How to split square pieces for stack ends

[Googs185]

I have a 22 ton Dirty Hands splitter and I can't figure out how to split square pieces for the ends of my woodpiles. Is there a good technique for this? Would a 4 way wedge help?

Also: does anyone use the "Beehive" round stack method and is this any better than the regular stacking method on pallets? I've had my ends topple once and it took forever to restack them.

Any advice on how to not let the ends eventually lean and topple?

 

[Dobish]

i don't use square ends, i just do a criss cross tower on the ends. it takes a bit to get used to it, but if you find the right sizes, you can build some towers pretty tall, leaning inwards a little bit. The Beehive or Holzhausen is a good method as well.

 

[peakbagger]

You really don't need square pieces for a stack. Lots of other options. Use steel fence posts, two by fours driven in the ground (or whatever you can scrounge at the dump or have sitting around) at end of each row. Next start stacking and then tie a rope from one post to the other as you stack. Depending on the height of the stack you probably will put in three ropes times the number of rows you have. if the stack starts to move the rope keeps the posts vertical from blowing out the ends.

I find some species of wood hand splits reliably into squares a lot easier than others. I hand split but can usually do a great job making squares and flats with white ash and can usually do a good job with large white birch rounds. I am less lucky with red maple but I set them aside when I succeed. I rarely have good luck with beech. I stack 3 rows deep and usually make sure the outside wood is neat but I tend to fill the center rows with "ugly wood". I find it packs looser which helps air flow and its less of impact on the stack. I cut down to about 2" so I end up with lot of small rounds to small for me to waste time splitting and they near the center.

 

[Googs185]

You really don't need square pieces for a stack. Lots of other options. Use steel fence posts, two by fours driven in the ground (or whatever you can scrounge at the dump or have sitting around) at end of each row. Next start stacking and then tie a rope from one post to the other as you stack. Depending on the height of the stack you probably will put in three ropes times the number of rows you have. if the stack starts to move the rope keeps the posts vertical from blowing out the ends.

I find some species of wood hand splits reliably into squares a lot easier than others. I hand split but can usually do a great job making squares and flats with white ash and can usually do a good job with large white birch rounds. I am less lucky with red maple but I set them aside when I succeed. I rarely have good luck with beech. I stack 3 rows deep and usually make sure the outside wood is neat but I tend to fill the center rows with "ugly wood". I find it packs looser which helps air flow and its less of impact on the stack. I cut down to about 2" so I end up with lot of small rounds to small for me to waste time splitting and they near the center.

Do you stack on pallets? My stacks are currently on plastic pallets.

 

[Googs185]

i don't use square ends, i just do a criss cross tower on the ends. it takes a bit to get used to it, but if you find the right sizes, you can build some towers pretty tall, leaning inwards a little bit. The Beehive or Holzhausen is a good method as well.
View attachment 226313

View attachment 226312

Is the beehive hard? Does it take up more space? Which do you prefer?

 

[Dobish]

I tried it just as an experiment. i liked it, and it was easy to throw a lot of the uglies into. I don't really know if it seasoned faster or not, and it did take up less space because i could go taller.

I have a few different ways of stacking, and I prefer to stack on pallets in easy to measure amounts to track my wood usage. I lay down 2 pallets at a time, stack them up, and then keep going like that, so when i move a cord, i don't have to restack the ends or have the stacks collapse. I also stack on a slight hill, so I put some metal T Posts on the downside so the wood doesn't fall into the creek if it ships.

 

[Googs185]

I tried it just as an experiment. i liked it, and it was easy to throw a lot of the uglies into. I don't really know if it seasoned faster or not, and it did take up less space because i could go taller.

I have a few different ways of stacking, and I prefer to stack on pallets in easy to measure amounts to track my wood usage. I lay down 2 pallets at a time, stack them up, and then keep going like that, so when i move a cord, i don't have to restack the ends or have the stacks collapse. I also stack on a slight hill, so I put some metal T Posts on the downside so the wood doesn't fall into the creek if it ships.

The T-posts can hold the weight of the wood?

So you don't leave space in between stacked cords?

