How do I season this stuff?

[larryjbjr]

OK, I get the stuff from the local pallet manufacturing company. They are about 4 x 8 blocks of wood, of various lengths.

I plan to get a lot of it in the next month.

I need to season it, but I'm not sure how to stack them. Or if I should just pile them up.

Anyone out there with experience can give me some advice on the best way to season this?




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[NaturalCauses]

Do you have cordwood as well? I've heard of people stacking it among normal splits to allow for airflow around the pieces.

 

[larryjbjr]

Very little cordwood


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[johneh]

I would check with the people making the pallets
If they make for international transport of good they have to be kiln dried and
heat treated to kill any bugs no seasoning necessary
I'd just throw them on pallets, top cover to keep rain off
That way air can flow through loose pile

 

[larryjbjr]

They are definitely not Kiln dried. I split a couple and they are over 40% moisture content.

I am thinking to just stack them on pallets and let them dry. If I stack them fairly loose would that work?

Or could I just leave them in big piles? It seems like they are drying OK just as they are... but I don't want to find out this winter that I was wrong.


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[Sully1515]

Just out of curiosity, what type of wood is this?

 

[NaturalCauses]

If left in a pile the top portion would dry, but the stuff lower down wouldn't. I would loosely cross/crib stack them on a pallet leaving a little space between the pieces for airflow and throw a trap on the top.

 

[peakbagger]

Build some five sided boxes out of pallets (bottom and 4 sides). Put them where there is sun and air circulation. Throw the blocks randomly in there and repeat multiple times leave some space between boxes. Put a pallet on top and cover the top of the pallet to prevent rain from coming in but air to leave the top. They will dry fairly quickly as the bark is off and they are short.

 

[begreen]

They are definitely not Kiln dried. I split a couple and they are over 40% moisture content.

I am thinking to just stack them on pallets and let them dry. If I stack them fairly loose would that work?

Or could I just leave them in big piles? It seems like they are drying OK just as they are... but I don't want to find out this winter that I was wrong.

Yes, I would just stack them up with a small gap between blocks to allow for some airflow between them. Or make a large covered bin with a pallet base that you can toss them into and let dry.

 

[larryjbjr]

Build some five sided boxes out of pallets (bottom and 4 sides). Put them where there is sun and air circulation. Throw the blocks randomly in there and repeat multiple times leave some space between boxes. Put a pallet on top and cover the top of the pallet to prevent rain from coming in but air to leave the top. They will dry fairly quickly as the bark is off and they are short.

That sounds like a good idea.


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[CincyBurner]

peakbagger has a good idea use a crate and throw wood in a jumble.
Another option is to sticker each row using 1/2" - 1" thick sawmill scrap trimmings. This is similar to stickering fresh cut lumber to permit it to air dry.

 

[kennyp2339]

If it's stackable and fairly consistent I would stack it normal except I would put a row of tomato stakes on top of each stack to act like a spacer

 

[peakbagger]

An easier option is if you can find then, IBC totes used to ship liquids have a light weight metal cage to protect the plastic tank. If you could find some of them without the tank they would be perfect for wood drying.

 

[TedyOH]

I'd criss cross / log cabin stack with the 8" oriented north / south

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[HisTreeNut]

If you are planning on burning this winter, then +1 on stacking on pallets, crisscrossed stacked, & top covered in an area that gets plenty of wind and sun. That will be your best option. If you can split the larger pieces smaller, that help drying the wood out.
Do you know what kind of wood it is? If it is pine or soft maple, it should be ok by winter, but if it is oak or other hardwoods, it may not be burnable this year.
Might want to cover with black tarps or plastic to make more of a solar kiln effect maybe?

 

[larryjbjr]

It is all mixed wood.



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[Woodsplitter67]

With a high MC like that and it being june.. I would stack NS and EW like this picture if you want to burn them this coming season.. this is one of the faster ways to dry but takes up more space and make shore you get plenty of sun were you put your stack..

 

[maple1]

That looks like stuff that would do OK with heaping & turning especially with all the exposed faces. Ideally with a FEL.

Can't imagine stacking all those little pieces - then I'm picturing the end result being something that wouldn't dry the best, like an unstickered lumber pile.

Just tossing into tote crates like mentioned above should do OK too. Or making some wire cages on top of pallets & tossing into those. Looks to me like one case where tossing/heaping would be better than trying to stack.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Larry
Yes stacking will be a PITA but all your wood will dry evenly.. putting it in a pile especially a large on will only guarantee that the outsid pices will be dry and the inside ones will not be as dry and may not be able to be burned this year. Use what ever method you want but if you want to burn it this year stack it and leave air gaps.. your time and efforts will pay you back this winter..

 

[Chas0218]

They pallet factory near us dries their wood to 10% or less so it might already be seasoned. I would split a piece and see whay it reads.

Nevermind just saw your post, cross cross in windy area or in a bin with sides open for air flow.

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[Jags]

For the first year, I agree that you will need to be strategic in your methods. For second and third year out I would do a heapinhausen on well drained, cement, or elevated ground.

A heapinhausen (tossed in a pile) will yield the least contact area for the blocks and still allow moisture to escape but the method is a bit slower in results.

By the way - heapinhausen is trademarked by Jags Inc. and requires royalties to be paid in the form of beer.

 

[larryjbjr]

I ended up stacking it like this. This is one load, so now that I have it stacked I guess it's not quite a face cord. Still not bad for $20 though...



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[Woodsplitter67]

View attachment 198219

I ended up stacking it like this. This is one load, so now that I have it stacked I guess it's not quite a face cord. Still not bad for $20 though...



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Great job... your hard work will be rewarded come winter.. i would top cover to keep the rain off..it will dry pretty quick that way...

 

[gerry100]

I'd just pile it.

Flat surfaces will stack flush cut off any air circulation

 

[sportbikerider78]

Good luck. I got a few cord of blocks just like that and could not wait to get rid of them. I burned many of them outside in campfires. Too hard to move. Not enough air movement. Too hard to stack. Big pain.