# not cut to length garbage!



## ColdNH (Oct 5, 2010)

Got one of those scores that is hard to complain about. 

Long story short, Some rich guy bought a hosue 3 years ago, and in his "carriage house" was a solid 2/3+ of a cord of split red oak, white oak and birch that sat there for 3+ years (it was there when he moved in) Well he finally  got around to having his "help" post it on craigslist as a truckload of hard wood for 20$. me thinks great, even if its just a truck load its worth checking out. I drive down there and low and behold its at least 2 FULL/Overloaded truck loads of very well seasoned hard woods all for a whopping 20$ 

Got one load tonight, going back for another load tommarow on my lunch break. Im tempted to throw the "help" another 20$

So as the title says, the only downside is 80% of the splits are cut in 20-24" lengths.  So now I ponder "Do i cut these in half or do i cut them to 16-18" lengths and end up with pancakes?"


----------



## SolarAndWood (Oct 6, 2010)

That is all I get.  The little I cut gets cut to my ideal length and the shorties get tossed in a pile to be burned before the snow starts to pile up.

BTW, nice load for 20 bucks.


----------



## Occo370 (Oct 6, 2010)

I'm not too much of a stickler.   I'd cut in half


----------



## burntime (Oct 6, 2010)

Both, then you can have those pieces to really stuff the stove...


----------



## Pine Knot (Oct 6, 2010)

In half, at about 45 degree angle. They will stack a little better.


----------



## wood spliter (Oct 6, 2010)

I get allot like that. I just cut them in half.. Most of the ones I get are 20". I think I'll give what Pine Knot said a shot with the angle.


----------



## Wood Duck (Oct 6, 2010)

I think I'd cut them in half. It would be easier, and I wouldn't mind the pieces being a little small.


----------



## Chargerman (Oct 6, 2010)

I would burn them just like that in my stove.


----------



## Monkey Wrench (Oct 6, 2010)

Congrats on the Score!! :coolsmile:

Before my new insert I cut 4+ cords at 22"-24".   So I just set up my my table saw at 16" and cut. The drops are what I burn during shoulder season.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Oct 6, 2010)

Great find. Cut them however you will be comfortable handling and burning.


----------



## thewoodlands (Oct 6, 2010)

ColdNH I would cut it 16-18 and save the short pieces for burning after starting a fire, this will also make it easier for stacking.


zap


----------



## 'bert (Oct 6, 2010)

If you cut them in half would they work well to burn North / South in your stove?


----------



## firefighterjake (Oct 6, 2010)

Nice score . . . for the record I would cut to the 16 inch length and use the chunks for the shoulder season.


----------



## ColdNH (Oct 6, 2010)

all good points, i may just cut them to length and use the scraps for starter wood/filler wood as i tend not to burn completely 24/7 so I tend to restart every once in a while and I dont have much kindling set aside currently

Whats the best method for cutting this to length with a chainsaw?


----------



## SolarAndWood (Oct 6, 2010)

Not sure its the best, but I screwed a 2x8 down the middle of a pallet so the splits hang off the edges.  Then line them up and cut in batches while standing on them.  The other method often mentioned is building a frame, strapping them and then batch cutting.


----------



## PapaDave (Oct 6, 2010)

That's not garbage. That right there is a nice score! Do what you like with it, and tell us of the outcome.
You could use the small cutoffs on a nice bed of coals to warm the house in the morning. 
So many choices.


----------



## billb3 (Oct 6, 2010)

ColdNH said:
			
		

> all good points, i may just cut them to length and use the scraps for starter wood/filler wood as i tend not to burn completely 24/7 so I tend to restart every once in a while and I dont have much kindling set aside currently
> 
> Whats the best method for cutting this to length with a chainsaw?



trim just one end


----------



## homebrewz (Oct 6, 2010)

First, I think it would a good thing to give his assistant a tip for the great score. 

A table saw would make quick work of it. Or you could make a jig to hold the lengths in place for your chainsaw. 
Nothing wrong with having a pile of oak chunks to fill up the corners of the stove.


----------



## nate379 (Oct 6, 2010)

Would need a table saw with a 12-14" blade to be able to cut it without having to turn the log several times.  Easier to just use a chainsaw IMO.


----------



## nocdpc (Oct 6, 2010)

Cut them to your regular desired lengths and use the rest for off season burning as others have said.  This will help with the stacking.  The ends will not go to waste as wood is wood.  Nice price btw!


----------



## formula_pilot (Oct 6, 2010)

NATE379 said:
			
		

> Would need a table saw with a 12-14" blade to be able to cut it without having to turn the log several times.  Easier to just use a chainsaw IMO.



That oak would also overheat and dull out the table saw blades, unless cut real slooow....... and that would get old real fast. Until a practical light saber is invented, the chainsaw is the tool for firewood.    I do not know how people heated with wood before the invention of the chainsaw.


