Wood Stacking Idea

[Wood Doctor]

I've been toying with this idea for some time now and thought I would share it with you. Criss-cross stacking the ends of a long row of logs works really well, and if you do it, the logs in between can all be stacked horizontally and aligned, which is really easy. No end staking is required to hold up the ends.

But get this. Suppose you need about 6 rows lined up, thus forming a square when viewed from the top. The last time I did this I criss-cross stacked 12 times, twice for each row. That worked OK, but it dawned on me that I really only needed to criss-cross stack the four corners. Here's a sketch, top view and side view:

The outer rows run at right angles to each other and the ends of all the rows are now held up by the two end rows that are in turn held in place by the criss-cross stacks at the four corners. (I know, a picture is worth a 1000 words). WDYT? Anybody ever tried this?

 

[zogger]

Looks good. I was thinking about something similar. I have gone to railroad ties and pallets, but was thinking a big square arrangment would work better, exactly like you have described. My current deal is two ties, straddled by the pallet, cross cross, three rows wide. Long row in other words.... its a little shaky...I am going to top them with lighter pallets and stapled on plastic then tie them down hard...

Might take longer to dry with a big square and multiple rows inside, but you could go high and it would be stable and you could stash the weirdo shaped pieces inside, keep the perfect ones outside for the stacking strength. . Easier to make then a halz hausen or other arrangment.

Meh, was on a roll stacking and the T storms started...

 

[Bushbow]

Yup - works fine as long as you log cabin corner stacks are done really well. Take your time and be choosy on the splits you use for those and all should be fine.

The center wood will not season as quickly as the outer rows so if you are not 3+yrs ahead it can become counter productive to stack really tight. If you need to just take out(or never put in) one of the center rows and spread your atacks out so there is more air space.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Good Suggestions

I currently stack on used pallets that I can get locally at no cost. I usually wait until the wood is almost dry in the round before I split and stack. Elm really appreciate that. Around here we get about half the rainfall that comes down east of the Mississippi river, and the added wind velocity helps also. Wood stored outside usually always dries in a year.

The only trouble I see here is removal. The criss-crossed corners and the rows connecting them will have to stay up longer than the rest, so the arrangement almost has to be hollowed out as the wood is collected. That's no big deal but something to consider.

Another guy here highly recommends a spiral pattern with no rows at all. He starts with a criss-cross in the dead center and then spiral stacks outward. Initially there is some lost air space but as the spiral gets larger, less air space is lost. He says this is desirable anyway because you need more air in the center for drying and he can go up as high as he can reach as he winds around.

With the spiral pattern, he says removal is a snap because you keep winding around and around on the outside. And, the whole stack is self-supporting. Any comments on that idea?

 

[brenndatomu]

Hmmm...now there's an idea. So the center is hollow? Would it taper in toward the top? Kinda wood teepee. Is this much different than a holz hausen? (sp?)

 

[Wood Doctor]

Maybe a Tapered Top

Hmmm...now there's an idea. So the center is hollow? Would it taper in toward the top? Kinda wood teepee. Is this much different than a holz hausen? (sp?)

The taper on top would probably be optional but could help in controlling snow. Most of the ones I have seen around here are flat on top because nobody wants to climb up and add a "roof" or take it down for that matter. The center could be hollow or filled in with a criss-cross stack or several criss-crosses. As you spiral around, you could lean the rows toward the center for added stability.

I imagine a spiral stack would be solid as a rock, easy to build (and even easier as it grows), and really easy for log removal. But, don't ask me to draw one with my simple drawing skills. :msp_rolleyes:

 

[blacklocst]

I'm more of a visual guy so now you're going to have to draw it for me.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[zogger]

I currently stack on used pallets that I can get locally at no cost. I usually wait until the wood is almost dry in the round before I split and stack. Elm really appreciate that. Around here we get about half the rainfall that comes down east of the Mississippi river, and the added wind velocity helps also. Wood stored outside usually always dries in a year.

The only trouble I see here is removal. The criss-crossed corners and the rows connecting them will have to stay up longer than the rest, so the arrangement almost has to be hollowed out as the wood is collected. That's no big deal but something to consider.

Another guy here highly recommends a spiral pattern with no rows at all. He starts with a criss-cross in the dead center and then spiral stacks outward. Initially there is some lost air space but as the spiral gets larger, less air space is lost. He says this is desirable anyway because you need more air in the center for drying and he can go up as high as he can reach as he winds around.

With the spiral pattern, he says removal is a snap because you keep winding around and around on the outside. And, the whole stack is self-supporting. Any comments on that idea?

Id like to see one and see how the splits and logs are laid. Because it sounds easy to build, but... How they overlap or cross each other or stack. Just not getting it yet. Go around once, then what? Ha! In my head it is looking like a mc escher designed stack...

 

[zogger]

the spiral

I found that original discussion, years before I joined here

http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/34377.htm#post710926

 

[GeeVee]

two words, shrinkage, and dominoes.


Spiral prolly would work, but random sounds EASIEST. Tom Trees makes a random pile about eight feet high on the egde, but id oubt it's free standing.

Throw some pallets down if you dont have a concrete pad, and pile it up, if it gets so tall it spills over the pallets, add pallets.

Stacking, is a waste of time.

 

[stihly dan]

two words, shrinkage, and dominoes.


Spiral prolly would work, but random sounds EASIEST. Tom Trees makes a random pile about eight feet high on the egde, but id oubt it's free standing.

Throw some pallets down if you dont have a concrete pad, and pile it up, if it gets so tall it spills over the pallets, add pallets.

Stacking, is a waste of time.

