1. Welcome Hearth.com Guests and Visitors - Please enjoy our forums!
    Hearth.com GOLD Sponsors who help bring the site content to you:
    Jotul Cast Iron Stoves
    Woodstock Soapstone Stoves
    Hearth and Home (QuadraFire and Harman Stoves)
  1. Binny New Member

    joined: Sep 26, 2011
    26 posts
    Hudson Vally NY
    What is the safest and time effective way to trim firewood. I have 3 cords of wood that is 6 inches to big! is there a method people have for trimming? Or is it not worth it>??
    #1

    Helpful Sponsor Ads!



  2. bluedogz Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 9, 2011
    857 posts
    NE Maryland
    Nah... build a jig and start trimming.
  3. ikessky Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 2, 2008
    856 posts
    Northern WI
    Every year I end up carrying more than a few loads up from the basement and into the garage so that I can cut them on the miter saw. Either that or I bring the sawzall down to the basement. The miter saw takes less time though.
  4. onetracker Minister of Fire

    joined: Aug 11, 2011
    593 posts
    rondout valley ny
    this is why its important to get the length right when bucking. if i'm scrounging rounds that are already cut and are too long, i'll shave off a cookie BEFORE splitting it!! before stacking it, before bringing it into the basement, before carrying it upstairs to the living room stove.
  5. burnt03 Member

    joined: Oct 30, 2011
    205 posts
    Peachland, BC, Canada
    Someone on here built something like this that I copied:

    Built mine the same except with a plywood back sheet
  6. Elderthewelder Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 1, 2006
    535 posts
    Everett, Washington

    I do the same, I scrounge all my wood and it is usually to long for my small insert, So I fire up the 361 and start making cookies, I have come to find out those cookies season fast and burn real nice
  7. woodchip Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 6, 2010
    1,390 posts
    Broadstone England
    What length is it, and what length do you need the wood for the stove?

    Just wondering, because if you have wood that is, say 2ft long, and your stove takes 18", trimming 6" will be great.

    The short bits may well go perfectly in your stove N/S instead of E/W.

    You are not the first person to need to trim wood. I cut a load of wood before we got the stove, anticipating drying it a bit whilst we spent time choosing a stove.

    A whole load of it was the wrong length. By 2". So I cut it down by 5 " and used the offcuts N/S at one end.

    It all burned fine, and the stove never made a single complaint....... ;)
  8. weatherguy Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 20, 2009
    2,716 posts
    Central Mass
    I built a small one, but if you have to do 3 cords Id build it bigger

    [IMG]
  9. fabsroman Minister of Fire

    joined: Jun 1, 2011
    942 posts
    West Friendship, Maryland
    I have seen some guys stick the wood into a milk crate and cut a bunch at a time that way. Have seen others make jigs as shown above. Me, my dad just holds the log to be cut on a stump and I cut it. Those cut ends do burn really well. Been using them this shoulder season and they fire up real quick.
  10. Backwoods Savage Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 14, 2007
    24,106 posts
    Michigan
    I did just that this fall with some lumber cut-offs.

    Big thing though. Whether you use a jig or milk crate, I like to use a ratchet strap to hold the wood tight while cutting. This will make the work go better and it is safer too.

    Many on this forum have built jigs to do this task so a search might find lots of ideas.
    onion likes this.

Share This Page