I've been thinking about firewood handling ever since I first started helping my dad during the "oil crisis" in the 70's. I have looked at tons of ideas over the years, but I saw photos of a guy who moved his firewood on pallets. Nothing else seemed all that great or easy so I decided to give the pallet idea a try. I got free 48 x 48 pallets from my wife's work and used three 8' 2x4 rough cuts and some free 1/8" aircraft cable. I didn't have anything real green to load on it. The tree these were cut from were cut last fall and left in log length all winter. This spring I cut them to length (2' long), split and stacked them. I didn't do a moisture meter reading but they are probably pretty seasoned. This set-up holds 56 cubic feet which would probably be over my loader's capacity if it were all green oak. I think I'll be OK because I usually process logs that are a year old anyway and by the time I'd need to move the pallets closer to the boiler they should be well seasoned. I have another set of forks from a fork lift that I plan to make a 3-point mounted set with. That will let me carry one pallet up front and one out back at a time.
If I had a tractor capable of that, I'd rebuild the shed to accommodate that process. Unless the Oak was dead for a bit, those might not be as "seasoned" as you think. Oak logs don't dry well. I hope I'm wrong, but experience with Oak tells me otherwise.
It's mixed hardwood, which is what I burn anyway. I think my loader is rated for 2500 lb.s at the pins. I usually use 2,000 as my limit, which isn't enough to lift a full half cord of green oak.
I wondering why you would spend the time splitting it down so much is size when it's all going into the OWB? You'll get much longer burn times out of the larger rounds. Myself, I keep as large as I can lift them...and save the largest for the way below zero cold snap we so eagerly look forward to every season.
But of course, nice job and what a good way to haul/move the firewood! I kept noticing my favorite word in your description of the moving pallets...."FREE"!
My OWB can take a 30" log but I cut to 24". Splitting aids in the drying, but more important is that my wife can load it if I'm hunting or traveling for work. If this system works out, I will most likely reduce my splitting as I will be able to place a pallet right near the OWB so lifting rounds won't be as much of an issue.
I'm sure I'll have to replace/rebuild them over time, but I do that with the pallets I stack them on now anyway. My biggest concern is if they freez to the ground and I can't move them when I need to.
Deer Meadow Farm I also have a "stash" that 99 lbs would be able to lift and feed the boiler. A very useful idea. I usually hurt my back and it prohibits me from a day or two of that sort of lifting.
Nice- I like what your doing... I'll echo the same sentiment about Oak and dry times, not hecklin' ya, but maybe probe a fresh split for POM. On the frozen ground thing, maybe some saplings underneat'? Or some bricks or such? Wish me had a tractor
Can you just lay down a couple short logs to sit the pallets on? Then just take the pallets off the logs and no freeze down should happen.
Deer Meadow Farm trying the same idea... I do not mind stacking but hate unstacking from out back and re-stackING on wood deck.. I got tractor but good pallets are hard to find here.. I also hate picking up a pallet and having it crumble and wood go everywhere... let me know how they hold up.. trying scrap from deck builds to reinforce pallets..
I'll third that oak drying time thing as well. Even split into normal sized firewood pieces, I've never seen it dry enough to burn in less than 2 years. It's 3- 4 years around here to season it without using a kiln. I too hate to stack and restack. Do whatever you can to eliminate a step.
I've been using pallets like this for 8 years or so. Can't beat it. I now take pallets apart to make the sides and fix some broken boards on old ones. Use Oak pallets they hold up much better. Put old ones or pine pallets under the wood pallets as sacrificial ones to keep the wood pallets off the ground. I can't fit all my firewood on pallets so I use some as bookends and stack loose wood between and then topcover. Its so easy to reorganize after a winter by moving stuff on pallets. I even use Hot tub pallets 8' x 8' with pool cover tarp nailed on to top cover wood. Some I cut down to 4 x 8 for a single row of pallets
I like the sacriffical pallet idea as well as the sapling or bricks ideas. I'll be trying all of those suggestions. My buddy just took down an old above-ground pool and said that I could have it. I am planning to make covers from the aluminum side walls and/or the liner material.
As I explained.. my pool crushed my septic ... but the liner makes great top cover.. it's almost like rubber roofing...
