Large Splits Vs. Small Splits

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sundance

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I've seen several threads discussing the final volume of rounds vs. splits. My question would be about very large splits as opposed to fairly small splits.
I bought a dump truck load that was sold as 3 cords. It was all pretty large splits. I split it down (most pieces split 2, sometimes 3 times). When I got it all stacked out I have a short 2 1/4 cords. Did I get shorted? I certainly feel I did but thought I's ask for opinions before contacting the seller.
Sundance
 
Generally speaking (as I understand it), the larger the pieces, the less air will be in the pile, and the more dense it is. So, if you took a pile of splits, be it a cord or 5 cords, and split them down further, you should end up with more volume than you started. So, following that logic, yes you got less than you paid for. Problem is gonna be getting anyone to do anything about it.
 
I've seen several threads discussing the final volume of rounds vs. splits. My question would be about very large splits as opposed to fairly small splits.
I bought a dump truck load that was sold as 3 cords. It was all pretty large splits. I split it down (most pieces split 2, sometimes 3 times). When I got it all stacked out I have a short 2 1/4 cords. Did I get shorted? I certainly feel I did but thought I's ask for opinions before contacting the seller.
Sundance

Yes you were shorted. 6 cord on the truck would have been a bit more than 6 cord after splitting.
 
Around here wood is generally sold as a "thrown" volume & once stacked will take up roughly 2/3 of that. By splitting it further it will take up a bit more room but if you've stacked it well & measured the stacked volume I think you've probably got what you paid for
 
I’ll disagree with most here…. I’ll say by experience that the larger splits take up more space and will cause more ‘air’ in the trailer. They just don’t pack as tight as smaller stuff. Splitting it smaller allows you to pile it tighter.
example- a cord of 8’ pecker pole logs get run through the processor, split in 1/2 and end up only giving me say 150 cu/ft of loose wood in the trailer.
A cord of 12” round logs split in 1/2 would easily fill the 200 cu/ft trailer.
It all started as a cord of 8’.
I load 180cu/ft of loose wood into my trailer and call it a cord.
If it’s smaller wood I make sure to not over fill the trailer. If it’s bigger stuff, I make sure it’s for a bit of a round to it.
Same for length. Shorter stuff makes less air space than longer stuff…. I can’t get a cord of 22” Unsplit wood in my 200cu/ft trailer loose off the conveyor.
On a 3 cord load, I’d find it hard to believe you ‘lost’ 3/4 of a cord. I’d say you got shorted a bit.
What’s likely…. The guy measured out 3 cords of logs. I can see the losses adding up from that if you split it pretty small and stacked it tight.
Stack your wood so a mouse can run through but a cat can’t. It’ll dry better :)
 
I’ll disagree with most here…. I’ll say by experience that the larger splits take up more space and will cause more ‘air’ in the trailer. They just don’t pack as tight as smaller stuff. Splitting it smaller allows you to pile it tighter.
example- a cord of 8’ pecker pole logs get run through the processor, split in 1/2 and end up only giving me say 150 cu/ft of loose wood in the trailer.
A cord of 12” round logs split in 1/2 would easily fill the 200 cu/ft trailer.
It all started as a cord of 8’.
I load 180cu/ft of loose wood into my trailer and call it a cord.
If it’s smaller wood I make sure to not over fill the trailer. If it’s bigger stuff, I make sure it’s for a bit of a round to it.
Same for length. Shorter stuff makes less air space than longer stuff…. I can’t get a cord of 22” Unsplit wood in my 200cu/ft trailer loose off the conveyor.
On a 3 cord load, I’d find it hard to believe you ‘lost’ 3/4 of a cord. I’d say you got shorted a bit.
What’s likely…. The guy measured out 3 cords of logs. I can see the losses adding up from that if you split it pretty small and stacked it tight.
Stack your wood so a mouse can run through but a cat can’t. It’ll dry better :)

There used to be a "sticky" on this subject. Several experriments were suggested to prove that ssplit wood takes up more space than the rounds they come from. On simple one only takes a carrot, a box top and a knife. Slice carrot into rounds, pack them as tight as you can in one layer in the box top. Dump out, split them in half and try to repack in the boxtop - can't be done. Logic says all thoee big holes would allow more pieces. unfortunately you wind up with a lot of little holes whose voluime exceeds the volume of the orignal big holes.
 
There used to be a "sticky" on this subject. Several experriments were suggested to prove that ssplit wood takes up more space than the rounds they come from. On simple one only takes a carrot, a box top and a knife. Slice carrot into rounds, pack them as tight as you can in one layer in the box top. Dump out, split them in half and try to repack in the boxtop - can't be done. Logic says all thoee big holes would allow more pieces. unfortunately you wind up with a lot of little holes whose voluime exceeds the volume of the orignal big holes.
@turnkey4099, I've seen some of threads about rounds vs. splits, but couldn't find anything about large splits vs. small splits.
 
On a 3 cord load, I’d find it hard to believe you ‘lost’ 3/4 of a cord. I’d say you got shorted a bit.
2.25/3.0 = 75%
I think 3 cord of stacked rounds should stack out to more than 3 cord split firewood.
I did this four years ago, and no longer have the numbers.
I think split was four racks and 3/4 of the fifth rack. Six racks to make two cord.
What I do remember is...
Logs to rounds, a sizable loss of volume. Rounds stack better than logs.
Rounds to splits, a gain in volume, but short of two cord stacked splits, by more than 1/3 cord short.
Logs to splits, a loss.
None of which matters.
When you buy a cord of wood it should measure a cord stacked.
When I purchase a twenty cord load of logs, I get twenty cord of logs.
Cut/split/stacked maybe 17 cord and some junk I can't sell, but burn myself. Mostly shorts/cut offs, that do not stack. Maybe 1/2 of a cord total.
Unless the rounds you bought were stacked in the truck, it's just a guess... unless you have done it before and can judge from experience. 'Experience' being cutting/split/stacked a similar truck load.

EDIT: Just reread post and noted you did not buy rounds, but rather large splits. Not sure how that would stack up.
If you use rounds as an example in a 1/3 cord size rack 4' high and 8' long.
(8) 24" rounds would fill the rack.
(32) 12" rounds would fill the rack.
Both have the same wood volume and air space.

I have two customers that resplit what I deliver. One has a Euro style stove and splits down to 2"x2" splits. The other splits to that size or smaller to feed a three day burn of an outdoor ceramic kiln big enough to walk in. It is an art camp/class situation. The small splits burn very hot, and require shifts of people feeding the fire hourly round the clock. I say several people, simply to keep each other awake and keep it fun. Not sure how the resplitting stacks out. You would have to get 1/3 cord more from your supplier, stack it, resplit and stack again.
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According to "Norwegian Wood", the Norwegian standard calculations in the firewood industry are that the solid mass % of stacked wood in 24" lengths is 65% and when stacked in 12" lengths 74%. Also that all firewood pieces have (on average) the same number of irregularities regardless of size. Therefore if a piece is split down to smaller pieces, there will be more total air space as a result. Long story short - longer, thinner splits take up more space than shorter, thicker splits.

That feels right to me.
 
According to "Norwegian Wood", the Norwegian standard calculations in the firewood industry are that the solid mass % of stacked wood in 24" lengths is 65% and when stacked in 12" lengths 74%. Also that all firewood pieces have (on average) the same number of irregularities regardless of size. Therefore if a piece is split down to smaller pieces, there will be more total air space as a result. Long story short - longer, thinner splits take up more space than shorter, thicker splits.

That feels right to me.

It does to me too. The smaller you split the larger the resulting pile.
 
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