How big is your wood?

[urhstry]

:jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop: What I mean is, for you guys with OWB's, how long a piece of wood are you putting in your stoves? I noticed a lot of us have 16-24" logs ready to go but there aren't too many pictures of 3-4 foot logs that can be used. Burn chamber pics? Are you guys loading up the hopper on each fill?

 

[jmemmert]

So far I've been burning the big chunks that were too knarly/knotty to split with a mal. My door is 24"x24", and I have had a few that just barely fit. They are heavy, but I'm only 23.

My woodmaster dealer said only put as much in as you think you will need. If you fill it all the way, it is somehow less efficient.

 

[WVwoodsman]

The door on my Mahoning is 24x24 also. Right now I am burning smaller pieces as I am saving the bigger pieces for the dead of winter. I only put enough wood in that will keep it going, not packing it full.

 

[beerman6]

If I can pick it up,and it will fit in the door,I dont split it,(my wife is praying I dont get hurt and cant load it)

I have a bad habit of over filling it.I got better towards the end of last season though.

 

[Chuck Diesel]

I found that 24" to 36" pieces work best. Anything smaller i through in sideways. Chunks are nice for weekend burning.

 

[Adkpk]

18" door on the woody so I cut at 16". The cubby hole behind the stove due to the chimney is 16" also so that is perfect to stack the wood in.

 

[rx7145]

I get a lot of wood from a tree service. So I get what I get with that. If I am cutting the wood I like it about 30inches so it can go into the splitter and 48 inches if it is smaller wood that doesn't need split.

 

[iCreek]

I try to cut my lengths at 28", my OWB will take 30" lengths. For the diameter I usually don't load more that 14", we usually split that large rounds for easier handling.

 

[milkie62]

How big is your wood

Are we talking hardwood or softwood ??????

 

[oneoldbanjo]

My door is 24" square and my firbox is 40" deep. The big rounds are cut to 24" length and then just split enough that I can lift them. The stuff 6" or less is cut to 36" length and stacked in a seperate pile. I have stopped worrying about sticks and don't save anything that is less than 2".

I fill the OWB in the morning before I go to work and again before I go to bed and I only put enough wood in to last 12 hours. I have an old hood and jacket I put on to try and avoid smelling like smoke all day.

 

[Coldfront]

Short wood drys/seasons faster than long. A 12 inch piece drys/seasons in almost half the time the same log would dry if it was 24 inch length and a 24 inch piece takes at least a year or more. So if you have good seasoned wood it really doesn't matter, but if you are burning one years wood at a time cut it shorter.

 

[Gypo Logger]

How big is your wood

Are we talking hardwood or softwood ??????

It seems to be easier to Jack your lumber when it's hardwood.
Just sayin.
John

 

[Schinny]

Most cull logs in our area are 8' 6" or 102 inches long, so I cut them 3 times. So I get 27", 27" 24", 24". If the log needs to be split I cut 23"-24" then the last piece is for weekend burning

 

[hupte]

my door is 20x22. i usually split it so that i can comfortably lift it. if its a 18 dia round of hedge i just cut it about 12-14 inches long and roll it in like a bowling ball. if its a 36inch dia silver maple. then i'll cut it 18-20 inches long (so its easier to split). Then usually i just push it into a pile with the skid loader, after its split.

sometimes if i have just the right size piece of softwood. (14-20 dia. x 5.5ft long) i'll leave it off to the side and load it with the skidder. then throw a couple small pieces of hedge on the sides of it. and it will burn for 30-36+ hrs. sometimes i have to throw a couple more hardwood logs in with it after 24 hrs. but it is a less efficient use of the wood, but its not a huge difference. however burning a log that size. burns longer than the same amount of wood cut into rounds, with one loading.

 

[lmbrman]

It seems to be easier to Jack your lumber when it's hardwood.
Just sayin.
John

softwood shrinkage ?
dave

 

[Circle B MN]

16 to 20"split seasoned wood stacked in the front of the boiler once a day. All it takes to keep the whole house warm all winter long....