Log Amount Question

[turnkey4099]

Have you ever heard of the 20 cord loads of logs that turn into 17-18? I've never heard of anybody getting more firewood out of a measured load of logs.

If the logs are crooked, yes. Plus the seller "claims" there are "x" number of cords in his load. If reasonably straight, no. A cord of bucked rounds will ALWAYS stack up to over a cord after splitting. If you have doubts, read the 'what is a cord' gthread in the stickies up top. Do a few of the experiments yourself if that is what it takes to convince you.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Im still perplexed on how a guy gets 5 ricks of 15" wood in a shortbed pick up.

Very easy depending on the size of the rick. there is no standard "rick". Any pile of at least three stiicks in a single width pile on up to infinity is a "rick".

Harry K

 

[stihly dan]

We are talking pickup trucks here not log trailers. My 7ft bed of my truck, I can get over a cord in it with 10 ft logs or larger. By doing this, the bed becomes longer, and you can stack to the height of the cab. Some limbs as side rails. Basically doubling the size of the bed or more. Obviously I am not talking about 24 inch wood!!!!!!!! But up to 18? largest 1st of course. It's not hard to load if you go end over end and slide up. I have loaded the truck with rounds as much as I could fit, and it wasn't even close. And yes, I over load the trucks weight limit. which also lets me know it's over a cord, Also the cut split and stack tells me this. 1 ton diesel with beefed up springs.

And I don't care if you believe me, it's the truth, and it is what it is.

 

[REJ2]

Very easy depending on the size of the rick. there is no standard "rick". Any pile of at least three stiicks in a single width pile on up to infinity is a "rick".

Harry K

Maybe no standard but generally its accepted as 4'x8' x a given length of split, in this case 15". At least thats how i understand it and a google search confirmed more or less.

 

[Homer177]

The thing with wood, it is not about the amount, it is about handling it as FEW times as possible.

If you bring home lengths, you cut it, load it, unload it, cut it smaller, split it, stack it, burn it.

If you cut & split it on site, you cut it small, split it, load it, unload it, stack it, burn it.

See!:hmm3grin2orange:

Stack it higher=more on the truck=less trips. Am I missing something?

 

[woodchuck357]

Most trucks get overloaded with green wood by weight before all that can be put

on by any method is reached.

Myself, I would rather work more time at home, but I would also rather leave the sawdust in the woods and just do the splitting at the house.

Closely stacked, whole rounds take up less space than the same wood closely stacked after splitting.

I'll have to do a measured run thru with the rounds stacked to make the most air space(with rounds stacked straight up instead of staggering) but I think, even stacked that way, the split stuff will measure a greater volume.:msp_confused:

 

[gregfox]

If the logs are crooked, yes. Plus the seller "claims" there are "x" number of cords in his load. If reasonably straight, no. A cord of bucked rounds will ALWAYS stack up to over a cord after splitting. If you have doubts, read the 'what is a cord' gthread in the stickies up top. Do a few of the experiments yourself if that is what it takes to convince you.

Harry K

We could go back and forth forever, but the bottom line is getting straight sticks is about like burning telephone poles. I've done a few more than a few experiments. And if you are believing the seller selling "X" than I've got all kinds of stuff for sale. Firewood sellers have a rep for shorting people or providing less than seasoned wood. Sounds like you need to do the experiments.

 

[turnkey4099]

Maybe no standard but generally its accepted as 4'x8' x a given length of split, in this case 15". At least thats how i understand it and a google search confirmed more or less.

And that "generally accepte" is exactly why one should use standard measures in professinal/semiprofessional sites such as this.

Why do you think the question "what is a rick?" was asked?

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

We could go back and forth forever, but the bottom line is getting straight sticks is about like burning telephone poles. I've done a few more than a few experiments. And if you are believing the seller selling "X" than I've got all kinds of stuff for sale. Firewood sellers have a rep for shorting people or providing less than seasoned wood. Sounds like you need to do the experiments.

Oddly, I HAVE, done them. I first read the 'split wood takes up more space' over 40 years ago and being a hard headed skeptic I tried it. It's true.

