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Let's Talk Stacking!!!

Started by Piston, August 11, 2011, 10:00:14 PM

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Piston

Stacking our firewood early is obviously very important.  Stacking it efficiently so that it dries out as best as possible is also very important. 
I'm not new to woodburning, but I AM new to burning wood efficiently.  When I was a kid my dad would simply cut down some trees throughout the summer, and drag them to the wood cutting 'station' in the yard.  He would buck and split them in late fall, and even through winter, and throw them in the old VC Defiant.  It seemed to burn it all, and it burnt it well, but I never realized how inefficient it was to burn that wood. 

Since I'm still learning about burning wood efficiently, I would like some tips and pointers on the best ways to stack your firewood. 

The few things I've learned so far:  (assuming you have the space)

Stack wood in a single row if space allows-This allows better airflow all around the ends of the wood, where a lot of the drying process happens.

Stack wood so the face of the stack is facing N/S.  By stacking so the ends of the splits are facing to the South (and of course North on the other side for you navigators out there  ;D) It allows the sun to beat on wood, drying it out quicker. 

Stack wood in an open area.  This allows the winds to freely ventilate the stack, and allows the longest amounts of daily sunshine to warm (dry) the stack of wood. 

Stack wood off the ground.  By stacking off the ground, the wood won't pull in the moisture from the ground.  I intend to stack my wood on free pallets that I get from my local lumberyard. 

Absolutely, positively, under no circumstances, would you ever, ever....EVER...cover the sides and top of the stack of firewood.  This would be the best way to NOT dry your firewood! 


That's about all I know  ;D

Could you guys add some tips and tricks to efficient drying? 

Should I stack my firewood 'loosely' to allow even more ventilation in the stack? 

Should I stack my wood on pallets, on crushed stone, over a sheet of plastic, so no moisture can be brought up from the ground? 


Enlighten me boys...  ;D

Pics are worth a thousand words, so feel free to post your wood stacks. 
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

doctorb

All of your tips are correct, IMO.  The problem arises when:
1). You don't have enough space to split and stack oak for NEXT heating season, not just this season.
2). You burn enough wood that you will have to move it twice.  Once when you split and stack it outside and a second time when you move it close to your OWB (in my case into the shed that houses my OWB).

So I am torn between getting my wood stacked in the shed in early spring - aging it for just one year - versus the extra effort it takes to optimally dry it stacked outside, only to have to move it again.  I have found that it's OK to do a mixture of both.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

beenthere

Space is important for sure.

I palletize right off the splitter. Then stack two high for a couple years drying, before moving the pallets into the house (attached garage and use about a pallet every 5 days).

Palletized and stacked for drying.


Moving two pallets to house for burning


Stacked and covered through the winter, but open for drying


The small roundwood from limbs I place on a pallet with two upright pallets to contain it.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Piston

I was thinking of a similar idea with the pallets, as you have pictured.  I am thinking of building all my pallets that way for the split firewood, except instead of filling the pallet with 3 rows of wood (so a 4'x4'x4' pallet would be half a cord) I was thinking of just putting 2 rows of wood on each pallet, this way I would still have a lot of airspace between the two rows.

It would take 1/3rd more space to stack them this way, and of course I wouldn't be able to fit a 1/2 cord per pallet, but at least this way, I could stack the wood right off the splitter and move it around with my pallet forks on the tractor after that.  Essentially, I would only be handling the wood one time, as long as I design my woodshed to be accessible from all sides with the front end loader pallet forks. 

Although the down side to this is that I would need a lot of pallets, and also assembling them so they form a 'cage' like that makes them hard to store and stack when no wood is on them. 
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

beenthere

I added some pics to the previous post. And you are right, storing the assembled pallet is a pain. Not handling and re-handling the firewood is a joy.

Used to be by the time I tossed a split piece of wood on the fire, I felt like I recognized and remembered that piece.  A "goodbye 'ol pal" feeling. :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Piston

Nice Tractor  ;D

They sure make the job easier!  I bought a grapple for the front end loader of mine last year, and it has made almost every forestry related thing I do 10 times easier.   8)
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

sprucebunny

I stack it on pallets about 5 feet high. For the top layers, I split big flat, wide, thin slabs and layer them on top of the piles like shingles. The wide pieces will usually break in half easily. Not a lot of choice where I put the piles because I live on a hillside so they are in areas around my driveway. I have forks for my backhoe bucket and dump it on the porch that leads to the woodstove room . Yes.... I stack it up again... I like stacking wood... good mindless exercise.

