Measuring cords in the round

[Jay106n]

I am looking at more deliveries of firewood in cut, unsplit rounds. I am talking to a tree guy that will sell it at a price per cord in the round. Obviously rounds stack out differently than split stacks. Is there a decent way to estimate a cord in the round, or am I over analyzing and this is this a classic case of a cord is a cord is a cord?

 

[Sconnie Burner]

If its stacked and not tossed it should measure out like a standard cord 4x4x8. In my mind a cord of rounds should come out to more than a cord split. Think of a round as 3-6+ splits stacked as tight as they can be stacked. Once you split it you introduce dead space around those splits making it larger. So essentially you get more wood for a little bit of grunt work.

It all depends on how tight it gets stacked though. I stack pretty loose for optimal drying. I don't Tetris stack (fill gaps real well). I can see quite a bit of daylight through my stacks.

 

[Montanalocal]

Did some googling and found shrinkage factors ranging from 15 to 30 percent, depending on smoothness of rounds, species, and going from green rounds to dry splits, which gives an additional shrinkage factor. If we take an average of 20 percent shrinkage going from rounds to splits, then we can figure the amount of rounds necessary to result in a split stack of a true cord of 128 cu. ft. by taking 128 and dividing it by 0.8 to get to a figure of 160 cu. ft. of stacked rounds necessary to result in 128 ft of stacked splits.

My experience has always been that rounds take up more space than splits.

 

[Wood Duck]

Another way to look at it is that the forest service says a cord of firewood includes about 85 cubic feet of solid wood. You could calculate the volume of solid wood in the log and convert to cords. If you are looking at a few logs, this works. If you are looking at a whole lot of rounds, it is a ton or work.

 

[Jay106n]

Interesting. I guess you cant really gauge it until its split and stacked. Thanks

 

[Highbeam]

I expected the cord of rounds to be more than a cord when split. It has not worked out that way for me. Not with our "big" rounds here in the PNW. I end up with about 20% loss going from rounds to splits.

 

[Poindexter]

I did a couple measuredays tests last winter
If you search for threads started by me or should be easy to find. I am on my phone tonight, still learning to post, nm search or spell.

Local to me birch shrinks about 18 percent from standing green to stove ready.

I'm general I find a face cord of rounds stacks our to be a face cord of splits