Do you dry your wood in IBC totes?

[Donnarshmr]

I’m going to start using IBC tote frames to hold my firewood while it dries. I know some of you dry your wood this way because I’ve seen pictures, so I want to benefit from your experience.

1) Do you stack the wood properly or just jumble it in as you throw it off the splitter?
2) With however you do it, how long does it take to get most wood under 20% MC (in other words, is it as fast as stacking it in rows)?
3) If you stack, how tightly do you fill the tote? I’m cutting at 15” long, which technically gives me 3 rows fitting in an IBC frame. However, they’d be pretty much end-to-end in there. 2 rows would leave a >10” airspace between the rows, which might aid drying.

Is there anything else I should think about?

 

[TreeswingerPerth]

I've been using ibc cadges for a few years . I stack the logs pretty tight and leave roughly a two inch gap between each stack in the cadge and just keep filling until I can't get any more in then cover the top with some old roof sheeting with any heavy object I can find on top .

 

[NSMaple1]

I would love to, if I could find some at a decent price. They seem to be like gold around here.

With a FEL, you could even stack 2 high and get twice as much wood under cover as you otherwise would.

 

[BWS-LLC]

I just started using the frames this year. I hosted a GTG this summer and discovered they work great for cookies.

I am also filling them with the "uglies" that don't stack well.

 

[reddogrunner]

I don't use those, but build my own and they work great for storing, drying and moving large quantities of wood with a FEL tractor.

 

[Wickets]

Is there a particular tote size that works better than the others? Thanks

 

[TreeswingerPerth]

Old potatoe boxes are also commonly used round here . They knock planks off to let air in .
I prefer the ibc frames , any time I see one for the taking I'm off with it , had quite a few from construction guys and guys from the wind farms .

 

[deerehunter]

ive found that if I throw it in there loose I can get 3/4 face cord in them or if I take my time and stack it neatly I can get a full face cord in there if I fill over the top slightly. I cut my wood smaller than some though due to the size of my firebox.

 

[Donnarshmr]

ive found that if I throw it in there loose I can get 3/4 face cord in them or if I take my time and stack it neatly I can get a full face cord in there if I fill over the top slightly. I cut my wood smaller than some though due to the size of my firebox.View attachment 474536

Does it dry as rapidly stacked that tight as it would stacked out in the open?

 

[deerehunter]

I have been using these for selling firewood so I haven't had any in one long enough to tell. I would think that it would be better for drying if the wood was loosely thrown in as I have to pack it pretty tight to get a face cord. I actually stacked my face cord rack first a few times and then put it in the totes so I could make sure that I wasn't just guessing at the quantity. People don't seem to like the appearance though. If I have a face cord in a tote and a face cord in my manure spreader, they will take the face cord in the manure spreader everytime because it appears to be more even though the two containers contain the same amount.

 

[reddogrunner]

Mine dries just fine. I stack tighter than that. I make sure there is room around the entire basket and air moving through the building they get stored in. No problems. If I get a week of really hot dry weather I just move them all out in the sun for a little baking. LOL

 

[066blaster]

What do you do with the plastic insert?
I want to try them but the ones I have access to,still have the tank in them. Cut up and recycle?

 

[TreeswingerPerth]

I have given a few of the tanks away to people who wanted them , mostly I cut them up and put them in the plastic skip at the recycling centre .
I have seen them halfed diagonally and used as roofs to cover the logs in the cage .

 

[NSMaple1]

If I ever get me some of these, I'm going to try cutting big holes in two sides of the tank and small ones in the bottom then screwing it to a big wood pallet to make more wood storage.

 

[dancan]

Hey NSMaple1 , if you come to Halifax with a truck and you're going back empty I have a contact on these , 35$ and they have them often , send me a pm .

 

[deerehunter]

I have sold the plastic tanks on craigslist. They are good for storing used oil or things like that.

 

[NSMaple1]

Hey NSMaple1 , if you come to Halifax with a truck and you're going back empty I have a contact on these , 35$ and they have them often , send me a pm .

Took me a while to figure out how to start a PM - but OK.

 

[sam-tip]

Seen a good idea for totes the other day. Thought the cutout would make stacking easier. The cage is still strong with the cutout.


I have just thrown my wood in loose. Dries great. Need to stack some so I get more wood in each tote. They are like gold around here too.

 

[Joesell]

I used to stack them as tight and high as possible. Theres two problems with that and neither has anything to do with drying times.

1st, if you stack way above the top, every time you move them pieces fall off. Super frustrating!

2nd, this is the most important, if you stack by hand, your touching the wood way more then you should. Super duper frustrating!

The best way is to either have the wood fall in off the conveyor straight in, or use the grapple bucket to fill.

 

[blkcloud]

I don't use those, but build my own and they work great for storing, drying and moving large quantities of wood with a FEL tractor.

Can you post a picture of what you built?