 

[Dobish]

I use a 6' t post in combination with the tower stacks leaning in on the ends.
I have a small space between the pallet rows

and a bigger space between the first 2 pallets.

 

[Googs185]

I use a 6' t post in combination with the tower stacks leaning in on the ends.
I have a small space between the pallet rows
View attachment 226314
and a bigger space between the first 2 pallets.
View attachment 226315

Looks great! How many cord do you have stacked there?

 

[Dobish]

Looks great! How many cord do you have stacked there?

that was an old picture, so i'm up to 11 in that area, 1 more under the deck (since we are still burning here!), and roughly 2.5 more that need to be split and stacked...

 

[peakbagger]

I stack on pallets and usually box in my ends.

 

[firefighterjake]

I have a 22 ton Dirty Hands splitter and I can't figure out how to split square pieces for the ends of my woodpiles. Is there a good technique for this? Would a 4 way wedge help?

Also: does anyone use the "Beehive" round stack method and is this any better than the regular stacking method on pallets? I've had my ends topple once and it took forever to restack them.

Any advice on how to not let the ends eventually lean and topple?

Take a round . . . slab off one side, the opposite side and then the remaining sides = square or rectangle. There really is nothing to it.

I do a bunch of rectangles and squares for the simple fact that they stack nicely in the firebox in the winter . . . but that said . . . for stacking I'll either use those or the "slabbed" off splits or even smaller rounds split in half. Any of the above will stack well . . . the key is to take the time to find splits that are stable and about the same size.

I've built a few holzmietes . . . I would guess you can get a little more wood in the same size footprint since these are pretty stable when done correctly and you can stack taller than a traditional stack of wood . . . but the cons are it's a bit of a pain to have to stand on a stool or ladder at the end to stack higher if the goal is in fact to get more wood in a smaller footprint and b) I found that the wood in the center took longer to season. It wasn't really an issue though for me since I am several years ahead . . . I would personally go with traditional stacks.

It's pretty rare for me to have a woodstack topple over . . . occasionally it happens. I tend to stack on pallets and take the time to make sure they're relatively level. Keeping the ends stable and even helps . . . with a slight lean in towards the opposing stack as you go higher.

 

[JimBear]

Steel posts on the ends works well, I used a cattle panel & steel posts for the end on the pile in the 2 pics, probably should of used a couple more posts but it’s holding up well so far. My outside piles I put on pallets & used steel posts for the ends. I’ll snap a couple of pics of them tomorrow.

 

[JimBear]

The Hedge rounds are pushing a lot more than the splits but the posts hold up well. 6’ - 6-1/2’ posts work best so you can drive them in deeper.

 

[kennyp2339]

I had pics many years ago of 2x4 posts I used at the end of pallets simply nailed to them, you could do the same with t-posts, start your strait stack and get it about 3ft high, then run a rope down the length of your stack tying it to the posts and stack another foot on top of the rope, the weight of the wood tightens the rope down and sucks the 2x4's or t-posts in creating very strong end rows.

 

[tadmaz]

I've read the book "Norwegian Wood" and also picked up some tips from folks up north. I've decided on criss-cross at the ends, and the wood goes on approx 2" straight poles, 8-10 feet long. You get the poles from the tree tops. For the criss-cross end pieces, I like to use the two halves from a split 5" round, where it's nearly completely flat on the inside of the split. Relatively easy, no need for anything beyond what the tree gives you!

 

[Jazzberry]

Another version

 

[Tar12]

I decided since I was in it for the long haul that permanent racks were in order...I also built lean tos off of both ends of the barn and put metal roofs on them....will be doing the same to the back side of the barn...all with concrete floors already in place...total estimated storage capacity of 20 cord +/- all under roof....been a long time coming!

 

[David.Ervin]

start your strait stack and get it about 3ft high, then run a rope down the length of your stack tying it to the posts and stack another foot on top of the rope

I'm loving this - I've got similar looking stacks and can use this to keep the ends straight!

 

[Dobish]

Another version

View attachment 226460

i have used this version. works well, just limit yourself to 6' 2x4....