How to calculate cord volume from log dimensions

[TheMan419]

That's back in the days before insulation, food was in lead cans, and mercury from a broken thermometer was just a fun puddle to poke around in a shoe box lid....

In the coldest of winters in the past 6 years since we've been heating with wood, I've burned 6 cords in 6 months. Most others have averaged 4. I don't think I've burned 1 so far this year. I'm still on my first bunker load, which is about 3/4 of a cord.

Yeah knock on wood Mike Hoffman is going to be wrong about this winter!

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah knock on wood Mike Hoffman is going to be wrong about this winter!

Hahahahaha!!! Nice! :laughing:

Happy New Year to you and your's!

 

[MossRoad]

Just reporting what my friend told me when we were about 12 years old,...

Well, there you have it... it SEEMED like a cord a week to a 12 year old being made to cut wood with his dad!

Our driveway seemed like a long road back then when I was shoveling it by hand. Turned out to be about 200' as an adult. :laughing:

 

[Red Horse]

I have always read that a full stacked cord of wood would normally contain ~80 cf of solid. That is the number that all of the charts that calculate "what does a cord of _____ weigh"



Not a fan of face cord either. But It is possible to put a full cord on a puckup, if you know how to stack.

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But I did make some ~10"-12" high side boards to make loading exactly 1-cord a bit easier for delivery.

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Well I saw your reference to 80 cf which corresponds to the Oklahoma study that used a range of 60-90. I had split that difference and used 75 cf. But I took another look at my post where I said 1.33 of the log CF would give you the cord volume. I was wrong- I got tangled up in mixing up 128 cu ft as a cord with "1" meaning a cord.

If I use your number 0f 80 cu ft = 1 cord of split wood, or 128 cu. ft., you solve for " X" 80 x "X"= 128 or 80X=128 or 128/80=1.6 as the multiplier
Using my number of 75 cu ft= 1 cord we have 75 x X = 128 or 75X= 128 or 128/75=1.7 as the multiplier

either number will give you a good yardstick to convert a log-again subject to how small you split it.:drink:

 

[arrow]

I went to 6-8" a some years ago and I use less wood now. That smaller stuff burns too fast. Wastes a lot of heat up the chimney, and I have to keep it choked down or it's too hot.

I dry for two years, so it's not hurting me on drying time.

I burn mostly red oak. When I leave splits 6" and single row stack, 2 years is not enough time to thoroughly dry these splits. I like at least 3 for this species for where I am. Having said that, building 3 rows of 110 feet long firewood takes up too much space in the wood lot so I only go the two years as well. A little hissing but so be it.

Now here is another thing I learned, anybody know what a manometer is? It measures flue draft. . An in line damper is an essential piece of equipment if you're burning in a wood stove. Some stove manufacturers do to recommend this claiming it as unnecessary. I've experienced otherwise. I'd rather slow the draft with a damper (especially when it's cold outside) rather than damp down the stove to reduce drft. It produces more heat and you don't shoot your btu's up the flu as much and less creosote even if the wood is not totally dried through.