What is a cord

[dstrick]

NIST has the exact answer. A cord can be 4x4x8 feet. A cord must be 128 cubic feet.
https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/pml/wmd/ncwm-firewood-facts.pdf

 

[northmanlogging]

That's not

That's not a cord, that's a chord. Then you have a notochord which has nothing to do with music or wood. What would this cord sell for?
I think the entire firewood system should be completely overhauled. Value should be based on weight and species since available btu varies with species. Anyone selling firewood would have to use a certified scale to get the exact weight of the load and factor in the species to get the btu value of the load. Or not.

man... if you wanted to actually make this whole weights and measure by species a real thing... pretty sure a bunch of goiter ridden good ole boys might find a windfall stump just for you. the logistics alone would drive a guy batty, let alone the mileage its not like there are certified scales everywhere.

 

[sundance]

Pennsylvania and federal law govern the sale of firewood, and these laws prohibit terms like “racks” or “truck loads” to describe the amount being offered for sale.

70 Pa. Code § 23.107 requires wood used for fuel to be sold in cords or a fraction thereof. The PA Standard Weights and Measures Act of 1996 amended the PA Agriculture Code (Title 3) to adopt the national weights and measures standards issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Specifically, the standards found in NIST Handbook 130 address the sale of firewood.

NIST Handbook 130 requires firewood to be sold by the cord or fraction thereof. See page 111. A cord is defined as 128 cubic feet or a stack 4 feet wide, 4 feet high by 8 feet in length. The federal regulations also prohibit the terms “face cord,” “rack,” “pile,” “truckload,” and similar terms when advertising, offering for sale, or selling wood for use as fuel, because these terms are imprecise and can be misleading.

In light of the state and federal law, ads selling firewood should describe the amount sold as a cord or fraction thereof.

I agree. But, no one enforces it. Most ads are some version of truckload or trailer load.Sellers won't specify volume. This summer I bought what was sold as a 3 cord load from a long established seller. Ended up with just over 2 cords. When I notified him he said it weighed 7,000 #s. Three cords would be well over that. He ended up saying "Buy from someone else".....and I have since.

 

[Bearcreek]

A cord is 128 cubic feet of split, reasonably tightly stacked firewood. Many states codify exactly that in state law. It's really a very simple concept that many people seem to want to make far more complicated than it needs to be.

 

[Okie294life]

I had a friend that had OCD issues and we worked on is truck (Long wide box 1/2 ton 2wd 1976 F-150 "RED" for the sticklers). He was clearing a hillside pasture of bramble and chose to cut and sell the firewood from it. He was adamant that You cut the length at 16" and drive tee posts 12 feet apart (1/2 cord) Stack one row at 4 feet high and fill the area between posts. He (and his 2 boys) could stack that 1/2 cord in the pickup box and usually the load was level with the pickup box. Any thing above that was more than a 1/2 cord. I have some ocd but more LeadITeAss so it was easier to believe him than prove anything else.
The reason I replied to your post not the thread is on account of you mentioning "RICK" as being a 1/2 cord OF 24" LONG WOOD. 20 some years ago it wasn't easy for me to find the definition of a RICK of wood. I myself found it easier for conversation sake to refer it to a Face Cord at 16" (Third Cord) or a Face Cord at 24" (Half Cord). I always had it in my head as a rick

I had a friend that had OCD issues and we worked on is truck (Long wide box 1/2 ton 2wd 1976 F-150 "RED" for the sticklers). He was clearing a hillside pasture of bramble and chose to cut and sell the firewood from it. He was adamant that You cut the length at 16" and drive tee posts 12 feet apart (1/2 cord) Stack one row at 4 feet high and fill the area between posts. He (and his 2 boys) could stack that 1/2 cord in the pickup box and usually the load was level with the pickup box. Any thing above that was more than a 1/2 cord. I have some ocd but more LeadITeAss so it was easier to believe him than prove anything else.
The reason I replied to your post not the thread is on account of you mentioning "RICK" as being a 1/2 cord OF 24" LONG WOOD. 20 some years ago it wasn't easy for me to find the definition of a RICK of wood. I myself found it easier for conversation sake to refer it to a Face Cord at 16" (Third Cord) or a Face Cord at 24" (Half Cord). I always had it in my head as a rick is a half cord.

I looked at the definition guess that’s not right at 24” a rick would be closer to half a cord, not the same as a face cord. So in theory If you specify a rick @24” like I’ve always seen for fireplace you’re technically getting more than a rick, you’re getting half a cord. I don’t think I’ve ever seen wood on 16 or 18”. I guess if you have one of those HE stoves or a fireplace insert.

 

[r black]

Then there is the cord of wood bought at 7-11... 5 small sticks of bundled pine $7 .....one cord $2579 plus tax

 

[Pythagorus]

Welcome to the site.
Good you're here to help us all out

Hi..I think everyone has the idea of a cord...and disussed 'when is a cord not a cord' and the discordancy which can arise from doubt and irritation and obvious overstatement.

In Australia almost always any quantity is sold by trailerload...but then precisely trailer side- height..and what height sides...The most accurate way to sell is by weight. For
home-buyers also by the sack. That said, some timber is poor heat producer so what is one actually buying? The perfect cord could produce less value in one timber than
half a cord in another. I'm doing a bit of a ring around to see the preferences here and may report on it.

