how much wood is enough wood to chuck if i had a woodchuck to chuck my wood?

[ken morgan]

So far at our vacation cabin we have burned about 2.5 cords of wood since October. This is burning friday night through sunday afternoon. Now this was a 50/50 mix of japanese kunuki (medium Oak) and pine/fir. so obviously the pine and fir burn very quickly getting the stove hot I then though in the oak. Next season I will be burning a much lower percentage of pine and fir as i will have burned off my stocks of that and will be using primarily Oak.

So my question's are these:

how much more Oak will i burn since I will not be burning the pine? i would think a lot less than the 1.2 cords of pine I burned this year. I noticed that the oak last roughly 2x the time the pine does in the stove So I was thinking roughly i might burn 2 cords of oak total next year (we still have another month of burning hear at the minimum)

with 6 cords storage in my drying racks, do i have enough to keep oak drying in a timely fashion to use it? figure rack A is fresh cut, rack B is one year old and rack C is two years old and ready to go.

Thoughts? Suggstions?

Ken

To clarify my stupid post....we burn friday, saturday, and sunday every weekend and in the last 4 1/2 months have burned about 2.5 cords of mixed.

 

[chrisbee]

Given your numbers and if it was me in your situation, I think you might be cutting it a little too close, at least for my comfort level. Here's why I think that...

2.5 cords = 320 cubic feet * 60days = 5-1/3 cubic feet of mixed wood burned per day so far.

At that rate, adding in another 18 more days to flesh out to the end of your current burning season (October through March of 3 day weekends = 78 days) you should or will have burned about 3-1/4 cords of 50/50 mixed hardwood/softwood.

Next burning season you'll be burning all hardwood and I'd subjectively say you'd burn about 25% less or just about 2-1/2 cords for the next heating season.

I'd like to have about an extra 1/2 cord added, just in case, for a total of 3 cords of hard wood for six months of 3-day weekend only burning.

That's just my calculated estimate based on your burning so far and I'm sure there are many other factors in play there that would throw my numbers off. That wouldn't be a big deal if you come up a bit short on the wood and you have a good back-up source of heat. But for me, wood heat is all I have so I like to estimate slightly on the high side and be happy with a bit leftover after my heating season ends.

 

[Xjcacher]

you might not want woodchucks chucking your wood.

 

[ken morgan]

Given your numbers and if it was me in your situation, I think you might be cutting it a little too close, at least for my comfort level. Here's why I think that...

2.5 cords = 320 cubic feet * 60days = 5-1/3 cubic feet of mixed wood burned per day so far.

At that rate, adding in another 18 more days to flesh out to the end of your current burning season (October through March of 3 day weekends = 78 days) you should or will have burned about 3-1/4 cords of 50/50 mixed hardwood/softwood.

Next burning season you'll be burning all hardwood and I'd subjectively say you'd burn about 25% less or just about 2-1/2 cords for the next heating season.

I'd like to have about an extra 1/2 cord added, just in case, for a total of 3 cords of hard wood for six months of 3-day weekend only burning.

That's just my calculated estimate based on your burning so far and I'm sure there are many other factors in play there that would throw my numbers off. That wouldn't be a big deal if you come up a bit short on the wood and you have a good back-up source of heat. But for me, wood heat is all I have so I like to estimate slightly on the high side and be happy with a bit leftover after my heating season ends.

thanks I was hoping we might use even less with all hardwood but thought I would ask. We have kerosene fan heaters that we use to help get the house initially heated up when we arrive friday nights, but I have been trying to avoid using them other than that due to the high cost of heating oil over here. One thing that might help this next year Is I plan on replacing the wood stove we are using. It is not very efficient I am planning to make my own this summer hopeing to gain some extra heat output. our current stove is the simplest of designs, just cast iron with primary and scondary feeds, no fire bricks or grates..literally just a cast iron box....originally I was thinking about making a reburner, but after reading some threads I am not so sure now....

 

[ken morgan]

you might not want woodchucks chucking your wood.

Outstanding I have lived overseas too long and miss out on things like some of the funny little commercials from the States.

 

[svk]

Like chrisbee said I'd stock up on more than you think you'd need just to be safe.

I know I can get close to triple the mileage on oak versus softwood for my stoves.

I didn't know folks did the cabin thing over in Japan. Do you have any pics you can share of your place?

 

[ken morgan]

Like chrisbee said I'd stock up on more than you think you'd need just to be safe.

I know I can get close to triple the mileage on oak versus softwood for my stoves.

I didn't know folks did the cabin thing over in Japan. Do you have any pics you can share of your place?

Not a log cabin per se, though some japanese to buy the premade cabinsandhave them assembled by construction companies...mine is just a mini house on a small plot on the flank of fuji. here is one photo and alink to my FB photos. the attached photo is when I first bought it prior to clearing the surrounding over growth the cabin is what led me here, I started with a 42cc poulan formt he base exchange and it was ok for clearing the area I had, but once I got the wood burner I got the itch for a better saw...one thing led to another.


https://www.facebook.com/ken.morgan...29266290136.1073741839.100000392193565&type=3

 

[chrisbee]

Very nice, I think a little house in the jungle beats a little house on the prairie, but I’ve never had the pleasure of either... I imagine you get some pretty cold air spilling down from that massive mountain, even in the summer?

 

[ken morgan]

yeah its get to a high of about 70 in the summer we average about -17c ( 2 f) in the 4 coldest months and this "cabin" is not well insulated by US standards.....too fix that i would need to pull either the siding, or the interior and i do not have the cash for either right now, so it is what it is.... an escape from the city on the weekends. Though I plan on fixing that before i fully retire as I plan on living here after both of my daughters graduate from college. In my profile pic I am 49 as that is last years photo...got a ways to go.

 

[ken morgan]

Very nice, I think a little house in the jungle beats a little house on the prairie, but I’ve never had the pleasure of either... I imagine you get some pretty cold air spilling down from that massive mountain, even in the summer?

Chris, can you see the FB photos? not sure who can see what at times.

 

[chrisbee]

Chris, can you see the FB photos? not sure who can see what at times.

Unfortunately not Ken, facebook and youtube are blocked from me where I have the most access.

 

[ken morgan]

These are photos right after purchase while I was still clearing the jungle back off of the property.

 

[chuckwood]

If you had chuckwood to chuck your wood you'd have more than enough wood!

 

[svk]

If you had chuckwood to chuck your wood you'd have more than enough wood!

And just think if @chucker showed up too!

 

[ken morgan]

If you had chuckwood to chuck your wood you'd have more than enough wood!

do you work for beer ha ha ha fraid the flight over would cost me too much cheers!

 

[chrisbee]

These are photos right after purchase while I was still clearing the jungle back off of the property.

I'm envious Ken, that looks like a wonderful place to spend 3-day weekends; nice and peaceful I would imagine.

 

[ken morgan]

I'm envious Ken, that looks like a wonderful place to spend 3-day weekends; nice and peaceful I would imagine.

It is, especially when you compare it to the Kanagawa/Tokyo area. Best thing is my daughters can play like I used to in rural Indiana....No PC, computer games or smartphones allowed when we go there.