This time of year, I'm moving it on to the porch which is roofed. I can fit about 2.5 cords on the porch.

I may get sick of moving wood this winter since I won't be bringing my backhoe back from my woodlot this year and will need to move another 2.5 cords to the porch by hand.
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

John Mc

Piston -

I think your tips are right on, but remember, most of these are tips to use for the fastest drying. If you can get ahead of the game and allow yourself more time for drying, some of the suggestions I gave in another thread aren't necessary: For example, stacking in single rows will definitely speed up drying. If you have enough drying time, stacking in double or triple rows works fine. It may take longer to dry, but saves on space, and possibly on having to restack it more densely down the road.

Your idea of stacking two rows on a 4 foot pallet is what I do sometimes. I cut my wood to 16" lengths, and have a 12 foot long row of pallets. If I stack 4 ft high, I end up with 1/2 cord per row, or one full cord for my 12 feet of pallets (two rows on a pallet). For fastest drying, more space between the rows (allowing more sun down in between) would be better, but this works for me.

Another consideration: if your rows need to be closer together, there is some debate whether stacking the cut ends to the south is best, or running the rows parallel with the prevailing wind is best for fastest drying.

I tend to leave my stacks uncovered until they are dry or until I get close to burning season. After that, I cover the top of the stack. Keeps me from having to dig through the snow, or knock ice and snow off the wood.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Piston

QuoteI cut my wood to 16" lengths, and have a 12 foot long row of pallets. If I stack 4 ft high, I end up with 1/2 cord per row

This seems to be a good compromise between space, speed of drying, and handling as little as possible. 
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

fuzzybear

  It was said not to cover the top of the wood stacks. I always cover mine with old roofing tin. I first lay down stickers from the mill and lay the tin on top of those. It keeps the rain/snow off and still allows air flow. The tin heats up the area a little bit more and I  see a difference in drying time.
FB
I never met a tree I didn't like!!

Piston

Quote from: fuzzybear on August 12, 2011, 02:34:00 PM
  It was said not to cover the top of the wood stacks. I always cover mine with old roofing tin. I first lay down stickers from the mill and lay the tin on top of those. It keeps the rain/snow off and still allows air flow. The tin heats up the area a little bit more and I  see a difference in drying time.
FB

How do you secure the tin to the wood?  I would imagine a decent gust of wind would blow it right off? 
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

fuzzybear

I throw a couple of pieces of scrap 6x6 on top of the tin. If the wind does catch it, it only goes a little ways. The tin is all 12'x3' off an old building. it's got some holes in it but it still keeps 90% of the rain and snow off. Here in the north it will rain in the late fall and then freeze overnight never to thaw again until spring. The tin makes sure your wood is not covered in ice and frozen together.
FB
I never met a tree I didn't like!!

trailmaker

  I just built a couple of "Holz Hausens" recently.  I think they will dry more slowly than single stacks but I'm years ahead on wood.  I really like the way they look so I'll keep building them as long as I stay ahead on wood. 

Ernie



Don't know how it will dry but it sure is purdy :)
A very wise man once told me . Grand children are great, we should have had them first

Piston

Quote from: Ernie on August 14, 2011, 11:17:07 PM
Don't know how it will dry but it sure is purdy :)

Isn't that amazing!  I have seen that pic so many times and it still seems incredible to me.....

Here is my stack so far....


-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

beenthere

Piston
Is that stack hollow or filled with wood? If filled, might be cooking inside. ;)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

thecfarm

That looks good piston. Looks like every stick is just about the same size.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Holmes

Piston: I can see that you are obviously challenged when it comes to stacking wood. ;D ;D
Think like a farmer.

