Well what measurement is a 2x4 and who buys one measures it and wants it fixed?
What is a cord
- Thread starter Chiphaller
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Ignorant folks who don't know better might do that. A 2x4 is the size that it is because it's cut to that size at the mill, dried (thereby shrinking it) then planed, shrinking it to 1.5x3.5.
Does firewood shrink?
Sorry, can't tell if this is a serious question or sarcasm. Yes, of course it does. All green or wet wood shrinks when it dries.
So why not the same standard of shrinkage?
Because that's not how a cord is legally defined and shrinkage rates varies widely depending on species, heartwood vs. sapwood, growth rate of the tree, etc. . A cord is 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood. The particulars (moisture content, size and shape of individual pieces, whether the pile is stacked "tightly" enough, timing of measurement) is between the buyer and seller.
My point is since a Cord shrinks how does one accurately measure?
Same way you measure a gallon of water. It's a unit of measurement for volume. If you set a gallon of water out in the sun and some evaporates, you no longer have a gallon and must add some to have a gallon again. A cord is a cord. If it shrinks because it loses water, it's no longer a cord.
Well that seems to confirm what I suspected, so you have to stack it oversize when green and account for drying. I would say from experience about 4 inches higher works with Oak.
If your goal is to end up with a cord once it's dry, yes.
That's about what I allow when stacking green willow...but I bet it shrinks more that that. I've never checked it. I sell it by the cord delivered and if they stack and come up short I will deliver more. No one has ever called me on it in some 30 odd years.
I never stacked firewood before selling it. Way more work than it was worth. I knew roughly how much a cord was thrown in the truck and they got 10-20% over that. Took less time and effort to give the customer extra wood than to stack the wood to measure precisely. Told them if they got it stacked and it was shy to call me and I'd happily bring the balance. Never had a single person come up short.
We didn’t have the room to leave it thrown while it cured, takes up too much space that way.
That's where a conveyor is nice. Pile it 10-15' high.
How long does a stack take to season properly?That's where a conveyor is nice. Pile it 10-15' high.
It doesn't. Can't season wood in a pile like that. Needs to be stacked to season right.
I found that people weren't willing to pay enough extra for "seasoned" wood to make it worth stacking it. If they won't pay for the work, there's no point doing it.
I love the carrot equivalent of cordwood! My experience with the real thing is that it is hard to tell if there is any difference between rounds and them split. I never got this scientific, but I do think random stacks hold more per volume unsplit than when you split them. I don't have proof but have that gut feel. Maybe you just pile it higher off a splitter conveyor??
Interestingly, was just discussing with my BIL an older time article that stated the right way to make fire wood is to cut enough wood for next year into a stack. Split that stack into large splits and restack them as you go. Then resplit them into proper sized pieces and restack for the rest of the summer.
I suspect that is based on splitting by hand an hour or so every night, making plenty of work for the year, but assuring some sort of wood being always readily available.
In theory if the wood doesn't expand much, all this restacking is possible with minimal real-estate waste...
Interestingly, was just discussing with my BIL an older time article that stated the right way to make fire wood is to cut enough wood for next year into a stack. Split that stack into large splits and restack them as you go. Then resplit them into proper sized pieces and restack for the rest of the summer.
I suspect that is based on splitting by hand an hour or so every night, making plenty of work for the year, but assuring some sort of wood being always readily available.
In theory if the wood doesn't expand much, all this restacking is possible with minimal real-estate waste...
In my area we call that a face cord or a bush cord. 4x4x8.
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