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  1. whodaman New Member

    joined: Jan 16, 2013
    46 posts
    Lexington, OH
    Ok, I hope this is not a stupid question, but I hear all the time guys putting on full logs for the overnight burn. My question is this. If you don't split the wood and just use logs, how does the wood fully dry out? Wouldn't the wood still have moisture inside? This would be in an Osburn 2400, I just would like to know if I should be splitting all my wood or saving some small logs for overnight burns. I just don't see how it drys out if not split? thanks in advance for any help.
    #1

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  2. shoot-straight New Member

    joined: Jan 5, 2012
    66 posts
    Kennedyville, MD
    rounders or limb wood never seems to fully dry out unless its split at least once. i have burned really small ones though mostly as shoulder wood or when im around to burn it up nice and hot.
  3. gzecc Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 24, 2008
    2,908 posts
    NNJ
    I agree, I would rather split some monster splits ( leave them big) than leave rounds unsplit. Maybe if the bark is already off. That does happen often.
  4. blujacket Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 2, 2008
    516 posts
    Dayton,Ohio
    I have been burning 6" Elm rounds that are awesome. It was a dead tree, and I let season for 2 years. I have burned these all this week and am almost out. I have some Locust rounds 4"-5" that I will burn next year when it gets in the teens too. Get a few years ahead on wood, and you can burn rounds. They last longer than splits I believe.
    Thistle likes this.
  5. Flatbedford Minister of Fire

    I like to split everything to help the drying. If it is too small to split, I don't take it. I much prefer monster rounds. Being a hand splitter, I find them much easier to work with. I can set the round down and whack a bunch of splits off it and not have to bend over and grab another round or stand up the one I am working on.
  6. Scotty Overkill firewood hoarder

    joined: Sep 24, 2011
    7,152 posts
    central PA
    Anything over 4-5" diameter gets split. Used to leave them in rounds up to 8", but they simply don't dry out!
    Blue2ndaries likes this.
  7. Tinder New Member

    joined: Jan 12, 2012
    28 posts
    Howell, MI
    I split anything that's large enough to stand on end without wanting to tip over.

    I originally tried not splitting 5"-6" and smaller rounds after what I read on here from others, but instead I found splitting does make a significant difference and is so easy to do on small rounds, why not?!
  8. Blue2ndaries Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 17, 2011
    618 posts
    Oregon
    Ditto here...rounds bigger than 4-5" get split.
  9. Ralphie Boy Minister of Fire

    One more for splitting 4" and up.
  10. jatoxico Minister of Fire

    joined: Aug 8, 2011
    727 posts
    Long Island NY
    I heard a tip that for rounds that are too small to split that peeling off a strip of bark will do the trick. Don't have to strip the entire thing just a strip or two depending on the size.
  11. bogydave Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 4, 2009
    7,982 posts
    So Cent ALASKA
    I split everything , Birch.
    I split Spruce if over 6 to 7 inches. It dries out well even if un- split if under 7", With a full year of seasoning.
    I'm saying that wood type is a variable.
  12. red oak Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 7, 2011
    616 posts
    northwest Virginia
    I have been known to leave rounds that are up to 8 inches. It's best to split them so they dry, but not absolutely necessary.
  13. BobUrban Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 24, 2010
    968 posts
    Central Michigan
    Time is the issue - if you want to burn it next season then split em. If you are 3+yrs ahead leave em round
    Thistle and Backwoods Savage like this.
  14. Thistle Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 16, 2010
    3,937 posts
    Central IA
    Rarely more than 10% of the wood I cut during the year is green,mainly from a CL scrounge or rare paid job.Most of those rounds over 4" are split at least once. The remainder is dead standing or deadfall.Since I'm at least 5 yrs ahead I leave all 4"-5" rounds whole for long burns/coldest temps,a handful 6"-7" also_Over 7" they get split in 2 pieces,8-10" are split in 4 to 6 pieces.
    Backwoods Savage likes this.
  15. Backwoods Savage Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 14, 2007
    24,500 posts
    Michigan
    This is from last year's cutting. The wood yet to stack here is all rounds. None of those got split. Even yesterday we burned two rounds, both elm. Both were in the 8-9" diameter. Burned nicely. But most times I will split that large of a round. These just happened to be from a dead tree that had been down for a couple years and the bark was all off before they fell. Not much moisture in them. The reason I know is because I split the logs that came right next to these two.

    Wood-2012d.JPG

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