# Restacking my firewood the easy way.



## Pallet Pete (Jul 28, 2013)

Well the last few months have been very hectic and I decided it is time to re-stack all the firewood. I went the easy route this time. There are still pallets involved though not as many as with my bins therefore I am still Pallet Pete lol.

Pete


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## DexterDay (Jul 28, 2013)

I can dig that... pallets and T posts.. (Like)


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## Jacktheknife (Jul 28, 2013)

Waiting for my posts to come in!


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## HDRock (Jul 29, 2013)

That's the way I'm doing it for most of my wood,   pallets and T posts


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## Woody Stover (Jul 29, 2013)

Pallet Pete said:


> Well the last few months have been very hectic and I decided it is time to re-stack all the firewood. I went the easy route this time. There are still pallets involved though not as many as with my bins therefore I am still Pallet Pete lol.
> 
> Pete


How come you had to re-stack it? Moving it up into position for this winter?

I've got a double-row of Red Oak at my SIL's. I'm going to test a few splits as they still seem a little heavier than I'd like, and move one row away from the other, re-stacking it up where there's more breeze, if it needs more time.


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## Pallet Pete (Jul 29, 2013)

Woody Stover said:


> How come you had to re-stack it? Moving it up into position for this winter?
> 
> I've got a double-row of Red Oak at my SIL's. I'm going to test a few splits as they still seem a little heavier than I'd like, and move one row away from the other, re-stacking it up where there's more breeze, if it needs more time.



It needed to be moved so the new fence could go up. I made a mess of our yard and need to restack before the winter hits. We have roughly 12cord to get rearranged this year.

How long has your Oak sat ? I won't even burn it unless its to 3 years split stacked minimum which of course means I don't burn oak much. 

Pete


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## Woody Stover (Jul 29, 2013)

Pallet Pete said:


> How long has your Oak sat ?


This is some wood my SIL scrounged. It was already split medium-small. The part of it that was stacked single-row seems pretty dry, although I haven't metered it yet. The double-row seems a little heavier, but I only hefted a couple of bigger splits. It was split and stacked 1/12, maybe a couple months longer at the place she got it from.


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## Augie (Jul 29, 2013)

Pallet Pete said:


> How long has your Oak sat ? I won't even burn it unless its to 3 years split stacked minimum which of course means I don't burn oak much. Pete


 
I still suggest some 19.99 clear plastic from Home Depot and rig up a solar kiln. That Oak should be ready this winter. I have a cord that went from about 48% to about 21% since I tented it up in April. You have about 90-120 days left, and the fall here in Mich has more sunny days than the spring. I will be moving the rig this week to try to dry another cord. at this point though I'm just playing as I'm set for this year, but id like to start next spring with 2 Seasons CSS & Seasoned.


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## Pallet Pete (Jul 29, 2013)

Augie said:


> I still suggest some 19.99 clear plastic from Home Depot and rig up a solar kiln. That Oak should be ready this winter. I have a cord that went from about 48% to about 21% since I tented it up in April. You have about 90-120 days left, and the fall here in Mich has more sunny days than the spring. I will be moving the rig this week to try to dry another cord. at this point though I'm just playing as I'm set for this year, but id like to start next spring with 2 Seasons CSS & Seasoned.


I have heard about that but it seems as though the tarp would cause moister build up on the top of the pile. Do you have a pic ? I would like to see how you do it.

Pete


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## Augie (Jul 29, 2013)

Ill get a pic this afternoon, but the basic idea is to angle the plastic off the top of the stack, say a 20-45 degree angle. Plastic lets sun in but traps heat so Pile gets hotter moisture leaves quicker. Since the plastic is cooler than the air moisture will condense even on a hot day. The raised part will collect the hottest most moisture laden air where the water will condense and then drain down off the stack. you can also leave a small area in the highest part open so that the hot air rises out and is replaced by the cooler air from the bottom. Leave the plastic a few inches off the ground, so that during the evening the air will change as well.


