you might want to let a machine (that you don't have to hold up) pound the wood while you sit on a milk crate. :lol:
Welcome to the forums!

dafattkidd · Sep 4, 2011

infinitymike, where on LI are you? Who are these tree guys you know so well? Sounds like a good hook up.

need help...how to split, when to split, how to stack...etc

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