To you pro cross-stackers...how do you do it?

[Iembalm4aLiving]

I must admit I envy your skyscraper-esque towers of perfectly stacked wood. HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

I've tried a few times with fairly miserable results. For one, my trees are never telephone pole straight, and every piece of wood seems to have a curve.

Is it your cutting/splitting style? Is it the wood species?

What's the secret?

Thanks!

Greg

 

[fireview2788]

Photoshop.

fv

 

[ProjectX]

My stacks are far from perfect but what i find is start with fairly square block splits and cross stack on the ends of a row like a column .
Then stack normal between the columns always using your long and heavy splits at the bottom of a stack to reduce the top heaviness.
If you notice a lean to your end column use a shim or a uneven split to true it up.

 

[muncybob]

Mine are far from perfect also, but to keep them in decent shape I too use shims when needed. When I split my wood I will split some small stuff and throw them into their own pile...that way when stacking and I see a lean starting to develop I just grab a few from the shim pile and correct it. I was a little nevous with a few of my stacks last year that got close to 6' tall but nothing fell over.......yet

 

[LLigetfa]

LOL Ja, twisted wood will drive you nuts. I try to use mostly half rounds for my crib ends. Quarter rounds tend to rock and roll too much although you can sometimes put two quarters together to make a half round.

When I'm stacking, I set aside the straighter knot free pieces to use on the crib ends. It helps that most of my wood is of the perfect diameter that three or four half rounds side-by-side equal the length. I sometimes will take a hatchet to a piece that needs just a little adjustment.

Some of the bigger wood I split into about 4" x 6" rectangles and three of them often make a good layer on the crib end. The two outside pieces are critical so long as the middle pieces dont stand proud. The middle pieces are mostly to add weight.

Oh, and the cardinal rule is never to stack green wood too high. The stack has a propensity to topple as the wood shrinks. Note also the tie-backs at about the 4 foot height. Without those, the stacks would be very precarious.

 

[LLigetfa]

Photoshop.

fv

Sour grapes!
Spoken like a truly jealous person.

 

[firefighterjake]

Start with a solid base . . . pallet, saplings, etc.

Start with a solid base of wood . . . I like to use square, round or thin splits . . . bigger is better to start with at the base.

As you work upwards keep using the most solid and level wood you can.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I must admit I envy your skyscraper-esque towers of perfectly stacked wood. HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

I've tried a few times with fairly miserable results. For one, my trees are never telephone pole straight, and every piece of wood seems to have a curve.

Is it your cutting/splitting style? Is it the wood species?

What's the secret?

Thanks!

Greg

Greg, having the twisted splits makes things interesting but still doable. With those though, you'd best make sure you stack each level very level. But if you have better wood you can afford to be a bit sloppy at times. When I am splitting, if possible I like to split so as to get some rectangular or square pieces. For sure these work great for the ends but they also work super in the stove because it is easier to stack them in tight which helps a lot for the long burn times. But remember it takes a bit of patience at first to start building the cribbed ends but then it shortly becomes second-nature. You just do it without much thought at all.

The picture below was all white ash and soft maple and you'll notice that the ends were built with the rectangular pieces. You'll also notice that I first intended on stacking only 8' long but then because I was running short on room I added another 8' on the end so we have cribbed in the center. It worked well.

btw, that was split and stacked in 2009. We have enough of that wood left yet to burn next winter. Then we have to start using from another stack.

 

[fireview2788]

Photoshop.

fv

Sour grapes!
Spoken like a truly jealous person.

OUCH. I like my leaning stacks. When they fall I get to do it again and spend more time with my firewood. So who's sour now?


fv

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Straightest pieces for boxed ends. Weirdness must complement other weirdness- a piece thicker on one end may be compensated for by a similar piece facing the other direction tetris style.

 

[Iembalm4aLiving]

Thanks, guys, lots of great tips and insight. Seems like anything else--a little know-how and lots of practice is the key. I guess I'll keep at it......

