In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Any Recommended Videos on stacking?

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by Marshel54, Aug 16, 2017.

  1. Marshel54

    Marshel54

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2016
    Messages:
    1,660
    Likes Received:
    12,884
    Location:
    Ohio
    I have watched several U-Tube videos on stacking and nothing has sunk in. Any recommended videos? Having trouble with end stack cribbing.
    I was at Shawn's place and just drawled over his stacks. He has to be the Picasso of stacking.
     
  2. bocefus78

    bocefus78

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2013
    Messages:
    3,694
    Likes Received:
    19,837
    Location:
    Indiana
    Just host a gtg and hide his saws. Then he has to stack your wood. :D
     
    Ou812, Lone_Gun, J. Dirt and 3 others like this.
  3. Marshel54

    Marshel54

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2016
    Messages:
    1,660
    Likes Received:
    12,884
    Location:
    Ohio
    Good idea. That could possibly be in the works for 2018. I don't own a lot of woods for falling, But do know I have around 5 Ash trees that I can see from my back door that need to come down and some Black Locus that needs cleaned up. Since I am still working on the last Wood Fairy dump, these are not high on my priority list. One is gigantic. Could call my Wood Fairy, my son-in-law who works for a land clearing company, and have him bring out a load of logs for those that like running their saws.
     
    J. Dirt, Eric VW and Backwoods Savage like this.
  4. MikeInMa

    MikeInMa

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2016
    Messages:
    14,061
    Likes Received:
    99,851
    Location:
    Southern Worcester county
    I'm sure Backwoods will chime in, but from the pics I've seen, the consistency in the thickness of the splits used, is the key, or one of them.

    Sent from my SM-T280 using Tapatalk
     
  5. stuckinthemuck

    stuckinthemuck

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    3,209
    Likes Received:
    15,005
    Location:
    Wandering around in the NH woods.
    Don't have a video but I start thinking about my stacks at the splitter. Consistent lengths and rectangular splits get set aside for cribbing the ends. A level and stable base is absolutely imperative. My stacks are on pallets that are 40" wide. I cut my wood 18" plus or minus. So I start with a 4" gap at the bottom and gradually work the two stacks together at the top. I tie the stacks together with a 36-40" 1" sapling every few feet and just below the top so the stacks are held together. If you have one side of the stack facing the sun, lean that side away from the sun as it will shrink faster and lean toward the sun over time. If it starts plumb, it is more likely to fall over. Backwoods Savage and bogydave have some good stable stacks. Trial and error got me where I am today. If you make a mistake, learn from it and don't repeat it. I chose not to do weed control to give the bumble bees something to feed on.

    Also, I support the outside edges of the pallets but not the middles. As the pallets sag, the two rows are naturally pushed together.

    IMG_0545.JPG
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2017
    HDRock, MO. Wood, J. Dirt and 5 others like this.
  6. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    46,077
    Likes Received:
    289,187
    Location:
    Central MI
    What? You mean to say you were at our GTG and never took the time to look at the stacks?!

    This first picture doesn't show you in the crowd but I know you were close by. The wood stack in the background was stacked (at least most of it was) during that day and headed by Gary_602z. I think brenndatomu and Frank and Beans were 2 others involved in that stacking and perhaps a few others. Thank you fellas.

    101_0597.JPG

    These were already stacked but I know you had to have walked past them several times that weekend.
    Woodpile-1 2014.JPG Woodpile-2 2014.JPG

    There really is no secret to stacking and it really does not take long to do. They also tend to be very strong as in 60 years or so of wood stacking I've had only one fall over. The main thing is to stack as level as possible but still you can still stack some unlevel and it will turn out okay.

    As you can see I tend to like the rectangular pieces for cribbing the ends but they are not totally necessary. You can tell that Gary didn't have the rectangle pieces and those stacks are very nice.

    Some ask if I build the ends then fill in between but I tend to build the ends as the stack grows and find I can usually make them stronger this way.

    In addition, if you use kindling, filling in the cribbed ends with kindling is a great way to stack it. Good luck!

    btw, I'm not sure if walt will have any wood to stack but if so we can work together that weekend in October if you wish.
    Shawn Curry will be there and can probably teach you better than I can. He is good.
     
