First timer wood pile. (Pictures)

[Bwhunter85]

This is my first year owning a wood burner and cutting, splitting, and stacking wood. I have a lot to do before next winter, but this is what I have done so far. Will the full rounds season the way they are in picture, or should be split now? I was waiting until they dry out a bit more.

I can't seem to use photobucket to put a direct link into my album.

 

[Flavo]

They will certainly dry eventually. Are you looking to use them for this coming winter? Is there a reason you are waiting to split. They will absolutely dry faster the smaller the pieces are (i.e splits). Good start though. This is my 1st year too. This past winter I had just moved in and had to purchase wood.

 

[Bwhunter85]

I am waiting for my Father-in-law to come over with his splitter, I've been splitting by hand.

 

[Intheswamp]

What kind of wood?

Splitting will definitely speed the drying up.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[thewoodlands]

Like intheswamp said get it split and it will dry faster.






Zap

 

[Flavo]

Those rounds don't look to large in the pic. Have you tried different splitting tools and working from the edge instead of just the middle?

 

[cygnus]

if you are storing wood, it might as well be split. Seasoning doesn't really start til split.

 

[Loco Gringo]

Dont take this out of context, but in the time waiting for a machine this could have been split and stacked already. Even a novice would have learned much in that time frame. Dont depend on some one or something to do your work is all Im saying.

 

[Wood Duck]

Start swinging that maul. That wood can be split by hand and the sooner the better. Fall is on the way.

 

[Intheswamp]

Most wood seems to get a bit harder to split as it dries....except maybe elm. :-S

I'd at least try to bust those big rounds in half...but if you bust'em in half you might as well quarter them...

If you're doing it by hand then be sure to stand your rounds up inside of an old tire...that'll keep you from having to pick each one up each time you hit it and stand it back up....fill the tire up with rounds and go to whackin'em. My shoulder and elbow are the pits and I really enjoyed flailing away with the splitting axe...miss it.

Ed

 

[Bspring]

I split 100% by hand but an important question to ask would be what kind of wood is it before we suggest that he start splitting now.

 

[Hiram Maxim]

Seeing that he is in Michigan I will guess......White Ash!

Judging by the size of the green fence posts, no matter what it is, split those rounds in half so the will be ready next winter.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

For sure it depends upon what kind of wood it is. If Hiram is right and it is ash, wood doesn't get much easier to split than ash. If it is elm, then for sure wait for the splitter. If it is oak, again it will split fairly easy but will take a long time to dry.

You have the right idea with stacking the wood out in the open air because air circulation (think wind) is what wood needs. But it won't dry hardly at all until you get it split. That is why most folks will split before stacking as it saves handling the wood one more time.

Do also realize that different types of wood take different amounts of time to dry properly; even if they are standing dead.

 

[gibson]

Time to get at it!

 

[Duetech]

Bwhunter85, I'm about 25 miles from you and have family in Freeport. A lot of good avice in this forum. Yeah split it. even OWB's perform better when the wood is dry but if you do have an OWB I don't recommend splitting more than quarters for the bigger stuff. OWB's won't smoke as much if the wood is dry.

 

[remkel]

My father used to refer to the wood pile as 'Dad's Nautilus". Get out there and start swinging that maul. Great way to get out some frustrations, get some exercise, and also get a great sense of accomplishment at the end of the day!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

My father used to refer to the wood pile as 'Dad's Nautilus". Get out there and start swinging that maul. Great way to get out some frustrations, get some exercise, and also get a great sense of accomplishment at the end of the day!

GREAT POST- I was out yesterday workin' the pile and it changed my mood much for the better. I told my wife "I needed to do that-it's my therapy"....not only to work out frustrations like you say but also to satisfy the "inner clock" that NOW is the time to get at it, even though my wood is years ahead as it should be.