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## Pallet Pete (Jul 29, 2013)

Augie said:


> Ill get a pic this afternoon, but the basic idea is to angle the plastic off the top of the stack, say a 20-45 degree angle. Plastic lets sun in but traps heat so Pile gets hotter moisture leaves quicker. Since the plastic is cooler than the air moisture will condense even on a hot day. The raised part will collect the hottest most moisture laden air where the water will condense and then drain down off the stack. you can also leave a small area in the highest part open so that the hot air rises out and is replaced by the cooler air from the bottom. Leave the plastic a few inches off the ground, so that during the evening the air will change as well.


Thanks Augie this sounds interesting if it works. I can only fit around 13 cord if I push it which is around 3 years worth of heat but I would love to be able to do more. Using the bins I can get about 5 years worth but its slooooooow drying being 4ft by 6ft by 8ft stacks. Tarps might be the answer !

Pete


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## Ashful (Jul 29, 2013)

Jacktheknife said:


> Waiting for my posts to come in!


 

They grow so slow.

I like the middle posts, separating the long row into manageable (and measurable) units, but I'm surprised those end posts hold.


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## Pallet Pete (Jul 29, 2013)

So far so good I have not had any issues yet. I have been using them for a long time however not on the scale of this year ! In the past maybe 6 or 8 reused a year however this year all my wood is getting put up with them. I buy 6ft posts and drive them in 2ft not much but enough and in the winter up here the ground is so hard you couldn't pull them with a tow truck if your life depended on it.

Pete


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## Augie (Jul 29, 2013)

Pallet Pete said:


> Thanks Augie this sounds interesting if it works. I can only fit around 13 cord if I push it which is around 3 years worth of heat but I would love to be able to do more. Using the bins I can get about 5 years worth but its slooooooow drying being 4ft by 6ft by 8ft stacks. Tarps might be the answer ! Pete


 
Here is what I started with from Cornell. They say 20inchx8inch rounds going from fresh cut to Seasoned in 90 days as well. Cornell is in NY if you didnt know, and they have cooler temps in the summer and less sun than we do in the fall. If I were you I would tent up two Cords now, they should be ready by Thanksgiving and then move the tents to another section of your wood till may next year, and keep moving it every few months until your 12 cords are seasoned and you are ahead. That is what I plan on doing. I hope to keep 6 cords on hand at all times with 4 being seasoned. Makes it so I dont have to keep so much wood on the property. 
http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/info/pubs/Harvesting/CC Accelerated Seasoning of Firewood.pdf


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## bogydave (Jul 29, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> I can dig that... pallets and T posts.. (Like)
> 
> View attachment 107231


 
Awesome!
Do you clone you splits?  & use a Laser to stack ?
Great picture


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## Ashful (Jul 29, 2013)

bogydave said:


> Awesome!
> Do you clone you splits? & use a Laser to stack ?
> Great picture


 

Dexter regularly puts my level of OCD / anal retentiveness to shame.


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## RORY12553 (Jul 29, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> I can dig that... pallets and T posts.. (Like)
> 
> View attachment 107231


 

Those are a single wide pallet? Either that or those splits are very long.


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## DexterDay (Jul 29, 2013)

RORY12553 said:


> Those are a single wide pallet? Either that or those splits are very long.



Very small pallets. They are 2 deep. Odd size that I got from work. They work well though. 

Its 3 rows of 18" splits


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## HDRock (Jul 29, 2013)

Augie said:


> Ill get a pic this afternoon, but the basic idea is to angle the plastic off the top of the stack, say a 20-45 degree angle. Plastic lets sun in but traps heat so Pile gets hotter moisture leaves quicker. Since the plastic is cooler than the air moisture will condense even on a hot day. The raised part will collect the hottest most moisture laden air where the water will condense and then drain down off the stack. you can also leave a small area in the highest part open so that the hot air rises out and is replaced by the cooler air from the bottom. Leave the plastic a few inches off the ground, so that during the evening the air will change as well.


