The perfect (for me) wood rack

[djbutt]

I wanted to be able to load wood onto a rack that I could move with a forklift, fit through a basement sliding door, hold a quarter of a cord of wood and roll right up to my wood boiler.

I could not find such a thing so I built one, well actually five.

I don't like stacking wood, I only want to do it once.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Sweet system, I don't care to admit how many times I stack mine.

 

[project240]

Genius. Looks like it will be a great system.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

That's, ummm. . . fabulous. I guess.

 

[Hunderliggur]

That is why my wood storage area has an 8' wide door - so I can lift a full pallet in. I like your design, I think now I need to get my friend to weld a cage for the pallets Don't need the wheels, I can just push a pallet to the back. Should be able to hold 4 to 6 pallets in my room easily. I don't like handling wood either or making extra trips on the farm.

 

[raybonz]

Wow that's an amazing system you've got there! Is your wood furnace that thing that looks like a Coke machine?

Ray

 

[lowroadacres]

This is the sort of system I would love to see employed in my yard. Right now we are still fairly labour intensive. It could be argued that every way of heating has a similar amount of labour, time or money involved when one adds up all of the factors but I would say by front loading your labour in designing this system you have simplified and streamlined the process. Good on ya.

 

[djbutt]

The Froling boiler with 2000 gallons of storage heats the entire house ( about 4000 sq ft) and domestic hot water year round with about 10 to 13 cords a year, in theory so far. Its only been up and running since Oct first.

This time of year its one burn a day. I go through about one rack or a quarter of a cord a week.

With five racks the idea is to keep one cord in the boiler room at all times. Each rack gets four weeks in the warm dry boiler room to get nice and dry before being burned.

It only takes about half an hour to load a rack with wood at the outside pile and get it to the boiler room and the door to the house is only open for a couple of minutes.

I figure I've got 20 - 30 years ahead of me heating with wood, why not try to make it as easy as I can?

I've learned so much from these forums, anytime I have what I think is a good idea I figure I should pass it on.

I understand this system is not for everybody, but for me it works the nuts.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Awesome Dave

Thats a great idea.

Billy

 

[smokinj]

Awesome Dave

Thats a great idea.

Billy

+1

 

[JustWood]

Sweet set up till you bust the glass door.
I've got a similar setup minus the glass. I didn't put glass in and tempt fate cuz I knew it was going to happen.
Some movable runners outside made of heavy channel might save your door .

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Indeed! That is a fantastic idea with some great planning and execution! It's a winner Dave.

 

[Jags]

I've learned so much from these forums, anytime I have what I think is a good idea I figure I should pass it on.

Ahhh...music to my ears. Hopefully I have helped a few, cuz I know I have learned a bunch.

Looks like a great system to me. I do it a bit different, but typically only stack once. Period.

 

[LLigetfa]

...with about 10 to 13 cords a year...

Lemme do some quick math...
1/4 cord per rack times 13 cord = 52 racks needed so as not to have to handle the wood more than once. Nice system but you need to build 48 more.

 

[pen]

This is something that they should use in the movie entitled "Wood burning, 2045"

All the mechanization just makes me stop in my tracks considering what we are doing.

At the same time, it is a damn smart idea.

Nice work,

pen

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Sweet set up till you bust the glass door.
I've got a similar setup minus the glass. I didn't put glass in and tempt fate cuz I knew it was going to happen.
Some movable runners outside made of heavy channel might save your door .

I thought I was pretty trick putting the cap on the TruckChick's truck with the loader . . . . strap went over-taught in a mili-second and turned the back glass into a million flat marbles. $600 :shut:


When you break your glass, you're gonna have -10 °F wind chill comin in the kitchen. That sets up an even colder chill from one of the occupants :wow:

 

[Danno77]

...with about 10 to 13 cords a year...

Lemme do some quick math...
1/4 cord per rack times 13 cord = 52 racks needed so as not to have to handle the wood more than once. Nice system but you need to build 48 more.

Methinks he has it in a big pile outside, then he brings an empty one out each week and fills it up. Then it sits inside for nearly a month before burning. I don't know how well it seasons doing that, but I bet it dries out fairly nicely indoors like that. I'd be interested in some MC numbers on some oak before it's tossed into the stove.

 

[bboulier]

Terrific idea. Couldn't use it myself, but I see wide applications.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

good job. do you ever spill any when you hit some bumps or snow drifts? the only setup that might be less work is the metal cages that you could just load with the loader and stack on top of each other, then bring it straight into the garage with the forks when needed. that method involves zero stacking.

 

[djbutt]

Thanks for all the kind words.

I does get a little tippy on a side hill, but for the most part it is pretty stable.

I know many will disagree, but I'm a second generation wood heaper. All our wood, at least as far back as I can remember, was split and thrown in a heap to season. I'm not sure if it works great or maybe I just don't know any better, but it always seems to burn just fine. Sometimes the stuff on the bottom can get a little punky.

I'm very careful around the glass doors, so far so good. I try to look on the bright side, If I do smash it I can replace it with a nice overhead door.

I hate to admit it but I don't own a stick of firewood seasoned more than 7 months. I've been too busy installing the wood boiler and storage to cut much wood. Luckily what I do have is pretty much all Ash at around 18 - 20 % moisture content.

 

[djbutt]

Sorry double post

 

[djblech]

I like the wood racks, I have been thinking of doing something like that using a pallet. I saw a system out of Canada that uses a mesh bag on a pallet, their wood processor just dumps the wood into it.
So how big is the John Deere and how do you like it? I have been looking at a cab for my Kioti DK45 but wondered if I'd have clearance problems. It sure would be nice for getting to and from the woods.
Doug

 

[OhioBurner©]

I wanted to be able to load wood onto a rack that I could move with a forklift, fit through a basement sliding door, hold a quarter of a cord of wood and roll right up to my wood boiler.

I could not find such a thing so I built one, well actually five.

I don't like stacking wood, I only want to do it once.

Oh c'mon, you didnt build the automated splitter with built in rack stacker too?

Nah just mess'n with you, thats one sweet system. I have no attached garage, closest I can get to my stove is right on the other side of the wall - the porch. I can get around 2 cords on there, so I'll probably have to re-stack it once by late winter.

My insert is on the other side of the house though, and I hate carrying wood through 3 rooms to get to it. Debating on cutting a hole in the wall and putting a doorway in and a porch, or more specifically an 'attached wood house'. I just dont like going out in the cold and blowing wind and snow. The wife.... wont.

 

[firecracker_77]

that is very nice. i like the part about rolling the racks into an area to warm up and dry for a month first. what does that system keep the temperature at on one burn a day?

 

[LLigetfa]

I know many will disagree, but I'm a second generation wood heaper. All our wood, at least as far back as I can remember, was split and thrown in a heap to season. I'm not sure if it works great or maybe I just don't know any better, but it always seems to burn just fine. Sometimes the stuff on the bottom can get a little punky.

My father was a heaper most of his life. Not to sound like a born again Cristian, but that's what I did for years. Wood, bucked in the Winter, split and heaped in the Spring, got ranked up in the shed come Fall.

I've since seen the light and stack twice.