Picture of me billets drying in the sun

[gensetsteve]

Not that it's any of my business but why would you leave it in long lengths to dry only to cut it down to size later ?

 

As sky huck says above. Also I have limited concrete area so when weather bad we work in tent. When ground hardens reload tent with bobcat. You get all your billets done in the summer when weather is good less work in winter.

By making billets makes large wood manageable. I can cut billets all day long. I cant lift 12" timber in 4' lengths onto a processor all day.

[Al Smith]

Oh I suppose it's just a different way of doing things .

 

Generally speaking we in this area just cut it in 16" lengths and split and stack it on pallets to keep it from ground contact .That way it's all done .Tarp it down in rainy or snowy weather and it dries just fine .

 

Then too I don't think we in these part have the rainy weather that the British Isles is so noted for either .

[Steve Bullman]

al what you have to bear in mind also, in this country most people buy their logs in about 8-10" lengths.

[gensetsteve]

I would say at least a third of my customers would not be able to get a 13" log in their stove. As houses get smaller this will become more of a problem as will storing 2 cu metres of logs.

[Al Smith]

Makes sense but I really never thought of that fact before .It would be a pain in the rump trying to stack 8 inch pieces .

 

Like I said 16" is about standard here but Magnus in Sweden said most stuff is cut around 24 inchs .Just makes a diff where you are at I guess .

[Al Smith]

Well now then with the little pieces of firewood I would assume the stoves are small also .I tend to think you would have to stoke them every few hours just to keep them burning .

 

My personal stove is not all that large,maybe 50,000 btu if that but it pretty well heats an 1800 square foot house even at the cold winters we get here .

 

I can load it up at say 9 pm in the evening and it's still nice and toasty at 6 am the next morning . That takes a little practice like having a good bed of coals and some larger pieces of oak or hickory to bank the night fire . Not that big of a deal though .

[firewood]

Well now then with the little pieces of firewood I would assume the stoves are small also .I tend to think you would have to stoke them every few hours just to keep them burning .

 

My personal stove is not all that large,maybe 50,000 btu if that but it pretty well heats an 1800 square foot house even at the cold winters we get here .

 

I can load it up at say 9 pm in the evening and it's still nice and toasty at 6 am the next morning . That takes a little practice like having a good bed of coals and some larger pieces of oak or hickory to bank the night fire . Not that big of a deal though .

 

 

How big is the firebox in your stove and roughly how many 16" lengths can you load it up with in one go?

 

 

I have a wood fired range that also provides hot water and central heating. The fire box is approx 15" x 15" x 12" and try as I might i cannot get it to last the night without having to re light in the morning if i'm burning wood of any sort even when damped right down. It will just about go 7 hours if i use coal.

 

I'm thinking that the size of firebox / quantity of fuel loaded last thing at night is the critical factor

[gensetsteve]

How big is the firebox in your stove and roughly how many 16" lengths can you load it up with in one go?

 

 

I have a wood fired range that also provides hot water and central heating. The fire box is approx 15" x 15" x 12" and try as I might i cannot get it to last the night without having to re light in the morning if i'm burning wood of any sort even when damped right down. It will just about go 7 hours if i use coal.

 

I'm thinking that the size of firebox / quantity of fuel loaded last thing at night is the critical factor

 

Last thing at night when fire is still healthy put the contents of the ashpan over the fire. You wont get as much heat but it will still be red hot in the morning.

[firewood]

Last thing at night when fire is still healthy put the contents of the ashpan over the fire. You wont get as much heat but it will still be red hot in the morning.

 

 

 

I will give it a go tonight. thanks for the tip!

[Mr Ed]

What model is it? I have a Bosky, that has a 15 long by 12 wide by 24 inches deep firebox, and on wood I struggle to keep it in. If I bank it right up at 11pm, its still in at 6am.

I want a big outdoor boiler really.