# Calculating logs into cords



## Butcher (Feb 14, 2012)

Just wunderin. I see alot of you buy truckloads of logs. How do you calculate the amount of cords in a load? Square footage? How does that equal out with the amount of cords you end up with after it's split?


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## LLigetfa (Feb 14, 2012)

Around here you don't take out a measure tape, calculator, or moisture meter.  You eye up the load, put the cash on the dash, shake his hand, and say thank you.


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## velvetfoot (Feb 14, 2012)

...with the emphasis on cash.


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## oldspark (Feb 14, 2012)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> Around here you don't take out a measure tape, calculator, or moisture meter.  You eye up the load, put the cash on the dash, shake his hand, and say thank you.


 That's the way I used to buy my---------oh never mind.


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## velvetfoot (Feb 14, 2012)

But seriously, I think you have to go by the truck type.


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## PapaDave (Feb 14, 2012)

velvetfoot said:
			
		

> ...with the emphasis on cash.



My guy told me on the first load "remember now, this is for GREEN money". Took me a second, but then it hit me. 
It was funny at the time.


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## Butcher (Feb 14, 2012)

I guess I may have not been to clear in the way I put my question. 
Just to simplify for an example. Say you bought a load of logs that were 8' long and delivered in a 4' by 4' truck box( i know that is not how they get delivered but just an example). 8'x4'x4' would be concidered a full cord? How would that ratio out to the same square footage once you had the logs CSS?
Since I've never had to buy farwood I was just wondering if some of you that are experianced in buying logs had some kinda method for estimating how much you would get outta a load.
Since I'm in the nursery and landscaping biz I deal with several tree sevices in the area that we sub out work to and should the need arise that I was to maybe trade out some work or whatever I was just looking for a way to determine the actual dollar amount on a load as compaired to what it was worth if it was CSS. Like anything, I'm sure that experiance is the best teacher on something like that but didnt know if there was some rule of thumb a fella good go by.


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## PapaDave (Feb 14, 2012)

Are we talking before, or after the sale?
I've only done 2 loads but both have been VERY close to what I paid for.
I've gotten pretty close when c/s to know that approx. 20- 8' (actually a few inches longer) logs is 1/3 cord or so. If they're all 12" dia., it's more, if they're all 6", it's less.
I asked my guy how tall the load was the first time, he told me, then I calculated from there. I won't do it again, don't need to.....this guy is honest and I'll call him again if I need another load.
I see his truck all the time running the roads around here. He has to be honest when dealing with the sawmills or guys like me, or he'll lose the business.


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## Butcher (Feb 14, 2012)

PapaDave said:
			
		

> Are we talking before, or after the sale?
> I've only done 2 loads but both have been VERY close to what I paid for.
> I've gotten pretty close when c/s to know that approx. 20- 8' (actually a few inches longer) logs is 1/3 cord or so. If they're all 12" dia., it's more, if they're all 6", it's less.
> I asked my guy how tall the load was the first time, he told me, then I calculated from there. I won't do it again, don't need to.....this guy is honest and I'll call him again if I need another load.
> I see his truck all the time running the roads around here. He has to be honest when dealing with the sawmills or guys like me, or he'll lose the business.



OK, thats alittle more as to what I was gettin at with my ?. I realize that the size of the log diameter would have alot to do with how many full cords could be figured in a load and that after being CS&S the size of the splits would be a determining factor as to how many cords you finally ended up with. Kinda like counting grains of sand in a 5 gallon bucket and counting the number of river rocks in the same 5 gallon bucket if you get my meaning.
Just looking for some info to put in my little black book of knowledge for future reference I guess.


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## thewoodlands (Feb 14, 2012)

http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource001044_Rep1200.pdf


Zap


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## Jags (Feb 14, 2012)

PapaDave said:
			
		

> velvetfoot said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I refer to them as "Dead Presidents".


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## LLigetfa (Feb 14, 2012)

If you buy a cord of logs, you are not buying a cord of splits, so there is no conversion.  It shakes out to whatever.  When you buy a dozen eggs, you ain't buying a dozen chickens.

If you buy logs by the cord that are straight and cut to 8 foot length, well laid up in the bunks, you will get more wood than if you buy crooked tree length by the cord, in which case you will get more air and less wood.


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## jimbom (Feb 15, 2012)

Say your box 4' x 4' x 8' = 128ftÂ³.  Fill this up with different diameter logs 8' long. 

If you bought one perfect 4' diameter x 8' log -> 100.5ftÂ³ .  That means 27.5ftÂ³ of air.
If you bought four perfect 2' diameter x 8' logs -> 100.5ftÂ³.  That means 27.5ftÂ³ of air.
If you bought 16 perfect 1' diameter x 8' logs  ->  100.5ftÂ³.  That means 27.5ftÂ³ of air.
If you bought 64 perfect 6" diameter x 8' logs ->   100.5ftÂ³.  That means 27.5ftÂ³ of air.
etc

That is using the formula - Volume of the log = 3.14 x radius' squared x 8' x number of logs in the 4' x 4' x 8' box.

Course down here in the Ozarks all our trees grow on the sides of ravines so they are crookeder than a dog's hind leg.  We would get about half wood and half air in our 4 x 4 x 8 box.

After it is cut and split, it depends on how you stack.  If you stack it like you are selling, you get a big long row.  If you stack it like a buyer, the row will be shorter.  100ftÂ³ of solid wood definitely would stack into a dictionary cord.  Likely more if it is crooked or loosely stacked.

Like your videos.  How them banty roosters taste?


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## jimbom (Feb 15, 2012)

Butcher said:
			
		

> ....Kinda like counting grains of sand in a 5 gallon bucket and counting the number of river rocks in the same 5 gallon bucket if you get my meaning.
> Just looking for some info to put in my little black book of knowledge for future reference I guess.



If the sand grains were spheres and the rocks were spheres and the packing was done in the same way, both 5 gallon buckets would weigh the same.  Bone dry that is.  Golf ball size or so rocks. 

You can put that in your little black book and smoke it, as they say around here.  Do they say that anywhere else?


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## rwhite (Feb 15, 2012)

V= pi x r2 x H 

So if an 8' log had a 6" diameter the volume would be 3.14 x 3(3) x 96 = 2713 cu inches. Multiply by .00057 to convert to cubic feet = 1.54 cubic ft. 128ft3 in a cord so 128/1.54= 83 of the 6" logs for a cord


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## Wood Duck (Feb 15, 2012)

I would expect with perfectly straight logs all about the same diameter the amount of wood vs air is about the same as with stacked, split firewood.  Perfectly straight logs would stack the same way rounds would stack. That is to say that in an 8x4x4 ft (128 cubic feet) space filled with logs you'd have a cord of wood. Problem is most logs aren't straight and that makes extra air space in the truck, so with typical, somewhat crooked logs I think you probably get about 80% of a cord of wood for each 128 cubic feet of space. With very crooked logs you get even less, maybe as little as half a cord per 128 cubic feet. I am just guessing, maybe somebody who buys logs can give some real data.


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## WellSeasoned (Feb 15, 2012)

Well said wood duck. So with that said, the cost should be roughly alot less than if you bought say cut & split wood.alot less.


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## Smokey Bear (Feb 15, 2012)

This may not be exactly what your looking for, but it is interesting!
http://extension.unh/Forestry/Docs/firewood.pdf


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## LLigetfa (Feb 15, 2012)

When you process the wood, you could loose as much as 15% to sawcuts, bark falling off, and shrinkage.  If you can buy seasoned C/S/D for a reasonable price, go for it.


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