Split size

[ThunderMedic]

Working on my stacks for next winter and splitting up some rather nice maple. I've decided to split it smaller in hopes of feeding my small insert better, as it seems to like small diameter wood better than honking big splits for overnight burns. What it's everyone doing size wise? Have any of you noticed smaller splits working better in air tube stoves?

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[WoodyIsGoody]

Working on my stacks for next winter and splitting up some rather nice maple. I've decided to split it smaller in hopes of feeding my small insert better, as it seems to like small diameter wood better than honking big splits for overnight burns. What it's everyone doing size wise? Have any of you noticed smaller splits working better in air tube stoves?

I like a mix of split sizes in a secondary burn stove to suit a variety of situations. Smaller splits reach a lower moisture content faster which is good if you have fallen behind on your wood supply. If you have plenty of time to let it season, you can mix it up.

 

[ThunderMedic]

I like a mix of split sizes in a secondary burn stove to suit a variety of situations. Smaller splits reach a lower moisture content faster which is good if you have fallen behind on your wood supply. If you have plenty of time to let it season, you can mix it up.

I've been lazy this year about getting next year's wood laid up. Plus the small firebox size of my Vogelzang insert seems to like smaller sized splits. So it looks like this maple is getting split to 3"-4" size.

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[WoodyIsGoody]

I've been lazy this year about getting next year's wood laid up. Plus the small firebox size of my Vogelzang insert seems to like smaller sized splits. So it looks like this maple is getting split to 3"-4" size.

Are you speaking of this winter or the next one?

 

[ThunderMedic]

18-19

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[MGerald]

What this post is actually about?

 

[ThunderMedic]

Size preference for splits, especially in a tube stove.

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[Manly]

What this post is actually about?

I believe this post is discussing a balance between one's motivation to produce small splits for a quick hot burn or to redirect that energy, if it exists at all. There is also an underlying current which suggest some posters might not have split their rounds as of yet for this coming season. If that is the case, all I can say is get motivated, get hot. Of course if you don't have a tube stove, this thread does not apply to you. Again this is inferred in the post, not my thought. This is about all I can glean from this thread. If you pull additional information from it please share.

 

[kennyp2339]

When I ran my tube stove I had the best luck with a mixture of smaller splits mixed with a few larger diameter ones. Small in my definition is in the ball park of 3" diameter and large is between 5 & 6" diameter. The stove seemed to respond better heat wise causing more secondary's and almost always clear heat waves at the chimney when the stoves air supply was turned down low.
* I also think because I split smaller, the actual splits had more surface area to dry out compared to the larger splits. If your working on the next years supply smaller diameter splits are your friend here.

 

[ThunderMedic]

Sounds good. I've got a pretty diverse buffet of wood species to choose from. Because I find all my wood myself instead of buying from an arborist, I've got everything from tulip poplar and loblolly pine, to red oak and locust.

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[Dobish]

the further ahead I get, the larger the splits get

 

[peakbagger]

My goal on splitting is to expose surface area on a split. Bark tends to hold in moisture so I shoot for thirds on small logs so that I have far more surface area then bark. I do the same with larger wood but it means more splits. If its easy splitting wood I also shoot for square or flat pieces that make boxing in the corners of the pile easier. Maple is usually great for that.

Species type also makes a difference. I had a large beech with beech blight I cut last year but didnt get around to processing until lately. Hand splitting the large rounds down the center just isnt happening so I end up cutting slabs on all four sides of the round and the cutting squares or slabs from the roughly square section in the center. If you have truly air tight stove, the way to go is smaller splits. I have storage so I dont need or want an overnight burn so I want smaller splits and lots of them to get the storage up to temp quick and have the fire burn out quickly. If my air damper closes it means I am doing something wrong as I don't ever want the boiler to idle as that is the dirtiest combustion. I have bottom grate design so I end up with no coals coals at the end of the burn.