Sometimes I’m embarrassed by how long it takes me to solve a problem but I solved 2 problems today that I’ve been thinking about for awhile. I cut my wood to 16” because that’s what my stove (Fireview) in Wisconsin took. I stack in 2 rows, 4” high and 12 feet long to make a cord. Here in Missouri, I figure I could use 2 cords/yr. so for the 3yr plan I need 6 cords. I’ve got 5 cords stacked around my splitting area but have had trouble trying to find a good spot for the 6th cord. Now let me switch gears to explain the other problem I’ve been thinking about. The firebox of my Heatilator is wider than my old Fireview. I’ve been building my fire on one side of the firebox and then sticking some shorts on the other side to fill the box. I’ve thought about taking some of my splits and cutting them in two for use on the short end. Then it hit me! One solution for both problems! I will start bucking my logs to 20”! Now my double 12’ rows will hold 1.25 cords instead of 1. And my 5 cord area will then hold 6.25 cords. Twenty inch splits will fill my firebox better so no need for shorts. Easy peasy! I don’t know why the easy solutions elude me longer than they should but I’m glad to eventually figure things out. Sometimes I can really identify with that John Wayne meme with the quote “Life is hard. Even harder if you’re stupid.”
Of course a 20" length is going to take longer to dry than a 16", so there's that to figure into it too.
I’ve been processing my wood to 20” for years. I think it’s a good compromise as 24” can be hard to handle, and 16”can be too short for my stove (could take 24’s). 16” stacks also fall over easier as they are less stable.