----------



## westkywood (Oct 6, 2010)

If you dont want to use a table saw. Take 4 posts and make a frame that makes "a slot" to stack the wood in where the ends you wanna cut off stick out from the posts. You then just take the saw and cut off all the ends. It holds the wood in place. Make sense?? I make it about 5 feet high. I put a piece of scrap wood on the bottom so the saw doesnt hit the ground. 
 Looking down from the top, the posts would look something like this.. 

            @                     @
                                         End of wood sticks out here
            @                     @


----------



## ColdNH (Oct 6, 2010)

not a bad idea, sounds safer then standing on the logs and pretty quick and easy to put together, may just try this out!



			
				westkywood said:
			
		

> If you dont want to use a table saw. Take 4 posts and make a frame that makes "a slot" to stack the wood in where the ends you wanna cut off stick out from the posts. You then just take the saw and cut off all the ends. It holds the wood in place. Make sense?? I make it about 5 feet high. I put a piece of scrap wood on the bottom so the saw doesnt hit the ground.
> Looking down from the top, the posts would look something like this..
> 
> @                     @
> ...


----------



## thewoodlands (Oct 6, 2010)

ColdNH said:
			
		

> not a bad idea, sounds safer then standing on the logs and pretty quick and easy to put together, may just try this out!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



ColdNH I made this last year, seems that it worked for my needs. 


zap


----------



## Skier76 (Oct 6, 2010)

I've got a short firebox, so I love the chunks for starting fires. I lay regular splits east west, put in a super cedar, chunks north/south, then a split on top. Light the cedar and I'm good to go.


----------



## iskiatomic (Oct 6, 2010)

Zap, now I know why your stacks are always perfect!


KC


----------



## thewoodlands (Oct 6, 2010)

> Zap, now I know why your stacks are always perfect!
> 
> 
> KC



iskiatomic I'm anal but not that anal, before we bought the wood stove I started cutting wood thinking I would sell it. The hard maple was cut about 17-18 inches long which is to long for north/south loading in the Lopi Liberty so I will use it for cutting the hard maple for the overnight burns in the Liberty. Under 15 inches just to be safe.


This year should be the last for re-cutting to length.

zap


----------



## albertj03 (Oct 6, 2010)

westkywood said:
			
		

> If you dont want to use a table saw. Take 4 posts and make a frame that makes "a slot" to stack the wood in where the ends you wanna cut off stick out from the posts. You then just take the saw and cut off all the ends. It holds the wood in place. Make sense?? I make it about 5 feet high. I put a piece of scrap wood on the bottom so the saw doesnt hit the ground.
> Looking down from the top, the posts would look something like this..
> 
> @                     @
> ...



This is exactly what I did when I got some 24" splits this summer. I got 4 wooden stakes that I think were tomato stakes and pounded them into the ground through the slots in the pallet so I could stack a bunch of splits in-between the stakes with one end sticking out off the side of the pallet. I then cut the ends off from the top down to get 18" splits. Makes it quick when you can do 6-8 splits at a time.


----------



## sgt7546 (Oct 6, 2010)

Those are great ideas...guess its time to head to the tool room to build one of these devices.


----------



## Flatbedford (Oct 6, 2010)

Cut them to the length that is best for your stove. The chunks will burn too.
I use this to trim splits in bulk.





The inside wood holders are placed so that if I cut flush to the outside everything is about 17". I can load both sides and cut a bunch of splits at once. I put the wheelbarrow at the end to catch the "Butts". I made a "butt box" out of pallets to store 'em in. I use them in my outside stove or inside when I know I will be around to keep reloading.


----------



## bsearcey (Oct 7, 2010)

Cut to size, and save chunks for when you're around and can feed it a little more often.

Zap.  Is that box you built only 10" deep?


----------



## thewoodlands (Oct 7, 2010)

bsearcey said:
			
		

> Cut to size, and save chunks for when you're around and can feed it a little more often.
> 
> Zap.  Is that box you built only 10" deep?



It's 14.50 so I could cut them 14.75. A guy on here built one but had 2x4's on the bottom inside attached to the legs and they extended them out past the front so it would be more stable and he also put a small 2x4 across the bottom of the plywood in the front to beef it up.

zap


----------



## OhioBurner© (Oct 8, 2010)

Garbage? Just throw em in the Rockland!


----------



## Gark (Oct 9, 2010)

One of these and a couple of bungee cords. It's been (sort of) settled here that sticks the max length your stove will handle burn best so don't cut 'em in half. Small ends are great for starters and fillers.


----------



## KeepItNatural (Oct 9, 2010)

Don't stress yourself out- cut some of them in half and do some of it in regular lengths with your "pancakes".
I don't really see too much of a downside either way.  Why not experiment and see what works best for you?  This way you'll know for sure and can employ the same technique down the road..... and so can we!


----------

