I cross stack all my wood for drying. I've seen volume comparison of loosely thrown wood verses tightly stacke. But nothing about cross stacked vs tightly stacked. I want say add 40% volume. Because thrown is roughly 30% more
Welcome to FHC Not_chip. Think you'll like it here. We like dogs, beer and lots of pics. A lot of knowledge here, so sit back and ask away.
Can you restack a cross stacked (also known as cribbing or cribbed as ive learned) stack the "normal" way and see what it yields?
Welcome Not_chip , glad to have you aboard. Stack 1/3 of a cord tight, then restack in your style & measure again. I'd guess 40pct is real close.
Cross stack- you mean cribbing like Lincoln logs? For the few of those here who have truly mastered such a skill, Envy plays a game on us others. I wasn’t sure about volume but the most diligent of stackers stack 2-4 splits on a level then crossing back and forth. Lots of airspace usually. More so with fewer splits. I’m not a tight stacker. Sometimes I can’t think about that too much knowing it’s gonna burn up. I covet the wood itself not how I stack it so I’m not a big pick up on such a skill.
Thats like real work. I was hoping some ocd person here had done Yes cribbing. I do it to help it dry faster. Wood i'm splitting today I'd like to be ready by Memorial day.
Maybe ill try an experiment next time stacking/ Im OCD and am now curious. I crib ends sometimes, but it takes too long and will build 1/2 cord racks and or cord racks out of pallets with pallet ends.
There would be no hard answer to how much you lose by cribbing. The reason is there is just too much variance. For instance, just recently I moved some wood into the barn for use this winter. Naturally the ends were cribbed. This particular stack had cribbed ends that were really tight and in addition, I had kindling wood stuffed where I could get it in so there was very little wasted space; I'd say no more than in the regular stack. Yet the stack next to it I left with lots of air. How would you compare when the stacks are like that? Here are some example of cribbed ends. I suppose one could take an average. Notice the difference with some spaces in part of the ends and some pretty well filled in. Again, notice the differences in now tight the ends are. Some tight; some loose. On the next two pictures, notice on the first picture the far right stack and compare it to the second picture-the closes stack. And now compare it to the master stacker himself; metalcuttr.
Well the same thing applies to loosely thrown. I've seen estimates on loosely thown go from 150 to 200 cf per cord. I ballpark about 170 for loosely thrown.
Interesting thread. I cross-stack, or crib, the whole stack. Never really thought about it... it's just how I started stacking when we started having firewood on our property. Kept doing it this way when we started using wood for heat 6 or so years ago. I've seen plenty of y'all's pics where only the ends are cribbed, and I've asked myself a couple time why I don't do it that way. But I didn't put enough time into it to come up with an answer. I guess if one way works well for you, keep at it!
Ohio dave good thread! Backwoods Savage great post comparing the various stacks that are different. Most of my stacks vary a little in stacking "style" depending on the terrain and obstacles as well. That is my longer term stacks that are in the woods. They sit and wait for their turn to spend their last year in the woodshed. Once to the shed, there is more of a scheme, to include cribbed ends. But, in the wood lot, they usually just end up against a tree. buZZsaw BRAD My wife and I joke about our (both) selective OCD. For example, I'm not "firewood level OCD" when it comes to the grass... RobGuru , any pix of your stacking scheme? I never thought of doing that, but it may be more stable. Food for thought.
In order for cribbing to not fall down for me, I make very large square splits for the ends that that look like 8 x 8"s. Those are so large the amount of wood is about like regular stacked.
I would also consider him a master splitter. A good wood stack starts with well thought out splitting plan of even length wood.
Either way works just fine and if that is your preference, tis okay. It just takes a bit more time, but time well spent.
I've also stacked in the woods against trees but make sure it is only against something like popple as it can be a bit hard on the tree stacking against it. But popple has a short life and is almost a junk tree to start with. I love your wood shed.
That is a great way to make them more solid. I've also found if I split into rectangles or squares that the ends are much better and also easier to make; that is, the stacking goes quicker.
