Firewood Storage

[beenthere]

Good points, boondox.

I meant only stacking wood on the crossed pieces along the bottom course, rather than using a "foreign" material, other than firewood, on which to stack the wood. I stack wood in 8x8x10' piles under shed roof on gravel, and criss/cross the corners to hold them together. Some pieces are lapped into the others to keep the entire pile tied together. This wood will last a season. It is all white oak and red oak.

Also, I don't have any piles that fall over because they are piled wrong (at least not after the first year when I was a green horn).

I nearly never burn green wood that is cut/split/stacked under cover within the last two years. Just too much moisture that robs the heat value of the wood. The few times I have had to get into the pile of 2 year wood, I could imediately tell that there was less heat coming from the woodstove. Amazing how much heat is lost just converting moisture to steam.

 

[Boondox]

BT -- You burn oak?!?! You lucky dog! That stuff is pure comfort. I have 150 acres of hardwood, but only a single oak tree on the entire property so I can't bear to cut it down. But if a storm ever blows it down you can bet I'll be out there with my Husky 372 before the rain stops!

Pete

 

[cmsedore]

I'm having a hard time picturing this--would you happen to have a picture of one of these?

I'm hoping to assemble racks so I can handle my firewood exactly twice: once when I cut it (stack it on the rack) and once when I burn it (from the rack to the stove). My intent is to do the rest of the moving with forks on the tractor moving the racks. (Actually, I'm hoping to handle it once: from the rack to the stove--the first handling is why I have two sons /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)

-Chris

 

[turnkey4099]

I too, used to stack with the cross stacking at the ends to hold it up. That got old after about 15 years (and some people think I am slow!). Having some scrap laying around I built some "book-ends". 4'x20" piece of 1/2" CDX. 2 1x2 verticles 6' tall 12" from one end of the CDX and braced with 2 more 1x2 angled down to the end of the CDX. This accomodates 2 ricks (I shoot for cutting 16" sticks). Now I just set the book-end in place and stack wood on and against it. The only care I have is trying not to have too many wedge type pieces against the verticles. Has never failed yet but it does look flimsy. Boy do I miss the cross stacking, trying to find just the right piece, need one that has a taper, will this knot work to even out the stack?, etc.

My outside stacks are now held by RR ties placed 8-12 ft apart with 4x4" across them at about 5'. Scrap 2x4 used to brace agains the 4x4 with the bottom either dug into the dirt or braced agains more timber. Make sure the top of the 2x4 has a good lean into the rick. I didn't do it and some of the RR ties have been pushed well out of the verticle.

Harry K

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I use metal T-posts on the ends and pallets underneath. The T-posts allow for fast stacking, without alternate rows at the ends. I let it season for at least one year. We do not burn for primary heat, but the fireplace does contribute to lowering the heat bill. Each year in late summer or early fall I move the wood into the garage. I have two "bays" that I built to store the wood. Each measures 6 feet wide, 38 inches deep, and 10 feet high. I dont know how many cords it holds, but we make it through the winter.

I like the idea of handling the wood less. Now I handle it five times. Cut it, split it, stack it, move it to the garage, and then stack it again. A rack that can be moved with forks is very apealing. Cut, split, stack - done. Pick it up and move with the tractor. Very good idea. I'm so busy now that I don't have time to build something that will save me time later.

 

[AndyR]

I use old pallets and a little bit of framing to give me a quarter cord on each. (I found out the hard way that a half cord of green oak does not make for easy moving) The attached shot is at the end of the first winter with a few odd pallets left over. I stack these 2 high and usually leave an extra pallet under the base for even better air circulation. When I need wood at the house I just pick one up with the tractor forks and leave it near the door. A pallet with tarp stapled to it makes a quick roof system (also "forkable"). Trick with the framing is to remember to put the top members on the inside of the uprights so the next pallet has something to rest on.

 

[knucklehead]

Nice cat, Andy - what's its name?

/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

By the way, long time, no "see".

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I'll see if I can find some pictures of the racks.

If you didn't want to use pipe you could use two inch eleven gauge square tubing.

A twenty four inch stick will give you two eight foot bottom rails and two four foot uprights. Another stick for two additional four foot uprights along with your feet and cross pieces. If you bought three sticks you would enough material to make two rick racks or one kord keeper.

I'd cut the cross pieces fourteen inches long. Three of them spaced out on the eight feet horizontal and one at each end of the verticals. On the bottom I'd go one in the middle and one on foot in from each end. On these I'd weld the four inch feet.

I'd seriously consider miter cutting all the corners. It not only looks better but there wouldn't be any holes for wasps or water to get in and cause heartache.

 

[s1120]

Good eyes! I looked at that picture 5 min before I saw it./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Bet your REAL good at Wheres Waldo./w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[s1120]

Andy, Thats a nice setup. Now, I was thinking,[Oh Oh, that always gets me in trubble/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif] Insted of tarps for the roof, building a small shed roof. Would give you little wood shed modules. Granted, you would not be able to stack them, but if you left them outside, they would look nice, and still keep the wood coverd. Also, any idea how much one of your bins weigh when full?