Stacking rounds question

Say you have a facecord rack (4'x8'x16") and you fill it with large rounds 16 inches in length such that they exactly fill up the rack, touching both sides and reaching 4ft high. So, it's completely full. Then you remove the rounds and split them into your normal firewood splits and stack all of it back in the same rack. Will it completely fill the rack such that it is exactly full or not fill it or will it spill out the top, exceeding the rack's capacity? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

The rack won’t be as full after everything is split. Reason being, smaller gaps between pieces.

 

Agree with Eric.. Not as full.

 

^^ X3, will be less full

 

I think it will over fill the rack. I think there will be a lot more gaps equaling more air in the stacks.

You need to do this and take pictures so we know for sure.

 

The argument for the other side contains a position that all of the wood within the diameter of a round has zero air gap space. In stacked splits, there are air gaps all around each split. So, one could surmise that the rack would overflow once split.

EDIT: And, of course, another possibility is that there will be no difference.

 

I usually do not stack my splits real tight. It defeats the purpose of trying to dry them out.

 

Agreed…. I pondered this same thing many times.

 

I thought of that and can agree to an extent. There are a few variables at play here. What shape(s) the splits are, how many of each shape there are (triangles/squares/rectangles/trapezoid/parallelogram) how tight you stack them, how twisted or straight the grain is... I also imagine you could stack said pile several times and get a different result every time. One thing I know for certain: the larger the rounds are you’re talking about, the more wasted space before said rounds are split.

 

Basic geometry says the splits take up less space. Less work says stake once not twice.

 

I think you pose an interesting question I have a very big pile of rounds you are more than welcome to come out and test your theory you can stack the rounds than split them I will direct you where too stack them and you can repeat several times just so you are sure and I will take the pictures that way you will be able to test your theory and I will get my wood split and stacked ( I have always found splits take up less room in a stack ) but I am willing to let you prove it JB

 

Someone needs to take pics. Come on Sawman be a sport.

 

I bet it’s pretty close to exactly the same.

On a limited scale to test it out I’ve book ended a round with 2 others. Then split the round and stacked it back between he book ends. There was no real difference.

 

Here's a really crude scenario using 12" rounds. The representation in the lower right corner is the proof in the pudding. Bear in mind these are all stacked in a hypothetical way in which none of us would stack it in the real world. I'm sure with optimal stacking you could reduce the stacking area further. Calculated out, the stacking area of a bare 4' x 8' rack is 4608 square inches. The total surface area of (32) 12" rounds is about 3619 square inches.

 

That's really cool, Eric. I thought of doing it with a drawing program, but that is not my forte'!

 

I do this all the time. I build portable racks out of pallets that would hold approximately a face cord. I fill with rounds wherever I'm cutting and transport by skid steer to my processing center for splitting and stacking. When I split, I place directly in IBC totes (generally 275 gallon size). They never end up full and I don't stack tight. Hence, the pile will be condensed after splitting and stacking. At least that's how it works in my world. YMMV.

 

This one's a little more realistic.

 

Are you saying that you throw tossed splits into a 275gal IBC tote and a face cord of rounds does not fill the tote?

I think I decided that I can get a face cord of splits in a tote but the wood spills over quite a ways above the top. I need to stack one carefully instead of tossing and see how it "stacks up!"

 

Bear in mind that my pallet rack has pretty "loose" tolerances so it might be a bit short of a face cord depending on how I stack the rounds. I find that the 330 gallon IBC tote comes closer to a face cord. Also, I stack 2 rows in the totes and don't fill the space in between so there is definitely some gappage.

 

Always glad to offer ''Assistance" I have been off from day job this week so I have chunked up a pile ready to re-split and stack so I am ready for theory testing of course the project list has only let me work a day on cutting and splitting maybe today JB