How big is your wood (split)?

[KarynAnne]

My last (longwinded) topic begets a new question...what is the size of your average medium sized split of whatever variety of wood you use in your stove. I measured my "average medium" split with a tape measure at about 8 1/2 inches around the rounded side and about 5 1/2 inches from the center of the rounded side to the tip. They are about 16 inches long.

Since this is our first year burning wood, we don't really know "average medium" when we see it.

How big is your wood?

 

[nshif]

For a better comparison I suggest measuring all the way around like you would someones waist. This will require a flexable tape. When i can get out to the wood pile Ill add some measurement's of my wood.

 

[KarynAnne]

Ok...

Medium = aprox 18" all the way around

Larger = aprox 23+ all the way around

both about 16" long

 

[bruce56bb]

How big is your wood?[/quote]


that's kinda personal.

 

[Andre B.]

Had to double check which web site I was looking at.


_____________
Andre' B.

 

[KarynAnne]

yeah, yeah...I knew it would generate that sort of thinking...

c'mon guys - this is for science

 

[tutu_sue]

We split to about 6" max cross sectional. We had no idea when we first started, but found this on the Jotul web site:

Split it to the right size

Next, split the wood to the proper size for your burner. For most efficient wood stoves, this is usually no more than six inches measured at the largest cross sectional dimension. A range of piece sizes is best so that when kindling a fire or reloading on a coal bed you have some smallish pieces that will help you achieve the desirable instant ignition. A selection of sizes from three to six inches in diameter for wood stoves will probably serve you well.

Keep in mind that firewood only begins to dry seriously once it is cut and split to the right size because in log form the moisture is held in by the bark. So, when buying wood, ask when the wood was cut split and properly stacked to get an idea of how ready it is for burning. For this reason, experienced woodburners like to get their wood in the early spring so they can manage the drying process themselves.

 

[Roospike]

8 post and only 1 reply answer ?

Splits - around length

Small 12"

Med. 18"

Large 20" +

Rounds - around length

Small 10"+

Med. 18"

Large 26" +

 

[nshif]

Finally got out to the wood pile. Biggest is 20 to 22" Around (all my wood is 16" )
Medium is 16 to 18" and small is from around 8 to 12".
this doesnt account for limbwood, not split and about 3-6" in Dia.

 

[DiscoInferno]

And for conversion purposes, divide the circumference by 3 to estimate the largest linear cross-section. (It's a little less for circles, about right for triangles, and a little more for squares.)

 

[jabush]

All my wood is 18-20" in length.
I split my better quality hardwoods (cherry, maple, oak, etc...) in the 4-6" range as measured in your first post (tip to round part).
The Tulip poplar gets split into the 6-8+" range as the larger splits last a little longer when burnt.

 

[Gooserider]

Big enough to keep the GF VERY happy.... :coolgrin:

Oh, you meant that other wood... Never tried measuring around it before, but spot checking just now I'm getting 12-18" mostly. Don't have as many samples as usual because the load I just brought in tended to be small unsplit trunks and branches, 2-6" or so.

My general rule when splitting is that I would not use a piece that was more than an easy hand span in any direction (about 9" MAX) and had to be easily grabbed by one end in at least one direction (about 4"). I would say I typically ended up with 3-4 sided pieces, around 4" on a side.

Our pre-EPA stove can take up to a 28" length, I generally tried to cut to about 24-26", but have lots that are less than this, just because the way things work out when chopping logs into rounds. Seems like the longer the "spec length" the more times you end up with a length that doesn't divide evenly. Typically this would cause me to divide the last bit into 3rds rather than cut to spec lengths and one really short piece.

I would also cut short to make gnarly bits fall into better places on the rounds - for instance cut the two legs off a crotch rather than have a spec length that looks like a slingshot.

Now that I have our wood cart, the shorter lengths are good since there is only about 22" max between the wheels. Next year I will cut shorter, but this year I have to be careful loading the cart to cherrypick the short lengths to put between the wheels, then load the long ones around them.

Gooserider

 

[DiscoInferno]

Measuring just now I have circumferences from 11" to 18", lengths from 10" (front-back loading) to 20" but mostly 18".

 

[slofr8]

If it looks more then 6" across at any point I give it another wack with the mall. I might let it slide if it's really hard to split.