wood moisture from march

[upny]

bought around 75 face cords of black locust and sugar maple in march/early april.. most are split around the size of a loaf of bread, around 6" , some bl is 10-12" . just bought 2 different brands moisture meters and measured the inside after splitting. the fat bl is 24% at most, some is 20-21% . the maple is all sub 20%. measured with both meters to make sure i didnt get bad readings very similar. measured a bunch of different pieces stuck the pins in deep. aafter reading all the warnings about 18 mos 2 years, etc i was really paranoid about trying to burn any of it this year. also got about 4 fc of honey locust... never again. beetlemania. that is close to 20% and it's 1st to get burnt.

from what i read on here these % shouldn't exist after 4 months. it's all in a good spot but we've been wet this year in upstate ny. what am i missing? i think i'm going to start a campfire and see how it goes up. do you just look for water leakage out the ends?

 

[bioman]

I don't need no moisture meter, cuz I Ant'T got no face cords. Must be an east coast thing! Hope your wood heats your home & your heart.

 

[bholler]

do you really mean 75 face cords? if so wow. I typically dry one season and get below 20%. I know lots of guys here say you need allot more but i have not seen that. And no bio face cords are not an east cost thing in our area a cord is a cord a face cord means nothing because it doesn't tell you how long the wood is I don't know why people use it.

 

[upny]

I don't need no moisture meter, cuz I Ant'T got no face cords. Must be an east coast thing! Hope your wood heats your home & your heart.

you know it's a regional thing. there's nobody that burns wood that doesn't know what a face cord is. if you're anywhere in ny and you ask for so many """CORDS"" dont be disappointed if you expect 128 cubic feet. is there actually a lower class social hierarchy where someone that refers to a face cord is actually doesn't get invited to the trailer?

 

[BrotherBart]

Yeah. 99.9% of the country.

 

[cptoneleg]

Take a picture thats alot of wood how did they haul it to your house. Show us a picture you got 4 or 5 yrs ahead just like that how much did it cost?

 

[upny]

all of ny is slightly more than .01 % of the country. in 4 years when i get more wood i will demand that everybody accede to the nomenclature of the wood forum and give me full cords instead of something that is as complicated as dividing by three?

 

[upny]

Take a picture thats alot of wood how did they haul it to your house. Show us a picture you got 4 or 5 yrs ahead just like that how much did it cost?

i paid around $3700 total for it i think lots of loads from different guys . i've got about 400 running feet of wood 4 or 5 feet high

 

[upny]

actually it was closer to 5 grand now that i total it up.

 

[cptoneleg]

all of ny is slightly more than .01 % of the country. in 4 years when i get more wood i will demand that everybody accede to the nomenclature of the wood forum and give me full cords instead of something that is as complicated as dividing by three?

all of ny is slightly more than .01 % of the country. in 4 years when i get more wood i will demand that everybody accede to the nomenclature of the wood forum and give me full cords instead of something that is as complicated as dividing by three?

Aw its not too bad since the invention of the calculator.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

A face cord is a single row of wood approximately 4x8 feet with no set length but usually 18 inches if we want to start getting technical..... For those that don't have a lot of wood on hand, a face cord comes in handy when talking about what you got..... Like my ram holds a face cord of wood each time I fill it up on a scrounge, kinda like that.......

 

[johneh]

Around here a face cord is 1/3 of a cord
4ft x 8ft x 16 in It is the accepted way that city people buy there wood.
All so known as a fireplace cord or a single cord If you are buying fire wood around here
you have to be careful and ask if it is a full cord a bush cord or a single . personally I buy it
in log length 8, 12, 16, 20 or 24 ft. what ever is cheapest for hard wood at the time. It
normally cost 9 hundred to 1 thousand for 8 cord of 20 ft maple logs .

 

[BrotherBart]

all of ny is slightly more than .01 % of the country. in 4 years when i get more wood i will demand that everybody accede to the nomenclature of the wood forum and give me full cords instead of something that is as complicated as dividing by three?

Good.

New York Department of Weights and Measures has it covered.

"
What Is A Cord?
Firewood is generally sold by a measurement called a "cord." A cord is equal 128 cubic feet. For example, a stack four feet wide by four feet high by eight feet long is a cord.

You may also see wood advertised by a "face cord" with the length of the pieces. A 24 inch face cord is 24 inches wide by four feet high by eight feet long.
"

 

[BrotherBart]

all of ny is slightly more than .01 % of the country. in 4 years when i get more wood i will demand that everybody accede to the nomenclature of the wood forum and give me full cords instead of something that is as complicated as dividing by three?

Actually New York state has 6.19% of the US population. But then for purposes of understanding cords of wood you subtract New York City and...

 

[upny]

Actually New York state has 6.19% of the US population. But then for purposes of understanding cords of wood you subtract New York City and...

this is my last posting in the twilight zone

new york CITY firewood prices range from 250 to 350 PER FACE CORD as quoted.

since everyone on this board is so successful in life they have to go scrounging for firewood instead of just buying it, i guess me and every other person that buys their wood in face cords are just a bunch of unsuccessful, uneducated idiots for getting 1/3 of a cord and paying 1/3 of the price of a NYWEIGHTS AND MEASURES OFFICIALCORD.

my original question was not only not answered but has devolved into some kind of little pestering contest. these people know damn well what a face cord is and the regional traditions but for some reason need to put in a snarky post about not knowing what it is.

