# Anybody burn whole logs?



## leftyscott (Apr 8, 2009)

Thanks to the ice storm of 2009, my 50 wooded acres now resemble a World War One battlefield.  Nary a tree survived unscathed.  The clean up of this storm has given me, so far 3 cords of unsplit stove wood.  They range in size from 1 inch to 3 inch diamater and 18-24 inches long to fit into my old kodiak insert.  My woodpile is now 70% logs, 30% split wood.

Any downside to burning these types of logs?  It seems like my seasoned split wood throws better heat, but I've never seen any scientific evidence.

90% of what I burn is oak.

Appreciate any comments from folks in a like situation.

LeftyScott


----------



## myzamboni (Apr 8, 2009)

They burn a little longer but take a little longer to season.


----------



## Highbeam (Apr 8, 2009)

It sounds like you are asking if people burn unsplit rounds. Since you can't fit a whole log in your stove. 

I would say that everyone burns unsplit rounds in their stoves. Me, if the round smaller than about 4" across then it does not get split. Are you considering splitting the 1" diameter rounds? I would love to see that.


----------



## leftyscott (Apr 8, 2009)

Highbeam said:
			
		

> It sounds like you are asking if people burn unsplit rounds. Since you can't fit a whole log in your stove.
> 
> I would say that everyone burns unsplit rounds in their stoves. Me, if the round smaller than about 4" across then it does not get split. Are you considering splitting the 1" diameter rounds? I would love to see that.



Thanks for setting me straight with the correct lingo: "unsplit rounds"  Since my woodpile is 70% unsplit rounds they will be the majority of the wood I burn.  Anything 4" or larger gets split.  Not intending to split 1" rounds.  I'm good with an ax but not that good ;-P


----------



## fossil (Apr 8, 2009)

I'd be happy to give splitting a few 1" rounds a shot so long as someone else holds them for me.  Rick


----------



## Hiram Maxim (Apr 8, 2009)

I'm burning some 5" to 6" un-split cherry and white ash rounds right now. Stuff was from a standing dead trees,cut last June and is well seasoned :cheese: 

Damper is all the way closed and the 30 is throwing out some good heat. 

An interesting thing I did over the Winter was to take some 7"Ø White Oak rounds, place some next to the stove for 5 months and the others on my back porch. I split both of them last week and the ones that were outside were wet inside and the ones by the stove were just slightly damp. Neither was anywhere close to being seasoned.
 All split now and will be burned in 2010-2011 season.

A friend of mine likes to season 10" to 14" Ø rounds (mostly white ash) for 3 years for long burns in his monster stove!

Picture of part of my wood pile for 2010-2011..................it will have been seasoning for around 20 months when I start using it. Walnut,Ash,Cherry Black Locust, birch, & white oak!


----------



## Hurricane (Apr 8, 2009)

I have been burning 8-10 in rounds for years. I do not keep too many of them on hand because they burn slower and cooler than split wood. But I sure do get great burn time out of them. It also takes more than a year to season those rounds. I used to keep all of the rounds that would fit whole now I keep few dozen and split the rest.  I think I have just a few more than Hiram Maxim scattered in my piles.


----------



## Todd (Apr 8, 2009)

I have found Oak rounds over 4" or 5" take forever to dry out and can still sizzle after 3 or 4 years so I split them.


----------



## Jags (Apr 8, 2009)

Todd said:
			
		

> I have found Oak rounds over 4" or 5" take forever to dry out and can still sizzle after 3 or 4 years so I split them.



I'll second this.  Anything over ~5" gets a whack.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Apr 8, 2009)

I have no problem putting 5" or even 6" rounds in the stove for overnight fires. They hold fire a lot longer. But as all has said, they do take more time to season, which poses no problem for us.

On the other hand, ash cherry or dead elm rounds season fairly fast. Save them for night fires.


----------



## lobsta1 (Apr 8, 2009)

Hiram,
PLEASE resize your pics to a much smaller size. Anyone trying to read this thread now has to scroll back-n-forth. Plus, if someone can't see your whole foto at once, it loses it's impact.
Al


----------



## Hurricane (Apr 9, 2009)

I did not scroll over to see all of the rounds on the right side of the pile. 
We are about even on the number of rounds in our piles now.


----------



## Hiram Maxim (Apr 9, 2009)

lobsta1 said:
			
		

> Hiram,
> PLEASE resize your pics to a much smaller size. Anyone trying to read this thread now has to scroll back-n-forth. Plus, if someone can't see your whole foto at once, it loses it's impact.
> Al



Done!
 Sorry my monitor is 62" so it doesn't  get lost on my screen. ;-)


----------



## lobsta1 (Apr 9, 2009)

Hiram,
Thank You. That's a nice stack of wood. The dog looking for chipmunks is pretty nice also.
Al


----------



## myzamboni (Apr 9, 2009)

Hiram Maxim said:
			
		

> lobsta1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



pic please!  gotta see a 62" monitor


----------



## Hiram Maxim (Apr 9, 2009)

myzamboni said:
			
		

> Hiram Maxim said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## firefighterjake (Apr 9, 2009)

A buddy was helping me for a bit this past weekend . . . throwing wood closer to me while I ran a splitter . . . and he had a good "rule" on the topic of "To Split or Not To Split -- That is the Question."

