Round piles of wood

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DaleZ

Member
Oct 18, 2007
52
Nassau, NY
Hello,

On the home page it shows pictures which alternate. One of the first ones is of a pile of wood in a circle. I remember reading about these piles years ago and how fast you were able to season your wood with this method. I looked around here and couldn't find anything out. I probably read about it in a rural magazine. I think it was a foreign thing.

Anybody got any info on it? I would like to try it.

Thanks

Dale
 
Yah, couple haufen comments:

- Make it wide in diameter (see DE site above); going tall is tricky.
- the trick to prevent blowouts is the inward 'tilt' of the lay when stacking the ring . Large ring dia. helps here.
- It does seem to dry wood faster. The pile holds heat; in August it's warm on cool nights.
- Looks cool - neighbors/friends comment
- It shrinks a considerable amount (20%?) in 6 months and if you stacked it right, it tightens up.
- A compact way to store A LOT of wood.
- Takes a bit of time to build (2-3hrs), but is worth the effort.

The smallest I'd go is 10' in dia (3 1/3 cords @7' high initial, shrunk to 5 1/2 ft). I put mine on a bunch of pallets and I think air rises through helping the drying.
 
tw40x81 said:
Be carefull stacking the center on end. I had one stacked with one outer ring 10' diameter total and the inside was on end and it came a tumblin' down when it got about 5' high. You might want to take a look at these instructions as well:

http://www.holzmiete.de/anleitung.php

You can translate the site to english with http://babelfish.altavista.com/

tw40x81,
I tried translating the article with Babel Fish and the result was mostly incomprehensible. The 5th paragraph made the most sense.

5. Joy and admiration
After now the wood work of art is achieved, feel internal joy and satisfaction. The admiration of interested fellow men makes self-confident and increases the Ego uncommonly. Who anything felt should not build no second wood rent.

~Cath
 
I found the following article. It is supposed to be an illustrated guide but there is only one small picture. I’m assuming that any pictures are unavailable due to the age of the article, which dates back to 1986.

Also, note the alternate spelling, Holzhaufen.

This article addresses a question I had without giving a possible solution. Is there any easy way to build a pile like this on a slight to moderate incline? Perhaps by using a smaller diameter and not building it quite so high?

Directions are given for using a board with a hole (to slide over the pole) to maintain the proper diameter as the logs are placed.

Mother Earth News
Holzhaufen - November/December 1986
http://www.motherearthnews.com/DIY/1986-11-01/Holzhaufen.aspx

“If the ground isn't level, the pile could tip, so choose your spot carefully.”

“Remember, though, that this is a curing stack; if you want your dried wood to be easily accessible, and don't want to restack it, don't build a holzhaufen that's higher than you can reach.”

“Once the holzhaufen's foundation is in place, lay the first course of logs. Again, slide the board up the pole and use it as a guide; as you position each log, make sure its outer end is precisely even with a board end, to maintain the pile's diameter. It's important, too, to resist the tendency to lay the logs parallel to one another; although they should be placed as close together as possible, they must extend radially from the center outward, like the spokes of a wheel. “

I just found a thread from July of 2006. It looks like Mo Heat built an one on a slight incline, but not as steep as our back yard. I wonder how Mo's held up. Also, there was some discussion about whether they live up to the 3 month drying claim. Perhaps Mo could update us.
Holz Hausen (Huafen) pics 3/18/06
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/1726/

~Cath
 
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