Hi guys and Gals, For all the lurkers, myself included possibly preparing for either stove, what is the best split size and length for each of the respective stoves if one was out processing wood for 2-3 years down the road? To define split size would be width and or thickness: For the IS North/ South length and E/W length: This should be informational and entertaining!
I cut and split everything i gathered this year to 20in +/-, as far as thickness i always split a variety. Any given round i usually split 1/2 of it larger, 1/4 of it small and 1/4 of it medium. This is for the PH.
We went from a smaller stove to the PH, and had about 2yr of 17"-18" wood cut for the old stove, and that wood was split rather fine because we were in catch-up mode with trying to get onto the 2yr plan. That wood was easy to load, but I would look at all that extra space in the firebox and wish were could be using it. So that Spring (2012) I cut for 20-21". We burned the final year of 18" wood in the PH in 2012-13. That Spring I cut 20-21" again, a friend helped split, and we made larger splits. I think the old splits were 4", and now we were making some 6" splits (i.e., a 12" round, quartered). We finally started in on the 20-21" split upto to 4" at the start of 2013-14. It was nice - didn't get longer burns, but got more heat per load, which is much appreciated. Then we put the PH off to the side and did the beta IS for most of the rest of that year. The 20-21" pieces fit in OK, but I immediately noticed it was more difficult to place them because you have to go through the door on an angle. That also make it impossible to cram a beta stove absolutely full with 21" wood. Sigh. Luckily I also cut for my Dad's Fireview, and we had some of that wood, 2yr dry, on hand. Most was about 16". So we got to do the N/S burn in the IS, and liked that. Now we are back to the PH, and into the upto 6" x 21" splits. All three females in the family noticed immediately, and have made their thoughts known -- a 6" split 21" long is too heavy for them to easily handle with their smaller hands. End-loading the PH they have trouble holding the 6" piece horizontal by grasping the end. They even don't like moving those splits from the drying area to the woodshed. This Spring I'll be backing off the 6" splits a bit, aiming for 4"-5". I will stick with the 20-21" length. Summary: PH: 4-5" split, 21" long IS: 4" split 20" long, or 17.75" long with much less concern about split size for N/S loading.
I personally cut everything to 18" and load North and South. If I load east and west it coals up way too much and doesn't get enough air flow. Just my experience.
That- what he said for an Ideal Steel. Most of my splits are just under 18" and fit tightly behind the andirons, and I load N/S. Longer splits will fit if the andirons are removed, and loading N/S they are really not needed IMO as nothing can roll forward into the glass. Brian
18" in the PH is best. OR, some 18", and some 20 or 21". The problem is 20 or 21" won't fit in the bottom (first row) on the PH. The sides come it an inch or so on each side, so the bottom split can't be longer than 18", or it wont sit on the bottom of the stove flat. Because of this, I split everything to 18" now. I occasionally leave them an 1" or so longer... As for split size, the larger, the better!
The small piece of soapstone that is just under the stove door in the firebox and serves simply as added mass, I removed. I can place 22 inch splits on the firebox floor, 24 inch splits or slightly longer will fit in on a smaller load, angled and with one end elevated. That is handy, because if I have a split that is just a bit too long I don't have to cut it again, just save it for when I don't need much wood in the box. 18 inch lengths are ideal for me to handle, as they are easiest to load into the firebox, and fit perfectly in the bins I use to carry the firewood into the house. However, for other reasons, I prefer to cut to 20 -22 inches when I can. I like to cut to 20-22 inches, because I can then stack a full cord in a 16 foot length and about 5 1/2 feet high, and know that regardless of how openly stacked or how big the splits, I have a full cord. And, I have a longer length = more BTUs in the firebox. That said, I don't concern myself too much if the lengths are sometimes 18 inches, or even 16. I cut where the tree shape, and species, growth pattern and diameter indicates is best, and keep a separate area for very short lengths (12-16 inches). I like to have quite large splits and rounds to burn for cold nights. I'll keep some logs that will just fit through the door unsplit, and season them a long time. I'll split 32 inch rounds into twelve 10 inch splits, and split the heart separately into 4 or 6 six inch splits. If the wood is straight, I'll cut even these diameter rounds into at least 18 inch lengths. However, if it is twisted or knotty, I cut it shorter to make it easier to split, sometimes even to 12 inches, which I can load N-S. Those are a pain to stack. I split everything by hand, so that figures in my cutting/splitting decisions. I find the large 22 inch length splits and logs heavy, but, if I load them into an empty firebox, slide them along the door opening lip, with a bit of downward pressure, so the end in the stove does not dig into coals and push the coals in a pile against the far side. Don't have a problem loading them that way. Don't at all mind carrying the heavier splits in, either. Figure carrying weight is good for my bones. I, by the way, am not unusually strong and have small hands. I like to have some smaller splits, both for milder days, and to put between big splits on colder days. The door opening restricts the number of large splits that can be loaded. But it is a lot bigger than a Fireview door.
I assume this is on a PH, not an IS? This thread asks what is the preferred length / loading direction for the Progress Hybrid and Ideal Steel, and they are very different stoves. Brian P.S. and now I will edit my tag- line to reflect that I have an IS.