He said if he can grab the round in the palm of his hand he will not bother splitting it . . . if it's larger it's split. I figure that typically means stuff 4-5 inches or smaller is left in the round and wood larger than that is split.


----------



## spadafore (Apr 9, 2009)

Hiram what lake do you live on.  Can't be too far from me.  We have a place on round lake off of M-49 in Hillsdale county.


----------



## Hiram Maxim (Apr 9, 2009)

spadafore said:
			
		

> Hiram what lake do you live on.  Can't be too far from me.  We have a place on round lake off of M-49 in Hillsdale county.



Cass Lake in Oakland County.

About an Hour or so North of Hillsdale, MI

 If you have heard of the movie "8 Mile"? Well I'm at about 19 mile!


----------



## Wood Duck (Apr 12, 2009)

I have a hard time calling a three-inch diameter piece of wood a log, not to mention a one-inch diameter piece. I'd burn 'em, but call them sticks.


----------



## EatenByLimestone (Apr 12, 2009)

I've found that the further along I get into a splitting session the larger the round is that I won't split.   There is some pretty big ones by the end of the day.  


Matt


----------



## firefighterjake (Apr 13, 2009)

EatenByLimestone said:
			
		

> I've found that the further along I get into a splitting session the larger the round is that I won't split.   There is some pretty big ones by the end of the day.
> 
> 
> Matt



Funny how that works out that way, isn't it?  Usually when I go back to splitting I take a look at those larger splits or rounds and wonder why I left them so large . . . only to have the whole thing repeat on me by the day's end.


----------



## LLigetfa (Apr 13, 2009)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> EatenByLimestone said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is that like how the girls all get prettier at closing time?  I think I heard that in a song.


----------



## Highbeam (Apr 13, 2009)

I split all wood kinda large and then end up splitting them down further as I use them. Like right now during the shoulder season I never really want a very long burn so I split all of this beautiful and dense doug fir down to three inch splits for short and fast fires. A darn shame to have to do it. Only about one split in four go into the stove the same size that they were in the stack.


----------



## LLigetfa (Apr 13, 2009)

Highbeam said:
			
		

> I split all wood kinda large and then end up splitting them down further as I use them...


Same here, only different.  I split everything that can be split but I also end up with a lot of big splits.  The way I see it, I can always re-split if I need smaller but I cannot un-split them if I need bigger.  I never find myself with too many small splits but sometimes (not too often) re-split as needed.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Apr 13, 2009)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> firefighterjake said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Methinks there is some fibbing going on here. Fess up to it now. You've experience it besides hearing that song...


----------



## bambam (Apr 14, 2009)

Hydraulic powered splitter = smaller splits
Hand powered splitting = larger splits or rounds


----------



## fossil (Apr 14, 2009)

bambam said:
			
		

> Hydraulic powered splitter = smaller splits
> Hand powered splitting = larger splits or rounds



Not for me.  I use my hydraulic to split for stacking.  When I need some smaller splits, or some kindling, I pull splits from the stack and use hand tools.  Works for me.  Rick


----------



## DBoon (Apr 14, 2009)

Same for me on the hydraulic splitter - getting the big rounds down to quarters or the smaller rounds down to halves, then after they are dried, it is almost as easy to just split smaller as you need it - provided it isn't elm, sycamore, etc.


----------



## CowboyAndy (Apr 15, 2009)

We are starting to dip into our row of branches and small rounds, and I have found that a 4" round that has been out there longer than some 6" splits are less seasoned. it sucks.


----------



## JotulOwner (Apr 18, 2009)

Todd said:
			
		

> I have found Oak rounds over 4" or 5" take forever to dry out and can still sizzle after 3 or 4 years so I split them.



Last year I went to a firewood dealer that had piles of whole trees they were cutting and splitting for immediate sale. The trees were cut down many years ago when some of the 40 acres they had nearby was cleared. I took a car trunk load to try it out before committing to a larger amount. Boy, was I glad I didn't take more because it never seasoned. I suppose that 16 inch unsplit rounds will season in a reasonable amount of time, but I have to believe that splitting and debarking whenever possible is the best way to go when it comes to drying. I also like to make smaller splits. I know that shortens the burn time, but it works for me since I don't burn 24/7 and I don't even load the stove most of the time.


----------

