Woohoo! I've Got 12" Wood!!!

[bfrazier]

Ok, now that I have you here... ;-) I really do have something to say about firewood!

I bought a 22 year old house and it came with a stack of pathetic leftover wood of bizarre random lengths from 12" out to about 22" in length, which is about the max my stove could use. When I got to actually burning the short stuff I had an epiphany. After 40 years of wood cutting I realized how vastly better it is to lay the wood in the stove endways rather than the more typical sideways because:

1. You have tons more control over the fire lay - pieces can be in the middle of the box or off to the sides.
2. Logs won't roll up to the front, or worse, try to roll out.
3. You don't have to reach into the stove as far (and burn your fingers).
4. You likely can fit more wood in. Seriously, somehow it works way better (for me anyways).
5. Smaller sized rounds are easier to move.
6. Easier to split 12" pieces than 16".

There are a couple downsides too: you have to make 25% more cuts, handle 25% more pieces, and stacking 12" wood is a high art form when it comes to making it look perfect. I take my time and cut every round right at 12".

We had a log cabin when I was a kid, it took 3' logs, so I cut three foot logs. For years since I simply cut 16" wood because that was the standard, and an easy 3 face rows to the cord figure wise. I guess I just needed to stop and think about why I always had done it a certain way. Now I cut 12" wood, and I'll never go back. ;-)

So what do you think?

Bob

 

[Ronaldo]

I think that is a beautiful fire and stove/setting. I load mine ends out and prefer it also for the reasons you mentioned. I think the pieces light better too as air can get all around better.

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[buzz sawyer]

Interesting! I will try it in mine as I do have some short pieces that given to me.

 

[md1486]

Nice setup ! The door's glass doesnt get dirty as the logs burn ? They seem real close to the glass. Mine would mess up if I do it that way !

 

[bfrazier]

Nice setup ! The door's glass doesnt get dirty as the logs burn ? They seem real close to the glass. Mine would mess up if I do it that way !

Well I don't think the glass gets any dirtier, that's such a great question!

So I measured, my firebox is 16" deep, 23" wide between the bricks, and laid end wise the wood never gets quite all the way back, but still, it's likely 3' from the glass.

Soot on the glass would be more a function of burn temperature and wood type/moisture... i think.

 

[bfrazier]

I think that is a beautiful fire and stove/setting. I load mine ends out and prefer it also for the reasons you mentioned. I think the pieces light better too as air can get all around better.

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Thank you Ronaldo! Here's another shot for you - lots of thermal mass I think was the idea behind the original owner/builder.

 

[bfrazier]

Interesting! I will try it in mine as I do have some short pieces that given to me.

Please let us know what you think Buzz! It sure was a shock to me.

(My favorite teacher was named "Buzz" - a woodshop teacher of course.)

 

[rarefish383]

My first stove, in 87, was a Russo insert. Enough stuck out of the fire box to set a kettle or pot of soup on, if power went out. It was 20" deep and 24-25 wide. I stacked it like you do, cut 18", so it wouldn't smoke up the glass. I measured every piece to 18", anything more than an inch over or under went in the burn pile. I split the pieces relatively small because I could stack more in it, than if I cut it big. I worked the night shift then and I could pack it tight before I went to work, then pack it tight before I went to bed the next day, and get 12 hour burns out of it. Then a couple years ago my wife wanted a new stove. She had to have a Jotul insert. She wanted something prettier, flush to the fireplace. It's only about 13" deep and about 25" wide. No way on the face of this earth am I going to cut wood a foot long. I have 5-6 customers that get 18" wood, so all of my wood is 18". I'm retired now so the 12 hour burn times are not a big deal. Since there is no steel sitting out on the hearth, the Jotul doesn't throw the heat the Russo did, but it's apple to oranges. Bigger CAT stove verse Prettier stove.

 

[bfrazier]

Yeah, it would be a huge change to go from cutting 18" rounds down to 12", but I'm retired now too, so I figure I have more time than I did to get it right and not be in a hurry. A cord of wood is a cord of wood whether it's in 12's or 18's... but I hear you. I like what you said about the ability to pack it in tight end wise too, that's the biggest advantage I'm seeing. Thanks for the input.

See? 12" still stacks ok, but looks a little weird.

 

[4seasons]

Every wood stove and furnace I have ever owned or loaded was loaded long ways. Whether it took 36" logs or 18" that is the only way they went in. Even my friend who has one of those fancy glass front stoves still loads from the side. I get the attraction of being able to see the fire but I burn for the practical side of things. I don't want something as fragile as glass on my stove. I guess I just discovered another reason to not get a fancy stove.

