ctpres
Gold Member
How to build a fancy wood pile. Locate 7-10 foot dia. spot with max. sunlight. Seven or ten foot vertical pole (above ground) in center of circle. Paint mark at 80% up on pole. This mark is drying indicator. Once pile shrinks to expose mark it is supposed to be ready to burn. Form outer edge of circle with scrap treated lumber, bricks or just split logs (place circle on tin, plastic, trated soil.) Lay wood around circle, only one stack-course, with outer end on raised edge of circle and inner end pointed at pole, ie spokes. After completing one or two layers it will be necesssary to place pieces as spacers at the outer rim to raise outer edge again, many inner ends will overlap causing inner edge to build higer-faster than outer edge.
Inside of stacked ring is filled with vertically stacked pieces. Supposed to act as chimney. Air in sides and out top.
Save thin bark covered pieces to be used like shingle roof for top-bark up.
I started with seven foot circle for two plus cords. After several days of cutting and stacking I realized pile would result in more wood than I could possibabvly use in one winter on the TX Gulf coast. So I started slowly moving ends in a little each layer building a partial dome like top.
What I learned. Building takes more time than just stacking a row along the fence. A bunch of wood in very small space. Very attractive looking pile when done, could be helpful with close or picky neighbors.
Will follow up with pic's in AM using hi speed connection at work. Bar-Bob Ranch is so far out in the country that we think 30 K is hi-speed
Inside of stacked ring is filled with vertically stacked pieces. Supposed to act as chimney. Air in sides and out top.
Save thin bark covered pieces to be used like shingle roof for top-bark up.
I started with seven foot circle for two plus cords. After several days of cutting and stacking I realized pile would result in more wood than I could possibabvly use in one winter on the TX Gulf coast. So I started slowly moving ends in a little each layer building a partial dome like top.
What I learned. Building takes more time than just stacking a row along the fence. A bunch of wood in very small space. Very attractive looking pile when done, could be helpful with close or picky neighbors.
Will follow up with pic's in AM using hi speed connection at work. Bar-Bob Ranch is so far out in the country that we think 30 K is hi-speed