Looking at ways to dry firewood faster and cheaper

[TeeMan]

I stack my wood in two rows with a little gap between each row on plastic pallets; not covered (I don't sell, just split for my own usage). Some of the wood like hackberry or white oak starts to get 'funky' if it sets for more than say two seasons, but the red oak (and water oak) usually takes 2 seasons to dry out. Pecan can be burned after one season, but I usually let it set for 2 just because it is hardy enough to not get too funky. And I think live oak (only have split up limbs from live oaks because these are truly too nice a tree to cut) can stay seasoning for a long time; it is very dense.

When I am ready to burn, I cover only the sections I am pulling from to burn with a corrugated roof sheet to keep the rain off. In Louisiana we have a lot of heat and humidity in the summer. Very rare for us to get snow, but we get ice/sleet occasionally. Just over last weekend when the temps dipped to the low 20's for three nights was when I had pieces of firewood that were stuck together from ice that formed when the rain froze...not often for us to get that, ha!

 

[blades]

Sure, rub it in, we are pushing 2 weeks of rain sleet snow (can't make up its mind ) on again off again, and the lovely drop off to sub zero in between.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Sure, rub it in, we are pushing 2 weeks of rain sleet snow (can't make up its mind ) on again off again, and the lovely drop off to sub zero in between.

Yup. Schools closed, including GVSU a state university, for twenty five mile radius (further, north up the coast) due to ice this morning after a hard rain late last night.

 

[blades]

wimps

 

[blades]

I suppose that isn't fair as they don't get to play in that stuff very often.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Play bumper cars...

 

[absrio]

Really??? Not buying either one.

thats handy cause I aint selling it. its a fact. do a search man, you'll see. or do your own experiment. take the hose and spray down one pile of wood, on a warm sunny day. wait a day or 2 then check it next to a stack that didn't get wet you'll see the pile you sprayed it full of checking and will be drier. . . or just don't believe me, I don't care. should be easy enough to prove me wrong, right?

 

[KiwiBro]

I think immersion in water would be impractical for most folks.

Agreed.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

thats handy cause I aint selling it.

Nothing personal. I'm a skeptic by nature (probably more past experience). I'm not saying I'm right. Not saying your wrong either.

When I get pine sap on my hands it take gasoline to get it off, as soap and water does not touch it.
And, I don't really know, but I thought the american indians used pine sap to seal the birch bark canoes.

Perhaps water swells the wood and sap, or more likely, water, does move more freely. I do not really know what happens chemically when firewood seasons. Lumber can case harden if dried too quickly and traps moisture, so perhaps wetting wood has the opposite effect if controlled. Added moisture swelling the wood cells and thinning the membrane or something.

Depending on how wood is stacked has a huge effect as well. The larger racks I built have three rows tightly stacked and the top third of the inner row began to mold and did not season unless covered, most likely due to lack of air flow and sun. The pieces that had bark, trapped moisture even after the bark had let loose. Those pieces were definitely much heavier.
It is a bit of trial and error for each of us. My guess is the covered wood will season better than the uncovered, especially if you are short on wind or direct sun.
Will this wood, a loose thrown 1/4 cord, season on pallets this way? I really do not know as it is new to me.
What is your guess?

 

[absrio]

Nothing personal. I'm a skeptic by nature (probably more past experience). I'm not saying I'm right. Not saying your wrong either.

When I get pine sap on my hands it take gasoline to get it off, as soap and water does not touch it.
And, I don't really know, but I thought the american indians used pine sap to seal the birch bark canoes.

Perhaps water swells the wood and sap, or more likely, water, does move more freely. I do not really know what happens chemically when firewood seasons. Lumber can case harden if dried too quickly and traps moisture, so perhaps wetting wood has the opposite effect if controlled. Added moisture swelling the wood cells and thinning the membrane or something.

Depending on how wood is stacked has a huge effect as well. The larger racks I built have three rows tightly stacked and the top third of the inner row began to mold and did not season unless covered, most likely due to lack of air flow and sun. The pieces that had bark, trapped moisture even after the bark had let loose. Those pieces were definitely much heavier.
It is a bit of trial and error for each of us. My guess is the covered wood will season better than the uncovered, especially if you are short on wind or direct sun.
Will this wood, a loose thrown 1/4 cord, season on pallets this way? I really do not know as it is new to me.
What is your guess?

nothing personal taken brother!! I'm a skeptic too. . . but, on a side note, I do believe in aliens. (totally kidding).

nice set up btw!! I've seen pics you've posted before but I don't remember the net bags for some reason. I remember the racks of rounds, the splitter, and the conveyor though but most of all I remember that zztop beard!!! . I would guess (just a wild guess) that spacing the bags out away from each other would help with air flow, and possibly prevent molding? even if it was only a 3 inch gap between each pallet. also it would give each your bags slightly more sunlight. 2 stacks high is great for maximizing your storage, but 1 stack high would give each bag more sunlight, and airflow. but idk if you have the room or not. like you said, its just a guess.

IDK the chemistry of seasoning wood either the only thing I can guess is that when it gets wet the water attaches to a small amount of sap and pulls it out as it evaporates. but thats just a guess.

 

[absrio]

found this. skip to the bottom of page 13 for the chart. a very good read though if you have the patients. http://www.cchrc.org/sites/default/files/docs/WoodStorageBestPractices.pdf