Moisture level drop in stacked Roundwood?

[arboriculturist]

This is getting like the yes and no campaign. It's just wood! Dries out in the roundwood stack, obviously slower than cut & split. Sometimes fast, sometimes ages: too many variables. I've seen 6" ash roundwood barn stored and still mid thirties after two years after one 9" ring cut off. I've had same size beech in the open except under black sheeting at 24% right through the stick after 5 months.

 

This data will be important to some, trivial for others, however variable the posts - as is often the case. The key is to determine what elements of the feedback give you the data you require.

Some treat the Forum like having a casual pint in the Pub, others are seeking specific information and perhaps a combination of the 2.

 

Back to the admin. then, has to be done.

[rowan lee]

Another variable to consider is the amount of bark left on the round wood. Spruce that has been machine felled will have alot less bark on it then hand felled stuff, and thus in theory should loose water faster in the stack.

[difflock]

Were they really at that level when a length was crosscut in half and tested in the middle of the roundwood?

Yes

All were nominal 5.0m lengths, cut into 1.0m lengths to split.

end grain was tested at random after the splitter had squeezed a little extra:001_tt2: %age out!

 

As I commented, i was surprised, I ud ha bin expecting 30ish%ages

 

cheers

Marcus

[arboriculturist]

Another variable to consider is the amount of bark left on the round wood. Spruce that has been machine felled will have alot less bark on it then hand felled stuff, and thus in theory should loose water faster in the stack.

 

Good point - bark optimised to keep soil water in and nasties out.

[hardtop110]

length, diameter, state of bark, orientation to wind, level of exposure, covered or uncovered, time of year it was felled, how long ago it was felled, ambient air temperature, ambient humidity are all variables to consider. Obviously some are related to each other.

Luckily there are some fairly simple principles to increasing drying time so you don't need to worry about absolutes too much.

[arboriculturist]

length, diameter, state of bark, orientation to wind, level of exposure, covered or uncovered, time of year it was felled, how long ago it was felled, ambient air temperature, ambient humidity are all variables to consider. Obviously some are related to each other.

Luckily there are some fairly simple principles to increasing drying time so you don't need to worry about absolutes too much.

 

Totally agree - Just gathering data on specific examples to allow informed decisions to be made.

 

e.g. Stack of Larch Roundwood - Felled in December 2.5m, 250mm dia, hillside exposed location, uncovered. Central moisture level after 12 months 42%.

Data collection has to start somewhere despite all the variables and armed with the data you can use statistics to achieve a table of results. Thanks

[difflock]

Iffen I had of stuck the probe in the obviously wet/wetter outer rings of a few, i would easily have been in the 40's.

Indeed one particular log cross-section was startling, in the the visibly wet outer rings of growth, mostly to one side, were mid 40's and the clearly dry inner rings were in the mid 20's.

essentially seperated by a single annual growth ring.

I would have liked to have spent more time logging and photographing, but was trying to stay focussed on splitting.

so very very variable data is available, all from one logpile.

 

Statistics, dammned statistics an lies folks.

Edited September 22, 2014 by difflock

[difflock]

A couple of pertinent photos.

(i) Logpile lies to the Sun

(ii) Weigh of a 0.5m3 billet bundel when fresh split.

Same bundles weighed 160 to 165 when at 12 or 15% moisure

[arboriculturist]

Thanks for that info. You have interesting machinery in your yard - especially the crawler!

[difflock]

Rightly or wrongly i bought the wee Crawler, quite recently, for accessing the trees in the Moss, she is nicely matched to the 5tonne Kerpan winch.

And can squeeze through narrow gaps and turn in very confined spaces (important since I am not clearfelling)

Which leave the nicely over-shod DB1490 for the log trailer

The crawler is a somewhat bone jarring ride over the stumps mind.

My next project is to mount the crane, from the trailer, on the DB tractor's 3-point linkage(it is set up for this application)

And then close couple the splitter behind.

Questionable how happy the old girl will be lifting this combo, but even I only drag it about the yard, much neater that two tractors and a log trailer stuck in the middle.

PS

All I now need is a willing man with a strong back and good work ethics to operate the combo!