    Shawn Curry, HDRock, Chvymn99 and 3 others like this.
  7. tamarack

    tamarack

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2015
    Messages:
    1,311
    Likes Received:
    6,848
    Location:
    paulina oregon
    I dont have any great advice on stacking, some members here are fanatical about their stacking. Im not i just kinda throw up the ricks and hope for the best.:bug: 20170816_145647.jpg
     
  8. Marshel54

    Marshel54

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2016
    Messages:
    1,660
    Likes Received:
    12,884
    Location:
    Ohio
    I have been leaning the stacks towards each other, but haven't considered the sun. Consistent thickness is what I was thinking when I started a new stack today. My splits are 16" and each crib has 3 splits. I have been making sure the 2 outside splits are the same thickness and the middle split a lesser thickness. When I was looking at my stack today I got to thinking, all 3 splits the same thickness? Maybe the error in my ways.
    I am in a trial and error phase now.
     
  9. HDRock

    HDRock

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    17,244
    Likes Received:
    60,315
    Location:
    Grand Blanc, MI,
    T posts, no cribbing necessary :yes:
     
  10. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2015
    Messages:
    24,241
    Likes Received:
    139,104
    Location:
    US
  11. HDRock

    HDRock

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    17,244
    Likes Received:
    60,315
    Location:
    Grand Blanc, MI,
    Chvymn99, J. Dirt, BigPapi and 3 others like this.
  12. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2015
    Messages:
    24,241
    Likes Received:
    139,104
    Location:
    US
    You get some of Jack Straw's meds mixed with your beers....? :whistle::rofl: :lol:
    Bookends......:picard:
    :handshake:
     
    Chvymn99, J. Dirt, BigPapi and 2 others like this.
  13. HDRock

    HDRock

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    17,244
    Likes Received:
    60,315
    Location:
    Grand Blanc, MI,
    Yes sir, bookends.
    The racks I have are 4 ft wide 6 ft long , at the end of the six foot Pallet, the vertical support is attached, the other end is the same, equaling a 12 ft long rack, in which the horizontal pallets are not attached in any way, so, what you have is bookends, you get it now?
     
    Eric VW, Chvymn99, J. Dirt and 2 others like this.
  14. MightyWhitey

    MightyWhitey

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2014
    Messages:
    1,746
    Likes Received:
    6,311
    Location:
    5 miles South of the "cheddar curtain".
    IMG_0968.jpg

    I don't need no stinking "cribbed ends"!!!!!
     
  15. Marshel54

    Marshel54

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2016
    Messages:
    1,660
    Likes Received:
    12,884
    Location:
    Ohio
    I was using T-Posts for years. I do use them when I bring the wood up to the house for the winter. My winter burn set up consists of T-Post at the west end with a section of stockade fence tied to them. Portable cattle panel are used for the bottom support. Gates and panel are used for the side supports. Not very economical, but all the material is left over from when I use to raise cattle.. No problem if the stacks attempt to fall. Works well but not recommended. It would cost over $600 to construct it out of new materials today.
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2017
    Backwoods Savage, Eric VW and HDRock like this.
  16. HDRock

    HDRock

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    17,244
    Likes Received:
    60,315
    Location:
    Grand Blanc, MI,
    Okay, so, if you want to do cribbing you just practice:)
     
    Backwoods Savage, Eric VW and J. Dirt like this.
  17. Erik B

    Erik B

    Joined:
    May 12, 2015
    Messages:
    5,295
    Likes Received:
    36,022
    Location:
    Western Wisconsin
    I use t-posts and pallets for the ends. DSC01535.JPG
     
    Mag Craft, Oldman47, Eric VW and 3 others like this.
  18. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Messages:
    3,482
    Likes Received:
    18,253
    Location:
    Ny
    I've got some cribbed and some on "racks" I built. Like some of the other FHC gallery has said square splits are always nice :thumbs: but not necessary if you are going for perfect square cribs. I try to use what's in the pile and there is a bit of trial and error with the pieces, but all said and done they seem to lock in fairly solid and haven't fallen yet :zip:.
    Here's a couple in the background my wife did pushing 5' high (and a bunch of splitting to do someday :whistle:)
    IMG_1461.JPG
    IMG_1457.JPG
    Ignoring the cutting crib look in the back the racks from the left and cribbed ends on the right again almost 5' high with the outermost stacks leaned in a touch haven't lost it yet. As far as speed and simplicity is concerned the racks are awesome as well as the stake/t post method it all depends on what you feel like:D
     
  19. yooperdave

    yooperdave

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2014
    Messages:
    33,746
    Likes Received:
    207,715
    Location:
    Michigan's U.P.
    Try to keep your stacks level.

    [​IMG]

    Don't overdo it, pace yourself.

    [​IMG]

    Some prefer to keep nice and straight stacks.

    [​IMG]

    And some stacks are functional.

    [​IMG]
     
  20. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Messages:
    3,482
    Likes Received:
    18,253
    Location:
    Ny
    P.S if I get 3 seconds to split that pile and stack it maybe I'll video my sorry excuse of a stacking attempt and make a U tube out of it