Time to re-stock the firewood pile

[coppicer]

2 hours ago, difflock said:

The machinery you need do do even a little, is generally also sufficient to do a lot, whether you want to or not.

Never enough granularity is there...

[sandspider]

A polytunnel? I dry a lot of wood per year for my own use in a 2 x 6m tunnel, works really well and cost about £100. Has to be loaded manually though, mine isn't big enough to get a tractor into.

[coppicer]

43 minutes ago, sandspider said:

A polytunnel? I dry a lot of wood per year for my own use in a 2 x 6m tunnel

That's a nice idea - natural kiln effect! I'm in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, so even for a polytunnel I'd need planning permission, which can be quite onerous. I wouldn't be able to have one near the house (my wife does actually want one, but for her use, not for drying wood), and it can't be in the fields due to stock, so it would need to be in the woodlands itself. Also I'd like to avoid handling the wood twice. That is, cutting and splitting the wood, then stacking in polytunnel, waiting 12-18 months, then carrying it from the polytunnel to the house and storing it somehow.

 

None of these difficulties are insurmountable, though, and I haven't settled on any one approach. Unlikely to have the cash to buy anything for using on the firewood this year, so not in a hurry. But it's good to give ideas some time to percolate!

Edited April 28, 2020 by coppicer

[forestgough]

hi coppice

 how about vented barrow bags,they contain .25 of a cube.They can be moved about with a decent sack truck and could be manhandled onto landy.

 I usually stand 4 on a pallet tied together for stability while they season.

 

[coppicer]

4 hours ago, coppicer said:

Unfortunately the affordable compacts - the smaller/garden tractor Kubota, Iseki, etc. - don't have hydraulics that look remotely capable of picking up 350 kg or 500 kg of bag stuffed with logs. So that suggests going bigger, and (if you avoid the wrecks that will need lots of spannering) before you know it you're looking at £10k or £15k rather than £3-4k.

Update: how could I overlooked the obvious choice? Ag Unimog with Hiab!

[Stere]

Quote

That is, cutting and splitting the wood, then stacking in polytunnel, waiting 12-18 months, then carrying it from the polytunnel to the house and storing it somehow.

 

You mean another aditional woodstore/shed outside house?

 

I have a small one near house but not using it atm.

 

 

I just have a loads of plastic  trugs(log baskets) so logs  goes from polytunnel piles into into 2 trugs on a wheelbarrow to the house so no double stacking etc

 

Have 5 wheelbarrows and a dozen trugs so several usually loaded up ready to roll.

Edited April 28, 2020 by Stere

[richardwale]

1 hour ago, forestgough said:

hi coppice

 how about vented barrow bags,they contain .25 of a cube.They can be moved about with a decent sack truck and could be manhandled onto landy.

 I usually stand 4 on a pallet tied together for stability while they season.

 

I'm looking into buying a load of these vented bags. Do they season well in them, I'm guessing being smaller the wood dries pretty well? Thanks

[forestgough]

The best type have netting on 2 sides

[muldonach]

On 28/04/2020 at 16:16, difflock said:

That eternal conondrum!

The machinery you need do do even a little, is generally also sufficient to do a lot, whether you want to or not.

Kinda like being "a bit pregnant!"

Cheers,

Marcus

You need to be real careful of woodburning stoves and firewood - you never know where you might end up

 

 

[Stere]

How long do vented bags last?

 

Used some builders bags in the polytunnel and they UV degraded after 2yrs annoying and plastic bits everywhere.

 

Suppose if you selling logs they are dipposable and single use?

Edited April 30, 2020 by Stere