Piston

Did I say that was MY stack??? Oh shoot, it must have been a type  :D

It's actually a stack of wood at the Plimouth Plantation in MA.  I couldn't resist claiming it all as my own!   ;D

I'm not sure if it's hollow inside, it seemed absolutely chuck full, it was stacked pretty tight.  I also saw a demonstration of some guys pitsawing while there, THAT seems like hard work!
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

beenthere

 :D :D

I used to stack wood 10' high in a 24 x 24 pole shed. But to get it that high, I had to use the skidsteer and bucket, or a ladder. Had right at 25 cord stacked in there and a 16 x 16 space left for tractor. Dried nice because it was protected from direct rain and snow. But had to stand on a ladder to remove it and the worst part, the racoons used it for a toilet. Couldn't believe it, but they must have hiked a long ways to leave their deposit, as thick as it was.
I liked the dry wood, but decided the coon crap just wasn't worth it (what with the threat of the disease from coon crap always on my mind). So, made the move to turn the pole shed into an enclosed shed and move the split wood onto pallets. For me, is the ideal solution.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Dave Shepard

If you have to move the wood to the stove, then I'd palletize it somehow. I've made similar stacks to the Holz Hausen, but I start by making a teepee of three sticks on end and keep everything vertically oriented.

I've done a little pit sawing. A lot like ice sawing, just easier on the pitman. ;)
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

clww


I'm not sure if it's hollow inside, it seemed absolutely chuck full, it was stacked pretty tight.  I also saw a demonstration of some guys pitsawing while there, THAT seems like hard work!
[/quote]
I've got a book laying around here somewhere dealing, in part, with alternate stacking methods. That style IS filled with wood on the inside. As I recall, someplace in Europe is where this particular stack method originated. I've been thinking about trying it on the next tree I split up and haul into my backyard. The more wood I fill it with, the less grass I need to mow!
Many Stihl Saws-16"-60"
"Go Ask The Other Master Chief"
18-Wheeler Driver

sparky1

You guys look like you have the stacking mastered!! you could bring your talents to south west wisconsin and help me out!!! ;D  I pay well (well if you like beer)!! 8)
Shaun J

clww

Many Stihl Saws-16"-60"
"Go Ask The Other Master Chief"
18-Wheeler Driver

Piston

-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

CRThomas

Quote from: beenthere on August 11, 2011, 11:15:37 PM
I added some pics to the previous post. And you are right, storing the assembled pallet is a pain. Not handling and re-handling the firewood is a joy.

Used to be by the time I tossed a split piece of wood on the fire, I felt like I recognized and remembered that piece.  A "goodbye 'ol pal" feeling. :)
I bag my firewood it is better that way for me the bags hold a rank tossed in so I can keep count of what I have on hand. Each bag has the same wood in it and labeled. If a customer wants a shoot cherry in her bundle or apple I wrap her ash with two sticks of fruit wood. But it's what works for you. I have bags of F/W that are two years old. I use untreated bean bags I get free from local farmers. Got to go to work.


zopi

The holtshausen works well, but it is a pain to stack...I took to simply driving a steel stake into the ground and stacking a circle around the pole, then just chucking wood into the hole..not as efficient as far as space goes, but then, , alot more efficient as time goes...think I will nail up some half cord pallet racks....I really do not like moving wood twice.
Thing I have done this year is, I blew seventy five bucks on an old peanut cart used to dry peanuts...modified the body to open a rear door, and just chucked it full of wood....the bottoms of the cart are perf metal, so water drains away, and air flows through the whole stack...thinking of an air plenum attached to a farmboybilt wood furnace to force hot air through a couple of these carts...oughta be able to dry four or five cords in a week or so like that....
As soon as my goonta catches up to my wanta, that is...
Got Wood?
LT-15G GO chassis added.
WM sharpener and setter
And lots of junk.

shelbycharger400

for years, ive done 12 to 18 ft long rows, 5 ft high, 7 to 8 rows deep, although i have staked as much as 10 rows to a pile ( we cleaned up a 3 acre site from a tornado and ran out of places to put it).

here i have abandoned the fence post at get go.. and stack so its kinda dome like on the sides, about 15 ft long rows, 7 to 8 rows per pile. about 6 ft high.  Uncovered,    You let it sit 2 years, its dry
I cover the pile with the cheapy blue tarp just to keep the snow off of it.
I dont waste my time with pallets ect,  the first 4 inches or so is always frozen to the ground in winter,   in the spring, it gets restacked to an outside row on another pile.