 
I am interested , you should do a write up With Pics
 Please !!


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 29, 2013)

Pallet Pete said:


> So far so good I have not had any issues yet. I have been using them for a long time however not on the scale of this year ! In the past maybe 6 or 8 reused a year however this year all my wood is getting put up with them. I buy 6ft posts and drive them in 2ft not much but enough and in the winter up here the ground is so hard you couldn't pull them with a tow truck if your life depended on it.
> 
> Pete


 

  And to think that I was sure Pallet Pete gave up t-posts.....


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## Pallet Pete (Jul 29, 2013)

Backwoods Savage said:


> And to think that I was sure Pallet Pete gave up t-posts.....


So was I then life got in the way lol. I don't even take the time to split pretty anymore just split and throw. O well it will all slow down eventually then I can get back to pretty stacks without t-posts.

Pete


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## amateur cutter (Jul 29, 2013)

Pallet Pete said:


> So was I then life got in the way lol. I don't even take the time to split pretty anymore just split and throw. O well it will all slow down eventually then I can get back to pretty stacks without t-posts.


 
Good luck making pretty stacks outta that Elm we split Saturday. I wanna see that. A C


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## Flatbedford (Aug 2, 2013)

I stack on pallets with T posts too, but slip a pallet over the posts. This makes a much more stable end and requires less precision stacking.


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## HDRock (Aug 2, 2013)

amateur cutter said:


> Good luck making pretty stacks outta that Elm we split Saturday. I wanna see that. A C


 
Now that's how to break in a splitter.
That stuff burns fine but, it really is a bear getting it split n stacked, once dry I like it for starting a fire


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## Augie (Aug 2, 2013)

Flatbedford said:


> I stack on pallets and T posts too, but slip a pallet over the posts. This makes a much more stable end and requires less precision stacking.


 
After you get the wood in toss a pallet or two on the top to give it some air space, throw some clear plastic over the whole thing with a small opening in the highest point and you have a solar kiln... or at least that is what I did and 90days later dry oak


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## Flatbedford (Aug 2, 2013)

Augie said:


> After you get the wood in toss a pallet or two on the top to give it some air space, throw some clear plastic over the whole thing with a small opening in the highest point and you have a solar kiln... or at least that is what I did and 90days later dry oak


 

That is hard to believe! I'll have to try that some time.


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## HDRock (Aug 2, 2013)

Augie said:


> After you get the wood in toss a pallet or two on the top to give it some air space, throw some clear plastic over the whole thing with a small opening in the highest point and you have a solar kiln... or at least that is what I did and 90days later dry oak


Thanks Augie , I will give it a try


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## Augie (Aug 2, 2013)

Flatbedford said:


> That is hard to believe! I'll have to try that some time.


 

Why?

Kiln drying is usually 150ish degrees for a few days, maybe a week. I have recorded temps as high as 140 under the plastic on a 90degree sunny day. Im guessing I have 8hrs of 120 plus temps for 4 days a week, for 12 weeks, Makes for dry wood.


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## HDRock (Aug 2, 2013)

Augie said:


> the basic idea is to angle the plastic off the top of the stack, say a 20-45 degree angle.


Is this angle up or down in front ?


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## Pallet Pete (Aug 2, 2013)

This is my usual method of stacking.

Pete


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## Paulywalnut (Aug 2, 2013)

DexterDay said:


> I can dig that... pallets and T posts.. (Like)
> 
> View attachment 107231


I'll say again: They are some beautiful stacks of wood Dexter


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## Paulywalnut (Aug 2, 2013)

Great work there Pete. That will really be nice when done.


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## JayD (Aug 3, 2013)

I wonder if you could get the temps even hotter with Black Plastic film? Jay


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