 

[U&A]

In my opinion the wood will burn faster when loaded north and south versus east and west. The Air coming into the store from the front passes all the way through all the logs therefore all the logs are getting burned away at the same time.
If you load them east to west the fire burns from the front log to back log in order, so the wood will last longer.

Iv tested this and it holds very true in my PE Summit.



Also,
Your stove and setup is beautiful. Love it!

Tried convincing my wife of the gold. She liked the nickel with black legs.

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[U&A]

Every wood stove and furnace I have ever owned or loaded was loaded long ways. Whether it took 36" logs or 18" that is the only way they went in. Even my friend who has one of those fancy glass front stoves still loads from the side. I get the attraction of being able to see the fire but I burn for the practical side of things. I don't want something as fragile as glass on my stove. I guess I just discovered another reason to not get a fancy stove.

The new ones are not glass anymore there some kind a ceramic and very durable.


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[bfrazier]

In my opinion the wood will burn faster when loaded north and south versus east and west. The Air coming into the store from the front passes all the way through all the logs therefore all the logs are getting burned away at the same time.
If you load them east to west the fire burns from the front log to back log in order, so the wood will last longer.

Iv tested this and it holds very true in my PE Summit.



Also,
Your stove and setup is beautiful. Love it!

Tried convincing my wife of the gold. She liked the nickel with black legs.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi U&A,

You bring up an interesting point! Does wood burn faster oriented one way as opposed to the other??? And you may well be right. I think my air comes in at the bottom and is preheated but it isn't actually available to the wood until it goes up to the top. Would you mind taking a look at this diagram? (And this is an updated model - mine is 22 years old.) thx. Bob PS - I like your stove too, I'd have chosen silver like you have - but it came with the house, I like them both, but love the "glass" the most.

 

[U&A]

Hi U&A,

You bring up an interesting point! Does wood burn faster oriented one way as opposed to the other??? And you may well be right. I think my air comes in at the bottom and is preheated but it isn't actually available to the wood until it goes up to the top. Would you mind taking a look at this diagram? (And this is an updated model - mine is 22 years old.) thx. Bob PS - I like your stove too, I'd have chosen silver like you have - but it came with the house, I like them both, but love the "glass" the most.

You are very right sir the air on your stove comes from the top. That’s very interesting. Mine comes out in the front at the very bottom of the firebox under the window. So the air is directed right at the first log laying on the ashes. That’s why my testing works for my situation.

Yours on the other hand I bet makes almost no difference.

Would be cool to hear what you come up with if you ever tested it.


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[Cowboy254]

The airflow in my heater comes in front top and flows down the glass at the front then along the bottom to the back then up to where it meets recirculated secondary air/smoke then flows forward along the baffle plate, so a continual rolling air movement. This keeps the glass clean because it is getting well oxygenated air all the time and it burns best if wood is placed in front to back where the air flows along the logs. It doesn't work anywhere near as well if you put the wood in across.

 

[bfrazier]

The airflow in my heater comes in front top and flows down the glass at the front then along the bottom to the back then up to where it meets recirculated secondary air/smoke then flows forward along the baffle plate, so a continual rolling air movement. This keeps the glass clean because it is getting well oxygenated air all the time and it burns best if wood is placed in front to back where the air flows along the logs. It doesn't work anywhere near as well if you put the wood in across.

So Cowboy254, how long do you cut your firewood?

 

[Ronaldo]

Thank you Ronaldo! Here's another shot for you - lots of thermal mass I think was the idea behind the original owner/builder.

That's an impressive hearth. Thanks for the pics.

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[Cowboy254]

So Cowboy254, how long do you cut your firewood?

I cut to about 14-15 inches and the firebox depth 18.5 in. I like to have about 2 inch gap between the glass and the wood. It doesn't matter if the logs are hard up against the back of the firebox.

 

[bfrazier]

I cut to about 14-15 inches and the firebox depth 18.5 in. I like to have about 2 inch gap between the glass and the wood. It doesn't matter if the logs are hard up against the back of the firebox.

Awesome Cowboy. I hear you mates have some really hard good burning wood down there. All I (mostly) have is conifers here in the NW of USA. Bests, Bob

 

[Cody]

I'll occasionally load E-W but only on the bottom row, I don't want a piece rolling into the glass. Like others my stove has the airwash design that brings the air down across the glass so when I stack high and close to the glass I can get coals falling down into the glass at times. It's fun learning/playing around with what works and what doesn't. I think I've got mine figured out but as long as it's throwing heat and flames I'm happy. If I'd just split all my pieces of wood into 6" x 8" blocks it'd be even better, load 4 pieces and be done. Too bad all trees didn't just grow that way....