Why not sell a cube of wood? Novel idea!

[Rob D]

Not necessarily.... you could sell a ton of seasoned wood or a ton of unseasoned wood, two different prices and two different options for your customers

 

Sorry Matt but not sure this would work - different wood weighs different weight when dry (and wet for that matter) and then there would be all the wood inbetween wet and dry. And to boot I think would just serve to confuse the poor innocent god fearing public even more!

 

A cubic meter of split wood is a cubic meter of split wood- to look into how much air space from one cubic meter to another in terms of how it is stacked or a bag is filled is not relevant IMO.

[Albedo]

While I have posted the above picture and having clearly failed in ending the what is a cubic metre of firewood conundrum, which was my original intent....

 

Can I highlight a couple of inovations on my truck of which i am rather proud.

 

Note the window for reversing the chipper in, which neatly closes shut for chipping into. This works as you arrive empty and reverse, then leave forwards in most cases:001_smile:

 

The other inovation is the split hose pipe on the greedy boards, which slows water down a bit and makes them last longer. They are now three years old and just beginning to get a bit shabby.

[likeitorlumpit]

Here's a load on my truck, 2m wide 0.5m high and 1m deep. I appreciate that not everyone has the time to stack like this, I don't do a lot of firewood:001_smile:

 

if you'd just chucked this on loose

how far up your side panels would it fill?

[Albedo]

if you'd just chucked this on loose

how far up your side panels would it fill?

 

I don't know mate, I could guess, but if there's one thing I've learned in three years on this forum, its not to answer what can be 'leading questions'. Not that yours is, but i have no way of knowing where its going:001_smile:

 

I appreciate that its harder to get a measure if thrown in loose and that a drawn line on the greedy boards might be different every time and end up looking like something by Salvador Dali:001_smile:

[wood4life]

I have noticed some firewood sellers on Ebay describing a 900mm x 900mm x 900mm builders bag of logs as a "ton of firewood".

 

A builders bag might hold a ton of gravel or sand but a ton of wood ?

 

But then maybe its a ton of wood and water !

[Xaltu]

I am curious when referring to a 'ton' (1016.05 kg / 2240 lb) are you actually meaning a 'metric ton' / 'tonne' (1000 kg / 2205 lb)?

 

If the former, no problem however is the later you are short changing your customers on 16.05 kg of firewood as well as falling foul of the ASA

 

At least if supplying weight at the point of sale 100 kg of wood is 100 kg, however the quantity / volume could very greatly which the customer may not be too happy about.

[Nick Watkins]

Wouldn't it be easier for the customer If everyone sold it by the log i.e 250 logs, 500 logs, 750 logs etc.

 

OK it will be a pain counting them in but at least the customer knows what they are getting, you could even size them, 5-7inches average 8-10 inches large.

 

If I was a pedantic customer I would be happy as that way I knew exactly what I was getting as I could count them and better still I could even work out how long the load would last me, judging by how many logs you get through on an average week. It would then be easy then for the wood seller to put a note in his diary to courtesy call the customer in a X months time to check he still has logs and ask if he wants another load.

 

You then do away with the argument of weight and volume and if your customer then gets rubbish wood it's down the seasoning and not some technicality on volume or weight.

 

As you can see if the pro's on here can't agree to what is right volume wise or measurement wise how is a customer supposed to get it, that leaves it open to interpretation (SP?) and potentially an unhappy customer. Take it to the simplest level then nobody an get it wrong and then a quality product can then shine through.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Nick Watkins
Update

[Flyguy]

We cut an exact cubic metre (square) from an Oak butt once. It occupied frighteningly little space! (Even when you think you know what a m3 looks like).

 

Sorry to risk derailing the thread - but do you have any pictures of this Mark ?

 

Sounds like something you could sell to your wealthier customers as modern art - cubism ?

 

FG

[likeitorlumpit]

can't sell by the ton/tonne as dryness is an issue

can't sell by cu. m. as airspace is an issue.

so sell by 'the load' - everyones happy

[educated arborist]

solid volume would be the way foward to sell firewood IMO for example 90x90x90cm (0.73m2) of split 'thrown in' firewood is (for arguments sake) 0.5m2 of solid wood. Weight is a rubbish unit to say the least. If customers are buying a volume they can get to grips with under & over seasoning them selves. Would be a simple thing to draw up & there'd be a limit as to how far under you could sell. I'm tempted to go and make me a displacement rig!