Drying Roundwood stacks before processing

[gdh]

That's hardwood but only measured on the outside. Softwood like Douglas and larch is similar but dries quicker. I'm guessing the bark doesn't soak as much.

 

I just put whole logs on top, try to put bent ones to match the top of the stack if possible but in general I keep it as quick to put up and take off as possible.

 

Keeping the rain off the top seems to be key, anything that hits the side is balanced out by the wind.

[arboriculturist]

2 minutes ago, gdh said:

That's hardwood but only measured on the outside. Softwood like Douglas and larch is similar but dries quicker. I'm guessing the bark doesn't soak as much.

 

I just put whole logs on top, try to put bent ones to match the top of the stack if possible but in general I keep it as quick to put up and take off as possible.

 

Keeping the rain off the top seems to be key, anything that hits the side is balanced out by the wind.

Wow ! However those Welsh mountains are windy places ? 

I was reading some research last week, forestry based and it was found that on more sheltered sites uncovered timber lost almost zero MC - on some trial sites the timber actually gained MC which is unbelievable.

Your comments have given me hope. I think I'll size grade and keep the smaller diameters in the covered stacks and process the larger diameters.

I've had your Tajfun for 3 months now and not even linked it up to a tractor. We have however been building a stack of all the sub. 480mm ready to roll when the weather settles down..

[SbTVF]

We use this stuff. Works brilliantly.

https://www.google.com/search?q=toptex+fabric&oq=top&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j69i60j35i39j0l2j69i61.1865j0j9&client=ms-android-h3g-gb-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

[arboriculturist]

39 minutes ago, SbTVF said:

We use this stuff. Works brilliantly.

https://www.google.com/search?q=toptex+fabric&oq=top&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j69i60j35i39j0l2j69i61.1865j0j9&client=ms-android-h3g-gb-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

Looks like a quality product but 5 times the price of Plastic. How many seasons do you get out of it?

[SbTVF]

Looks like a quality product but 5 times the price of Plastic. How many seasons do you get out of it?

Not thrown one away yet. Not showing any signs of UV damage either. Only damage I've done to it is moving it with the grab but that was laziness, easier to just get up on top and roll it back.

Only needs a few branch logs down it to hold it on. Doesn't take as much holding down as plastic and its light enough to unravel a 10m or more section on your own on top of a stack by hand.

And because its a cloth type material it doesn't puddle on the top and block airflow under it. It allows some water through if it's heavy rain but certainly less than the ends of the stack get in a shower.

[Woodworks]

9 hours ago, SbTVF said:

Not thrown one away yet. Not showing any signs of UV damage either. Only damage I've done to it is moving it with the grab but that was laziness, easier to just get up on top and roll it back.

Only needs a few branch logs down it to hold it on. Doesn't take as much holding down as plastic and its light enough to unravel a 10m or more section on your own on top of a stack by hand.

And because its a cloth type material it doesn't puddle on the top and block airflow under it. It allows some water through if it's heavy rain but certainly less than the ends of the stack get in a shower.
 

How exposed a site are you on? Might give some a go but don't want it shredded on its first outing

[arboriculturist]

10 hours ago, SbTVF said:

Not thrown one away yet. Not showing any signs of UV damage either. Only damage I've done to it is moving it with the grab but that was laziness, easier to just get up on top and roll it back.

Only needs a few branch logs down it to hold it on. Doesn't take as much holding down as plastic and its light enough to unravel a 10m or more section on your own on top of a stack by hand.

And because its a cloth type material it doesn't puddle on the top and block airflow under it. It allows some water through if it's heavy rain but certainly less than the ends of the stack get in a shower.
 

I am not sure about the idea of letting water through, this will surely create wet spots like you get on sheeted hay bale stacks, where when you get a leak the water travels right down through the small bales creating havoc!

 

. Conventional plastic puddles up and helps hold the sheet down on stacks.

[SbTVF]

How exposed a site are you on? Might give some a go but don't want it shredded on its first outing

Not hugely exposed but it is a site that dries well for certain.

[arboriculturist]

9 minutes ago, SbTVF said:

Not hugely exposed but it is a site that dries well for certain.

It certainly looks like a nicer product to handle rather than plastic. What timescale do you dry for and do you know the average drop in MC over a set time?

[SbTVF]

It certainly looks like a nicer product to handle rather than plastic. What timescale do you dry for and do you know the average drop in MC over a set time?

It is indeed. I'm struggling to get more than 6months ahead of delivery date before it's cut generally but at this time of year when it's not unseasonably warm its usually about 25-30%. Softwood is sub 20% even now. Most importantly though it's not getting rewet at all prior to processing. We kiln so it's not essential for it to be dry but it speeds things up dramatically and reduces risk of surface mould because of wetness where logs are touching.

 

When I say it let's water through... That's only in really heavy rain, it runs off it in droplets most of the time. It chucked it down last night and those sheets are dry as a bone this morning. Only the odd patch of wet where the holding down logs are in contact with it. A bit like when water goes through a tent when you touch it in wet weather.

 

I leave them off if there's a period of prolonged dry weather predicted