What size rounds are you putting on your stacks

[trailmaker]

I don't think rounds season as well as split wood. Yes, they burn longer, but my impression is that it's due to poor seasoning more than the shape of the wood (round vs split). Therefore, I split most of my firewood regardless of size. I still stack a few rounds just to keep experimenting with them.

I wonder if the size of the round comes in to play, say a 3 inch vs a 6 or 8.

I think 6 -8 dry faster than the 2 - 3"

Because of the larger surface area of the ends?

Specifically I think it might be the higher ratio of exposed end grain to volume. Of course that's assuming the rounds are the same length.

 

[Woody Stover]

I may not split up to 5" if it is clearly a dead wood and already fairly dry piece.

Same here. Not far enough ahead yet to have any wet rounds put off to the side.

 

[Bspring]

I thought I would post a pic of some of my splits. I may have a few that will not fit through the door but most of them will. It will be 3+ years before this is used. I start the fire with softer woods and then for the long burns add these large chunks of oak.

 

[NH_Wood]

I split every thing I can split at least once. Those small rounds can take years to dry otherwise.

I should have mentioned that the wood I'm throwing on the stacks is fuel for 4 years out so it will have plenty of seasoning time sitting out with the top covered and sides open. My stacks are two rows wide (32") 12' long and 4.5'. I changed the height this year after listening to Dennis.

This is the major factor.....being far ahead on wood. If you are stacking for less than 1 year out, I split everything too. But, I'm getting finished with 2014/2015 wood, so I'm happy to leave a lot of 6-8" rounds of oak in the stack. It also depends on species - I split species that I think might not last as long in round form - white birch for example. But....I have also been separating out lower btu species, such as white birch, red maple, etc., and plan to work those into the rotation earlier that 4 years out, saving the oak, sugar maple, etc., for the core winter burning. Cheers!

 

[Flatbedford]

It it is too small to split, I usually leave it in the woods. Dealing with little stuff doesn't work with my most BTUs per man/hour rule. I will spend almost as much time cutting, loading, and unloading a 4" round as a 12" round, but the 12" will yield at least 4 times as much heat.

 

[Bspring]

It it is too small to split, I usually leave it in the woods. Dealing with little stuff doesn't work with my most BTUs per man/hour rule. I will spend almost as much time cutting, loading, and unloading a 4" round as a 12" round, but the 12" will yield at least 4 times as much heat.

Good rule. I may start using that also.

 

[woodsmaster]

It it is too small to split, I usually leave it in the woods. Dealing with little stuff doesn't work with my most BTUs per man/hour rule. I will spend almost as much time cutting, loading, and unloading a 4" round as a 12" round, but the 12" will yield at least 4 times as much heat.

I used to cut like that, but I recently bought a downdraft gassifier and the fire box is 30" long. I can cut them small rounds pretty fast at that length. I let very little of the tree go to waste now. And gasiffiers love kindling and split wood. They dont do very well with rounds so I split most every thing down to about the size of a baseball card.

 

[gerry100]

Funny how the rounds I put through the door get bigger as I get older.

 

[certified106]

I thought I would post a pic of some of my splits. I may have a few that will not fit through the door but most of them will. It will be 3+ years before this is used. I start the fire with softer woods and then for the long burns add these large chunks of oak.

Those are some respectable sized splits and should definitely get you some long burn times.

 

[certified106]

It it is too small to split, I usually leave it in the woods. Dealing with little stuff doesn't work with my most BTUs per man/hour rule. I will spend almost as much time cutting, loading, and unloading a 4" round as a 12" round, but the 12" will yield at least 4 times as much heat.

I'm not completely sure I follow the logic on this one and I'm not saying it's wrong I just think I would feel like I am wasting a lot of wood. It takes me a fraction of a second to drop the saw through something that is 4" in diameter and when I'm loading it I just grab four or five pieces at a time and dump them on the trailer. It actually seems quicker than loading or rolling rounds around, splitting them and stacking them as i just dump a four inch round on the trailer and then throw it on the stack.

 

[jackofalltrades]

I try to keep everything to less than 6 inches. I will keep a few pie shapes that are 8 inches on the long side. If I went to the effort to make everything square I think I would like 4 inch square pieces.