Ron Scott

~Ron

tcsmpsi

Firewood stacking.   ;D



 



 
\\\"In the end, it is a moral question as to whether man applies what he has learned or not.\\\" - C. Jung

doctorb

Looks like the greener wood is on top of your stacks.  Is the lighter colored wood already seasoned or are you going to be pulling a cured piece of firewood from the bottom of that stack? ;)
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

blackfoot griz

I stack mine on pallets. These are 3 rows of 16's:

 

Then put it on a heavy duty dolly where I can roll 1/2 cord around the garage


 

Then wheel it in on the home-made firewood packer:

  

 [img]

I made a forklift attachment that works both on my front end loader and 3 point hitch.  In the winter, I have to take the loader and put the snowplow on.  Being able to use the 3 point makes it a snap to go grab another pallet of firewood.  My wife can easily roll 1/2 cord of firewood around the garage once it's on the dolly.

Piston

Nice setup Griz,
I like the palletized firewood idea and forklift attachement.  How do you support the vertical pieces from bowing out from the weight of the splits? 
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

blackfoot griz

 

 

I also built a firewood bundler.  I ran some of my small diameter logs through my processor and made up some kindling and bake oven bundles. These bundles are stacked on a mini dolly that can be moved around with a finger. If I'm out of town, it's easy for my wife to keep the home fire burning. ;D

Quote from: Piston on December 11, 2012, 04:54:48 PM
Nice setup Griz,
I like the palletized firewood idea and forklift attachement.  How do you support the vertical pieces from bowing out from the weight of the splits? 

I tie the tops of the vertical stays off with a pc of balor twine.  Once the firewood is stacked on the pallet, I wrap the whole bundle with some lightweight mesh netting (the pictures of the pallets in the hayshed are all wrapped). I have wrapped 35 or so pallets with one roll and I think it cost $25/roll and there's still 1/3 of it left.  It holds the whole thing togeather but still allows air to easily get through. Seems to work well even hitting bumps etc when moving it around.

I was able to get a full cord on my pickup by putting 2- 4' pallets loaded up to 4'. I hauled thrm 150 miles to a friends place. Fortunately, he had a skid steer w/forks at his place. A few minutes to load, a few minutes to unload without touching a pc of wood.


Holmes

Blackfoot That is a nice heater. Did you buy a kit ,build it yourself, or have someone build it for you?  It looks great.
Think like a farmer.

Ivan49

Quote from: blackfoot griz on December 11, 2012, 05:31:39 PM


 

I also built a firewood bundler.  I ran some of my small diameter logs through my processor and made up some kindling and bake oven bundles. These bundles are stacked on a mini dolly that can be moved around with a finger. If I'm out of town, it's easy for my wife to keep the home fire burning. ;D

Quote from: Piston on December 11, 2012, 04:54:48 PM
Nice setup Griz,
I like the palletized firewood idea and forklift attachement.  How do you support the vertical pieces from bowing out from the weight of the splits? 

I tie the tops of the vertical stays off with a pc of balor twine.  Once the firewood is stacked on the pallet, I wrap the whole bundle with some lightweight mesh netting (the pictures of the pallets in the hayshed are all wrapped). I have wrapped 35 or so pallets with one roll and I think it cost $25/roll and there's still 1/3 of it left.  It holds the whole thing togeather but still allows air to easily get through. Seems to work well even hitting bumps etc when moving it around.

I was able to get a full cord on my pickup by putting 2- 4' pallets loaded up to 4'. I hauled thrm 150 miles to a friends place. Fortunately, he had a skid steer w/forks at his place. A few minutes to load, a few minutes to unload without touching a pc of wood.

What size pallets do you use and do you know the appox weight after loaded? Thanks

blackfoot griz

Quote from: Holmes on December 11, 2012, 06:00:51 PM
Blackfoot That is a nice heater. Did you buy a kit ,build it yourself, or have someone build it for you?  It looks great.

It is a "Tulikivi" made of soapstone.  It comes from Finland. We had it installed when we built the house.  We love it.  Not only does it heat....it also cooks. What's weird about this thing is that the top does not get hot.  There is a live plant on the top of the unit that has been there for 5 years...

 

The above shows the main firebox heating things up.  This thing only burns around 3 hours out of 24.  Build a big fire--let it rip than shut it down.  The heat mass stays warm for a long time.

