Seasoning in the round

[fireview2788]

OK, here's my question. I know that the best way to season is split but if I cut and stack rounds this summer and then split it in the winter/fall (depending on variety) will it be ready to burn in the following fall.

ie: July I go to the neighbors and cut everything I can into rounds and stack it where the sun and wind will get to it and then go out in February and split/stack it to finish seasoning over the following summer will it likely be ready to burn come the following winter. Cut for 16 months and split/stacked for 9.


fv

 

[smokinj]

It will work ok....I am splitting 2 year old big rounds right now thats to long!

 

[blades]

An awful lot of this would depend a the type of wood and the conditions, Oak & Hickory and similar would be no. Silver Maple quite possible. Most Elms no. There are so many variables involved that there is no right or wrong answer. Around here sometimes split and stacked for 2 yrs isn't enough even for Silver Maple. Also depends on your appliance, my NC30 is picky moisture wise, my 12 year old Country x ( can't remember name) is not that selective both use secondary burn. Chris

 

[Adios Pantalones]

It depends on the wood. Red oak- it won't be optimal. maples, ash, cherry, pines- no prob.

 

[nate379]

I bucked some birch this spring and just split it yesterday. While it was wet a bit, it split really nice. On the other hand the birch I cut yesterday was a pain to split. Didn't "pop" into nice pieces, more just tore apart.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

OK, here's my question. I know that the best way to season is split but if I cut and stack rounds this summer and then split it in the winter/fall (depending on variety) will it be ready to burn in the following fall.

ie: July I go to the neighbors and cut everything I can into rounds and stack it where the sun and wind will get to it and then go out in February and split/stack it to finish seasoning over the following summer will it likely be ready to burn come the following winter. Cut for 16 months and split/stacked for 9.


fv

fv, that question can not be answered correctly without knowing more. For sure what kind of wood needs to be known first and then how is the wood to be handled once it is cut.


I do stack rounds after cutting and it works good. I cut during winter and then after snow melt just set up the splitter next to the stack of rounds and then, most important, sit down. Now I'm ready to split the wood. But notice I cut in winter then do all the splitting as soon as the snow melts. It works good for me.

 

[billb3]

Not a good plan for oak ( I don't count seasoning years until it is split), but I've done that with maple and pine and cherry.
( don't have much else )

 

[snowleopard]

The length of your rounds should make a difference as well. If you run an experiment to learn the answer, you could throw in that variable as well.

 

[Battenkiller]

The length of your rounds should make a difference as well. If you run an experiment to learn the answer, you could throw in that variable as well.

+1

Wood dries 10-15 times as fast from the ends as it does from the faces. Just remember that when it is still covered in bark on the outside, practically all of the moisture will be forced to leave from the ends. 12" long rounds just might dry as fast as 24" long splits, but most folks buck in the 16-20" range, so it will take a whole lot longer.

Can't you just whack them once to halve them? That would do two things: it would open up two fresh faces to the air, and also, it would halve the thickness they have to dry across. Doing that, even oak might work with your plan as long as the rounds aren't longer than 16-18" to begin with.

Another thing is that you might consider covering the tops of the stacks with something that extends over the ends of the rounds by several inches on either side. End grain also absorbs water much faster than exposed faces, so every time it storms, rain water will get blown against the sides of the stacks and soak into the end grain. Not the worst problem when the wood is already split since they have all those exposed faces, but in a round, that end grain is still the only real way for water to leave the round, so nothing will happen inside the round until the end grain is once again drier than the wood just to the inside of it.

 

[SolarAndWood]

You've got hydraulics, no reason to let it sit.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

You've got hydraulics, no reason to let it sit.

+1

 

[smokinj]

You've got hydraulics, no reason to let it sit.

+1

I am guilty! 2006-2009 was pulling way more wood than I could process so I just piled it.....Glad I did with gas prices where there at now its a nice stash! Still have 3-5 left to split. (save my @ass this year)

 

[Todd]

You've got hydraulics, no reason to let it sit.

+1

Yeah, why wait and take the chance, get it split as soon as you can. Your Fireview will love you for it.

 

[Hiram Maxim]

You've got hydraulics, no reason to let it sit.

+1

Yeah split it....then quit it!

EPA and CAT stoves love dry wood! ;-)

I recently split open some Red Oak splits (8"x 8") that were cut/split/stacked 2 years ago.......still tons of moisture,damp. hh:

 

[fireview2788]

I will likely split as much as I can as fall closes in, of course hunting season may get in the way.



fv