How to measure wood (what is a cord?)

[tramp bushler]

When you talk with old timers around here and you say cord they are going to think you are talking about 4 foot pulp wood. The word cord has been mangled and adapted to describe many things but it's origins are derived from 4 foot wood.

This is what cord wood looks like,

Finally !! Someone understands .

When someone says a cord of wood HASto be
split to equal a cord

 

[turnkey4099]

Finally !! Someone understands .

When someone says a cord of wood HASto be
split to equal a cord

Care to quote anyone or any post that said that?

Harry K

 

[tramp bushler]

Not trying to argue, but what you've described is exactly the reason I think this thread was started. You give no dimensions of your trailer or your "rick" for discussion. Also, are you talking about processed or unprocessed firewood? By definition, isn't a "cord" of firewood...128cu.ft. of split, tightly stacked wood??

Hows that for ya . You must work in an office . .

I'm not picking on Dozer Man . But a cord is a pile of wood that has an area great enough to give a total volume of 128 cubic feet . So heres a question
Would a log 8' dia.x8' long egual 1 cord . Assuming it is all wood not just a shell.

 

[tramp bushler]

So heres a 2 cord load

I sold it this evening to a customer who has bought more than 30 cord from me in the past 2 winters .
He's happy . I'm happy . The customer likes what they pay for . It keeps me too busy .

 

[Steve NW WI]

Hows that for ya . You must work in an office . .

I'm not picking on Dozer Man . But a cord is a pile of wood that has an area great enough to give a total volume of 128 cubic feet . So heres a question
Would a log 8' dia.x8' long egual 1 cord . Assuming it is all wood not just a shell.

No - volume = pi x r squared x h

3.14 x (4x4) x 8 = 401 cu ft. If I buy one of those as a cord, I'm getting a heck of a deal.

 

[jrider]

So heres a 2 cord load

I sold it this evening to a customer who has bought more than 30 cord from me in the past 2 winters .
He's happy . I'm happy . The customer likes what they pay for . It keeps me too busy .

What do you get for a load like that?

 

[tramp bushler]

Because this went to a large volume long term boiler customer , he gets a deal .360$ sawn into thirds . Roughly 32" any of the bigger stuff over 16" diameter I saw split to make it easier for him to load the boiler . For newer customers sawing it 16" its 460$

 

[turnkey4099]

Hows that for ya . You must work in an office . .

I'm not picking on Dozer Man . But a cord is a pile of wood that has an area great enough to give a total volume of 128 cubic feet . So heres a question
Would a log 8' dia.x8' long egual 1 cord . Assuming it is all wood not just a shell.

Ya found one! Unfortunately, he is wrong in that NO legal definition says anything at all about "split". All have a variation of the "tightly ranked" or "tightly piled', or vaiations of it.

Further there is not one legal definition out there that says anything at all about how long it needs to be cut.

Yes, 'cordwood' used to be commonly cut and sold in 4' lenghts. That made it convenient to feed the old wood fired steam engines. At the same time it was also sold a 'cords' cut to shorter length.

Comes back to the cord being an industry standard that anyone who cares to look it up will know exactly what it is, namely 128cu ft of firewood.

The sooner all those fake, face, bush, load, pile, stack, shirtpocket, beaver mouthfuls, etc measurements die, the better off the industry will be.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

No - volume = pi x r squared x h

3.14 x (4x4) x 8 = 401 cu ft. If I buy one of those as a cord, I'm getting a heck of a deal.

Yep, and after splitting it is going to be around 3 1/2 cords or more.

Harry K

 

[tramp bushler]

I agree .
Seems everyone who starts getting serious about selling wood figures out what a cord is . After a while they figure out how to market thier product . Then they start to think about how to
make money doing it . .

A guy needs to start with an honest measurement then increase their price while staying honest .

I'm almost suprised there are laws about selling firewood down south.
Just another reason I havn't been there for 30 years.

 

[Philbert]

'm almost suprised there are laws about selling firewood down south.
Just another reason I havn't been there for 30 years.

