Small stuff adds up

[Hasufel]

As a New Year's project I decided to buck and split a bunch of little stuff that's been lying around, mostly in the 3" - 6" diameter range (red oak, maple, and maybe some poplar). I figured I'd add it to a new stack that I set up recently for a big red oak I've been working on. I hadn't made much progress with that one because the wood is located in a very inconvenient spot. I designed the stack to hold about 3/4 cord and there was plenty of room left so I figured I could spare a little for the miscellaneous stuff. Well, turns out there was more than I realized and I filled up a good chunk of it today. Guess I'll be needing yet another stack before long. It probably sounds like I'm complaining that I have too much wood, but that's not it--I just don't know why I'm so bad at estimating stack space.

Pix or it didn't happen, so here goes. The first pic is of the stack in question...the bottom couple of rows are from the big oak but everything else is from the little stuff. The second pic shows the same stack (far right) along with a couple others (left = white oak, center = red oak + a bit of hickory). This is basically my overflow area...I've got a few other stacks closer to the house. At least I had a beautiful day for splitting before the cold front moved through!

 

[Dantheman300z]

Very nice! I have a similar stack, one white oak on the right but a maple on the left as the other pillar.

 

[Destructor]

The woods near my house has a utility easement maybe a 3 to 4 minute walk in. On weekends I've been carrying back oak trimmings from 2 in to around 6 in. Some cut to length. It's beginning to really add up and there is plenty left. Most of it has been sitting around for awhile and no longer green. It should be ready to burn next year after cutting over this winter. I find that burning is best with a good mix of sizes.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Beautiful pictures, really nice setting. It all adds up, little jobs here and there and before you know it you have quite a pile! Great stuff.....

 

[English BoB]

Looks like a good pile to me.........

bob

 

[CheapBassTurd]

I like how you use trees as stack racks. (see avatar lol)

Using this lil' warm spell to do the same. Bustin' smalls and uglies here @ Cheap Acres.

 

[Hasufel]

I like how you use trees as stack racks. (see avatar lol)

Using this lil' warm spell to do the same. Bustin' smalls and uglies here @ Cheap Acres.

Haha, nice! I started with a couple of freestanding stacks but then figured why not let Mother Nature help me out? Plus tucking the stacks between trees helps disguise them a bit and increases the WAF.

We got a half inch of snow Saturday and it did a good job of highlighting all the little stuff that fell this year, so I've already been scoping out my next scores. It's a good change of pace from the ginormous oak I've been struggling with. I had to noodle the rounds in half because they were too big to budge, and even a half round is a challenge to haul out of the creek bed. Compared to that the little stuff is a dream to process, plus there's a chance it'll be ready to burn within a year. I'm starting to get a whole new outlook...

 

[Woody Stover]

I like how you use trees as stack racks.

I've gotten burned doing that and had to pick up some wood after the wind came up and the trees started moving too much.

 

[Hasufel]

Update: Bucked four more small downed trees, probably the last of my backlog of small stuff. One was a tulip poplar that still smelled fresh and had a nice purple-green core, one looked like a maple, and the last two turned out to be white oak! Even better, I split a couple and found the oak was at 16-18% MC, so it's ready to burn now. What a great surprise!

 

[Hasufel]

I've gotten burned doing that and had to pick up some wood after the wind came up and the trees started moving too much.

Yeah, I think tree movement contributed to a partial collapse on my first stack. After that I got better about picking big trees that aren't likely to have much movement in the bottom six feet or so, and to be careful not to make the stack too tall. I also learned to use odd-shaped wood at the ends to help anchor the stack to the trees. I haven't had any problems in a while, although now that I've said that...

 

[Paulywalnut]

I split the small stuff too. It just seasons better.

 

[CheapBassTurd]

Woody, (post # 8)

Me too. Those cedars are thin that I use. Now they are 5 ft and I have to straighten them
from time to time. Staying this course tho. The wife and kids all think it looks cool, plus hides
the junk on the other side from view. lol