Wet wood sucks! Planning for October!

[CHeath]

Here in Nc we get it all, 100 in July, 15 in jan but its not like you Michiganders or Maine, we don't get pounded week after week with cold. It's just some weeks it's in the 20's and 30's then it will break. Well, still it's cold here and my power bill is just too high as I've noted before so with the help of some awesome peeps, I'm getting ready for the next cold snap.

My dad brought me a cord and its damp and green. I've had some steam issues but I've got them worked out. You've just got to really get the box hot and that's one thing I don't like is a 500 degree Flue pipe. Things start popping and crackling around there.


So today I started in one stacking some scrounge oak at my new "seasoning area" lol and it's not even on my land but I know the owner sorts cool.

 

[CHeath]

 

[Shane N]

I'd really suggest trying to get more space between the rows to allow air to move in between them.

 

[CHeath]

Next thing is to fight out how to get the stack all neat and uniform like the one on my avatar! That's called OCD!

 

[ScotO]

Neat stacks come with time. When I started out, it was ugly. But after a while, you get the hang of it. Cross-stitch the ends and at every 8' mark, stack the splits normally in between.....

One thing I noticed is the rounds. Make sure you try and split everything that's over 6-8" diameter, or else they will take FOREVER to dry out. Wood seasons best from the sides, not the ends. I split all my smaller rounds at least once. I didn't used to do that, now I do and it makes a difference....

 

[Shane N]

Neat stacks come with time. When I started out, it was ugly. But after a while, you get the hang of it. Cross-stitch the ends and at every 8' mark, stack the splits normally in between.....

One thing I noticed is the rounds. Make sure you try and split everything that's over 6-8" diameter, or else they will take FOREVER to dry out. Wood seasons best from the sides, not the ends. I split all my smaller rounds at least once. I didn't used to do that, now I do and it makes a difference....

I try to split anything bigger than 4". My parents have a tiny tiny Jotul stove so it doesn't take many tiny splits to fill the thing lol. I like splitting them as it forces me to have a really good aim

 

[Blue2ndaries]

Good start on getting ahead CHeath. One thing I've found that really helps w/the stacking is cutting/bucking the rounds into uniform lengths. I tried a suggestion someone posted on this forum, which was to use kids sidewalk chalk to mark off the lengths on a trunk. Actually my boys now do this for me which they find fun to do. I made a simple measuring stick that is 24" long that has 18" and 20" marks. All my lengths are 18", but the stick gives me some flexibility to have longer splits. Anyway, for me, this has greatly helped w/the stacking part. Good luck!

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Y'all know what's coming next! Remember CHeath, the best way to check the moisture content of your firewood is with a multi-year calendar and a permanent marker!

 

[BobUrban]

Rounds up to 6" or even more make great overnight burners but you need to be way ahead to have them ready. I like to keep some in my stacks, especially ash and elm because they can get dry with the proper amount of time. Split size for me is determined on the years before they will be going into the stove. If you are stacking for next season - smaller is better - if you are stacking for 3-4yrs down the road you can get a little lazy on the spitter and split bigger or keep some of those rounds for overnight burns.

 

[blacktail]

Nice having a dad that helps out like that Last year was my first winter in my house and although I had accumulated a decent supply, my dad brought me a couple of truck loads. I still ended up loading the trunk of my car with wood a few times when I was over at his house.
After retiring, my dad got way ahead on his supply.

 

[Kenster]

If you're hoping to have burnable wood by next fall, you should be scrounging dead-and-down wood now and split it small. Once you have enough to get you through next year, keep working and start working on the winter two years out. Since that's only a year and a half away, split it small, also. When you've got a good two year supply you can afford yourself the luxury of being more picky about the wood you cut and you can leave most of it in large splits or smaller rounds.

Today I am stacking some very large splits that just came from a big drought killed water oak I took down last week. The tree has been dead about two years but the huge trunk is still as wet as a live tree. I spit the rounds into very large splits. I can afford to do that now because this is for four years from now. It should come out to a little more than a cord.
I acknowledge the fact that I don't burn as much as many of you do. Maybe 3/4 cord a year. I have four cords on hand now.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Well, still it's cold here and my power bill is just too high as I've noted before so with the help of some awesome peeps, I'm getting ready for the next cold snap.

My dad brought me a cord and its damp and green. I've had some steam issues but I've got them worked out. You've just got to really get the box hot and that's one thing I don't like is a 500 degree Flue pipe. Things start popping and crackling around there.

So today I started in one stacking some scrounge oak at my new "seasoning area" lol and it's not even on my land but I know the owner sorts cool.

CHeath, if you are that short on wood, I would highly recommend that you do not get any oak! Even in your area that will take a long time to dry; probably 2 years in your area. 3 years for our area. Best to get some other hardwoods but even then, gathering now for next winter means you'll still have wood that is not dry enough to burn really good. You need to get further ahead. 3 years ahead is ideal.