How did your wood season this year?
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songofthewood
ArboristSite Operative
trialanderror
ArboristSite Operative
everything this year i split and stacked has been dead fall on the ground for 5+ years. if it made chips when sawing, i stacked it.
some of it was more water then wood! (pine, popular, basswood ,etc)
it dried out very well, quite impressed. stackd my rows so the wind hits it dead on (east/northeast wind 80% of the time) and tarped it
i ususally ended up drinking more then a few after splitting for 8 hrs....
not the best looking rows, especially when i stack mine ~7' high.
some of it was more water then wood! (pine, popular, basswood ,etc)
it dried out very well, quite impressed. stackd my rows so the wind hits it dead on (east/northeast wind 80% of the time) and tarped it
i ususally ended up drinking more then a few after splitting for 8 hrs....
not the best looking rows, especially when i stack mine ~7' high.
Steve NW WI
Unwanted Riff Raff.
everything this year i split and stacked has been dead fall on the ground for 5+ years. if it made chips when sawing, i stacked it.
some of it was more water then wood! (pine, popular, basswood ,etc)
it dried out very well, quite impressed. stackd my rows so the wind hits it dead on (east/northeast wind 80% of the time) and tarped it
i ususally ended up drinking more then a few after splitting for 8 hrs....
I stack mine to catch the afternoon sun and the prevailing W/NW wind...it can't not help. This winter's cutting is gonna be out in the open where the sun will hit it from 9AM-dark, we will see if it makes a difference
I love cuttin and splittin, I just don't have the patience to watch it season.
Edit: T&E: I could stack higher if the rules didn't say the bar is open as soon as the splitter is off...My stacks are 5' high, any higher is very risky to tip over.
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trialanderror
ArboristSite Operative
yah, for sure it'll get tippy...
but i'm limited on space. from my cu ft math i can squeeze about 2.5 cord in a line 36ft long, and i have 14? can't remember, goin like a mad fool until it snows....every weekend i try and get 1 or 2 done.
first two rows are stacked with the nicest straighter split stuff, then each row after that, on the last couple of feet tall, kinda pushed them back so they lean into the previous, and the same each row after...
Moss Man
Addicted to ArboristSite
The logs were cut in the middle of last winter and I cut/split them mid summer. I dumped it on the ground with the ton truck in a long pile and we are just now getting to putting it in the basement. Seems pretty well seasoned considering the enormous amount of rain we had earlier.
maplemeister
ArboristSite Operative
Wettest summer I can recall in these parts. The bulk of my wood was bucked and split last winter, Jan, Feb, Mar, and left in big piles on the landing
uncovered. As I sold the wood this summer and fall, I noticed that the top 2/3 of the pile was ok, but the bottom 1/3 was starting to mildew and become unsightly. As Mr. Wood-booga has noted, there is a big difference between wet moisture and green moisture. The bottom of the pile was wet, heavy and did not appear to be seasoned at all, even after six months. I decided to retain this wood for my personal use and stacked it in my woodshed. lo and behold, in a matter of two weeks, the wood was well checked on the ends and the majority of the wet moisture was gone. I am sure I would have run into a lot of complaints had I tried to sell this wood as it was before putting it in my shed, and understandably so. However, after two weeks under cover, it is plenty dry enough to be used this winter. I don't mind a little rain but this year was a bit much.
Maplemeister:
uncovered. As I sold the wood this summer and fall, I noticed that the top 2/3 of the pile was ok, but the bottom 1/3 was starting to mildew and become unsightly. As Mr. Wood-booga has noted, there is a big difference between wet moisture and green moisture. The bottom of the pile was wet, heavy and did not appear to be seasoned at all, even after six months. I decided to retain this wood for my personal use and stacked it in my woodshed. lo and behold, in a matter of two weeks, the wood was well checked on the ends and the majority of the wet moisture was gone. I am sure I would have run into a lot of complaints had I tried to sell this wood as it was before putting it in my shed, and understandably so. However, after two weeks under cover, it is plenty dry enough to be used this winter. I don't mind a little rain but this year was a bit much.
