A good friend of mine told me this story today. His cousin live in Danville Maine and he finally cut down dead oak tree. Very large, very old dead tree. After cutting and stacking he ended up with 8 cords of wood from this one tree....I find this amazing...
Large Dead Oak Come Down And Provide 8 Cord Of Wood
- Thread starter Joey Jones
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
Wow, just computing the volume of a tress (not allowing for any air space) the volume needed for 8 cords, 1,024 cubic feet would require (for only a trunk) a trunk of average 2 feet diameter 326 feet long. Guess that's not too much to be in one tree, especially if the trunk is 3 or 4 feet in diameter at the base and it has limbs with diameters over a foot in diameter.
Just some number crunching, I too was surprised one tree could contain that much wood, good news!
Just some number crunching, I too was surprised one tree could contain that much wood, good news!
The larger oaks that I've taken down were over 2 cord. Good sized, but not huge. When you think about it though- the volume of wood goes as the square of the radius- so those huge trees- 4' in diameter- might be 8 cord I guess.
I have always wondered this... around me when people say cord- they always mean a face cord. ( in fact most people don't even understand that there is such a thing as a "full" cord....)
Is there anyone else out there where the local norm is to call a face cord a cord?
Is there anyone else out there where the local norm is to call a face cord a cord?
adkdadto4 said:
When you call someone to order a "face" cord of wood, how is it measured. A cord of wood is a specific amount, 128 cubic ft. Depending on how the cutter does his cutting, you could end up with 1/4, 1/3, 2/5 or 1/2 of a cord. Do you specify what length you want it & then get told a different cost? Also, your local "norm" could be different in the next county or state. I know that at least in some of the states that a "cord" of wood is a legal measurement of 128 cubic feet & only that measurement & specific fractions of that figure are legal.
Of course, you stand a good chance of not getting that exact amount, but at least when getting price quotes every one is starting with the same measurement.
Al
If you call to order wood around here - you will be quoted the cost for a face cord, they won't even bring up that they mean face cord, if I were to clarify "face cord?"- they would say of-course...
The length is hardly ever brought up unless you are getting a rather large order form an automated mill...
most commonly it would be in the 16-18 inch range...
The length is hardly ever brought up unless you are getting a rather large order form an automated mill...
most commonly it would be in the 16-18 inch range...
adkdadto4 said:
and yes- when I bought wood downstate, and in Massachusettes... full cords were the norm
adkdadto4 said:
Around here, I've seen 3 methods of measurement: a cord, a rick (1/2 cord), and a pickup load (??????)
In some states it's not even legal to sell a face cord. You sell a cord, or some fraction thereof- so you might buy a 1/3 of a cord. This avoids any ambiguity in the measurement.
Whenever I hear people measure in face cord I'm reminded of 2 things- ordring the ladies sized drink in the UK, and when people tell you a kid's age in months until they're in their early teens. "He's 42 months old..."
Whenever I hear people measure in face cord I'm reminded of 2 things- ordring the ladies sized drink in the UK, and when people tell you a kid's age in months until they're in their early teens. "He's 42 months old..."
Yeah - sounds like face cords.
I had a 100 ft Red Oak drop here over the summer and I got about 1.5 cords (max) out of it. Ive seen some Big and spread white oaks that could probably yield 2 cords or maybe a tad more.
I had a 100 ft Red Oak drop here over the summer and I got about 1.5 cords (max) out of it. Ive seen some Big and spread white oaks that could probably yield 2 cords or maybe a tad more.
No this is a true 8 cords... The girth at the base of this tree was very close to 36" and it did render 8 real cord of 128 cubic feet per cord. Some of the big limbs where over a foot in diameter. I did have a hard time grasping this amount of wood from a single tree. These people I speak of are my best friend and his cousin who did work for Lucas Tree Co for many years and now teaches school. We are all wood burners of 10 plus years and in this part of the country nobody ever speaks in face cords. Although we do know what they are.
I believe it. When I see those estimators for wood showing that a tree 22" or whatever at chest height is just one cord- I don't get it. I should measure out the base of the white oak I took down this spring that yielded just about 2 cord of wood before drying- maybe being on the edge of the woods it puts on more mass in the spread limbs. I can even get a shot of the stump and woodpile in the same picture.
