Stacking issues

[Oldman47]

My stove manual says the ideal split length is a mere 12 inches. I have split a few rounds that long and have found no way I can easily stack them. The stack is just too narrow to balance well even on a flat surface. My question is where do I go next? Should I just split lots of 24 inch logs and wait until I am ready to use them to cut them in half? How about just cutting a bunch of 12 inch rounds and waiting to split them until I want to load them in the stove? I would bet a 12 inch round will season well since it is so darned short.

 

[Woody Stover]

I would split it all ASAP. 12" round isn't short enough to dry much faster. I wonder if it would work to stagger the splits to widen the base a bit?
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Or some small Holzhausens, but I think it would dry faster in a single row. Are you stacking on pallets, or what? You could stack two rows side by side, and lean them into each other. I wouldn't go real tall, though.

 

[kennyp2339]

make double cribbed ends then a traditional stack in the middle

 

[velvetfoot]

Make a double or triple row stack.

 

[Ashful]

Buy a real stove. [emoji12] Twelve inches is just stupid short.

At 12", you're going to be doing almost double the labor, per cord, of a stove that takes 20" splits. Time is money.

 

[Woody Stover]

Buy a real stove. [emoji12] Twelve inches is just stupid short.

At 12", you're going to be doing almost double the labor, per cord, of a stove that takes 20" splits. Time is money.

He's got an new energy miser house, not a heat sieve from a couple centuries ago, so he's only cutting 10 rounds to your 100.

 

[macattack_ga]

Buy a real stove or build a bin to store your short splits.

 

[Ashful]

He's got an new energy miser house, not a heat sieve from a couple centuries ago, so he's only cutting 10 rounds to your 100.

Point taken... lol.

 

[DougA]

I used to use 16" for my old stove and even those stacks will topple over sometimes as the wood dries, so 12" would be a huge pain.

I would build a crib out of free pallets. 2 pallets side by side on the ground with one upright on each end as bookends and two pallets to form the back. Fill as much as possible for the first row, place two pallets against the row, then add another row of splits, then repeat. Make sure that the pallets are always nailed/screwed/bolted together. The easiest way is to run a 2x6 on the top of the pallets and bolt the 2x6's. When you are ready to use the wood, remove the first side of pallets. That row of splits may partially tumble but nothing else will move since the grid of pallets is attached together. You can make this any size you want. Pallets will allow plenty of air to circulate, are free and keep your wood in place.

I've got stacks that are double stacked on the ends and I personally find is too much time for stacking and often falls apart. My problem is that I cut a lot of wood that is smaller so I just don't have perfect splits for stacking like some others do. I'm doing something similar to what I describe above for my stacks right now and it works great as long as you can get lots of free pallets.

 

[weatherguy]

Doug's got a good idea but you could also stand pallets on the end and use some inexpensive fencing for the long sides. I built what Doug's suggesting for my shorts and uglies and I nailed chicken wire to the front. I put a couple pallets on top and stapled plastic on them for a waterproof roof.

 

[billb3]

cut, split, stack and season 24"

cut 24" in half post- seasoned and pre-need

 

[DougA]

The problem with cutting 24" in half is that it's a awful lot of work and much more risk using the chainsaw. You can't cut them on the ground without ruining your chain and if you build a jig to put them on, you run the risk of one flying off. It's a constant handling of the same pieces you already handled.
I am thrilled at going from 14 to 16" on my old stove to 24" on my new. So much less cutting & handling of wood. I have real sympathy for people who are forced to cut to 12"

 

[Ashful]

I'm going the other way. Sitting on 20+ cords of 20" CSS'd, and just bought two stoves with a max spec of 18" (preferred 16").

 

[Applesister]

My first thought was to get rid of the stove and replace with a standard sized. If your heart is set on the 12" size be warned you will never get it to stay stacked if you are seasoning 2+ yr wood.
I would solve that with making corn crib styled sheds. And just toss the wood in loose piles. To help save the extra labor.
Corn crib styles are architecturally attractive as well as the ultimate drying structure.

 

[Applesister]

Unless you find a wood dealer who will cut your wood to that specific size, buying wood is gonna forever be extra work.
There are times when you wont be able to cut your own.

 

[Woody Stover]

I would solve that with making corn crib styled sheds. And just toss the wood in loose

I've got two 15' lengths of chain-link fence. I'm thinking of cutting a few pallets in half lengthwise and putting them end to end, then run the fence along the sides, supported by t-posts. The air should move through the stack pretty well, since it's not too wide. One could do the same with some type of fencing from the farm store. It just seems like it would be a hassle to get the wood out of them. I guess you'd have to take one side down to be able to load a wheelbarrow. I'm sure something could be figured out...

 

[Oldman47]

So far I am leaning to want to follow the C/S/S suggestion and dry it at 24 inches. I have a nice 10 inch miter saw that would make short work of cutting a 24" split in half as I need to bring them in.

 

[Applesister]

I use a compound miter and its good on the back. I use it for cutting limbs but agree stacking 24" will be easier.

 

[DougA]

I would solve that with making corn crib styled sheds. And just toss the wood in loose piles. To help save the extra labor.

Actually I know someone that does that with apple bins. They're about 3x3x3' and he just tosses the wood in and then stacks the bins vertically with his loader. When he needs one, he grabs it with the loader and places it right through the patio doors in his house right beside the stove. No need for manual work at all. Gee, all you need then is a conveyor belt from the bin to the stove!

 

[therdlesstravld]

So far I am leaning to want to follow the C/S/S suggestion and dry it at 24 inches. I have a nice 10 inch miter saw that would make short work of cutting a 24" split in half as I need to bring them in.

Please don't do that...

You think your splits are going to have a flat or straight edge on them to push up against the saw fence? I use a miter box for a living and I've had to make many cuts where the only support was my hand holding the piece, and it was a really stupid idea each time I've done it. Find another way or you'll be trying to find your finger when you cut it off.

 

[Dix]

So far I am leaning to want to follow the C/S/S suggestion and dry it at 24 inches. I have a nice 10 inch miter saw that would make short work of cutting a 24" split in half as I need to bring them in.

And when you need to stock up in or close to the house because of an incoming 2' snow fall??

 

[Ashful]

Please don't do that...

And when you need to stock up in or close to the house because of an incoming 2' snow fall??

Gotta agree. This is a bad idea. Ignoring the safety aspect, it's a heck of a lot of extra work.

If you are set on burning that little stove, then just cut to 12" when bucking your logs, and pray you never need to actually buy wood from a dealer. I would really think very, very seriously about buying a different stove.

 

[Oldman47]

2 cubic foot stove that can handle 16 inch splits but to load it N/S the 12 inch limit applies. E/W the 16 inch splits are just fine. The space where the stove is located demands a shallow firebox for traffic flow so a longer front to back stove is a terrible option.
I think you have talked me out of waiting to cut up the splits which is steering me toward the container option with a loose fill of splits as DougA suggested.

 

[SawdustSA]

I have a similar size stove and the same problem with single row stacks. I eventually changed over to HH as they take up less space and drying time is not an issue. I did however find that when the inner section gets wet with rain, it stays wet a long time and can cause rot. The 2 HH's which I wrapped in cling wrap seems to stay dry.

I also have a shed made from metal roof sheeting. The front and back is open and the prevaling wind will blow from the back or front. The back has some wire fencing to support the stacks.

 

[Woody Stover]

E/W the 16 inch splits are just fine.

Why not burn it E-W and cut to 16"?