It also cooks.  build a secondary fire in the bake oven:



 

Depending on what you're cooking, you can adjust the needed temp by stoking the fire longer.  Once this bake oven is up to temp, it holds the heat for an incredible length of time.  We have cooked 14 pizzas off the radiant heat from the oven.
This was tonights dinner...baked encheladas from home made enchelada sauce, garden peppers/onions and flank steak.


 
Quote from: Ivan49 on December 11, 2012, 06:35:31 PM
Quote from: blackfoot griz on December 11, 2012, 05:31:39 PM


 

I also built a firewood bundler.  I ran some of my small diameter logs through my processor and made up some kindling and bake oven bundles. These bundles are stacked on a mini dolly that can be moved around with a finger. If I'm out of town, it's easy for my wife to keep the home fire burning. ;D

Quote from: Piston on December 11, 2012, 04:54:48 PM
Nice setup Griz,
I like the palletized firewood idea and forklift attachement.  How do you support the vertical pieces from bowing out from the weight of the splits? 

I tie the tops of the vertical stays off with a pc of balor twine.  Once the firewood is stacked on the pallet, I wrap the whole bundle with some lightweight mesh netting (the pictures of the pallets in the hayshed are all wrapped). I have wrapped 35 or so pallets with one roll and I think it cost $25/roll and there's still 1/3 of it left.  It holds the whole thing togeather but still allows air to easily get through. Seems to work well even hitting bumps etc when moving it around.

I was able to get a full cord on my pickup by putting 2- 4' pallets loaded up to 4'. I hauled thrm 150 miles to a friends place. Fortunately, he had a skid steer w/forks at his place. A few minutes to load, a few minutes to unload without touching a pc of wood.

What size pallets do you use and do you know the appox weight after loaded? Thanks

For my own use, I don't really care what size the pallet is.  I typically cut 16" firewood. If I'm selling firewood, it's pretty easy to calculate what you have.  3 rows of 16" lengths stached 48"=1/2 cord.  Lots of pallets are only 42" wide. You can still get 3 rows of 16 inchers on a 42" pallet without troubles--just stack it  higher and you're good to go. As far as the weight goes, I really don't know.  I burn Lodgepole pine whch, even green. it going to weigh less than most hardwoods.  I am guessing that a 1/2 cord pallet of dryish Lodgepole pine would weigh around 800 lbs....just a guess though

tcsmpsi

Quote from: doctorb on December 11, 2012, 11:18:18 AM
Looks like the greener wood is on top of your stacks.  Is the lighter colored wood already seasoned or are you going to be pulling a cured piece of firewood from the bottom of that stack? ;)

It's all cured, Doc.  That second stack is smaller trees that died during the drought, worthy yet of firewood, but not logs.  The far right top quadrant is all sasafrass, used in the 'fireplace' on the front deck.   :)
\\\"In the end, it is a moral question as to whether man applies what he has learned or not.\\\" - C. Jung

johnjbc

Trying my veriation of skids this year. stand up 3x3 on each corner of a skid. The bottom board starts halfway up the skid and overlaps the 3x3 holding it in place. The current model only has 2 boards on the end to make it easier to reach in. The roof is another skid with tin screwed to it and held on with binder twine.
I load a skid on the forks and drive it into the woods so I only have to stack the wood once.
Thinking about replacing the cement blocks with a mini pole shed made out of locust post, and sized 1 skid high, and deep, so I don't have to move the tin.


    
LT40HDG24, Case VAC, Kubota L48, Case 580B, Cat 977H, Bobcat 773

beenthere

johnjbc

I do the limb wood similar to your pallet boxes.
The split wood, I stack on a bare pallet as I find it is so much easier to remove the wood.

After two to three years of drying with rubber roofing covers, I then stage the pallets for the winter on the drive where they don't freeze down and are easy to pick up with the forks on the 3 ph.

Staged 20 pallets yesterday for the winter - if it ever comes.  ;D



 

Stored for drying two high.


 

Moving pallet to house


 
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Ivan49

Quote from: beenthere on December 13, 2012, 12:03:01 PM
johnjbc

I do the limb wood similar to your pallet boxes.
The split wood, I stack on a bare pallet as I find it is so much easier to remove the wood.

