How to palletize firewood?

[Theowegian]

Ive got to move about a couple cords of osage orange (hedge) firewood and was wanting to put it on pallets. That way I can just pick one up with the forks or FEL this winter and take it to the house.

Can anyone give me some tips or ideas on how to stack it or bind it so I dont domino the whole thing?

thanks, dwight

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

How about putting four sides up and use your pallet for the bottom?

 

[Egon]

Would it be possible to build up by cross laying the layers so there is a binding effect. Then add several ropes over each side to hold it all in place.

Or add two ends to the pallet that allow the wood to be held in place and stacked yet easily accessible.

Egon

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Do it like the pro's do. Make as neat a stack as you can keeping in mind the weight limits of your equipment. Then get some shrink wrap from Sam's, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Wrap it up. If it's going to be exposed to the weather don't wrap it where it'll hold water.

 

[GregJ]

Dwight,
I palletize all of my firewood now. I move it with 3pt forks on my Kubota B7500. I have attached a picture showing my setup. I bought a roll of orange plastic security fencing and wrap each board with it. The security fence allows it to breath. It isn't that strong where you can bang the boards around, but it will stop that first piece from sliding out that starts the whole "pick up sticks" /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif process. (Been there... Done That /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) I heat exclusively with wood and this has made my life a whole lot easier. Last year I put away 14 boards like this.

Hope this helps,
Greg

 

[LWFrisk]

Harvey

I like your idea and think I will take it one step further. I think I will also wrap it in bundles the right size to take into the house. Make it easier to just grab a bundle next winter when I run out to get wood. It seems it is always raining when I need it and that way both the wood and I will stay a bit dryer. Thanks for the idea -- Leo

 

[GregJ]

Leo,
I would be a little concerned about shrink wrapping because the wood can't breath. Here in the NW, we have very wet winters and I see people covering their wood piles to keep them dry and end up with piles of rotten wood. The condensation keeps the wood damp and rots it rather quickly. There has to be air around the wood. I have built a tarp tent back in the woods to keep the rain off my boards. There is a lot of air around the boards and the wood stays nice and dry. Short term, shrink wrap may work, but I know around here it will rot wood in one season.

Just my .02 worth,
Greg

 

[LWFrisk]

Greg
You are right about the moisture. I would just wrap around the bundle, not cover the ends. That way, air could circulate between the individual pieces. Though we get rain for short periods here in the high desert in southern California, it dries out very quickly as well. It would just be very handy to grab a bundle, drop it in the wood box in the house and cut the wrap. Most of the residue would end up in the box and be easy to clean up. It would also be nice on the winter trips to the desert (we each have a quad to run in the back country) for the evening camp fires. Thanks for the $.02, I will do a bit of testing to see if it will work out. Leo

 

[Theowegian]

Neat setup.
I also heat my home exclusively with wood in the winter. Kansas winters arent real long, but they can be whoppers at times.

Anyways, I like your idea. It makes sense to me...with the snow fence tied around the pallet.

Maybe use tie wraps to hold the fence together?

dwight

 

[Darren]

For a couple of cords it wouldn't be worth it but the heavy plastic strapping material can be had in different widths. Wouldn't be hard to strap firewood into 1/4 or 1/2 cord bundles. FWIW, I hope that osage orange isn't fence post sized. It would be a shame to burn it. Don't worry about it getting wet. It probably won't rot in your lifetime.