Faster seasoning? shorter splits or longer skinny splits

[cighon]

Which seasons faster: shorter splits or longer skinny splits?

What's your experience? Any scientific back up from the industry?

 

[TMonter]

What really matters is surface to mass ratio. More surface area per pound of wood equals faster drying.

 

[cighon]

I think i found the answer on HearthWiki-moisture content:

"‘Free moisture’ exits a wood split’s ends (during drying and burning) via normal phloem networks utilizing the perforated ends of the wood cells stacked end-to-end and forming something like straws, if you will. These are the same passages responsible for normal water movement from roots to leaves in a living tree"

Thus cutting the wood shorter will allow it to dry faster.

 

[Rockey]

I remember reading from my days of air drying Western Red Cedar lumber that the split ends lose water about 20 times faster. I beleive this stands true with almost all types of wood.

 

[burntime]

Yep, but "thinner" will help too.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yep, but "thinner" will help too.

Yep. Otherwise a 48" round would dry just as fast as a 6" split if they both were the same length.

 

[fossil]

I'd say "sooner" may be more important than either "shorter" or "skinnier". Rick

 

[BrotherBart]

I'd say "sooner" may be more important than either "shorter" or "skinnier". Rick

What? Now he has to move to Oklahoma just to season wood?

 

[fossil]

I'd say "sooner" may be more important than either "shorter" or "skinnier". Rick

What? Now he has to move to Oklahoma just to season wood?

No, silly...he just needs to ship his wood down there for the summer. Rick