Quantify a "cord"?

[scotclayshooter]

Hi Guys and galls ive hovvered this site for a year before i joined and your always on about cords of wood.
And i still have no idea whatsoever how you quantify a cord.
im nearly scared to ask lol no more rep for me

 

[blsnelling]

128 cu. ft. One way to put it as 18" logs stacked 7' high and 12' long.

 

[PA Plumber]

4' wide x 4' high x 8' long... or any measurement therewith that equals 128 cubic feet. Tightly stacked is also something else you often see describing a true cord.

 

[Mad Professor]

You also might here the term face cord, 96 cu ft

 

[Festus Haggen]

You'll also see reference to a "face cord", which is a stack of wood cut to whatever length, but the face of the pile (ends of logs) measures 4 feet by 8 feet. For example, a "face cord" of 16" wood is 1/3 of a cord, a "face cord" of 24" long wood is 1/2 cord. Around here, it's illegal to sell firewood in any unit except a cord or fraction thereof. Still the local hacks sell by the truckload, pallet, "face cord", rick, rack, paddywhack. Okay, made the last one up, but the point of standardizing on 128 cubic feet (4' wide by 4' high by 8' long) was to avoid confusion. You wouldn't buy a "face gallon" of gas, so why buy wood in non-standard units. I think that some guys (and yes, it's usually guys) who will say they cut 10 cords of wood an hour, when it's 10 FACE cords, and usually light on those.

Do you guys use a cubic meter, tons, or what? Actually, weight would be the most accurate way if you could accurately check the moisture, since wood contains roughly the same BTU's, pound for pound.

Edit: MP beat me to posting, but a face cord is NOT 96 cubic feet, it's a stack of wood 4 feet high by 8 feet long, by whatever length the wood is cut. In other words, 32 square feet of FACE, hence the name, and also why you can't sell a volume of wood by a measure of surface area.

 

[scotclayshooter]

Cool mystery solved at last
Bet im not the only person that didnt know!!
OK our ford transit pick up level to the top of the sides is 120 cubic feet so i guess most of our loads are about a cord about a tonne to 1.3 does that sound about right weight wise?

 

[ropensaddle]

128 cubic feet. It is illegal to sell by the face rick or amount that
is not cord, fraction that is plainly marked as such, You can sell by
cubic foot or meter but must have it marked as such. One thing I
do is cut 24 inch wood easier to figure 4foot high by 16 foot long
less splitting! If they want what I call custom cuts 16" 20" I will
charge them more for the extra work of splitting and stacking.
I however think firewood sucks too much work for too liittle
return at the going rate of 150.00 a cord

 

[blsnelling]

OK our ford transit pick up level to the top of the sides is 120 cubic feet so i guess most of our loads are about a cord about a tonne to 1.3 does that sound about right weight wise?

Only if it's split and stacked neatly. If it's just thrown in there, it's considerably less.

 

[PA Plumber]

At stack of twelve inch long firewood one foot high and 128 feet long. Also called a 'long cord'.

So a "tall cord" is one foot long by 128 feet high? :biggrinbounce2:

Or... would that be a "short cord?" :monkey:

 

[Festus Haggen]

So a "tall cord" is one foot long by 128 feet high? :biggrinbounce2:

Or... would that be a "short cord?" :monkey:

When you get it all stacked up, let us know and we'll decide.

 

[scotclayshooter]

Only if it's split and stacked neatly. If it's just thrown in there, it's considerably less.

we seem to cut stuff fairly small so should be less gaps
photos here if you missed them first time

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=61292&highlight=036+conclusions

you do realise im going to be measuring every pile we make now lol
what happened to your sig blsnelling why did you do away with snellerized?
thought that was kind of cool Woods ported just isnt the same

 

[blsnelling]

what happened to your sig blsnelling why did you do away with snellerized?
thought that was kind of cool Woods ported just isnt the same

Got bored and thought maybe it was a little cheesey. But since when do I care

 

[Wood Doctor]

Green Hard Wood is Heavy

Hi Guys and galls ive hovvered this site for a year before i joined and your always on about cords of wood.
And i still have no idea whatsoever how you quantify a cord.
im nearly scared to ask lol no more rep for me

Clearly, the rest of the forum has posted good advice. One thing that I can safely report. It is not advisable for anyone to load a 1/2-ton Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, etc. with a full half cord of freshly cut green oak, locust, or hackberry and then drive it over rough terrain, or perhaps even a paved road.

One-half cord of the above three species would weigh well over a ton, and anyone who would do that to their pickup truck should really think twice. In the picture I show in my avatar, that wood had been drying for a year. I'm not sure if freshly-cut green locust heartwood even floats, so at 60 lb per cu ft, even with the voids, you are likely well over a ton with a packed and mounded load.

 

[blsnelling]

There. Is that better Looks like I've got a saw or two to work on.

 

[PA Plumber]

There. Is that better Looks like I've got a saw or two to work on.

Yea, "Snellerized" is better.

 

[blsnelling]

The mob rules

Now, back to a cord of wood. How can you sell firewood that is 24" long? That won't fit in much of anything but an outdoor wood burner.

 

[blsnelling]

A lot of fireplaces will take 24 inch wood.

True. I was thinking about indoor wood burning stoves and inserts. I guess it depends on you market.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Firewood Weights

A lot of fireplaces will take 24 inch wood.

24 inch is a bit long for most stove buts the largest models, like my Jotul Firelight CB, does take up to 24 inch. 24.5 inch will get you in trouble though!

True, but you would be surprised at how many barrel stoves there are that handle 28" logs with ease--more than most splitters can manage without turning the log sideways. My large Federal Airtight 288 can swallow a 25" log, but I generally cut the logs 20" or less so LOML can handle them easier.

One thing I found out about log weights. The berry woods (e.g., hackberry and mulberry) tend to absorb more moisture and if cut green in the late spring or summer, they often weigh the truck down even more than oak or hickory. When dry, the berry woods are surprisingly light.

However, I think the heaviest load I ever pulled from a worksite was a full load of green locust. I told my Ranger after that one, "Never again, sweetheart. I love you too much." LOML was riding with me and she thought I was talking to her."

 

[NPKenny]

I think that some guys (and yes, it's usually guys) who will say they cut 10 cords of wood an hour, when it's 10 FACE cords, and usually light on those.

My thoughts exactly. It's the same guy whose Powerstroke with a camper gets 29mpg, etc.

I've taken the tape measure to my trucks and trailer to see just what I will be bringing home. Cut and load like a monster for a few hours to fill one cord in my truck. With sideboards, my truck will hold just over 130 cu. ft. and my trailer will hold just at 120 cu. ft.

 

[ropensaddle]

A lot of fireplaces will take 24 inch wood.

24 inch is a bit long for most stove buts the largest models, like my Jotul Firelight CB, does take up to 24 inch. 24.5 inch will get you in trouble though!

I can burn 36" in my odf if they want wood shorter than 24" they will
pay me for the extra work.