Do you split all your wood and do you like moving it using you 3 point over the forks on your loader?
After two to three years of drying with rubber roofing covers, I then stage the pallets for the winter on the drive where they don't freeze down and are easy to pick up with the forks on the 3 ph.

Staged 20 pallets yesterday for the winter - if it ever comes.  ;D



 

Stored for drying two high.


 

Moving pallet to house


 

drobertson

Absolutley amazing examples of stacking firewood!  I will not post a pic due to the fact I am behind the times in every respect.  All I know is dry(not only seasoned) will burn so much better in our stove. Wet from rain or snow will dry out in my stove just takes a lil longer and not as much heat, so more wood has to be added which increases the amount used for the season.  I see nothing wrong with covering a stack with anything that prevents the elements from penetrating the wood.  And there has always been discussions around these parts about cutting firewood from timber after the sap has dropped.  Although allot of wood salvaged from storms and the like come at all times of the year, so stack it, let it dry out and burn it.
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

ohsoloco

The wood I am currently splitting I will leave unstacked until the fall.  After a nice dry spell in September I cover the stack with a tarp, and partially down the sides.  I use 20" wood so it's only stacked two wide 5-6ft high on pallets.  Wood is left another year covered up before I burn it inside.  Been working great so far.

Piston

I did a little splitting/stacking the other day for next winter. 

I split a couple piles of rounds that I've had laying around for a year or so, and are long overdue to be split.  I use a 3pt hitch mounted log splitter, which is not my preference, but it's what I have and is a whole lot easier than hand splitting  :D
My dad helped me the first day, and I stacked the second day.  Still have a small pile to stack but most of it is on pallets. 

Here are a couple of the piles we split.  There was one more a bit smaller than these two, that I didn't take a pic of. 
 

  

 

After splitting, I pick up the firewood with the grapple, and haul it over to the stacking area.  Sometimes I'll just drive into the pile and grab a grapple full, but I find I can get a lot more on the grapple if I stack it on there by hand, it does take longer that way though.  If I'm carrying it any distance, it's worth it to stack the grapple high and make less trips, but if it's only a short distance, I scoop some firewood up and make more trips.
 

 

I take the wood over to the pallets I'm stacking on, and stack right from the grapple to the pallets.  I WAS dumping the firewood on the ground, then picking it up to stack it, but realized I was bending over far more than I would if I just stack from the grapple, much easier on the back.  (I'm too young to have back issues....but I do) >:(

 

 
 


You can see my bucket in these pics, I leave that next to my piles and throw the really short, or really irregular splits in there, then I hook the bucket up when I'm done, and put those in a separate pile.  I either use them for a "campfire" or squeeze them in the stove when there isn't enough room for a full split.
 

  

 
I took a grapple load down to my house, to stack outside my door.  (we do the splitting and stacking at my dad's, up the street).  I had to drive down the road backwards because I couldn't see the road in front of me, with all the wood piled up.   :D
 

 

One of these YEARS I hope to be as neat and organized as some of you!  But for now, I'm just happy I'm getting a year ahead!  :D :D
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

thecfarm

Piston,Just so you don't feel bad.I did not comment about stacking because I have not stacked wood for years. My winter wood is still in the rounds. BIG rounds.But at least it's 2 feet long this year. Last winter I cut down dead trees all winter. I just started to split it the other day. I use my splitter and throw the wood into the bucket of my tractor and dump it by the furnace. No wood shed here either,but I really should have one. In the summer I'm kinda busy doing what I want with my land. When the ground is frozen than I have time to work on my wood.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

beenthere

Piston
Where was the "SMV" sign on that load as you drove in reverse? Just sayin... ;)

Save your back some more by stacking on pallets right off the splitter. Then after that, no stacking. Just moving pallets with your forks that you should have.  ;)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Piston

Quote from: beenthere on December 21, 2012, 10:24:56 PM
Piston
Where was the "SMV" sign on that load as you drove in reverse? Just sayin... ;)
Oh don't worry, it was there  ;D

Actually the pallet system you mention is definitely my preference.  I'm still working on getting a good 'system' down for it.  I tried stacking directly on pallets earlier this year, for the exact reason you stated, only handling the wood once.  My problem was I stacked on pretty week pallets, and maybe I stacked too high or not careful enough?  When I went to lift the pallet, it was really wobbly, and I was worried it was going to fall over as I drove it down the road (dead end road, no traffic)

How do you guys keep your pallets of firewood stable enough so you can move them from one place to another? 


