Wood Vintage

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velvetfoot

Minister of Fire
Dec 5, 2005
10,202
Sand Lake, NY
I can't be the only scatterbrain on here. I'll be darned if I know the vintage of my different stacks. When I've used part of one I put some yellow tape between the two sections but that's it. Going by looks can be deceiving. I'm gonna write on the tape or something with the date purchased or stacked.
 
velvetfoot said:
I can't be the only scatterbrain on here. I'll be darned if I know the vintage of my different stacks. When I've used part of one I put some yellow tape between the two sections but that's it. Going by looks can be deceiving. I'm gonna write on the tape or something with the date purchased or stacked.

I thought of this as well. My solution was to pick up some spray paint and paint the end of some of the splits. one color means this year, another color means next year, well you get the idea.
 
Yeap...ran across identical situation (who doesn't with mulitple cords). Can't you just stack them in different piles? Worse case scenario, just put down on an index card your "ready" date.
 
Here's what I do. It's a good reference so i know what pile is by date and size. I basically have to sides, one for current year and the other for the next year.
 

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I have that problem once in a while. Right now I'm not certain which is 7 years old and which is six....

Have plenty of wood on hand and seasoning and then you don't have to be concerned.
 
I just have 3 groups of stacks that i rotate between, 1 for this year, 1 for next and one for the year after.
 
I have a notebook that I write down when the wood was split and stacked. I have a wood shed that I built. It is divided into six sections with dividers and in my notebook I drew a diagram. I've learned through experience that I am never going to remember so this helps. I also record the type(s) of wood I put into the shed and how much I consumed during the season. I just bought a new Fireview and am hoping to drastically cut down on wood comsumption. This way I know exactly how much and of what kind of wood that I burned. I am going to try to stay a full two years ahead so I might have to put a cord or two somewhere else. Hope this helps.
 
So far my recollection is perfect although my wife would vehemently disagree. I remember not only the age of the wood but also how close to ground on the outdoor stack it seasoned before going into the shed. I divide my shed into five sections and strategically lay up the wood. I then vary how I draw from those sections based on needs at the time, keeping in mind that I have to empty out sections in preparation for the next laying up.
 
stejus said:
Here's what I do. It's a good reference so i know what pile is by date and size. I basically have to sides, one for current year and the other for the next year.

Just when I thought I had seen it all, I now know that I have room to grow with respects to being a "woodaholic"
I thought I was bad with the magic market on the stacks....my wife would send me for treatment if I had a detailed map like this :)...but I have to say its pretty good and well thought out.
 
This is pretty funny and very timely for us. We've been relocating piles that occupied "prime curing territory" (best sun and prevailing wind) to locations considerably closer to the stoves. And one of the thrusts of the whole exercise has been how to set up the best rotation to accomplish timely seasoning and ease of access to seasoned wood.

Much as we'd like to move it one time only, it won't be possible for another year. But we've come up with a decent plan and I'll let you know if it works next year. We are now officially in the "one year ahead club". And if we split everything that's down this fall we'll gain a year by the end of next. :)
 
Mine is easy, two divided sections in my wood shed and as I burn 1 years worth I split, stack and replace from the huge pile of rounds I have outside the shed.
 
ilikewood said:
stejus said:
Here's what I do. It's a good reference so i know what pile is by date and size. I basically have to sides, one for current year and the other for the next year.

Just when I thought I had seen it all, I now know that I have room to grow with respects to being a "woodaholic"
I thought I was bad with the magic market on the stacks....my wife would send me for treatment if I had a detailed map like this :)...but I have to say its pretty good and well thought out.

Just a tech junkie with Visio on my laptop and a rainy saturday with a little time on my hands. My wife saw me laughing and agrees that I need help! :-S The nice thing about this is I have the pile dimensions. Now I can measure to see if the piles shrunk.
 
Assign an RFID tag to each piece at point of split.
Install a fixed position reader at each of the portal doors.
Set an audio 2 year trigger alert in your software and when you enter the door with a non-compliant split the alarm will sound (ex. "We're sorry but an unexpected item has been found.") and simultaniously burst an email to Vanessa who will come and kick your butt for using unseasoned wood.

Note: I still have this same nightmare over and over of her kicking my butt ever since I watched that Canadian propoganda video with my wife in the background saying;"See I told you."

or

take two pices from said wood pile and wood knock them; a hollow sound means its good to go...
 
I was thinking about that when our colleague and hand splitter quads showed us all his different stacks of wood.
 
Le Pook said:
get a magic marker & write on the wood

That's what I've been doing. But I have over 20 cords kicking around so it's not really much of an issue.
 
My family finds this (me?) slightly strange:

Spreadsheet link

It is out of date though as I've stacked more and moved a stack or two...
 
savageactor7 said:
I was thinking about that when our colleague and hand splitter quads showed us all his different stacks of wood.
He's like a squirrel that puts away ten times as many nuts as he needs. It doesn't matter that he can't keep track of all of them. He will eventually find them anyway.
 
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