Whacking and Stacking

[Larry Caldwell]

Just to show I really do cut and split my own firewood, here are a couple pictures. The first one is maple in the pasture, plus some madrone that has been down long enough to bleach out. The second one is wood that fell off of trees in my yard during snowmageddon last December. There is oak, mimosa, maple, chain of gold, and plum. A lot of it is rounds that didn't need splitting. I stack it that way to let it air dry efficiently in the summer, then move it into the woodshed in the fall. For scale, I have a big firebox, so aim for 18" to 20" bolts.

 

[cqaigy2]

I'd burn that.

 

[ljjhouser]

Better doing it now before the ice and snow.

 

[Thomas]

Good wood there.

 

[Tinhack]

Just to show I really do cut and split my own firewood, here are a couple pictures.

Well, somebody does. I don't see you in any of the pictures though.

 

[Oaktree]

In the lower picture I see moss on all sides of a couple logs. How do boy scouts know which way is north there?

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Better doing it now before the ice and snow.

I learned years ago to stack it for air circulation in the summer. One year I threw everything in a pile, and the wood on the bottom of the pile was still wet when I went to load the wood shed. It is impressive how much heat you can get out of a piece of wood if you are not boiling a bunch of water up the chimney.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

In the lower picture I see moss on all sides of a couple logs. How do boy scouts know which way is north there?

That must be an east coast thing. I was always confused when I heard that as a boy. There are places where moss only grows on one side of a tree?

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Tucked into the woodshed. I finished just as the first drop of rain fell. Great timing.

 

[5030]

Better you than me... I prefer burning field corn.

 

[BnRidge]

August is a good time to stow away wood here. Usually there is a late summmer drought, which means dried wood put away stays dry for the winter. This year, mid September, just got 4 cord that was seasoned outside put under shelter to feed the stove through the winter, and wouldn't you know, next day fall rains set in with 4" rain over 3 days. Really a nice feeling to have that good timing.

 

[IndyIan]

Better you than me... I prefer burning field corn.

I can buy hardwood, cut, split and delivered for about 40% less per ton, not including delivery of the corn.(never bought corn by the ton) And then I can stack it on some free pallets under some old roofing tin for years without it going moldy or the mice eating it...
Or I can get some paid exercise and whack down some trees and split the firewood myself.

I have seen one farm that had a small silo right beside the house, and then a small auger leading into the side of the house, presumably to the corn stove! Not the prettiest setup but I do like the idea.