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Thinking about a different way to store Firewood


WHaines
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Hello,

 

Newbie here, got a question for all you log sellers.

 

I'm relatively new to the firewood game (2years) but expanding and just trying to think of ways of utilising what facilities I have available to me and essentially trying to maximise efficiency!

 

I'm based on a large farm (inlaws) so have access to all the usual farm equipment to make handling easy.

 

At the moment I have been processing logs into vented bags and storing them under a lean-to to season.

Do you recon it would work to process the logs straight into the grain-store into a big pile and then run a load of column dryers through the log pile to keep air pumping around them to dry them out?

And then I could just get a 1m3 bucket for the telehandler and bucket out a load straight into the trailer and not have to worry about the bags stretching/ripping?

 

Should probably mention that we are self sufficient with regards to electricity through a roof full of solar panels so running the dryers wouldn't be an issue.

 

How do you think the logs would store and season with this method?

Worth a go or am I just pissing in the wind?

 

Thanks for any advice in advance!

 

Will.

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Has the grainstore got drying floors? That would work well imo. Pedestal type driers (which I have some) could work but limited i reckon.

 

 

Unfortunately not! We have a grain dryer and then a load of Pedestal driers.

 

I did wander whether it would be effective enough, was thinking about 10 of them in a pile of logs about 150m3?

The biggest attraction for me is the idea of being able to have them in a loose pile to bucket up easily.

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I can see several potential problems.

 

The farm may need the space as a grain store, or maybe a wet grain store for grain awaiting being put through the drier.

 

The drier blowing air through the stack will work but is likely to be pretty expensive to run and arguably unnecessary. Sell that energy

 

Putting logs into piles sounds fine, but, when dried all the chips from the splitter, bark, slivers of wood etc will congregate at the bottom of the pile. In my first year I put 70 cube into a big pile and let it sit, it seasoned well. I used log bags to separate hard and soft piles and build a front wall. But everyone wants timber in bags these days so I had to fill bags from the pile.

 

I found it hard to keep the crap content in a bag to an except able level once I had loaded maybe half the pile. The last 10 cube had to be filled by hand as the crap was unbelievable.

 

I use dutch barns, stack the bags 3 high and leave them, yes the top ones get a bit damp but not to bad. Quite a lot here stack there wood in the open to season, maybe with a sheet over the top.

 

I cant see the point of using energy to do a job that given time nature will so just as well. Sell that energy to the grid.

 

A

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I can see several potential problems.

 

The farm may need the space as a grain store, or maybe a wet grain store for grain awaiting being put through the drier.

 

The drier blowing air through the stack will work but is likely to be pretty expensive to run and arguably unnecessary. Sell that energy

 

Putting logs into piles sounds fine, but, when dried all the chips from the splitter, bark, slivers of wood etc will congregate at the bottom of the pile. In my first year I put 70 cube into a big pile and let it sit, it seasoned well. I used log bags to separate hard and soft piles and build a front wall. But everyone wants timber in bags these days so I had to fill bags from the pile.

 

I found it hard to keep the crap content in a bag to an except able level once I had loaded maybe half the pile. The last 10 cube had to be filled by hand as the crap was unbelievable.

 

I use dutch barns, stack the bags 3 high and leave them, yes the top ones get a bit damp but not to bad. Quite a lot here stack there wood in the open to season, maybe with a sheet over the top.

 

I cant see the point of using energy to do a job that given time nature will so just as well. Sell that energy to the grid.

 

A

 

 

Space in the grainstore isn't a problem but I see what you mean about using energy to do a job which can be done for free.

 

A couple of other problems I should have mentioned is I'm rapidly outgrowing my current lean-to I use to store the bags and now I have bought a processor I can only see myself ending up with a bigger pile of wood!

 

Also during the winter the ground gets saturated and gets massively churned up by the telehandler whilst I'm sorting out the logs, I could just put down a load of hardcore and sort out some drainage but again I will need more space as well hence the thoughts about a nice polished dry grainstore has been getting me thinking!

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Let the wood season in lengths first for 6-12 months first

 

If green don't pile up to much as u may get mould

 

 

 

That's what I have done, there are about 30acres of woodland spread over of the farm that had been untouched for 20years and my father in law got a grant to thin it out and to replant certain species, although I'm not sure of the specifics.

 

But needless to say I have access to a large amount of cord that has been sat for at least 12months.

 

What's the longevity of cord that's sat in a stacked pile?

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