Maplemeister:
Zodiac45
Paleostoveologist & Sawwhisperer
Yep same for me. Lucky we had the Aug and Sept. I've got 3 and 1/2 cords in the barn and another 1 and 1/2 still outside. It's all pretty much red maple outside so it'll stay for as long as I can, maybe right up to Thanksgiving. I live on a hilltop on the coast so it's quite breezy allot of the time. That heps allot.
pilot-werx
ArboristSite Lurker
Another Mainer..... I think this year has convinced me to try to build a solar kiln to dry out the wood. I hate having to leave it out this long as I know it will be a mad dash after thanksgiving to get 7 cords in the barn....
Anyone ever play with a solar kiln???
Anyone ever play with a solar kiln???
Buckethead
ArboristSite Operative
I had some mixed results with this season's drying. Like everyone else in the northeast we had a ton of rain up until mid-August.
The wood that we had stacked or piled on pallets but, uncovered didn't fare very well. It dried poorly and grew some interesting fungus. The Red Oak I had stacked and kept a tarp on the top only is very nice and burning great now.
The wood that we had stacked or piled on pallets but, uncovered didn't fare very well. It dried poorly and grew some interesting fungus. The Red Oak I had stacked and kept a tarp on the top only is very nice and burning great now.
I think most of us northern guys, with the exception being the PNW, had a very wet and cool summer, or did we really have summer? The wood I am burning this winter was spilt early last spring and on a hill top, facing north north west and had plenty of breeze, got the sun, when it did shine, pretty much all day long. Now I just have to get my rear moving and spliting next yeras stuff, have 3 good loads piled ready to go and dropped 7 nice hardwoods the other day at work. Just have to go get the fore someone else does.
Trbo
Trbo
I got all my personal stash(6 cords) ready by May ,red ,hard and silver maple seasoned with no problem in 2 month's had my kids tarp it every time it rained. and the black locust and white ash seasoned even faster , I just got that in September and stacked it "Holz Hausen" style. Its burning now with no sizzle.
OK, need for some har, har now----better seasoning 18" long "logs" cut side up or lying on their side? I don't burn wood and have a few trees down in an area where I can't get them out without splitting. Gotta be on their side...:newbie:
Karl
Karl
Steve NW WI
Unwanted Riff Raff.
Split wood will season faster than rounds stacked either way. Get em split right away, like it sounds like you plan on doing, and you're ahead of the game. I cringe a little every time I see someone's pile of unsplit rounds on here, but I realize that what works for me doesn't necessarily work for everyone. Some guys rent/borrow a splitter and split the whole year's collection of wood in a weekend. I own my own and it follows me faithfully every time I go cutting.
wdchuck
Addicted to ArboristSite
The wood that was split this spring, stacked on pallets in 1/3 cord, two row, compact stacks, and left out in the elements, sounds like bowling pins when you knock them together.
That little effort up front allows me to put my newly fabricated forks to work with the ford tractor, and move the stacks quick and easy to the basement window.
That little effort up front allows me to put my newly fabricated forks to work with the ford tractor, and move the stacks quick and easy to the basement window.
sly13
ArboristSite Operative
Had most cut and split by May about 4 1/2 cords. Seasoned pretty well but it was a cool damp summer. Had some rounds I did'nt get split, got them done a month ago and they were not doing to well on drying. Should be ready by late winter early spring. Should have plenty of wood til then.:monkey:
howellhandmade
Addicted to ArboristSite
Very well. Black locust that was split and stacked in the open in July is good, I'm burning odd-shaped bits and bobs of it (the ugly stack) to clean the yard up, the clean stacks will get another year. Black oak from May also will probably be for next winter, still have a few cords of locust from last year that is really prime by now. I guess we dodged the real protracted rain this summer.
Jack
Jack
xrayman
ArboristSite Operative
moved my wood from the stacks into my wood shed. wow dried really good for the wet cool summer we had. Bark was falling off about every piece. burnt some to see how it'd burn went up great!!! still have 4 more cords to move
jfournier
ArboristSite Lurker
Red oak and hickory I split in April and stacked in my back yard in the shade has seasoned to 20% moisture or less, and burns nice. I covered the top when it was a rainy week and left it uncovered on drier weeks, and most of it is split around 4" at the max dimension.
jburlingham
Addicted to ArboristSite
Same in Connecticut, my wood didn't season well at all. We got tons of rain however I think Maine got more then we did, my camp was washed out when I went up.
