Figure out how much time (hours) to cut a cord with 24" pieces. Divide the time by the cord price in your area to get the hourly rate. When you custom cut wood for a customer you'll then know how much to charge based on time spent.
How to measure wood (what is a cord?)
- Thread starter Guido Salvage
- Start date
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I have a friend who has been a tree man /firewood guy his entire life and is now 62. He tells me there are 2 types of cords.
a "pulp cord" 4x4x8 no air inbetween, its wood pulp used for whatever they glue the stuff together for or make out of it.
Then the firewood cord which is 2 face cords put together.
This does make sense to me, however if the 2 face cords have 24" long pieces, your definatley getting more wood than the guy getting the 16 inch pieces.
Just my 2 cents.
Time to go split two thousand pieces...4 cords....
?
a "pulp cord" 4x4x8 no air inbetween, its wood pulp used for whatever they glue the stuff together for or make out of it.
Then the firewood cord which is 2 face cords put together.
This does make sense to me, however if the 2 face cords have 24" long pieces, your definatley getting more wood than the guy getting the 16 inch pieces.
Just my 2 cents.
Time to go split two thousand pieces...4 cords....
?
Steve NW WI
Unwanted Riff Raff.
I have a friend who has been a tree man /firewood guy his entire life and is now 62. He tells me there are 2 types of cords.
a "pulp cord" 4x4x8 no air inbetween, its wood pulp used for whatever they glue the stuff together for or make out of it.
Then the firewood cord which is 2 face cords put together.
This does make sense to me, however if the 2 face cords have 24" long pieces, your definatley getting more wood than the guy getting the 16 inch pieces.
Just my 2 cents.
Time to go split two thousand pieces...4 cords....
Scotte, I moved your post to the "How to measure firewood" thread. Nothing personal, and you didn't do anything wrong really, just that I'm new at this moderator stuff and thought I'd give moving a post a try.
That, and firewood measurement is always a guaranteed thread derail.
I have a friend who has been a tree man /firewood guy his entire life and is now 62. He tells me there are 2 types of cords.
a "pulp cord" 4x4x8 no air inbetween, its wood pulp used for whatever they glue the stuff together for or make out of it.
Then the firewood cord which is 2 face cords put together.
This does make sense to me, however if the 2 face cords have 24" long pieces, your definatley getting more wood than the guy getting the 16 inch pieces.
Just my 2 cents.
Time to go split two thousand pieces...4 cords....
Your freind doesn't know what he is talkign about. There is no such thing as a standard "face cord".
What does he mean by "no air in between" - that is an impossibility unless it a balk sawn out of a tree.
Yes, originally the "cord" did mean 4' long pieces because that was a good size to stoke steam engines and fireplaces. Some places still do use "pulp cord" but youwon't find it defined in any Weights and Measures standards that I have come across.
Harry K
What do you mean ,no such thing as a face cord? I have heard this term used all over the north east.
Also, i said no air in between on the pulp cord. Which my understanding is basically ground up wood. This post was originally in the how many pieces of wood in a cord thread. So as for weights and measures ...
Did you miss "standard"? Look itup in the Weights and Measures regs. You will find, if it is mentioned at all, it specifically states it is an illegal measure. The reason "face cord" is not a standard is because it does one describes two dimensions, lentght of cut alos has to be specified before anyone knows how much is in that "face cord".
There is absolutely no reason to ever use face cord. Specify it by cord or fraction thereof and everyone knows immediatly how much wood you are talkign about.
"Ground up wood" has more air in it than splits tightly packed. The smaller you work up your wood, the more surface area you get and thus more air. Now if you were to take that ground up wood and put it through a compactor...
As for "so much for weights and measures..." if you are selling in a state that regulates firewood sales, you do NOT want to have a customer lodge a complaint with those people. The only reson 'face cord" and like survive is few customers ever complain.
Harry K
Thanks for the clarification.
So now I am reading the states "weights and measures" laws specifically related to firewood. as you said, 4x4x8.
So, is there a "minimum" of pieces you get in a cord?
Thanks,
Scott
So now I am reading the states "weights and measures" laws specifically related to firewood. as you said, 4x4x8.
So, is there a "minimum" of pieces you get in a cord?
Thanks,
Scott
Steve NW WI
Unwanted Riff Raff.
Yup, one. It'd be a REAL big piece though!
Seriously, no. Too much variation in size. My splits might be half or less the size that an OWB owner splits to, and still twice the size of the bundles they sell at gas stations.
"Pieces" don't make the cord. Volume does. If you split your wood real small you might have more pieces but the measurement of a cord remains the same...128 cubic feet.
Local custom creates terminology but the legal definition of a cord of wood always remains the same.
Our County weights and measures department runs stings occasionally on firewood dealers who are suspected of shorting their customers. They get a couple every time. It's illegal here to sell in anything but cords or fractions thereof. Most homeowners who burn wood don't have a real knowledge of what a cord looks like and they can get ripped off.
Somewhere on A.S. (maybe in this thread) someone compared the differences in volume with split wood.
If you started with a 4'x4'x8' block of milled wood and cut it into 2x4's with a bandsaw, the cubic volume of the tightly stacked wood would go down, due to the sawdust produced.
If you split the same wood, the cubic volume of the stack would go up, because you could never get the pieces that close again. Depending on how small and how smooth you split it, the size of the pile varies. That is why, as I understand it, most regs say something like 'tightly stacked' when referring to volume.
