How Small of Rounds Do You Keep?

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

I keep everything down to about wrist size as well. I don't split pieces this size however. I usually only split bigger than 4 inches.

I would probably keep even smaller size pieces if I had to clean up brush. I only cut in my woods though and just leave the unused limbs and pieces behind.

 

[Destructor]

The woods across the street has a utility easement which was trimmed of mostly oak and some maple and beech a few years ago. Mostly limbs and smaller trees up to 6”. For some reason they cut most of the pieces down to 4 to 6 ft with a large amount of pieces being perfectly cut at 16” to 20” length, a lot of it down to around 1 ½” to 3” diameter so I take it all home. As a bonus most of the wood was sitting on gravelly soil in the sun so most of it had the bark falling off or cracking by the time I got to it. That discovery yielded me a bit over a cord of hardwood in varying thicknesses with at least half of it falling in at the 4” – 5” range. There is still some big stuff left.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Typically, I keep limb wood over about 2". Burns great for a quick hot fire.

 

[Longknife]

There is a reason trees have bark. Beneath it is the "living" part of the tree where water travels up. The bark protects this from dehydration and such.

Rounds dry the slowest
Then split wood
Then dimensional cut lumber (it drys super quick because it has 6 cut edges)

Realizing that rounds will dry slower, yet not wanting to split small rounds into even smaller pieces, I will usually just give them a "crack" with the splitter (i.e. not completely separating them) to help them along. Of course, many times I will leave them as is or completely split them in 2. It all depends on the species, approx. moisture content (i.e. fairly dry standing dead), estimated seasoning time, and seasoning location.

 

[littleuing]

I also tend to keep stuff down to about 2 inches. 2-3 inch stuff I often hit with the splitter just enough to crack it a out half way. If I am feeling frogy at the time I'll flip it over and do it from the other side as well. But not the same way. From one side up and down and the other left to right, so it doesn't spilt in half. If I start getting alot of these smaller size pieces I don't split them and put them in a stack for outside fires. I cut alot of yard trees so I often have a nice pile for outdoor fires.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I'll be honest. I frequently burn rounds that aren't too well seasoned. I give them a year or two and throw them in.

 

[Sprinter]

I'll be honest. I frequently burn rounds that aren't too well seasoned. I give them a year or two and throw them in.

I did that during my first year when I had a mix of good and around 30% wood. It did help a lot in making use of the worst wood and my flue cleanup only yielded a small amount of powder soot.

But I did have to make sure that the fire was good and hot and secondaries were properly active before putting a split or two of that on top. It is one way to use some of your iffy wood when you're getting low, and if you watch the fire. Done wrong, it can cool the fire too much sometimes, but done right, you only have to lose a little efficiency. Secondary action is the key to me.

I still use that strategy with limbs since they are small and easily cut, but dry slowly. That's where a small chainsaw like one of the battery ones for example can be useful. Limbs are easily cut while still on the main branch and cut on down. I don't see it as being any more trouble than any other part of a tree once down, and it all burns. I will split the larger ones with my electric splitter if it seems worthwhile. Easy enough.

 

[Longknife]

Limbs are easily cut while still on the main branch and cut on down. I don't see it as being any more trouble than any other part of a tree once down, and it all burns.

Yes, the easiest way to deal with the limbs is to cut them to length as you go, while still elevated off the ground connected to the tree. My felling is usually time sensitive, as in I have to concentrate on felling when able and worry bucking and splitting later. Dealing with a pile of limbs on the ground is a lot of work, much more so by yourself. Even with a sawbuck, by yourself it is awkward and labour intensive to process the stuff. I've sometimes considered my mitre saw for the smaller stuff....