If you did some experiments and came out with less space you were careless, lost wood, etc. or just did the 'experimenters error' and misread the results to agee with your expectations.

You cannot pack a round of wood into the same space mother earth did after you split it. Every time you split you add surface area which is what causes the increase - rule of thumb = gain of about 10% after splitting.

Harry K

 

[woodchuck357]

Around here(Ozarks) wood has been sold by the rick as a standard

for ages, and it still is the most common way it is advertised and sold, even if the state legislature has passed a law making it illegal to sell or advertise wood for sale by any measure other than cord. Most folks know a rick is a stack 8 feet long and 4 feet high by a specific length. They order a 18 inch rick or a 24 inch rick and give you heck if it isn't what they asked for.

They just look at you like you just fell off a turnip truck when you mention cords in relation to fire wood. Then they tell you they want firewood not pulp wood.

I doubt "what is a rick?" is asked much more often than "what is a cord?".

 

[Steve NW WI]

Where does a Richard fit into that? Don't ask what the nickname fits into.

Harry K

It's a seasoned "Rick" LOL

This reminds me, I gotta finish that "legal method of selling firewood" chart.

I'm gonna say this ONE more time. If ya read slow, don't worry, I'm typing real slow: Whether the local method is the "face" "rick" "cubic zirconium" or whatever, feel free to sell by whatever local custom is, just make sure to mention that it's .XX of a cord to cover your butt legally. I don't have all the state's laws figured out yet, but I've yet to find one that the cord is not a legal measurement in.

 

[steved]

It's a seasoned "Rick" LOL

This reminds me, I gotta finish that "legal method of selling firewood" chart.

I'm gonna say this ONE more time. If ya read slow, don't worry, I'm typing real slow: Whether the local method is the "face" "rick" "cubic zirconium" or whatever, feel free to sell by whatever local custom is, just make sure to mention that it's .XX of a cord to cover your butt legally. I don't have all the state's laws figured out yet, but I've yet to find one that the cord is not a legal measurement in.

Around here you can sell by whatever volume you wish (truck load, trailer load, pile, etc.)...but if you sell by a "cord", you had best make sure you sell a full cord or they will slap your hands. I have seen that argument around these parts before, and there is no law that says you must sell firewood by the cord; but again, if you offer it up for sale by the cord, there had better be a full cord there.

 

[woodchuck357]

I hauled in some rounds the boys rough cut just to get rid of it

as I was unloading, thought this is a good time to measure rounds vs splits. The rounds are setting on the trailer in a 4 X 7' 6" space about as loose as they can be still touching. Should I put the posts I'll be stacking the splits between 7' 6" apart or add some small rounds to make up the 6" and put the posts at 8'?

View attachment 287141

They said the tree was an elm but don't know what kind.

 

[twinfiddles]

It's a seasoned "Rick" LOL

This reminds me, I gotta finish that "legal method of selling firewood" chart.

I'm gonna say this ONE more time. If ya read slow, don't worry, I'm typing real slow: Whether the local method is the "face" "rick" "cubic zirconium" or whatever, feel free to sell by whatever local custom is, just make sure to mention that it's .XX of a cord to cover your butt legally. I don't have all the state's laws figured out yet, but I've yet to find one that the cord is not a legal measurement in.[/QUOTE]

When I was selling wood in Massachusetts (some 15 years ago?) the law at the time said you couldn't use the words: face, rick, truck load OR cord! You were required to measure by the cubic ft.

 

[twinfiddles]

I did the math one time...a tri-axle load of poles was something like 10.25 cords (in log length); but only netted me about 7.5 cords cut on the ground. The guy who sold it to me actually told me that most guys will tell you its ten cords in a load, but in reality your lucky to get eight.

A tri-axle load 8' x 8' x 20' long will actually hold 10 cord. (8x8x20/128=10) But we all sell by the cord cut and split. 10 cord of logs will never equal 10 cord when cut and split. There's too much air space. I used to get about 6 1/2 and I had guys claiming they had 12 cord on the truck.
The problem is they will quote you a "reasonable" price per cord but based on log length. Once you break it down you're paying almost as much per cord as you sell for!