The OFFICIAL Firewood Hoarder's Club thread!!!

We usually get our first killing frost where I am in SC in October as well

 

We have some hickory up here in NH, but not much. Mostly by roadsides and settlements where people planted it, I have read. I have a little from a CL scrounge, saving it for something special.

 

While I agree with your points TurboDiesel , it's also normal vernacular around here for a cord to reflect a "face cord"
I understand that there is no legal definition of a face cord, but it is the norm for it to be at 16 inches, which if delivered in 8' x4' quantity, it would indeed equal 1/3 of a cord (full cord)

It's quite the norm to see ads on the local stores "bulletin boards" of people selling firewood.

I have never just called someone and ordered any, but it would be something that was agreed to, that it would not be less than 16" length.

 

Seems that is the "normal" measure of firewood in NY. We never hear that term around here.

 

Yep, it's like the phrase "the norms if society."

The norms change depending on which society you're in at the moment.

 

Yep, I don't get why people that are trying to make firewood for someone cut literally 10 and 12 inch rounds. We're talking the stuff I saw is like 8 inches in diameter...no more than 10. It's not like it was 30 inches and it was cut short to make manageable pieces. Maybe not good on size estimation? We have all seen grocery store firewood, does it look as long as a 12" ruler to them?


I have a buddy who's hobby is BBQ and smoking. It's no big deal I told him I would save it and bring it to him. I'll split it and stack it and when I see him this deer season I will bring it to him.

 

Yeah, for 5-8 bucks a bundle.

Almost got a wild hair to ask the cashier at TSC yesterday how much was for a cord of it.

 

Face cord of course, I'd have to get another loan for a full cord of the stuff.

 

I cut everthing myself to 16 if I can but I do have some shorter for fill in pieces from rounds that didn't have enough left to make a full 16 or them tough ones that won't split

 

as far as the 16" wood thing goes, i actually started measuring and marking my logs. it stacks SO much better!

a couple months ago my neighbor pulled up in the dump truck and hollered "you want this load of ash?" I glanced over and saw 20" rounds and said sure. he backed up and ripped the handle and out came the most beautiful round of ash...
in 12-30" lengths

 

Yes it does make it easier to stack I just started measuring also i took a piece of old molding and lay it on the round unfortunately this year alot of the free wood I got was either already cut to short or to long but ones I was able to cut myself was cut the same and what a difference it makes in stacking but way I see it it was free so I take all I can

 

for that kind of money, I'll deliver you a cord....a real cord

 

I cut to 16", +/- a half inch or so. I don't measure it, I just wing it and I've being doing it so long I'm pretty accurate. More or less.

 

Its not a big deal to me 14" 16" or 18" I don't care too much. I aim for 16 though. I just don't get people who cut it 10 or 12"s. Who burns 12 inch long firewood, I mean maybe if you hAve one of those tiny zero clearance apartment fireplaces?

 

I end up with some short pieces unless I do the logging myself. When I get tree trimmer and homeowner wood, I get odd lengths. I can fit a 18" or even 20" inch split in my stove early/late season. But once the cold is cranking and stove has 5 or 6 inches of coals and wood in it, it has to be 16" to fit.

 

In the state of Maine it is illegal to sell anything that is not a cord of wood that measures 128 cubic feet...Not sure if I said that right but no ricks or face cords here....

 

Yeah, but then I wouldn't get to see the cashier try to figure out how many bundles would be required, and calculate the cost.


We have a local store that used to take empty beer cans/bottles at the service desk. I'd bring in a 12 pack, and watch the clerk immediately reach for the calculator.

 

I've been measuring for a few years now. My stove will handle up to 20" so I cut to 18". I just use a measuring stick and a can of marking paint. Cut on the orange (or yellow or whatever is on sale) dots and it's perfect every time. Not only do things look a lot neater in the yard, it optimizes the number of times I have to open the stove door to load it.

Also, there's little in this world that frustrates a guy more than putting a piece of wood in the stove and finding out the door wont close. I got really lucky when I bought my used wood splitter a few months ago. The maximum size it will handle is 19 1/2". If it wont fit in the splitter, it wont fit in the stove. Make peace with it, and go cut it again if it wont fit in the wood cracker. With the 4 way wedge on there, it's exactly 18". It may require a little wiggle to get a round in there but at least I know exactly what I'm taking home. Its much better to find out something is too long right there and then rather than having to fire up the chainsaw in my suburban yard and make a mess.

 

The IS will take 18" n-s, and 22" e-w, but I've found 16" splits work just fine. The stove box is big enough that I don't worry about stuffing in every last BTU that will fit.