Good information, so when you say 10" split you are talking about ten inches at the widest part? (Bark Side) I am asking tough questions because I have 5-10 years worth of 24-34" diameter ash logs piled up depending on what I mill up. vs cut and split. Last time I cut so much wood I figured I would get an outdoor boiler so I cut at 24" and wound up putting a wood stove back in so 20 cords worth had to be reprocessed.
BDF: Yes, PH. Sorry, I should have had that in my post. jdonna: 32" round is roughly 96" circumference. I usually spilt that into a dozen pieces, so a chord from point to point on the bark side is about 8". The long sides going toward the heart are about 10 inches. I find when I split, that the heart usually separates from the round as I split. If it does, I usually have about 12 inches in the center, roughly 36 inch circumference, which I split into 4 to 6 pieces. If it doesn't, I split the heart off at the point where the split is roughly three inches across. I'll often do that split after I have split the outer part into 6 splits(then it is 6 inches across when I split the heart off, after which I split the outer splits once more), if I find the heart is not self-separating. Otherwise, I have quite small heartwood splits. So, my larger pie shape splits from the outer part of the round are roughly 8" straight across bark side, 10 inches on two sides going toward heart, and 3 inches across the short end. The door on the PH is easily 10 inches wide and 12 inches tall. So, you can split large rounds to that number of splits and have them fit in the PH door, until the rounds measure close to 40 inches. At 8 x 10 they go in sideways. Longer, you have to turn them on an angle or top to bottom, and rotate once through the door. Easy to load the bigger rounds first. As you move up in the firebox you need smaller rounds or splits, because the door is partially obstructed by wood. But you know that, from your experience with the Fireview.
18" splits for me as well, and that's for the IS. I have been loading N/S recently and am happy with the results for both how well the stove loads on a bed of coals raked forward and the coaling process. Split size is varied, I stack both large and medium size splits at the hearth. I find if I load the larger splits on the bottom first I have a better time with the medium sized splits filling the voids.
Jdonna, Just reloaded from yesterday's load and realized the inside opening measurement is smaller than I thought (cast overlies cast quite a bit more than I thought when the door is closed); Inside door opening measurement is about 9 x 11, which means any diameter log up to slightly over 34 inches can be split into 12 splits around the perimeter. Rounds over 34 inches, I'd go to at least 14 splits. My biggest rounds to date have been 33 inches. The door has an inside non-removable curved shield toward the upper corner of the back of the stove that will not allow for a square that large to fit through the door. That shield is why I load a large split into the back of the stove first, then into the front. More maneuvering room.
As an owner of both stoves, I'll tackle the length question. I like 16" in the IS for the N-S burns, and 20" in the PH. To fill the firebox in the IS, you really do have to put a piece or two E-W on top of the other logs, unless I haven't thought of another way (which is entirely possible). Those pieces would ideally be a bit longer than 16".
I too like 16" for N-S burns in the IS. If you only burn N-S and remove the andirons you can use 17-18" but they get tight towards the top. I've routinely squeezed up to 21" in loading E-W.
Yeah, 18" splits work great in the I.S., loaded N/S without the andirons. As far as the tapered firebox top goes, I rake the coals forward and leave a tapered coal bed that is about the same angle as the top of the firebox so it loads as if it were a rectangle. The coals are in a good position to light the new splits and tipping the new splits toward the back actually seems to make them burn more evenly. It also takes care of that funny 'wedge shaped' space you guys are ending up with in the front / top of the stove; because all the wood is basically parallel with the top already, it loads all the way to the top, all the splits are pitched toward the rear and nothing can roll forward. All my wood is cut to 18" or a tad less so loading E/W always leaves a gap on one side of the firebox, and that is almost impossible to fill. Also, when the I.S. is loaded that way it burns well for the first half of the burn but then the splits in the back just don't get enough air and the stove slows way down on the burn rate and heat output. That is fine when it is 35F or more outside but not when it is 10F and lower; the stove just won't put out enough heat to keep the house at a steady temp. if loaded E/W, at least my stove in my installation. Maybe those with a better draft can use this method ? Brian
For my Progress: I cut mostly 16" splits and random shorties up to 13" . The 16 inchers get used most of the time, but on the really cold 10 degree nights I load 16" EW pushed far away from the door and I add shorties/13 inchers NS stacked at the door. I have been playing with different thicknesses, 4"-6" works well. This way I get the best of both worlds - easy to manage sizes and the ability to fully load the stove when needed.
I thought of trying that with some of my short pieces since most of my wood is 16", I'll have to try it and see how it works.
I prefer stacking lengths that are longer than 16 inches. The 18 to 22 make for really stable stacks, and less splitting, and a full cord in 16 feet x 5 1/3 feet. Two rows fit on 4 foot pallets. Less space needed for stacking. More heat per log, less carrying of wood to the house.
Twenty inch east west for the IS for me and a two by eighteen limb north south on the side. I would definitely do twenty two but have 32 cords cut either eighteen or twenty inch. My next scrounges will be cut to twenty two. I pack it in there, it burns slow and steady, and very little coals just enough to start the next fire.