 

[Bearcreek]

I think the entire firewood system should be completely overhauled. Value should be based on weight and species since available btu varies with species. Anyone selling firewood would have to use a certified scale to get the exact weight of the load and factor in the species to get the btu value of the load. Or not.

Can't tell if this is sarcasm or not. Certainly would be impossible where I live. Having to run every load over a scale would add 50 miles of driving and it'd have to be during the working day, when the scale is open, not in the evening, when most wood is delivered. Not a snowball's chance in hell that'd happen around here.

 

[Bearcreek]

I looked at the definition guess that’s not right at 24” a rick would be closer to half a cord, not the same as a face cord. So in theory If you specify a rick @24” like I’ve always seen for fireplace you’re technically getting more than a rick, you’re getting half a cord. I don’t think I’ve ever seen wood on 16 or 18”. I guess if you have one of those HE stoves or a fireplace insert.

There is no legally agreed upon definition for a rick like there is for cord. I've found it to be regional, to some degree, but it's entirely open for interpretation. A cord is not.

 

[Captain Bruce]

Here we go!

I've learned from the very BEST on this forum. I know keyboard banter bait, when I smell it.

 

[lone wolf]

I've learned from the very BEST on this forum. I know keyboard banter bait, when I smell it.

You got it.

 

[Okie294life]

Then there is the cord of wood bought at 7-11... 5 small sticks of bundled pine $7 .....one cord $2579 plus tax

In England that would be called a ******.

 

[slowp]

Is this the firewood forum?

 

[mountainguyed67]

No one has yet described a actual cord of wood. I’ve worked in the woods more than 40 years. A cord of wood is 4x4x8 in 8 ft length. 128 cubic feet of wood and air. If you cut and split that cord and stack it in a tight pile it will no longer be a 128 cubic feet. If you stack it very loosely it will be more then 128 cubic feet. If you were able to take a tightly stacked pile of 128 cubic feet and reassemble it into 8 ft logs it would be more then 128 cubic feet. If you take a 10 cord load of logs and cut split and tightly stack it in 128 cubic foot piles you’d be lucky to have 8 piles.

I can’t make heads or tails of what you said.

So here I’ll help you out, a cord is 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked firewood (that means wood cut, split, and ready to burn).

 

[Pythagorus]

No one has yet described a actual cord of wood. I’ve worked in the woods more than 40 years. A cord of wood is 4x4x8 in 8 ft length. 128 cubic feet of wood and air. If you cut and split that cord and stack it in a tight pile it will no longer be a 128 cubic feet. If you stack it very loosely it will be more then 128 cubic feet. If you were able to take a tightly stacked pile of 128 cubic feet and reassemble it into 8 ft logs it would be more then 128 cubic feet. If you take a 10 cord load of logs and cut split and tightly stack it in 128 cubic foot piles you’d be lucky to have 8 piles.

Hi a cord definition says nothing about air...in my experience. It is essentially a voume of timber as though a solid block....that's why it is defined. How one get's around it is relevant in fact but not in definiiton.
In my country firewood is sold on weight or trailer load for the average person but commonly it is on the 'cubic metre'. 128 cubic feet is the quivalent of 3.6+ cubic metres..logically if you are a miserable-slimebag you'd
give 3cmetres and if a decent bloke 4cmetres....because even split timber has some airspaces....but more so because you are a good human. Many probably know the term 'cord' came from the practical...the perimeter of
timber a particular measure of rope/cord would encircle back over some 400-500 years. I'd say it would not be 128cft...the likelihood of it being sawn to standard length is almost non-existant..

Obviously the length of the timber was a determining factor. In 'early days of occupation' Australia it was largely around length of baling wire to enable timber to be practically rolled along or up stairs.

Old ironbark and river gum are two of our good timbers but then,,,type and 'slab size depends on what on is after...used for open fire(in a grate) or for slow combustion stove. I believe 'no one' sells by the 'cord'
in Australia

 

[mountainguyed67]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen wood on 16 or 18”.

I haven’t seen 24” wood here, it’s 12”, 14”, 16”, or 18”. I cut mine at 18”, some of our customers told us no longer than 14”.

 

[mountainguyed67]

The most accurate way to sell is by weight.

If all are at the same moisture content, otherwise even weight is flawed.

 

[chipper1]

Then there is the cord of wood bought at 7-11... 5 small sticks of bundled pine $7 .....one cord $2579 plus tax

You're gonna need to get that counting app for your phone, I clearly see 9 pieces in that "gas station" cord.

 

[mountainguyed67]

When I used to deliver firewood I’d show up with truck and trailer loaded, the customer would say:

Customer- Which is mine, truck or trailer?
Me- They’re both yours.
Customer- I only wanted a cord.
Me- That is a cord.
Customer- I’ve been buying cords a long time, that’s way more than what they bring.
Me- They've been shorting you.
Customer- Dumbfounded expression.
Me- I explain how a cord is measured, and that this came from a measured row.
Customer- Pleasantly surprised.

This was very common, but it wasn’t gonna get me to short people. One customer knew what a cord was, and stacked and measured it between delivery of the two cords he wanted. He said “It’s pretty close”. Actually I threw in more for good measure, it should have been a little over.

 

[mountainguyed67]

I clearly see 9 pieces in that "gas station" cord.

I see ten pieces.