In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

wood crate's

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by fuelrod, Jan 16, 2017.

  1. fuelrod

    fuelrod

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    I'm experimenting with these (2) wood crates for permanent use off the splitter & drying, then to the house & repeat. The only problem is I'll need a LOT of them to be fully converted and eliminate stacking & then loading into the "boxe's" I use now. That's r/s hemlock and still near $80 in materials :eek: It will be a lot easier to cover (and uncover in the snow), and I should be able to stack 2 high. It's just a little expensive IMHO. I'll see how these work out and maybe If I slowly transition into these it'll be like payments:whistle:
    They're about 100 cu/ft each, about all I can reasonably move at once. DSCN8499.JPG DSCN8501.JPG

    I'll get a pic when loaded.
     
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  2. Woodporn

    Woodporn

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    I like it!
    What is r/s hemlock?

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  3. Blazing

    Blazing

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    Skid steer :dex: the thought of getting away from stacking is a great dream for me. I don't mind any other part of firewood but man I hate stacking. Once I'm done I love the look and continue to enjoy it for the years it takes to season.
     
  4. Oldman47

    Oldman47

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    If you are contemplating costing $80 each, how about a nice Alaskan mill and quit buying the lumber? You would still need to buy the hardware though.
     
  5. cnice_37

    cnice_37

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    Rough sawn I reckon.

    For $80 a pop couldn't you get a monkey and train them, add in some other junk chores?
     
  6. accidental forester

    accidental forester

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    woodcrate 01.jpg woodcrate 02.jpg woodcrate 03.jpg We use what are called "tree crates". Small, potted trees are are imported in them. The nurseries sell them off as they're not worth shipping back. We pay €12.50 (~$13.50 at the moment) for them. They're not as sturdy as yours but generally last a few years if kept under cover. According to the FHC calculator, they hold just over 0.25 cord. I'm not sure if there is a US equivelent but if you search for "pallet boxes", something might turn up.[​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  7. fuelrod

    fuelrod

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    The r/s (rough sawn) 2x4x8 are only $2.05 - 10's $3.33 & 12's @$4. It's those stinkin GRK screws that I'm addicted to that add a lot of cost.
    images.jpeg
    The hemlock is pretty good out in the weather and I put 4 2x4 p/t where it sits on the ground. I really would like a bandmill, been kickin around the idea of building one for a long time.
     
  8. Woodporn

    Woodporn

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    Those screws rock!

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  9. fuelrod

    fuelrod

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    Those are nice, my problem is I cut my wood at 26" and that dimension does not work with all of the "regular" pallet's that I've been scrounging for my stacks. Believe me I'd love to find a cheap or free pre made pallet that I could use. I've seen some guy's make real nice box's made from standard pallets, but most of them are using 16" firewood.
     
  10. Jack Straw

    Jack Straw

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    IMG_1733.JPG IMG_4839.JPG I make mine out of used lumber I get for free
     
  11. fuelrod

    fuelrod

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    They sure do. When subject to movement, (like hopefully carrying around these box's until they rot), I find screws to be far better than nails. Believe me I looked at my nail gun real hard while making these 2 up.:whistle:
     
  12. Gasifier

    Gasifier

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    Nice. That Gehl is a friggin BEAST! Nice tractor Jack Straw. Ummm. What was the subject of this thread again?
     
  13. Minnesota Marty

    Minnesota Marty

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    fuelrod,
    I like the wooden crates. Any time you can decrease the amount of times you handle each piece of firewood is a win to me.
     
  14. fuelrod

    fuelrod

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    I got a late start on filling the 1st one this afternoon, I placed it right behind me standing at the splitter. As I took each split off the splitter, turned around and put it in the crate, all the time thinking that I won't have to touch that piece for a year of so, and that will be to burn it, the cost of building it started to make sense.
    I made a sawbuck out of this material at least 6 years ago, it's been outside ever since and shows no sign of giving up yet. Once filled, I'll be putting old roof metal on top of these for storage and that will keep the bulk of rain off of it making a 10+ year use realistic making the cost a lot more reasonable.
    (do y'all hear me talking myself into this "system"?):D
     
  15. Deer Meadow Farm

    Deer Meadow Farm

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    001 (2).JPG 001_28429.jpg 003 (2).JPG I use free pallets as the base, R/S pine for the uprights and tops, (or salvaged wood when I can get it), free aircraft cable for connecting the tops (company threw out an entire roll). Holds approx. 56 cubic feet which is about my max for the tractor. I made jigs to put everything together.
     
  16. Gasifier

    Gasifier

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  17. fuelrod

    fuelrod

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    Well I think I'll be building these for all future firewood made. The machine moves them with no trouble and it should be a big time saver in several step's. I like to top cover and I really have to pile a lot of crap on both metal and rubber roofing to keep the wind from taking it off. I threw some rubber roofing on them today (all my metal was froze into the snow & ice) and I'll be able to throw a few screws through the rubber into the firewood at the corners to keep it on.
    Then there's uncovering it, usually with at least a foot of snow & ice on it, oh and I like to stack my double row up to about 6' tall, so it's a real pita to uncover & load into my box's I use now to carry to the house. "Pulling" off a 6' tall pile makes for a long taper and is a pain to deal with during the whole process (building, covering, uncovering, loading & re-covering. Since I haven't figured out how to get any younger, these box's will be more appreciated every year.:thumbs: DSCN8507.JPG DSCN8513.JPG
    You can see my stacks in the upper pic and building the inner row with my mechanized system is also hard with only about 9' between the rows, and that slight slope turns to ice, in fact I busted my a$$ today just walking through at lunch time, with the box's I can split & cut out in an open area or anywhere on the property for that matter. I'll see how it go's but so far I think it's worth it.
     
  18. Gasifier

    Gasifier

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    Very nice fuelrod ! A wise old guy Stinny , once told me if you sit in the snow in your shorts and t-shirt you will at least feel younger for a while.:p You can also try running around in the snow in your bare feet for a bit. :eek: I've done that before. Then get inside quick. That will make you feel young again!
     
  19. Flamestead

    Flamestead

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  20. reprod

    reprod

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    Hi Fuelrod,
    Have you considered these? They are IBC totes without the plastic liner. The dimensions are 40"x48"x46"tall.
    I just purchased a bunch of these off craigslist for $25/ea.
    I haven't had a chance to use them, but am hoping the will be a great long term option.
     

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    Last edited: Jan 21, 2017
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