 

[tcassavaugh]

....for as much wood as is available un upstate New York and the tri-state area, the cost flabbergasts me every time I visit my brother just over the border from Jiminy Peak, west of Pittsfield. Its outrageous compared to what it is here in southern Maryland, almost $100 bucks more a cord (or $33.33 a face cord if you must ). I guess its supply and demand or still beats the cost of oil.

 

[BrotherBart]

my original question was not only not answered but has devolved into some kind of little pestering contest. these people know damn well what a face cord is and the regional traditions but for some reason need to put in a snarky post about not knowing what it is.

I actually agree with you and apologize for coming in at the middle while too busy without seeing the OP. It appeared to be the good natured banter that goes on forever around here about the different ways of measuring wood.

If those moisture readings are from fresh re-splits and you keep this year's burning wood top covered it sounds good to go for this year. And burning some outside for a test should verify it.

 

[Shawn Curry]

you know it's a regional thing. there's nobody that burns wood that doesn't know what a face cord is. if you're anywhere in ny and you ask for so many """CORDS"" dont be disappointed if you expect 128 cubic feet. is there actually a lower class social hierarchy where someone that refers to a face cord is actually doesn't get invited to the trailer?

You all cut your pieces under 4ft, and still stack them in single rows, doncha? Then you got face cords, not cords!

Personally, I split by hand, so my lengths tend to vary, because I'll cut through the big knots and funny curves; probably average around 16". I'd have a lot more ugly pieces if I really tried to go for exact lengths. When I'm cutting up a tree, I'll leave it in lengths as long as I can handle; I'm usually hauling from my own woods, so I want to handle as few pieces as possible. Then when I get em up to the house, I'll divide em into 3-5 pieces.

IMO, face cords is the more "honest" measurement; even if it's less precise. If you were buying it, certainly you'd want measure the length and convert to cords for price comparison purposes. But everybody around here tends to use about the same average length.

Anybody here use something other than 16" avg?

 

[Craby]

bought around 75 face cords of black locust and sugar maple in march/early april.. most are split around the size of a loaf of bread, around 6" , some bl is 10-12" . just bought 2 different brands moisture meters and measured the inside after splitting. the fat bl is 24% at most, some is 20-21% . the maple is all sub 20%. measured with both meters to make sure i didnt get bad readings very similar. measured a bunch of different pieces stuck the pins in deep. aafter reading all the warnings about 18 mos 2 years, etc i was really paranoid about trying to burn any of it this year. also got about 4 fc of honey locust... never again. beetlemania. that is close to 20% and it's 1st to get burnt.

from what i read on here these % shouldn't exist after 4 months. it's all in a good spot but we've been wet this year in upstate ny. what am i missing? i think i'm going to start a campfire and see how it goes up. do you just look for water leakage out the ends?

I just split up about 1/2 cord of fresh cut bl from a live tree (cut at the worst time of the year), and it measured 35% moisture. I try to keep all my splits at max. 5"x5". I did read that BL and sugar maple dry at a medium rate. Your wood being around 20% may be due to the tree being dead or dormant (before spring) when cut down. Maybe you're not missing anything and this is not out of the ordinary. The wood loses moisture fastest in the beginning, then slows down and it will take a while to get to 16%.

What model stove are your burning in? Is it a cat stove?

It is better if you don't see water sizzling out of the ends.

 

[JP11]

Not sure if the OP is still around, or pissed off.

I think the vital question is if he RE-split to test.

With his numbers, my guess is he did not.

JP

 

[Rebelduckman]

Not sure if the OP is still around, or pissed off.

I think the vital question is if he RE-split to test.

With his numbers, my guess is he did not.

JP

Ding ding ding

 

[KenLockett]

....for as much wood as is available un upstate New York and the tri-state area, the cost flabbergasts me every time I visit my brother just over the border from Jiminy Peak, west of Pittsfield. Its outrageous compared to what it is here in southern Maryland, almost $100 bucks more a cord (or $33.33 a face cord if you must ). I guess its supply and demand or still beats the cost of oil.

I live about 10 minutes from Jiminy Peak and if you choose you can buy a cord of firewood at $250-$300 per cord (green of course and amount questionable) from a host of CLs advertisers or you can buy it for an average of $180 in the local area at an honest quantity if you ask around. And that's delivered by the way.

 

[Craby]

I think the vital question is if he RE-split to test.

With his numbers, my guess is he did not.

JP

I think he ment that he re-split - "just bought 2 different brands moisture meters and measured the inside after splitting."

 

[KenLockett]

Any further discussion pertaining to the low moisture content over a shorter period than typically would be expected? I to have noticed these lower MC readings with my metering. Chalked it up to excellent sun exposure and stacks on top of hill with good up hill breeze. Still, most on here would suggest that minimum seasoning for denser species 1 1/2 to 3 years. Perhaps other variables to consider here?

 

[KenLockett]

I think he ment that he re-split - "just bought 2 different brands moisture meters and measured the inside after splitting."

That was my understanding as well that he re-split.