Nah, wood only shrinks when it's wet and cold.

 

[BrokenToys]

Stacking, is a waste of time.

Without Stacking; what else would satisfy my OCD behavior !!! Stacking is an art form :msp_biggrin: It's like those pebble gardens in Japan !!!

 

[Wood Doctor]

Spiral Stacking

I found that original discussion, years before I joined here

http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/34377.htm#post710926

Thanks for the Pic, Zogger. I could never have drawn that. Now try to imagine this. My spiral stack will be placed on about 25 pallets, each 4' x 4' and arranged in a square. The outer diameter is thus 20 feet. Each log averages 18" in length, so there will be about 10 spiral rows all the way around in a continuous stream. The larger the stack, the tighter the logs become, as if they were linear rows.

I'm not sure that any stacking procedure could yield more stacked logs in a given area that would be (1) easier to stack, (2) easier to unload, or (3) more stable in structure. Spiral stacking gets my vote. opcorn:

 

[mountainmandan]

I am doing something like that this year. Mine is not so regular, due to it being in a limited space and on a fairly steep hill. The only thing I did different is I leave a row out ocasionally to promote air circulation. Will not know how dry it is until next winter, but I bet it is dry. My corners are not as high as the rest to promote stability.

Dan

 

[zogger]

Thanks for the Pic, Zogger. I could never have drawn that. Now try to imagine this. My spiral stack will be placed on about 25 pallets, each 4' x 4' and arranged in a square. The outer diameter is thus 20 feet. Each log averages 18" in length, so there will be about 10 spiral rows all the way around in a continuous stream. The larger the stack, the tighter the logs become, as if they were linear rows.

I'm not sure that any stacking procedure could yield more stacked logs in a given area that would be (1) easier to stack, (2) easier to unload, or (3) more stable in structure. Spiral stacking gets my vote. opcorn:

I might try that for my assorted species/rounds/splits/oddball pile. Thats just a multicord heap now and a lot of it needs splitting or resplitting. so whut the heck...

My big stack with all front yard tree trim oak splits had the tarp blow off last night. It knocked twenty (didnt count but a lot) uglies off and just ripped that thing off. Two big ones, big gnarly crotches on the end held it there kinda sorta. Never had that happen before with that much weight on it.

 

[brenndatomu]

I found that original discussion, years before I joined here

http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/34377.htm#post710926

Thanks for the thread link zog. I wasn't picturing the "spiral" correctly. That would probably work well. Just a variation of the holz hausen. The only downside I can think of is, unless you can leave it alone for 3 years or so, the dry wood that you'd wanna start with is stuck in the center.
I wonder how it would work to put a piece of 8-10" pipe down the center of the stack, pulled up a foot or so off the bottom, would act like a chimney for airflow. Ya'd hafta stack up off the ground of course, pallets or something.

 

[zogger]

Thanks for the thread link zog. I wasn't picturing the "spiral" correctly. That would probably work well. Just a variation of the holz hausen. The only downside I can think of is, unless you can leave it alone for 3 years or so, the dry wood that you'd wanna start with is stuck in the center.
I wonder how it would work to put a piece of 8-10" pipe down the center of the stack, pulled up a foot or so off the bottom, would act like a chimney for airflow. Ya'd hafta stack up off the ground of course, pallets or something.

Just stack a square split chimney in the center, only two splits per layer. Like this, #, but the splits a little more out to the end, maximum chimney. Plenty of air space then. Go straight up, then spiral around it. I would also get those pallets up off the ground more, maybe on cement blocks turned sideways to get more air underneath..

Thinking about it, nothing says you couldnt criss cross stack in a spiral! Just be generous with the air spaces, and bias it so it all leans in a little. Start with the straight criss cross chimney, and then instead of laying them all tight like in the picture, all criss cross. You slightly cross each next ministack so it is tied together good. Well, maybe, never built one just thought of it. would take a little experimenting.

Plenty of air up under and through then, just you couldnt get as much wood in the stack, but it should dry in one season then fine.

 

[brenndatomu]

Yeah, I thought of that too...just wasn't sure that it'd actually give you the "stack effect" that a chimney gives. It would allow for air flow for sure, if the breeze was blowing right anyway.

Hmmm....the more I thinks about it...maybe a combination of the two would be the ticket. Stack like you said, leave it open in the middle, put a pipe in it like I said, only have it just setting over top the center hole. That would allow air to be drawn through the whole stack throughout it's height. I'm thinking a 5-8' section of pipe above the woodpile, painted black to heat the air, keep it rising through the "chimney."

Doggonit, this is starting to sound familiar, did I read about someone on here trying this already???:msp_unsure: :msp_rolleyes:

 

[Wood Doctor]

Started the Spiral Stack

I split a cord of large mulberry rounds yesterday that I had collected last fall and rough stacked hoizontally. These logs will need at least another six to eight months of air drying before burning, so I thought best to put them in the center of the spiral stack because they will be burned last.

I criss-cross stacked four towers in the center and then, to make it easy to spiral arround, I added one more criss-cross tower at a corner to hold the beginning of the spiral. At this point, I have completed the tightest portion of the spiral in the center and am ready for the first overlap. I'll take some Pics as I go along.

In all, I estimate that the entire spiral stack will hold about 15 cords when completed if I go up about seven feet high all the way across. So, I hardly have 10% completed at this point. Eventually, the final end of the "snail shell" may require one more criss-cross stack to serve as a book end, but otherwise from here on out, things will be really easy. According to my calculations, the length of the spirals if stretched out would be about 200 feet.

 

[Chris-PA]

I really like this spiral stack idea! I'm going to try this.