Simple question about a cord volume?

[Coldfront]

I have done a few searches but can't seem to get a good answer. I know a cord is a cord is a cord 4X4X8 but if you built a rack and tightly filled it with round logs 8 foot long and 4x4 then you split it and stacked it and put it back into the rack would it come out the same? I'm sure someone out there must have tried this. Which way would look like more wood? I guess what I am wondering is does one way have more air space than the other?

 

[TJ-Bill]

I think there's a general allowance for air space.. I remember someone posting it somewhere.. I would think that 4x4x8 of rounds would end up being more once it's split and stack due to the added air space.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I think there's a general allowance for air space.. I remember someone posting it somewhere.. I would think that 4x4x8 of rounds would end up being more once it's split and stack due to the added air space.

This argument has been debated time and time again. It all depends on how tightly the split stock is stacked. And, the original round load could have been stacked tight or loose as well with smaller rounds sandwiched in between the big ones to eliminate air gaps. That's how I stack the large round load in my truck when I carry the big billets from the field to the splitter. The tighter I can pack that, the fewer trips that I have to make.

 

[aandabooks]

Find a round in your pile that barely fits in a 5 gallon bucket. Now split it into 4-5 pieces and see if you can get it back in the bucket.

Like wood doctor said, this topic has been debated over several times. It seems that the consensus has been about 90 cu. ft. of actual wood in a stacked pile. Takes about 190 cu.ft. of wood in a thrown pile to equal a cord.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Find a round in your pile that barely fits in a 5 gallon bucket. Now split it into 4-5 pieces and see if you can get it back in the bucket.

Like wood doctor said, this topic has been debated over several times. It seems that the consensus has been about 90 cu. ft. of actual wood in a stacked pile. Takes about 190 cu.ft. of wood in a thrown pile to equal a cord.

I encourage more debate. Today I dropped a packed tight load, mounded up with mostly big round billets ready for splitting. I carefully loaded the truck in four rows. Then I unloaded it where it will be split and stared at the pile after I stacked it tight again. Then I said, "Shucks, there has to be more than a half cord of split logs there." Was there?

 

[aandabooks]

I would say that the wood takes up more space after the split. You have more density when unsplit. So if you fill the pickup to 1/2 cord as measure in full rounds and then take them out a split, you'll probably be between 2/3-3/4 cords.

Personally, I don't worry about what how much I'm bringing home at one time. As long as the truck and trailer are full per trip. My woodshed tells me how much wood I have split and stacked.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I would say that the wood takes up more space after the split. You have more density when unsplit. So if you fill the pickup to 1/2 cord as measure in full rounds and then take them out a split, you'll probably be between 2/3-3/4 cords.

Personally, I don't worry about what how much I'm bringing home at one time. As long as the truck and trailer are full per trip. My woodshed tells me how much wood I have split and stacked.

+1! The idea is to load the truck with what it can carry. Nobody buys the unsplit rounds anyway, unless it's a special request. I suppose it would make a difference, however, if somebody actually does want to split the big billets and wants it delivered that way.

Maybe the best bet is to sell it by the truckload if unsplit and huge and forget cords? I recall ordering wood this way in my youth. Some of it even came in in 4' lengths. A 1/2-ton pickup truckload was (gasp!) $31. :jawdrop:

 

[Coldfront]

Well I guess I will just have to try it, I have a nice load of about 7 or 8 cords of 8 footers, I'll use nice straight red oak. I will make myself a rack 4x4x8 fill it with 8 ft whole round red oak as tight as I can, then cut and split it. I bet I end up with about 1-1/4 cord of split wood.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Well I guess I will just have to try it, I have a nice load of about 7 or 8 cords of 8 footers, I'll use nice straight red oak. I will make myself a rack 4x4x8 fill it with 8 ft whole round red oak as tight as I can, then cut and split it. I bet I end up with about 1-1/4 cord of split wood.

Hey, great idea!

Take a Pic of each (before and after) and post it. That should settle it once and for all.

Maybe... :monkey:

Remember, after you split, there will be bark and chips lying around. That's part of the unsplit mass. How do we account for that?

Forum, there may be more to this thread than meets the eye. Should the big rounds of wood be hauled to the splitter, or should the splitter be hauled to the big rounds? If it's more efficient to haul the big rounds to the splitter, then perhaps we should not be towing the splitter to the pile of big logs. Hmmm...

 

[turnkey4099]

No need to be screwing around building racks, measuring logs, etc.

Take a box top and a carrot. Slice the carrot into round and pack into the box top as tight as you can. dump them, split in halfs or quarters and refill the box top. See all those pieces you have left over?

As for 'fillign the chinks with split wood' when hauling rounds. Nope, doesn't work except for a few odd pieces.

In that 'rick' there is only one spot (on the left) big enough to put a useable chunk into. One might think the hole in the center could be used but by the time you split one down to fit in there it wouldn't be much bigger than kindling. The 'hole' bottom right is the wheel well.

Even better illustration. There isn't one hole big enough to use in the entire rick.

Yeah, you can fit a few pieces into a load but it wouldn't be worth the time and trouble.

If one doesn't count time/work into the equation:

Buy wood in the round

Sell wood split.

Harry K

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Well I guess I will just have to try it, I have a nice load of about 7 or 8 cords of 8 footers, I'll use nice straight red oak. I will make myself a rack 4x4x8 fill it with 8 ft whole round red oak as tight as I can, then cut and split it. I bet I end up with about 1-1/4 cord of split wood.

I do remember a discussion where the guy was buying logs by the load and seemed to be coming up short even after split. The delivered logs werent very straight. The deliverd cords weren't loaded to minimize space and had excessive air gaps.

Of course at the start of the discussion he was just taking the word of the driver that the load was as described. Might have had some bearing on the outcome.

More on topic : The stack will grow in volume as it gets split. There is a point of diminishing returns on your labors. A given volume of splits will weigh less than the same volume of solid wood or rounds.