Wood also shrinks as it dries, so a cord of green wood is going to be smaller after it cures.
Some guys in this thread insist that the split wood they sell 'started out as a full cord of wood' (e.g. green logs), which is something else than a cord of split, seasoned, firewood.
Philbert
fearofpavement
Trying them all
This is what the state of Georgia says about legal firewood sales:
Department of Agriculture Regulations Help Protect Buyers, Sellers of Firewood......
...... According to regulations administered by the department’s Fuels and Measures office, wood of any type sold as fuel for fireplaces or stoves must be sold by the cord or cubic measure. A cord is defined as 128 cubic feet of wood stacked by the line or row in a compact manner with individual pieces touching. The cord can be four feet high, four feet wide (deep) and eight feet long, or any combination of these measurements (height, width and length) that yield 128 cubic feet of firewood (4 ft. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. = 128 cubic feet).
Although consumers easily can measure the height and length of a cord of wood, they should pay particular attention to the width (depth) of the cord. Since it is impractical to cut firewood into lengths of four feet for most uses, consumers likely will want the wood in more manageable lengths of 24 or 16 inches for use in fireplaces and stoves. Therefore, for wood stacked in rows four feet high and eight feet long, it will take two rows of 24-inch wood or three rows of 16-inch wood to provide a width (depth) of four feet (48 inches).
Departmental regulations require that firewood must be advertised and sold only by the cord, fraction of a cord, or in cubic measure, said Rich Lewis, director of the fuel and measures section. However, consumers may see the words “truckload, face cord or rack” in connection with firewood advertisements, but these are not legally recognized measurements..
“Consumers may find firewood sold in small bundles or shrink-wrapped packages at convenience stores and other retail outlets, Lewis said. “However, the Department requires that the quantity of the firewood be clearly displayed on the package in terms of cubic measure so the consumer will know the exact amount of wood purchased.
Department rules also state that firewood must be designated within 10 percent accuracy as to the type or species of wood. For instance, a cord may be advertised as 50 percent oak and 50 percent hickory as long as the percentage of each species is not off by more than 10 percent.....
....A cord is defined as 128 cubic feet of wood stacked by the line or row in a compact manner with individual pieces touching; it can be four feet high, four feet wide (deep), and eight feet long, or any combination of these measurements (height, width and length) that yields 128 cubic feet.
Department of Agriculture Regulations Help Protect Buyers, Sellers of Firewood......
...... According to regulations administered by the department’s Fuels and Measures office, wood of any type sold as fuel for fireplaces or stoves must be sold by the cord or cubic measure. A cord is defined as 128 cubic feet of wood stacked by the line or row in a compact manner with individual pieces touching. The cord can be four feet high, four feet wide (deep) and eight feet long, or any combination of these measurements (height, width and length) that yield 128 cubic feet of firewood (4 ft. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. = 128 cubic feet).
Although consumers easily can measure the height and length of a cord of wood, they should pay particular attention to the width (depth) of the cord. Since it is impractical to cut firewood into lengths of four feet for most uses, consumers likely will want the wood in more manageable lengths of 24 or 16 inches for use in fireplaces and stoves. Therefore, for wood stacked in rows four feet high and eight feet long, it will take two rows of 24-inch wood or three rows of 16-inch wood to provide a width (depth) of four feet (48 inches).
Departmental regulations require that firewood must be advertised and sold only by the cord, fraction of a cord, or in cubic measure, said Rich Lewis, director of the fuel and measures section. However, consumers may see the words “truckload, face cord or rack” in connection with firewood advertisements, but these are not legally recognized measurements..
“Consumers may find firewood sold in small bundles or shrink-wrapped packages at convenience stores and other retail outlets, Lewis said. “However, the Department requires that the quantity of the firewood be clearly displayed on the package in terms of cubic measure so the consumer will know the exact amount of wood purchased.
Department rules also state that firewood must be designated within 10 percent accuracy as to the type or species of wood. For instance, a cord may be advertised as 50 percent oak and 50 percent hickory as long as the percentage of each species is not off by more than 10 percent.....
....A cord is defined as 128 cubic feet of wood stacked by the line or row in a compact manner with individual pieces touching; it can be four feet high, four feet wide (deep), and eight feet long, or any combination of these measurements (height, width and length) that yields 128 cubic feet.
fearofpavement
Trying them all
and in regards to Georgia regulations, most pay no attention to them and sell wood by the "load" or "stack". Scope out the Atlanta CL and look under "firewood". Prices all over the place too.
I have sold one cord of wood in the past two years. Tornadoes keep coming through and destroying the market. That and the 70 degree January temps. lol
I have sold one cord of wood in the past two years. Tornadoes keep coming through and destroying the market. That and the 70 degree January temps. lol
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Well I have a lady that buys 12 inch from me I haul full cord and charge one third higher. People; wood aint worth crap until its split and cut, I don't sell wood. I sell my labor to produce it, likewise if they want 24 inch i reduce my price as my labor is reduced! Now the truth is; cord or fractions of a cord OR you can sell by the cubic foot legal but must have a label of cubic foot attached in some manner!
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The problem with regulating wood sales is that the W&M people don't do anything unless someone complains - they rarely do. Seems the W&M people could peruse the "firewood for sale" ads on their coffeebreak and then give the sellers of 'ricks, face cords, bunches, etc' the "word" when they got back to their desks
Harry K
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