4' X 4' X 8' is the legal definition of a cord in NY as per ag and market law, thus 128cuft * 8 = 1024 ft3
for the sake of argument, lets say the oak is 36" diameter on the stump; at 80' tall it is 0" diameter. Convert to average radius in feet = 0.75'
so . . . 3.14 * 0.75(2) X 80' = 142 cuft
Now lets say the average limb is 1' at the base and 0' at 50'. Convert to average radius in feet = .5'
so . . . 3.14 * 0.25(2) X 50' = 10 cuft
1024-142=882/10 = 88 limbs
You want to assume this is a monster tree, say 120' tall? you would still need 50 limbs at 80' long . . . Seriously Dude,, whoever told you you got 8 cord from an oak tree either sells OWBs or had one of the limbs knock him on the head!!
for the sake of argument, lets say the oak is 36" diameter on the stump; at 80' tall it is 0" diameter. Convert to average radius in feet = 0.75'
so . . . 3.14 * 0.75(2) X 80' = 142 cuft
Now lets say the average limb is 1' at the base and 0' at 50'. Convert to average radius in feet = .5'
so . . . 3.14 * 0.25(2) X 50' = 10 cuft
1024-142=882/10 = 88 limbs
You want to assume this is a monster tree, say 120' tall? you would still need 50 limbs at 80' long . . . Seriously Dude,, whoever told you you got 8 cord from an oak tree either sells OWBs or had one of the limbs knock him on the head!!
Oaks in the forest are up to 1 meter in diameter and 35 meters (110' ?) high. In the open- 2 meters is not unheard of, but they're shorter and fuller branched.
I just read that the record red oak was in Ashford, CT- an unbelievable 8 meters around. That's nearly 8' across.
So- since this has been called a "monster oak"- if we call it 6' across and 80' tall- then half the diameter is 3' (averaged diameter), so the radius is 1.5', and 3.14*1.5'^2 *80 = 565.2 cu ft.
That's almost 4.4 cord in the trunk alone. That doesn't count air space- a cord is split and stacked wood, not calculated volume in a log- so calling it 25% airspace stacked wood (a tightish stack) gives: 4.4 cord * 4/3 = 5.9 cord in the trunk alone.
That is a big mo tree. I've seen a few that made me pause- this one could be.
I just read that the record red oak was in Ashford, CT- an unbelievable 8 meters around. That's nearly 8' across.
So- since this has been called a "monster oak"- if we call it 6' across and 80' tall- then half the diameter is 3' (averaged diameter), so the radius is 1.5', and 3.14*1.5'^2 *80 = 565.2 cu ft.
That's almost 4.4 cord in the trunk alone. That doesn't count air space- a cord is split and stacked wood, not calculated volume in a log- so calling it 25% airspace stacked wood (a tightish stack) gives: 4.4 cord * 4/3 = 5.9 cord in the trunk alone.
That is a big mo tree. I've seen a few that made me pause- this one could be.
ISeeDeadBTUs said:
Gee you seem bent on proving me wrong... So if it makes you happy, he only got 4 cord and you were right all along
I had never even heard of a "face cord" until I came to this site. When folks talk "cord" in my neck of the woods......its 128 cu ft.
Tfin said:
Same here...I assumed that snake oil salesman and the like , only deal in face cords.
Tfin said:
I grew up in "true" Upstate NY (not Syracuse or Albany) and now am just outside Oswego and I had never heard of a "cord" until I came to this site! We always dealt in face cords and we burned wood my whole life and even sold around 100 face cord each year. Apparently dad didn't think we were busy enough on our 100 cow dairy farm! LOL
When we buy the wood buy the truckload/treelength(mixed hardwood) its dealt in 5,000lb to the cord.
I'm serious when I say this,. I've never heard the term face cord until I came to this site. But most of my wood i cut up into "16/18 lengths, so 3 face cord equals 1 cord.
I'm serious when I say this,. I've never heard the term face cord until I came to this site. But most of my wood i cut up into "16/18 lengths, so 3 face cord equals 1 cord.
I still have a hard time swallowing the 8 cords .... that would mean my 100ft oak would somehow be 4 times as large, whether in the trunk or with branches - just to get 6 cords. That is nuts.
CT- it is a HUGE number, but remember- when you double the width- the volume is 4x as large! Those big looking trees have more wood in them than the simple ratio would imply!
- Status