 

[Corey]

It all turns to ash in the end.

 

[woodsmaster]

Get trees from the middle of the woods and you won't have many Knots to deal with.

 

[LLigetfa]

It all turns to ash in the end.

Ashes to ashes...

 

[PapaDave]

Maybe there's waterproof glue involved. :lol:

 

[SolarAndWood]

My trick this year is two sheds. One for the straight, appropriate length good stuff and the second for everything else. It's working out pretty good so far. Haven't burned a stick of the good stuff yet.

 

[hobbyheater]

I must admit I envy your skyscraper-esque towers of perfectly stacked wood. HOW DO YOU DO THAT

What's the secret?

Thanks!

Greg

bought a stove that burns 2 foot lengths :exclaim:

Some very nice wood piles, folks.

 

[LLigetfa]

Talk about your crib ends... I found this one in the gallery.

https://www.hearth.com/gall/d/653-1/My-wood-pyramid.jpg

 

[begreen]

Whoa!

 

[PapaDave]

That dude's only 2 ft. tall.
If that's you, LLigetfa, J/K. :cheese: Must be an optimal (hehe) illusion.

 

[bogydave]

I always have some chunks & pieces laying around the splitter & when I get one start rocking. Shim it up with them.
I don't get many square splits, not real big rounds, I use mostly the 1/2 splits & when a good piece shows up I put it on the cross end stack.
I do the end cross stack as I get pieces that work & fill in-between to uncover semi good cross stack splits.
If it needs to go one way or another, use little thicker split on one cross to get it leveled up.
Now that I have a hyd. splitter, I get more even thickness 1/2 splits which helps.
Mine aren't perfect like most, but being on pallets, in the shed, with some rope laying in the stack to tie the end in, they make it.

 

[Agent]

Just keep restacking when the piles fall over.
I think one of my stacks from this morning already already plopped over. =(

 

[Adabiviak]

Photoshop.

fv

ha!

I often wonder this too - all that flat, level property and pencil-straight splits. Yeah right! I am a little envious though... not so much of the straight splits (as a bottom feeder for wood, I take whatever I can get, and do love me some knotty wood), but the flat, level property right next to the paved driveway.

...bunch of city slickers. :lol: ;-P

 

[firecracker_77]

LOL Ja, twisted wood will drive you nuts. I try to use mostly half rounds for my crib ends. Quarter rounds tend to rock and roll too much although you can sometimes put two quarters together to make a half round.

When I'm stacking, I set aside the straighter knot free pieces to use on the crib ends. It helps that most of my wood is of the perfect diameter that three or four half rounds side-by-side equal the length. I sometimes will take a hatchet to a piece that needs just a little adjustment.

Some of the bigger wood I split into about 4" x 6" rectangles and three of them often make a good layer on the crib end. The two outside pieces are critical so long as the middle pieces dont stand proud. The middle pieces are mostly to add weight.

Oh, and the cardinal rule is never to stack green wood too high. The stack has a propensity to topple as the wood shrinks. Note also the tie-backs at about the 4 foot height. Without those, the stacks would be very precarious.

Now that is wood porn. I'm feeling a little funny after seeing those stacks. Oh baby! Nice work.

 

[firecracker_77]

I always have some chunks & pieces laying around the splitter & when I get one start rocking. Shim it up with them.
I don't get many square splits, not real big rounds, I use mostly the 1/2 splits & when a good piece shows up I put it on the cross end stack.
I do the end cross stack as I get pieces that work & fill in-between to uncover semi good cross stack splits.
If it needs to go one way or another, use little thicker split on one cross to get it leveled up.
Now that I have a hyd. splitter, I get more even thickness 1/2 splits which helps.
Mine aren't perfect like most, but being on pallets, in the shed, with some rope laying in the stack to tie the end in, they make it.

Another beautiful stack and good coverage from the elements. An example to us all