Firewood drying "pad"?

[Ford's Lawncare]

I am in the process of getting my own property, and I think one of the first things I do when I get it is either pave or pour a slab of concrete something like 40' by 60' and get some of those concrete highway dividers, ones small enough so I can move them with a 43 hp kubota tractor. I would pitch the pad a little so there is no water buildup, and alighn those dividers around the edges. When I split, I would posistion my conveyor to fill in this pad with wood, ready to be dried. When its time to deliver, I can just bucket up, and have the concrete dividers to push the wood up against, and make less of a mess, not to mention clean wood with no grass or dirt on it. I figure I can do most of the prep work, grade it and everything. All I'd have to pay somebody to do is pave it or pour the concrete, as well as buy those dividers. Maybe this will all work on a good gravel surface instead. Anybody have a setup like this?

 

[cabinman]

pads

I am in the process of getting my own property, and I think one of the first things I do when I get it is either pave or pour a slab of concrete something like 40' by 60' and get some of those concrete highway dividers, ones small enough so I can move them with a 43 hp kubota tractor. I would pitch the pad a little so there is no water buildup, and alighn those dividers around the edges. When I split, I would posistion my conveyor to fill in this pad with wood, ready to be dried. When its time to deliver, I can just bucket up, and have the concrete dividers to push the wood up against, and make less of a mess, not to mention clean wood with no grass or dirt on it. I figure I can do most of the prep work, grade it and everything. All I'd have to pay somebody to do is pave it or pour the concrete, as well as buy those dividers. Maybe this will all work on a good gravel surface instead. Anybody have a setup like this?

Ford, Iam using concrete, only because it was already there, pavment is cheaper, yes crown it good,.If your talkin about highway dividers, there too heavy for your tractor, But, You can unload alot more than you can lift with your tractor, Just dont break anything,. or have them delivered, not that much,.Are you going to sell by weight?..E,J,

 

[Ford's Lawncare]

no, I'm still going to sell by the cord. I've seen smaller dividers around, like 2'x4'x3' high. I think my tractor could move those around fairly easy. Once I get them in place, there would not be to much moving after that unless I want to divide it up or make it bigger.

 

[Ford's Lawncare]

I just did some research on those barriors, they have ones that are 4' long, and 32" high, that weigh 750 pounds. I can definatlly manouver this size around with my tractor, even if it dosent fit in the bucket. The only thing is that the price of this particular barrior is $250 brand new. I almost never hear of these things being for sale anywhere, new or used. Any ideas on who might have some older used ones?

 

[Husky137]

Check most interstates, they usually have a large assortment for free. I'd pick them up at night though.:greenchainsaw:

 

[Ford's Lawncare]

I'm thinking, I could always just pour standard foundation walls around the perimeter, maybe 4 feet high, and only pour it on three sides, so I can get a bucket loader in. They would be permanent, but I think that is the most cost effective way to do this. The only thing is that bottom 4' of the pile would have very poor air circulation through it I would imagine. My other idea is to stagger like 4x4's on end around, to make like a really sturdy fence almost. There will be like a 3" gap inbetween each one I'm going to look into this idea more, so hopefully I can have something like this soon. A guy around me has the best setup, he didnt have to do anything to get. He has an old slab built into a hill, like the foundation of a old potatoe house maybe. Perfect, he can dump from the top, then once its dry bucket it up from the lower side. I would really appreciate some comments on this, because I know there is a a few of you guys who have a setup at least similar to this. Thanks!

 

[cabinman]

Traffic control

Check your local traffic control companies, around here, the state hires a company to do it, you might be able to pick up dammaged,cracked ones free, E,J,

 

[Ford's Lawncare]

Yah, I'll look around. This project is a couple years down the road anyway, so I will have plenty of time for shopping. They have public state auctions here every so often as well, I'lll look there too.

 

[blackdoggy]

What your trying to make is called a Bunker. The simplest way to build one is to pour 2ft wide x 4Ft tall x 6ft long steel reinforced blocks so you have a modular system. Lots of scrap yards use this style system for their bunkers and it works out very well.

 

[cjcocn]

I think that you would have moisture problems at the bottom of your containment unless you built it shallow enough where moisture could wick out on its own.

Just picturing something like that brings to mind dampness and, after a while, fungi.

Or am I totally off-base here?

 

[gtstang462002]

PEX loop in the pad and heat the pad to 60-70degrees with an owb. Wouldn't need a large one if that is all that you are heating...

 

[blackdoggy]

An option for air circulation might be building a elevated platform with 4x4x8 square posts in a grid pattern six or more inches above your bunker pad.

 

[cjcocn]

An option for air circulation might be building a elevated platform with 4x4x8 square posts in a grid pattern six or more inches above your bunker pad.

I thought about that, but I believe that he wants to use his bucket to scoop up the firewood when it is time to deliver.

 

[cabinman]

green house

Ive got a couple of green house frames, Ive been thinking of trying, I want to try the free solar energy and see what happens, dont know much about green houses or managing the humidity, but always willing to learn, .Any thoughts,..Thanks Eric

 

[blackdoggy]

I thought about that, but I believe that he wants to use his bucket to scoop up the firewood when it is time to deliver.

He could still use the bucket down to a certain level.

 

[coppersnowblue]

Check with your local ready mix concrete company. Around here they use there unused concrete and make blocks about not sure 3' tall x 2' wide and 4' long. I built a retaining wall last summer and they worked great.

 

[Vibes]

My question is, Is there that much money to be made selling firewood. I see you live in Maine. I think a cord of wood sells for alot less in Maine than it does in Pa. I would look at the initial cost of the investment, and how much the profit will be and how long it will take to recoup the initial investment.

Your already looking at the cost of a processor and the cost to make that cord of wood. All that concrete just takes away from your profit per cord.

My .02 on business.

 

[Ford's Lawncare]

Vibes, you have a good point, I am not completely new to firewood. I started my own buisness mowing lawns 7 years ago, and two years ago I decided to sell firewood to keep busy in the winter. I am selling cords now for $225, I don't know how that compares to PA. I am in my last year of school so next winter I will have a lot more time for wood. Currently I only sell about 40-50 cord a year, but hopefully I will at least double that next year. Right now I don't really need a processor, my super split and conveyor do just fine. I'm not really thinking about spending a ton of money here, only really just a pavement pad would probably work. I can do everything else myself, prepwork, and small knee walls around the edge.

 

[Husky137]

I think concrete will work out to be a lot cheaper, especially with high oil prices driving up the price of asphalt.