 
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

beenthere

I stack 7 'layers' on each pallet, and I split the bolts almost like sawing out boards. Parallel splits that are somewhat uniform in thickness that stack well, and criss-cross the corners. My splits are not pie-shaped.

After 7 layers, then throw on another pallet. About 1/5 cord to a pallet, or one weeks worth of firewood to heat the house.  Stack two pallets for drying 2 years.

The split "planks" are somewhat visible in this pic
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

doctorb

"Every man looks upon his wood-pile with a kind of affection......"

Henry David Thoreau

My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

thecfarm

Here's my stacking  :D



 

           
and one more to show the size,note the yard stick and hat
                                               

 

This is all cut offs from logs to make a better saw log. Mostly white pine,but some hemlock is in there too.


Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Holmes

I have wrapped some of my pallets with 2' chicken wire or 3' fence wire.  The chicken wire will move around but the load does not fall off the pallet.  :christmas:   :new_year:
Think like a farmer.

Ivan49

I don't remember where I saw it but someone wqas using that orange snowfence to put around there pallets. Then when it was empty they would take the fence off and roll it until the next time.

forest

Quote from: beenthere on August 11, 2011, 10:56:32 PM
Space is important for sure.

I palletize right off the splitter. Then stack two high for a couple years drying, before moving the pallets into the house (attached garage and use about a pallet every 5 days).

What a wonderful method for moving your wood. It removes a lot of handling. How Long have you been using your system?

beenthere

Thanks
Have been doing this for roughly 15 years now. Soon as the last kid left for college, was when I figured out there would have to be a better way for one person.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

albirk

funny when the kids are all gone what a person will change

JuniperBoss

Doctorb, that quote you said earlier was hilarious. :D :D :D
"The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense." --- Thomas Edison

John Mc

Quote from: Piston on December 21, 2012, 11:23:07 PM
How do you guys keep your pallets of firewood stable enough so you can move them from one place to another? 

I've seen someone use that orange plastic snow fence material (or something similar). He wrapped it around and stapled to the edge of his pallet to make a box or basket of sorts, with the top open.  If I recall, he stood an old 2x4 up in one corner to help hold the box walls up. The 2x4 served double duty, since it was also what he fastened the ends of the snow fence to.  He did not stack the wood at all. He just tossed split pieces in right off the splitter.  A bit less efficient for use of space, since tossed in takes more room than neatly stacked, but saved time over stacking neatly.

When I ran into him, he was experimenting with bringing the pallets into the woods with him. He would either process the trees where they dropped, or skid them trailside first, if that was more convenient. This really minimized the handling for him: Drop it, buck on site, spit and throw the ends into the box.

He'd bring up several pallets into the woods with him, but could only carry out one at a time. The rest would sit either on a landing, or wherever they were filled, and he'd pick them up next time he was in the area with his tractor.  He did find they dried more quickly if he brought them out of the woods to a location where they were more exposed to sun and wind.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Al_Smith

My bud the tree trimmer doesn't stack his firewood .Just throws it in a big heap .Of course it becomes homes for chipmonks ,an occasional ground hog and a multitude of stray cats not to mention a hoast of mice .

Well it seems a little orphaned female kitten with a lot of PR skills has found her way into the house it seems here of late .Obviously graduating from the wood pile to the living room so to speak .Smart cat .

