Falling stacks

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

The combination of making our stacks too long and tall, with the heaving soil from the wildly fluctuating temps, is making our stacks fall over. We lost a 16x5 stack last night, and about 30' of our 165x5 foot "wall of wood" a couple of weeks ago.

We are tired of restacking!

 

[Tar12]

Ed I use home made "

pallets" out of treated lumber placed every 8 ft...I never ever lose a stack this way...3 face cord deep stacked a foot apart for a cord total...works very well.I have this arrangement down both sides of my circle drive holding approx.10 cord...the second picture is of my huge stash out behind the barn that holds approx.20 cord total...the last 2 picture are of the upgrade to the first photo...I suspended slip together top rail post for fencing and stretch a grain truck tarp over it protect it from the weather...it works very well..this spring will bring a permanent wood shed and a solar kiln.

 

[Marshy]

The combination of making our stacks too long and tall, with the heaving soil from the wildly fluctuating temps, is making our stacks fall over. We lost a 16x5 stack last night, and about 30' of our 165x5 foot "wall of wood" a couple of weeks ago.

We are tired of restacking!

Stack two rows in parallel and place some limbs in the stacks that span across both rows. It ties them together. You can stack 6' tall and as long as you want.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Ed I use home made "View attachment 221750 pallets" out of treated lumber placed every 8 ft...I never ever lose a stack this way...3 face cord deep stacked a foot apart for a cord total...works very well.I have this arrangement down both sides of my circle drive holding approx.10 cord...the second picture is of my huge stash out behind the barn that holds approx.20 cord total...the last 2 picture are of the upgrade to the first photo...i suspended slp together top rail post for fencing and stretch a grain truck tarp over it protect it from the weather...it works very well..this spring will bring a permanent wood shed and a solar kiln.View attachment 221753 View attachment 221751View attachment 221752

Beautiful, Tar. I aspire...

I have some difficulty getting materials home in the sedan. So I've been cobbling together stuff that I have around to get the stacks off the ground. Currently have 97' of usable racks (filled, about 5' tall), made up of a combination of 16' and 8' racks, with 16' more in the works. One 11x15x6 holzhausen on plastic, two more large heaps on plastic, and probably 240+' of stuff stacked on the ground single row, either on bark or wood chips. Plus about 1/2 cord inside, another 1/2 on the porch, and the two garden tractor carts full. Don't need to restack the stacks!

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Stack two rows in parallel and place some limbs in the stacks that span across both rows. It ties them together. You can stack 6' tall and as long as you want.

Good idea, Marshy. Been meaning to try this.

 

[Tar12]

Beautiful, Tar. I aspire...

I have some difficulty getting materials home in the sedan. So I've been cobbling together stuff that I have around to get the stacks off the ground. Currently have 97' of usable racks (filled, about 5' tall), made up of a combination of 16' and 8' racks, with 16' more in the works. One 11x15x6 holzhausen on plastic, two more large heaps on plastic, and probably 240+' of stuff stacked on the ground single row, either on bark or wood chips. Plus about 1/2 cord inside, another 1/2 on the porch, and the two garden tractor carts full. Don't need to restack the stacks!

This was done out of necessity as I do not have a over abundance of stacking room...so I take advantage of every square foot...the grass has shrunk to a minimal amount to mow...and I use bare ground vegetation killer on it!

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

This was done out of necessity as I do not have a over abundance of stacking room...so I take advantage of every square foot...the grass has shrunk to a minimal amount to mow...and I use bare ground vegetation killer on it!

Makes sense. We don't suffer from a lack of space nor wood. Very little level ground, and even less full sun, though, and most of that is covered with house, barn, or driveway. I also tried the single row method as much as possible to maximize what sun and wind we have for drying.

 

[BoiledOver]

Stack two rows in parallel and place some limbs in the stacks that span across both rows. It ties them together. You can stack 6' tall and as long as you want.

Marshy has given good advice. I will add, five foot tall rows is beyond the stability of 16 inch firewood. I will not exceed five feet in a single row with the 19" firewood used here, generally 55" is safe with 19" firewood in a single row. The procedure used here is; one year in a pile and then stacked 4 rows side-by-side tight at 5-1/2 feet to 6 feet high of 19" firewood. Will post images tomorrow of single row and four row, all 19" firewood.

