Delivering firewood in pouring rain?

[tz1_1zt]

Well I put three seasoned logs in a bucket of water and left them submerged all day, approx 10 hours.

Birch, ash and larch.

 

Took them out of the water and split them.

The outside of the log was wet, but the rest was bone dry.

No water penetration at all, not even on the end grain.

 

Good experiment. Next experiment, if anyone can be bothered, would be to weigh a well seasoned logs, then submerge for 12 hours, allow to drip dry and weigh again. Then bring indoors for 12 hours and weigh again.

 

It would be interesting to know what percentage weight water the log actually holds on it's surface or in it's surface.

 

Even if the inside is nice and dry, a damp log with enough moisture in the surface will crash the firebox temperature or make it difficult to light because that water will absorb energy as it steams off, that keeps the firebox below optimum temperature until the water is gone. I expect customers running small 5kW woodburners will experience greater problems than those with big 12 kW fires because once upto temperature they have enough thermal mass to overcome drops caused by damp logs.

[cornish wood burner]

Good experiment. Next experiment, if anyone can be bothered, would be to weigh a well seasoned logs, then submerge for 12 hours, allow to drip dry and weigh again. Then bring indoors for 12 hours and weigh again.

 

It would be interesting to know what percentage weight water the log actually holds on it's surface or in it's surface.

 

Even if the inside is nice and dry, a damp log with enough moisture in the surface will crash the firebox temperature or make it difficult to light because that water will absorb energy as it steams off, that keeps the firebox below optimum temperature until the water is gone. I expect customers running small 5kW woodburners will experience greater problems than those with big 12 kW fires because once upto temperature they have enough thermal mass to overcome drops caused by damp logs.

 

When we chip slab wood in the rain or recently after its 5 % higher MC than in the dry. Slab obviously has a higher surface area for the same volume so my guess would be 2 % extra held on the surface and bark. Bigger logs would hold less surface moisture as the surface to volume is less.

[StephF]

Do most of you still deliver logs if it is pouring with rain?

I am sure many of you deliver drier logs than me (25%plus"),but do you still deliver your really dry logs to customers when it is pouring with rain ,unless they can be tipped in a dry garage etc?

Great to go to the effort of delivering dry logs,and then the customer lets them get soaked, then SAYS the logs delivered to me are soaking wet !!!:thumbdown:

 

I cover my loads with tarps roped down and the logs arrive good and dry. If they are to be tipped out, I ask for a tarp to cover them to be left for me.

[gensetsteve]

I think it depends on the species and the age of the timber. I guess we have all been surprised at the weight of the old pallet left out in the rain for weeks.