I have both and OWB as well as a Defiant Encore wood stove. For indoors, I cut to 17" and what I would call normal size splits. But, for the OWB, I cut to 24" (splitter has a 25" stroke) and about as big as I can handle. I would say the average piece is about 8-10", some bigger. I try to burn wood I've CSS at least a year ago, but now getting to the point where I'm burning two year old wood. It's tough keeping up with the wood supply when I'm burning 15 cord a year, but I'm pushing to get 3-4 years ahead. I know dry times will be longer with the larger splits, but they do great in the OWB. I'm debating if I shouldn't be splitting smaller to decrease the dry times...but at the same time, I get long burn times with the larger pieces. I'm so confused Lol. So, what size splits are you using in your OWB?
I try to split everything at the very least in half, I've gone as far as a3 inch round split in half, but I try my best to get everything down to less than 6" depending on species, pine and fast drying softwood I leave bigger but oak and whatnot I split a down more. Sticks uglies shorts and twisted messes I burn right away to keep a little nicer stack, I've been wanting to build a ugly bin or buy a steel cage for the big plastic water and chemical barrels to throw those pieces in so I can put them up for a wind break on the edge of our property. We're in the middle of a field and the wind is straight up relentless! I'd like to have a dozen to use like bookends for stacks, making a wood wind fence.
I wouldn't equate long burn times with dry wood. It could be that it just takes longer because the moisture needs to get boiled out of the wood before it ignites. So while the burn time might be long, most of your BTU's is going to drying out the wood before it burns. Personally, I'd split smaller when your expecting to have less dry time.
I cut all my wood 16" whether it is for the indoor or outdoor stove. The OWB wood splits will lean to the bigger side but are still manageable. I burn maybe six cord a year here in central Minnesota, and I credit that to the use of well seasoned wood. It takes of fast when the damper opens, burns hot, keeps the on cycle time low. Works for me....
Sawdog, don't know where you are at, but I fail to understand why your are splitting wood for the OWB? I have some really nasty sized chunks that I will calve off here and there just so I am able to handle them in the below zero temps of pre-dawn l hours on the way to work. Don't really look forward to straining the back with a barely managable chunk under those conditions, right? I also will keep the sizes of the chunks as to what I can manage for the OWB. Of course, the larger the better, since it will burn longer. The indoor epa versions of the wood chunk sizes not only get split but also cut shorter than the other stuff. And piled in a different location.
My situation is somewhat unique. I have a chip/wood dump for tree services. About 80% of the wood brought in is cut 24" and under. I just pile them up to season in the round . My dad heats with an OWB and mixes slabwood and small rounds with big stuff . Maybe you can get rounds ahead from a tree service and split some small to mix with a big round on those cold nights for a long burn. The round in the pic will last 2-3 days with multiple firings of slabwood on each side .
Sawdog, we don't have an OWB but if we did, I'd probably split in half and call it good so long as it wasn't too big to handle. I'd also keep plenty of rounds and then also split some stuff a bit smaller to mix in to help the burn and to help fill the firebox. With the forced draft on that thing you should be able to handle some good sized logs. One other thing to keep in mind is what if you can't fill the firebox? I know a couple who have an OWB and he keeps his stuff pretty large. Then he went for a week of deer hunting and expected his wife to keep the fire going. She couldn't because she is small and could not handle the same size logs that he can. So she had to hire someone to fill the boiler until her husband came back. Bet that turned ugly fast!
True on that wife issue Dennis. There are always some "woman sized" chunks in the stacks. No offense intended!
We heat 5000 sf including the basement which is clubbed, and also all domestic hot water. Heat is mainly radiant floor heat. We usually go 10/1 thru 4/1 and we also burn about 15 cords. Wood is usually seasoned some, but is whatever species i come to next. I cut with other guys who burn in stoves, so we all just cut 20-22 inches. Come splitting time, we split it down for them, but i leave the stuff for me as big as can be handled. Then i stack one row in the back of the stove and one row by the door and this works pretty well. What i lack in overall piece size i can get a little back from by two nice stacks inside the stove. For limbs i sometimes just leave them 4 ft long and put them in whole. Happy heating.
One more point sawdog. Remember it is not necessary to fill the firebox on the OWB. True, you gain a little longer burn time, but I have found that feeding a half sized fire is just as adequate. I load twice a day and the only time that box gets filled up is when the mercury gets well below zero. Back in the 80's, a retired guy told me that a wood stove will burn as much wood as you put into it. No need to go through your wood quicker than you need to right?
I only have an OWB, so I cut most of my stuff 20-23“ so I'm not fighting it at the splitter. The Hardy has a relatively small fire box compared to say a central boiler or heat master 24"wX32"dX36"H. I split everything over 10-12". I do this mainly to help with drying. By the comments of you other OWB owners I may be over working myself. I'll also second yooperdave comment on other over filling. My first year I would load it full. Now I only load enough to get to my next load schedule, usually 12-14 hours.
Dave, I'm in Illinois and my splitting centers more around being able to handle pieces more than anything. Most times, I get some awefully big wood - 2'-3' rounds, they obviously need to be split to handle. Many of the pieces I put in the boiler are rather large. But, Believe me, if I don't have to split, I'd rather not. I guess there's also a large part of me that says dry wood will save me work in the long run, hence the other reason to split, but what I'm reading here confirms at the very least I'm not alone in what I'm doing.
Totally agree. My shop is at my house and I'm able to load multiple times - this time of year is usually twice a day also. What isn't in the box, can't burn. I've been known to milk wood scraps from the shop all day long given the right conditions.
Thanks Greg. I haven't done the back row load trick yet as I usually can make it through the next load with one row. Do you ever feel like splitting wood will help dry faster and therefore you might go through less wood in the long run? That's some thoughts I've had lately, but like I said above, sounds like I'm over thinking (and over working) a bit.
