Firewood Pallets w/ Welded Wire or Field Fence?

[JeffGu]

You can make square ones out of hog/cattle panels, too... wire them together in the corners. Cattle panels are usually 48" high (or more) with pretty large squares. Hog panels are usually 36" high (you can reach the bottom) and the spacing gets narrower toward the bottom (to keep piglets from squeezing out) and those are nicer because the small stuff that falls to the bottom isn't going to fall out. On one corner, you can just wire it in the center and near the top and bottom, use it like a door when it gets close to empty.

Typical lengths are 12' and 16' and nearly all farm stores, and some home improvement stores, carry them. I live in Nebraska so I'm always picking up used ones for nothing. I cut them with a 4" angle grinder and a .045" thick steel cutting disc.

 

[Uzi]

Here is my version I take a 48x40 pallet and put a 4ft 1"X4" up on each corner. Then as I fill in with wood I wrap a layer with shrink wrap. When you get to the top it's about 1/3 cord. As you use it just take the wrap off and you can reach the bottom easily.

 

[reddogrunner]

I put the wire on 3 sides, but could probably get away with just 2 sides. They do not need to be 48" tall. Mine are like 34'5" tall. The cubic inch calculation works out right for a cord. 96 x 48 x 48 = 221,184 cubic inches. Divide x 4 = 55, 296 cubic inches. 40" x 48 x 29" = 55,680. I make them healthy full and KNOW my customers get their cord. With one other person we can empty them in 30 minutes or less if their is cold beer waiting.
[photo=medium]3164[/photo]

 

[NSMaple1]

You mean 1/4 of a cord?

 

[reddogrunner]

each basket is 1/4, but all clients buy a full cord - so yeah.

 

[CaseyForrest]

This is going to save so much time.

Sent from a field

 

[CaseyForrest]

Sent from a field

 

[CaseyForrest]

Now that my back has healed, it's time to put everything together.

Sent from a field

 

[zogger]

Now that my back has healed, it's time to put everything together.

Sent from a field

Well, glad you are better. It must have just transferred, mine went out this morning, luckily after chores.

 

[esshup]

If you use the metal tube "tote" cages, and stack the wood in them, cut 16" long, 3 of them = one full cord.

Just thrown it takes about 4 1/2 of them to equal a full cord.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Id like to maximize the amount of wood I can get on a pallet....

But heres my thinking... Just the fact that I don't have to stack it, or move it, or re stack it by hand, EVER, Is nothing but pure win for me. Buck, split and throw into the basket saves me so much time I'm not regretting that its going to take more space to store the same amount of wood. I'm not short on space. I did run out of pallets, however!

Also, the wood is going to season better/faster thrown into the baskets rather than stacked the way I was stacking it. Bonus.

Its just pure win for me.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

CaseyForest: How does it look like your wood is seasoning loose thrown on pallets?

 

[CaseyForrest]

Seasoning well. Although I haven't dug one out and checked moisture in the middle.

Glad you brought this up.... Because I'm ditching the idea. If I had a bigger tractor that could handle a heavier basket, I would keep doing it. But I don't. And it is starting to take up way to much space in order to keep a year or 2 of wood on hand. Each basket only holds about half of a face cord. I can store a full cord in the same space 2 of those baskets take up.

So Ive started stacking again. But this time I am cordoning off my rows with T posts so I have 1 full cord between posts. This way Ill know exactly how much wood I use per season so I know better how much to have on hand. I am also only making my stacks 2 rows deep. This is working well because I can now cut my wood at 21" as opposed to the 15" I had to do to fit in the VC stove. So each stack will have 2 rows and I will leave enough room between stacks to fit the push mower between.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Oh, yeah... Nevermind the pallets ARE going to freeze to the ground. So picking them up and moving in the winter will mean I would need a steady supply of pallets.

I toyed with the idea of making a pad to set the pallets on... But it would have to be huge just to store enough wood.

 

[cantoo]

CaseyForrest, I also did the wire cages and thought it was great. And then they froze to the ground so I then put 2x4's down to set the skids on. This worked great but getting the wood out was a pain for my wife. So I decided it was time for a bigger change. I started cutting my rounds to 32" long, split them small enough for my wife to handle and made new crates for the splits. Cutting 32" long really speeds things up and makes for stable crates. I still put 2x4 or 6's under the skids for the winter. I also store about 30 crates in my barn on concrete. My L35 just barely lifts the full crates when the splits are wet but dry they are no problem. I've also cut the logs into 32" rounds sooner and let them sit for a month or 2 to lighten them up quite abit before I split them or just leave the splits in a pile until they dry some. I call it progress. This year I'm hoping to build a semi permanent shelter by the owb.

 

[cantoo]

I cover the top with left over roof wrap to keep the snow and rain off. It's just stapled on. To unload and repile I just yank up the one side, stack the wood in and then restaple it back on. It's really tough stuff. Skids on the bottom were brick skids but now I'm just using 2x4 and 2x6 instead.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I don't think my tractor would pick that up. I like the idea, it just turned out to be more work for the return than I anticipated.

I almost took it to the next level and started devising a plan to build my "pallets" to suit my specific needs.... I thought about doing as you have done and adding sides and a top to my pallets.... But it would still remain that I cant store enough on a pallet to make it worthwhile.

Ive been fighting a constant battle to keep my OCD in check and finally came to grips with the fact that if I just stack it, but don't stack it in a big pile, it will season just fine. We wont be burning as much, I hope, as we have in the past so that should help. Which is why I am keeping my stacks sectioned off into full cords.

 

[Mike Van]

I make all my pallets from my sawmill leftovers, i've got over 50 now. They're 4x4x4, stack 1/2 cord nicely. I use locust or red ceder for the bottom slats, even then I throw something under them so they don't freeze down, the 2x4's and the rest can be anything. I use 2 extra 2x4's, spaced an inch in from the outside ones, the vertical boards on sides fit in there. The sides slip right in or out to lay flat. To load on a truck, I use a short rope, the pallet ties to the loader frame, and you just dump it. I cover the tops only, end of summer is good dry wood.

 

[CaseyForrest]

If I didn't have to purchase anything I would probably do the same. But I'm trying to not let my obsessions get ahold of my wallet.

sent from a field

 

[CaseyForrest]

Another consideration is firing the tractor up just to bring a pallet to the house. Engine would never get warm and I don't use it enough during the winter to burn off the moisture.

sent from a field