the perfect firewood

[armchairarborist]

triangles or squares is the question, i like to split as much as i can into large house brick size and shape lumps, but my head is telling me they will season quicker as triangles, oh come on -we've had nearly every question so far from price per lump to pore size:001_smile:

[the crafty weasel]

Surely it's a case of striking a balance? The more surface area you have for seasoning also means you have more surface area for combustion. Logs burning too quickly might be an issue.

If you split your logs into half inch thick shingles they'd season pretty quickly, but wouldn't like to try and keep a woodburner going with them.

Could try using housebrick sized bits, only instead of cutting the log 8-10 inches long, cut it to 3 inches long and split it into blocks 3 inches by 8 inches (if that makes sense to anyone? does in my head.) capillary action would carry moisture along the grain, and because the grain would be shorter, should in theory take less time for it to escape.

Hmm, I feel an experiment coming on with a moisture meter and the ash I cut today but haven't logged yet..

 

Disclaimer;

I appreciate the extra work involved with cutting logs to three inches long, and splitting logs into shingles, this is just to try and test a theory.

[dave fox]

surly the most perfect fire wood is 3inc x 9 inch rounds made of apple:thumbup:

[chestnut]

i always ask the client what size their grate is for starters - then i ask them what sort of log store they have - then how often they use their fire / burner - like is it for show or is it actually for main heat in the room

 

we tailor make our deliveries to suit client needs - so they get what i think is best for them

 

if i get it wrong - i don't get a repeat order - but if i get it right - well - i am their log angel

[armchairarborist]

i just like brick shaped blocks, then i can stack them right up in the fire basket till they are nearly disappearing up the chimney, that way the top ones can be seasoning as the bottom ones burn:thumbup:

[the crafty weasel]

i always ask the client what size their grate is for starters - then i ask them what sort of log store they have - then how often they use their fire / burner - like is it for show or is it actually for main heat in the room

 

we tailor make our deliveries to suit client needs - so they get what i think is best for them

 

if i get it wrong - i don't get a repeat order - but if i get it right - well - i am their log angel

 

Sounds like you're the M&S of firewood;

 

'These aren't just logs; these are finest hand crafted seasoned logs, cut to your individual requirements to sit snugly in your grate'

 

In all seriousness though, respect to you for taking the time to see what the customer wants, and sorting them out with a product that best suits their needs

[eggsarascal]

surly the most perfect fire wood is 3inc x 9 inch rounds made of apple:thumbup:

 

The most perfect firewood is tipped on one of my customers drive way,with the cash in my pocket:thumbup1:

[Martyn Amos]

i always ask the client what size their grate is for starters - then i ask them what sort of log store they have - then how often they use their fire / burner - like is it for show or is it actually for main heat in the room

 

we tailor make our deliveries to suit client needs - so they get what i think is best for them

 

if i get it wrong - i don't get a repeat order - but if i get it right - well - i am their log angel

 

do you tie a small bow on each log aswell :001_rolleyes

[skyhuck]

I think round ones burn best!!!

 

You need a splitter with a heavy duty cookie cutter on it!!

[Darren187]

The perfect firewood burns the longest and gives off a good amount of heat

 

As for triangles or squares, I assume you are splitting rounds 8" or larger?

 

From a processing perspective triangles would be easier to process, as cutting to square/rectangular pieces would take extra time (unless you have a log processing plant), and would result in more waste/off cuts possibly?

 

I would have thought that its the size of the triangle that makes all the difference when being burned. And then you have the type of wood and seasoning to also consider.

 

Oddly enough, last week out of curiosity, I did an experiment with samples from my two year old wood stack. I cut and measured three pieces of Oak, Sweet Chestnut and Silver/White Birch in to rounds that measured 3 inches diameter and 10 inches long. I placed all three pieces evenly apart in my wood stove on a bed of embers, at the same time. I then timed 10 minutes for initial ignition and then checked the wood every five minutes after. The Birch came third lasting only 25 minutes, next the Oak @ 35 minutes and the winner was Chestnut @ 45 mins and still burning. (This experiment had several flaws so I don't want to start a debate about what wood's best etc ... ) and it was a one off exercise so results the next time no doubt vary.

 

It would be interesting to see how rectangles and triangles burn. My bet is triangles will burn slightly longer (taking wood type, size/overall mass, moisture content at the time of burning, heat of the fire/type of fire and probably a few other hundred things into consideration lol).

 

I think another experiment, just for fun, could be on the cards!