Need Ideas

[mijdirtyjeep]

OK, myself and a close friend have a firewood business and we need to find a way to make it more proficient. The main problem I am having with it, is with how to store the wood. Currently we are stacking it in crate we make our self's. Here is a pic.

Starts out like this off the processor

Then into this

I can personally stack 3-4 of these crate an hour. To up the amount of firewood we produce, we to figure out a better way to store it while it seasons up. Last year we left a pile on the pad over the winter. In the spring time is was moldy and full of frog eggs. We still sold it, but at a discounted price since it is not of the quality most of our customers have come to expect.

Right now we are producing about 200/cords a year. To go full scale we need to run about 800-1000/cord's a year "we have the demand". I just don't think I could crate that much, and even if I could it would wear me out pretty quick.

PS: we have hired high school kids in the past, but like most teenagers they are not very dependable on showing up to work.

 

[USMC615]

Pole barn the size of a football field?? On a more serious note...that's one helluva operation you got going on.

 

[Gypo Logger]

I'd hire a 40 yard bin it holds six cords loose. The trucker can deliver. No repairs, no insurance, no fuel, no down time.

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

Pole barn the size of a football field?? On a more serious note...that's one helluva operation you got going on.

That was actually kinda one of our ideas. We thought about pouring a new pad "100'X 100' and putting a roof over it. Then we would just need to move processor and conveyor around under the roof. The problem is, we just don't know if the wood would dry being piled up like that. It could be rotated around with the tractor to an extent, but once full there would be no way to get to the center.

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

I'd hire a 40 yard bin it holds six cords loose. The trucker can deliver. No repairs, no insurance, no fuel, no down time.

Not a bad idea. It would get pretty expensive having about 181 of them sitting in the yard for a year. I just looked them up, and it says 6000lbs max weight for a 30/yard one. With the cart I am looking at a 20% seasoned cord of oak is 3350lbs. That would not even allow me to put 2full cords in one.

PS: Tehn the wife might get the idea I don't need my truck

 

[Eagleknight]

I know it would take more room and crates, but why not loose stack it in crates and stack the crates. I have seen this site before and thought their system was pretty good.

http://firewooddirect.co.nz

 

[Hinerman]

WOW, no idea here on an operation that big. I would start a conversation with Tomtrees. He is the only one I know of that has an operation close to that size.

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/members/tomtrees58.21242/

 

[firefighter938]

What if you mad some type of elevated floor to hold the wood off the pad? Then air could move underneath also. Maybe find some kind of grated panel. Then as you dig into the pile you could remove a panel so you don't have to work on top of it.

Like steel bridge road decking.

 

[Marshy]

If you are going to build a roof-over you might want to consider looking into a Coverall building structure. I've read they are cheaper $/sqft than any pole barn timber structure. You could pour a 3', 5', 6' or whaterver wall to set the coverall building on top of so you have a backstop for the wood. Some buildindings have curtains on the side that you can roll up for when the weather is nice. Maybe you can have the cutting/splitting operation at one end of the building that piles it in the center and at the other end of the building you can crate the wood and leave it under the roof. Stacking those bins would be ideal and allow you to store twice the volume.

 

[Marklambert61]

I use surplus autoparts shipping baskets. The good thing about the metal baskets as I can stack them 3 high with my equipment. Sizes very but I like the 54x54x48 baskets.

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

If you are going to build a roof-over you might want to consider looking into a Coverall building structure. I've read they are cheaper $/sqft than any pole barn timber structure

Great idea, my kid plays indoor soccer in a building like that! Never would have thought of them for storing wood, but they look nice.

Thank you

 

[KiwiBro]

Every time you handle that split wood once it comes off the processor, you are losing money and time.

Can you build crates holding the thrown equivalent (or fraction thereof) of a stacked cord and which will still work within your current or a reasonably efficient delivery process? What you might lose in making the crates slightly over size to always ensure the contents will always be at or slightly more than the stacked volume equivalent you are selling them as, you'll more than make up in labour savings.

If you are happy with your current product not being undercover, then I wouldn't be spending money on building cover.

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

I use surplus autoparts shipping baskets. The good thing about the metal baskets as I can stack them 3 high with my equipment. Sizes very but I like the 54x54x48 baskets.

Seeing we are both from Michigan, you mind telling me where you get the baskets from?

We looked awhile ago for some, but could not find them in the quantity we need them in, without buying brand new. Forgot what the price was exactly, something along the lines of $100/each if I remember correctly. With needing 2000 of them for a grand total over $200k it was a little/lot over what we were willing to spend.

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

Every time you handle that split wood once it comes off the processor, you are losing money and time.

Can you build crates holding the thrown equivalent (or fraction thereof) for a stacked cord and which will still work within your current or a reasonably efficient delivery process?

Could not agree more with the touching it once split part. Right now we pay $7 a skid stacked. If we paid a high schooler to stacked it all it would make some high school kid a nice $14000 paycheck.

Anything is possible, but we can't go much over a half cord. The Kabota l4740 will not lift it up when it is green. Not bad once it is seasoned, lifting it up and dumping it into the dump trailer for delivery though.

 

[Marshy]

People on this site have been using pallets that have metal cages to put wood in. You've likely seen them on craigslist for sale with a large ~300 gallon transparent container for liquid. The cut the tops off and take out the plastic tank then use the plastic pallet base and attached metal cage to stack wood in. IIRC they can stack them 2-3 high and look about the same size as your bins maybe a little smaller. Look here... http://syracuse.craigslist.org/mat/4891201753.html

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

Yeah I seen those and thought about them as well. It would be over $100k investment in them to get enough.

 

[KiwiBro]

$100 a cage is a rip, even if it will outlast the wooden ones.

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

The more and more I look into different setups, the cheaper a kiln drier starts to look. I would still need a roof to put it under, but would not need to keep such a large surplus for an entire year just to dry. I would just need to have a couple weeks worth on hand to stay ahead of the kiln dryer.

 

[KiwiBro]

How much does the dump trailer take? Could it be modified (removable sides) to sit the crates down onto rather than dump the wood twice (once off the tractor, then again at customers place). Instead, just unpin the side of the crate and tilt the bed to dump the wood?

You also have the option of the mesh FIBC's like:

http://www.dinobags.com/products/firewood-bags, but not so easy to stack.

 

[Marshy]

$100 a cage is a rip, even if it will outlast the wooden ones.

I agree, I recall reading a post on here from a member that was getting a killer deal on them. I believe her wa in OH and when they became available he had like one a day or two to move them all and could get them cheap. I wish I knew where that thread was I would like you to it...