From you photo, it looks like you might be surprised about the laws we have regarding weight limits and securing your load as well!

Philbert

 

[tramp bushler]

Well ya'll please keep them down there . . :msp_thumbdn:
we don't have too too many laws here. But we do have toomany .

It's funny that in a place with few laws people from south complain about some of the few we do have . . .

But up here , uf someone will work hard they can move forward

 

[tramp bushler]

The view coming home tired with a load on . I think late winter is the best time of year . .

From north ( left) to south . Mt Sanford , Mt Drum, Mt. Wrangel . Mt Blackburn is to the south out of the pic .

 

[Dozer Man]

A cord is a cord is a cord is a cord....

Hows that for ya . You must work in an office . .

I'm not picking on Dozer Man . But a cord is a pile of wood that has an area great enough to give a total volume of 128 cubic feet . So heres a question
Would a log 8' dia.x8' long egual 1 cord . Assuming it is all wood not just a shell.

No need to defend myself...I was just repeating something I read in AS somewhere.

About the 8x8 log.....What about a 4' dia. x 8' long log? It would fit in the "4x4x8" jig perfectly, but if would only produce an actual volume of 100.48 cu. ft. of wood. Well, until you cut it into 16" lengths and split it into pieces of firewood and stack them into 3 - 4'x8' "1/3 cords"........Anybody care to guess how that would fill out the 4x4x8 jig after cut and split???? Just curious.

 

[M-tooth]

Because this went to a large volume long term boiler customer , he gets a deal .360$ sawn into thirds . Roughly 32" any of the bigger stuff over 16" diameter I saw split to make it easier for him to load the boiler . For newer customers sawing it 16" its 460$

$460 for two cord of softwood? As you probably know, we in the Northeast wouldn't even take that $hit for free!

 

[Fredward]

In N.Z the only way you can sell fire wood is per cubic metre, and this measurement is taken when the wood is thrown not stacked.

I'm glad this is how we do it after reading about cords!

Great pictures above, gotta love winter when the sun is shining and you have ranges like that to look at

 

[turnkey4099]

The view coming home tired with a load on . I think late winter is the best time of year . .

From north ( left) to south . Mt Sanford , Mt Drum, Mt. Wrangel . Mt Blackburn is to the south out of the pic .

Beautiful. I spent most of 55 and 56 up there, mostly on Shemya and St. Lawrence. Saw a lot of Alaska from Fairbanks, Anchorage, Nome and all the little villages inbetween riding the Wien, Reeves, etc. just trying to get to duty stations.
Wonderful country.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

No need to defend myself...I was just repeating something I read in AS somewhere.

About the 8x8 log.....What about a 4' dia. x 8' long log? It would fit in the "4x4x8" jig perfectly, but if would only produce an actual volume of 100.48 cu. ft. of wood. Well, until you cut it into 16" lengths and split it into pieces of firewood and stack them into 3 - 4'x8' "1/3 cords"........Anybody care to guess how that would fill out the 4x4x8 jig after cut and split???? Just curious.

It wouldn't fit and the smaller you split it the more overage you will have.

Harry K

 

[tramp bushler]

No need to defend myself...I was just repeating something I read in AS somewhere.

About the 8x8 log.....What about a 4' dia. x 8' long log? It would fit in the "4x4x8" jig perfectly, but if would only produce an actual volume of 100.48 cu. ft. of wood. Well, until you cut it into 16" lengths and split it into pieces of firewood and stack them into 3 - 4'x8' "1/3 cords"........Anybody care to guess how that would fill out the 4x4x8 jig after cut and split???? Just curious.

Ya I screwed up there . Too tired . . It woyld probably come out to around a cord . But I'm not much at math.

Anyone know the math .

 

[tramp bushler]

Harry . There was still most all the bark on this country back then .
I got home in 78 . Flew in to Kodiak on Wien . I went in the USCG to get here . When I got out in 82 I stayed . I've been almost everywhere in the state . Still have a few things to see . The Chain is sure a different kind of place .