Funny you mention that...we were just discussing using hay (straw) bales for insulation at certain critical times (extended extreme cold snaps) for a tank at work. Sounds like the first thing I would try if I were in your shoes too...
Im sure it does. I’m looking at the expense aspect of it. If it were just one pen I wouldn’t mind. I plan on making lots of these things At 8’ wide a 10’ pvc pipe wouldn’t be long enough. So cutting 20 footers would be expensive and wasteful.
I think that’s the ticket out. Could stretch to 8x40 foot pens and use three bales. Would need less weight suspended too. Think I need to tell the guy who cuts our field to bring the small square bale machine this time. There’s not much hay out there anyway.
Altho the bale will be forgiving on your covering, piling your wood higher in 3 places as you convey with some old furniture cushions atop the splits would do the same thing in terms softening the interface of tarp and splits. Plus- more firewood!!!
Heck, if a person was inclined to go the "furniture" route, you could snag some old kid sized mattress' off the curb...a few of those on top and the tarp would be well protected! Might be a little temping to lay down on the job sometimes though...
Well like any good hoarder I have mounded the top already. Widening to 8 feet will allow me to mound a little higher plus use less pallets per amount of wood. The hay bale is nice because of its height that will allow air around it. Cushions not so much. My fist thought was an inner tube which I nixed for the same reason,,,,plus it may pop from rope burns. Two more considerations. First is the day will come when I have to take these mountains of wood down There comes a point where height starts working against you. Don’t wanna make the evening news as the guy who got buried in a firewood avalanche LOL FWIW I fully intend to reverse the conveyor and pump the wood out onto my trailer for distribution. Secondly is how much junk I bring home and how easily it’s disposed of when I pass. Have a mother and sister living on the property and they watch this stuff like a hawk. I’m already known for having too many “treasures” not properly hidden from view If I start bringing home used mattresses they’ll send in the nice men with the padded truck.
