Holtz Housen design thought

[gzecc]

Has anyone built a HH with the center circle empty. I would think that would allow for better drying and airflow. Maybe make it a smaller diameter. Maybe it doesn't take enough wood?

 

[Wood Duck]

I have four and a half holz hausen in the back yard, and several people have asked "what is inside?" Maybe I should start making them into little round wood cabins. I don't care if they hold less wood, since I have lots of space for more, but i think a hollow core might make them less stable. I am sure I could build one with a hollow core, but would it survive two or three years of seasoning, shrinkage, and shifting? i do think the wood would season better with a hollow core, since the whole thing would offer less resistance to the wind.

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm with WoodDuck . . . I would think a hollow inside might help the drying process . . . but at the expense of the stablity of the structure since the wood in the core of my Holtz Miete undoubtedly helps keep the sides in place.

 

[Battenkiller]

I have four and a half holz hausen in the back yard, and several people have asked "what is inside?" Maybe I should start making them into little round wood cabins. I don't care if they hold less wood, since I have lots of space for more, but i think a hollow core might make them less stable. I am sure I could build one with a hollow core, but would it survive two or three years of seasoning, shrinkage, and shifting? i do think the wood would season better with a hollow core, since the whole thing would offer less resistance to the wind.

I saw an article where the guy claims that the inner wood needs to be straight up on end to help create a chimney effect inside the house that contributes to the drying process. I wasn't necessarily buying that, nor his claim that you can season wood inside three months in a HH. Maybe basswood or poplar, but not red oak for sure. He had little diagrams showing how the air supposedly flows, but he could have drawn them backwards if he wanted to, because there was no scientific explanation at to why this would automatically occur. The author was supposed to be some sort of wood guru, and he said to wait until the paint mark on the pole (about 20% down from the top of the pile) showed itself clearly and the wood would then be ready to burn.

 

[pulldownclaw]

I'm with wood duck, you could probably build it, and it would aid in the drying time, but possibility of collapse during shrinkage would be high. Also, it would defeat the purpose: lots of wood in a small footprint.

Not to highjack, but so far I've built 2 HH on pallets. I like the look of them better on the ground, but was thinking that the lack of airflow underneath with them sitting on the ground would inhibit the drying a little. I do have a lot of that thick red oak bark that I was thinking would make a good baselayer so the splits weren't right on the dirt.

 

[sksmass]

Not to highjack, but so far I've built 2 HH on pallets. I like the look of them better on the ground, but was thinking that the lack of airflow underneath with them sitting on the ground would inhibit the drying a little. I do have a lot of that thick red oak bark that I was thinking would make a good baselayer so the splits weren't right on the dirt.

When/if I make a HH I will nip one corner off each of 4 pallets. That way the base will be more of an octagon. I think that will have the benefit of lifting the wood up, and also be more aestheticallly pleasing than a circle set atop a square

Oh, and as for leaving it empty inside, I cringe at the thought of wasting all that time building a beautiful HH only to have it fall down in a windstorm. I suppose there are ways you could structurally reinforce it, like making a series of hub and spoke reinforcing joists out of 2x4s, but if I am going to do that kind of carpentry it seems like I should be building a proper woodshed...or renovating my bathrooom.

 

[karri0n]

I've always made them hollow. Never had one tip over. This also tends to make it easier to more accurately calculate the amount of wood you have. If you're loosely tossing it in the middle, then calculating it based on the cylinder formula is going to yield higher results than if you had it stacked tight in rows.

However, I can't figure out how you would build a "roof" of splits in this case.

 

[pulldownclaw]

Wow, pics please.

 

[karri0n]

Well, I've got none left of mine. I'll see if I can get a pic the next time I make one.

 

[gpcollen1]

If you want it to dry faster, stack it in rows on pallets...