split lengths, does it matter for gasification?

[infinitymike]

Ok so my 1st season is under my belt.
I've learned alot here.
The wood gun can take up to a 26" long split.
There are 5 nozzles that run down the center of the firebox.
Everything I burned last year was cut to 24".
I have 9 cord entirely of oak that was cut to 24" split and stacked around Jan. Feb. March
I used my friends TimberWolf TW5 to split all of it.
It doesn't look like I will get to borrow it any time soon.
I could rent a vertical/ horizontal for $120 a day.
I just got a free load of Maple, Ash and Cherry.
About 3 plus cord.
I bucked it all to 24" but alot of it is almost 24" in diameter.
I can get another load when ever I want.
Since I know the oak won't be at its best MC by this season and I want to get this load dried out for this winter I need to split it right away.
Splitting 24"x24" rounds by hand are brutal.
Instead of renting a splitter what if I re-cut to 12" long and then splitting by hand should be a breeze.

After all that here are my questions.

1. Will it dry out faster?
2. If I put two 12" pieces end to end in the boiler will they burn faster or the same as if they were 24"?
3. Will it be better for gasifaction or worse?
4. Should I just rent a machine and keep it all 24" long?

Whew! That was exhausting!

 

[maple1]

I'd rent a splitter. That's a lot of wear & tear on your saw & yourself that's not really necessary - then you've got 2x the pieces of wood to handle. I don't think cutting in shorter pieces will improve on the drying much - it's the splitting that makes the difference there. Aside from that, not likely much difference in throwing in two 12" pices as opposed to one 24" piece - burning wise.

 

[goosegunner]

Is it soft maple or hard?

Soft maple splits easy and dries fast. I would start with that first.

The vast majority of my wood is standing dead oak. I find it gasifys well if I mix in a little soft wood. Pine or maple work well.

I also use all different length pieces. Some as sort as a 3 inch cutoffs. All works fine.

gg

 

[SmokeEater]

First, I think $120 a day for a splitter is pretty steep. Maple's right on, and 12" wood will be hard to handle, hard to stack, and won't dry any faster than 24" splits. Rent the splitter and get some help because 24 inch blocks by 24" high are a lot to move around. If the wood is nice and straight grained, you could get some exercise with a maul. They should crack easily. If they're knotty and gnarly, forget the maul.

 

[infinitymike]

First, I think $120 a day for a splitter is pretty steep.

Thats Long Island for ya!

 

[infinitymike]

If the wood is nice and straight grained, you could get some exercise with a maul. They should crack easily. If they're knotty and gnarly, forget the maul.

Most of it is straight grained and its still pretty tough with a maul and a wedge.
Not for nothing but 24" long rounds are friggin long and the maul just bounces off. The Fiskars just gets stuck. But it makes a good groove to put a wedge in.

 

[hobbyheater]

[quote="infinitymike, post: 1131472, member: 18321
Whew! That was exhausting![/quote]

Split a lot of wood the hard way in my teen years!
Noodle just enough to get the steel wedge started. If the steel wedge doesn't pop it, then follow with a big maple wedge. You would be surprised how fast it goes.
To make a wooden wedge, find a dry rectangular split (4" x 4" x 12") from last year's wood supply and give one end a 6 to 8 inch taper.

 

[jebatty]

Hope that picture wasn't you doing the cutting -- no chaps, left arm bent, no face protection -- aargh! A slip and a cut of the femoral artery and start enjoying the mysterious next life ... or saw kickback with a bent left arm and you won't have to make any more face saving moves because your face and half your brains will be hamburger. A straight left arm on a kickback forces the saw over the top of your head; a bent left arm bring the saw directly into your face. Chaps should give you more earth time to cut wood and prevent that femoral artery from shooting blood to the next county. And don't make those awkward body position cuts -- they invite the worst trouble. Cut properly and safely. Other family members are counting on that.

To answer your question: drying speed is related to surface area + end grain. Wood dries fastest from the end grain, slower from other surface area, but a lot of other surface area make a big difference. Leave the splits 24", find a better deal on a splitter. The answers of others are right on.

 

[SmokeEater]

Most of it is straight grained and its still pretty tough with a maul and a wedge.

infinitymike, some of your free wood looks straight enough without too many defects, though some has a dark heart, would probably go for lumber as a grade log. As grade logs, the value could be many times higher than as for "firewood". Some of that stuff you might have traded for 10 or 15 cords of firewood.

 

[woodsmaster]

It wouldn't take to many rentals to = the price of a splitter at that price. I can burn up to 30" long pieces and have found that it is a lot faster to load the boiler with long pieces than to put in twice as many short ones. I'd keep an eye open for a used splitter. If you have to rent one have lots of wood and some help so you can try to get your moneys worth out of it. I don't wear chaps either. I'm affraid they will get cought on somthing while I'm trying to
make a get away. them ash rounds should split by hand if you start at the outside and work around, But if your going to have a splitter......

 

[henfruit]

Ditto on the cutting gear!

 

[Fred61]

That looks like ash in the foreground of one of the photos. You shouldn't have any trouble splitting that. Don't sink the maul into the center of the round, instead work your way around the outside, splitting off pieces. It will go fast .Now that I no longer have a woodlot, I buy my wood cut, split and delivered but when I was harvesting my own, I only used my splitter on the pieces that contained knots or ones with curly grain. I, along with a friend owned an old Didier splitter that split four foot wood and it was slow as hell. In fact, I'm still half owner but it is at my friend's place. Anyhow, I could split a cord faster with a maul than I could with the splitter. Of course, I was 20 to 35 years younger then.

 

[infinitymike]

Hope that picture wasn't you doing the cutting -- no chaps, left arm bent, no face protection -- aargh! .

I was thinking the same thing ... Who is the guy and how did he get in my wood pile.
I would NEVER cut like the guy in the picture.
Don't worry I'll get to the bottom this and let you know who that guy was !

As for 12" splits I guess you guys are right to much work with no real benefit

Plus twice as many chances for that guy to come over and cut his head off!