Stephen1

SHRINK WRAP :D We had a roll of shrinkwrap left over from moving, it worked like a charm, use it all the time now. 1 roll lasts about 3-4 years. We put the skid on the forks beside the splitter, as it comes off the splitter it goes on the skid 2-3 rows wide depends on the size of the free skid.
Then while it is in the air we go around the skid and the wood leaving the ends free and clear, the wood is now protected from most of the rain by the shrinkwrap, and prevents it from falling off while moving the skid, the wind can travel thru the wood to dry it. In the winter I will cover with steel or plywood, to keep the snow off,
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

John Mc

So in order to leave the ends open & clear, I assume you are wrapping under the pallet and over the top, rather than around the sides?
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Al_Smith

They shrink wrap those little 5 dollar bundles of slab wood  with shrink wrap they sell at  gas stations .Wow who knew they would buy a hand full of firewood let alone pay for water in a bottle ?
Now they have little jugs of saw gas for about 20 bucks a gallon ,geeze .Oh I just can't wait to see what might come up with next .

thecfarm

How about fast food,burger king and Mc Donalds that cost about $5-7 each!!!! For a few more dollars I can get a much better meal for $10. I'm talking about at lunch time and maybe a special meal price at night. I can go into a fast food place and eat about $7 of that garbage and look for more.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Al_Smith

Yes it's fast allright which is about all that can be said for it .

Okay get this .So they start out say 30 years ago with a great big burger for maybe 49 cents .Then over the course of years they slowly shrink it down and the price goes up .Then a great revelation  they come up with this super size which is exactly the same size it started out as except it costs 3 and half bucks now .

Maybe that's where they got the bright idea for green slab wood in a shrink wrap with a little handle for 5 bucks .Strange world we live in .I wonder if some wizard of a sawmill operator might be making more money for those cute little bundles of wood as sawing lumber .PT Barnum lives on .

woodandtractors

In our local supermarket,$5.99 buys you a .75cubic foot wrapped bundle of kiln-dried hardwood. That's roughly $8 a cubic foot,or $1024 per 128 cu.ft. cord! They seem to sell quite a bit of it,too.
Mike
Still plays with tractors-IH of course!

shinnlinger


Here is my version of the pallet stackers, a pallet with some scrap wood and tin screwed on top.  I can fill them as I split and move them around as needed (field in summer where I split, up by house in fall)

I am thinking of making some hay wagon type trailers with a roof on old truck frames that will essentially become woodsheds on wheels.
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

Al_Smith

Lots of neat ideas .By bud the trimmer came across these collapsable pallets with fold up sides they use for shipping bulk products .Slightly damaged but usable ,freebies .

I have two of them and they hold about a face cord more or less .Mine I made a tin roof of some scrap standing seam roofing and just store kindling in them .

His he loads with firewood and uses a skidloader to move to his back porch .Handy as a pocket on a shirt .

Now speaking of little bundles for 5 bucks he has an idea .

What if a guy got maybe 20-30 of them,deliver to some of his customers he sells wood to who only buy a face at a time. Next order he delivers another crate and retrieves the first .Charge a little deposit on the crates so he gets them back maybe ,refundable of course .45-50 bucks a face cord ,nice neat and tidy .

thecfarm

Would have to have a way to unload them at the buyers house. Like a pallet jack.Just to go more,what about wheels under the crate? with a tilt trailer-ramps to unload the wood? I think customers would like to be able to roll the wood into thier garage or move it around themsleves.We used them plastic ones at work. But they got sent somwheres to be melted down and reused.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Al_Smith

He has a long trailer and a skid loader so moving them would not be a problem .

If he loaded them right I'd guess he could carry 8 containers double stacked plus the loader .I think that trailer has a 20 foot deck .It's longer than mine a 16 foot deck a lot heavier too I might add .

Ivan49

Quote from: thecfarm on January 14, 2013, 08:01:38 AM
Would have to have a way to unload them at the buyers house. Like a pallet jack.Just to go more,what about wheels under the crate? with a tilt trailer-ramps to unload the wood? I think customers would like to be able to roll the wood into thier garage or move it around themsleves.We used them plastic ones at work. But they got sent somwheres to be melted down and reused.

I had a few plastic pallets at one time and they lasted the first year ok but when it got cold the second year they broke it a dozen pieces

Al_Smith

I suppose it depends on the material they are made of .They seem to hold up relatively well at work .They must be pretty tough because they hold engine blocks and cylinder heads .

I have no idea what might have been shipped in those ones my bud and I  have .I'd imagine they got damaged from careless high lift drivers beating on them like maniacs .

shinnlinger

I thought the same as you Al.  Weld up a pallet sized cage with a cover on it and powder coat it green so it is not too unsightly and deliver with a knuckleboom or log truck right by a customers door and swap out as needed.  Might be another feature for a firewood service
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

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