When you process your own wood
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Depends.
If it's for me, same length. I stack it in a fixed-size shed (5 rows max, 6.5-7.5 ft tall, 6 ft wide), and appropriate length stacks allow me to not waste space (or stick out into the rain), and same-size stacks are more stable.
If it's for my elderly neighbors who have a tiny VC stove and want small wood, and who dump the wood in a pile (under a roof), it doesn't matter.
Hence they get all the uglies and shorties, and I get the stackable stuff.
If it's for me, same length. I stack it in a fixed-size shed (5 rows max, 6.5-7.5 ft tall, 6 ft wide), and appropriate length stacks allow me to not waste space (or stick out into the rain), and same-size stacks are more stable.
If it's for my elderly neighbors who have a tiny VC stove and want small wood, and who dump the wood in a pile (under a roof), it doesn't matter.
Hence they get all the uglies and shorties, and I get the stackable stuff.
18 1/2" ........ if i'm on my game when marking out the cuts and cutting.
Tape measure and sidewalk chalk to quickly lay out the cuts. Worth the 2 minutes it takes to get them all uniform.
Lock the tape measure at 20-22 " or so and walk it down the line with the hook end placed on the previous chalk mark and mark it at your preferred inch mark. Same thing over and over all the way down the logs.
Tape measure and sidewalk chalk to quickly lay out the cuts. Worth the 2 minutes it takes to get them all uniform.
Lock the tape measure at 20-22 " or so and walk it down the line with the hook end placed on the previous chalk mark and mark it at your preferred inch mark. Same thing over and over all the way down the logs.
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It depends. If I’m scrounging wood, I take what i can get. When cutting, I eyeball it at about 18 in. One thing to keep in mind is that that longer the splits, the more stable the stacking.
Good clean, straight wood gets cut 20-21” as thats a good size for most of my firebox. The back of my firebox tapers in, so I cut some of the less desirable rounds at around 12-18” in order to fit that space better.
I use a reference piece that I know fits well in my stove as a guide. If I find wood that is the same length or shorter than the reference piece, it goes in the pile. The rest goes into my milk crate jig that cuts them all the same size. Just straight down with a chainsaw and can fit multiple pieces at a time. This works well for me, especially because I have a small stove. If only a little bit gets cut off and creates uglies or basically just a square, it still goes in the stove or I use it for starting fires to lift larger pieces off the bottom of the stove for more airflow.
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I cut mine at about 17”. No measuring, just eyeballing it. I can get it pretty close most of the time. If someone wants to buy some, it fits in most stoves.
You sound like you would really like using a mingo marker. I have one and all of my wood gets marked and cut at 16". Super fast and easy.
Ryan_C
New Member
I usually try to keep everything the same length, but sometimes that plan doesn't quite work out. In those cases, I like to think that having a range of lengths and diameters makes it easier to match the wood to the stove, the weather, and how long I want the fire to last. 😀
It’s hard to cut wood and not end up with a few odd pieces. Trees don’t grow in 16/17/18” segments. There are crotches, knots, bends, twists, etc…
You can make most of them the same, but there are always a few oddballs. I get shorts and a few longs, but most of it is pretty consistent.
You can make most of them the same, but there are always a few oddballs. I get shorts and a few longs, but most of it is pretty consistent.
I tried giving my brother some wood last year to get him through the cold season and he brought most of it back and asked for an exchange! I asked what was wrong with it and he said they were too long or too fat to fit in his stove. I think he needs a bigger stove, but that’s me common sense talking….
I try to process mine the same length, but as others point out the wood often has other ideas. If I have 2-5” cut offs I try the split the round into 3-4 pieces across the face.
All the uglies/odds get tossed between the stack or on top to hold down whatever is on top of my pile for protection against rain /snow. I burn a lot of them when I’m around and can tend to the fire more often or the plug holes for long overnight burns.
All the uglies/odds get tossed between the stack or on top to hold down whatever is on top of my pile for protection against rain /snow. I burn a lot of them when I’m around and can tend to the fire more often or the plug holes for long overnight burns.
Yep. I stuff my smalls between rows too. I know some folks toss ‘em, but that seems like a waste to me. Heck, I don’t like tossing the bark that falls off, but the mess is horrible if you try to get it in the house.
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