Note: All stacked firewood regardless of dimensions has two runners in each row and cribs on each end.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Marshy has given good advice. I will add, five foot tall rows is beyond the stability of 16 inch firewood. I will not exceed five feet in a single row with the 19" firewood used here, generally 55" is safe with 19" firewood in a single row. The procedure used here is; one year in a pile and then stacked 4 rows side-by-side tight at 5-1/2 feet to 6 feet high of 19" firewood. Will post images tomorrow of single row and four row, all 19" firewood.

Note: All stacked firewood regardless of dimensions has two runners in each row and cribs on each end.

Look forward to the pictures.

Our runners are either pipes or landscape timbers. All on top of cinder blocks. Should have dug out the base and filled with gravel under the blocks.

 

[BoiledOver]

Yeah, gotta love the landscape timbers when they go on sale. In the past it was all cedar pulled outta the swamp for runners. The thing about landscape timbers at sale price, is they will last your lifetime on the cheap. Don't pay full price though, the big boxes will run a sale at some point every spring as a draw to their store. The cedar will degrade from decay after some years and are not uniform in diameter.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Yeah, gotta love the landscape timbers when they go on sale. In the past it was all cedar pulled outta the swamp for runners. The thing about landscape timbers at sale price, is they will last your lifetime on the cheap. Don't pay full price though, the big boxes will run a sale at some point every spring as a draw to their store. The cedar will degrade from decay after some years and are not uniform in diameter.

Yep, I got 20 for $1 each at exactly the sale you are talking about. I originally bought them to use as timbers for my woodshed, but decided to use them as runners instead, as they weren't all perfectly straight, and I ran out of ambition. I'd have bought more, but the rest were so crooked. Haven't seen such a sale in a couple of years, and now they are $4 a pop. Heard they are the cores left over from logs used to peel off plywood plies.

 

[BoiledOver]

Each large stack has 16 timbers under it. The single row 10 landscape timbers but after running out I rough cut some aspen with the chainsaw to get the row finished. The row will be 115 feet in length when done.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Each large stack has 16 timbers under it. The single row 10 landscape timbers but after running out I rough cut some aspen with the chainsaw to get the row finished. The row will be 115 feet in length when done.

View attachment 221796 View attachment 221797 View attachment 221798 View attachment 221799 View attachment 221800

Wow! This is impressive. I think you'd have worked up a lifetime supply here at Chez 3000. I'm hoping I have 5 years. Thanks for the cool pics.

 

[jetsam]

I either start at a tree, and stack the wood so it's leaning into the tree- or start the stack so it's leaning into the direction that I want the stack to go.

The long sides of the pile always lean towards the center (so a wedge-shaped piece usually goes with the big side outwards). The short side starts off leaning into a support if available, or leaning the other way if not. Then I alternate the short-side lean direction every few feet.

This description isn't working very well so I drew a crude cellphone sketch.

So the whole thing is pretty much in a state of constant collapse, but it's collapsing inwards and thus doesn't go anywhere. You can walk on it.

This is probably also some kind of metaphor for my life....

 

[Tar12]

Each large stack has 16 timbers under it. The single row 10 landscape timbers but after running out I rough cut some aspen with the chainsaw to get the row finished. The row will be 115 feet in length when done.

View attachment 221796 View attachment 221797 View attachment 221798 View attachment 221799 View attachment 221800

You burn all of this yourself? I wouldn't have to touch a chainsaw for several years with that pile!

 

[BoiledOver]

Yes, it will all be used here. That makes good till the spring of 2011.

 

[jackatc1]

Does that mean it's all gone.

Yes, it will all be used here. That makes good till the spring of 2011

 

[BoiledOver]

Does that mean it's all gone.

Good catch. Spring of 2021. For your reward, drop by and I'll load your pickup while you watch.

 

[Jags]

I figured it was a typo and that he meant 2111.

 

[jackatc1]

I might consider the trip, if we are talking about some
primo White Pine

 

[St. Coemgen]

Since stacking in the round, I have never had one fall over.