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My stove takes 18" EW / 14" NS. . My insert takes 22" EW/ 12" NS. I like to start burning NS and reload EW.
If I am cutting logs on level ground, I'll mark several logs @ 17.5" before cutting. If the last round is longer than 17.5" I'll cut it in half to make NS pieces. Everything is even and my stacks look beautiful.
If I am cutting a whole tree with brush, I eyeball it and end up with 16-19". It burns just as well.
If I am cutting logs on level ground, I'll mark several logs @ 17.5" before cutting. If the last round is longer than 17.5" I'll cut it in half to make NS pieces. Everything is even and my stacks look beautiful.
If I am cutting a whole tree with brush, I eyeball it and end up with 16-19". It burns just as well.
My VC Vigilant is about 22 inches wide. I cut about 19.5 inches. This fills the stove nicely and pretty much eliminates problems with getting really fat splits in through the doors. I use the saw as my guide. From tip of the bar to an embossed notch on the sprocket cover is right at 19.5 inches. Works great.
Backwoods said:
I had the pleasure of having a split in the Liberty a couple of years ago that turned out longer than the stove would take, the split was blazing away but I just had enough room to get it in on a angle, made sure that won't happen again.
Zap
Like Zap, I cut mine to less than the max that I can fit N/S. The Manny is supposed to take a 19" split N/S (if I remember right), but that size is terrible - right at the glass if you don't hit the secondary inlets in the rear of the stove. I cut to about 16", some more, some less - I like the extra space in front of the glass for air movement. I can fit between 9 and 11 splits in the box, so I'm not concerned about losing a few BTU's because of shorter splits. Cheers!
Insert takes 24" but the door is not that wide so unless its empty its hard to fit those pieces in. Also at 24" long if the piece isnt as perfectly straight as lumber it seems to waste a lot of space. Then got the Shelburn so started cutting 18" which will work with both.
As much as I hate to cut wood so short both of my stoves will take about the same length N/S, about 13" max so started experimenting with that. With the Rockland it is definetly the easiest way to fill it full, and safer. However due to my short amount of time I have to be in the woods I have started bucking to 3 times that, ~39", to save some cutting time in the woods. Then I built a double saw buck to resaw them down to 3 13" pieces when I have free time at home. Having the 39" pieces also makes better use of my 8" timber tongs for the small/medium sized logs I usually get. And the 13" pieces are way easier to split compared to 24" long pieces. They are a bit more akward to stack though, and I can't carry as much in arm into the house.
As much as I hate to cut wood so short both of my stoves will take about the same length N/S, about 13" max so started experimenting with that. With the Rockland it is definetly the easiest way to fill it full, and safer. However due to my short amount of time I have to be in the woods I have started bucking to 3 times that, ~39", to save some cutting time in the woods. Then I built a double saw buck to resaw them down to 3 13" pieces when I have free time at home. Having the 39" pieces also makes better use of my 8" timber tongs for the small/medium sized logs I usually get. And the 13" pieces are way easier to split compared to 24" long pieces. They are a bit more akward to stack though, and I can't carry as much in arm into the house.
18-20 inches . . . the Olso can take longer wood, but the loss of a few inches of wood doesn't make that much of a difference in term of heat output or burn time . . . and I would rather lose a bit of heat or burn time than to try to wedge in wood that doesn't quite fit due to ash build up, odd ball shaped wood, etc. . . . with 18-20 inch wood it is a rare event for me to stick a piece of wood into the firebox and then find out it doesn't fit and have to pull it out.
My insert will take a 21 but I cut at 18 using the bar for a guide on the first few then eye the rest.
My stove can take 23" splits but I buy my logs in 8' lengths, so I need to divide 96" equally which ends up to be around 19" lengths.
I do mostly 20 inch, the size of my normal chain and the Jotul can take up to 23 inches. On occassion I find one I cut too wide, I found one last night, it gets tossed in the sawbuck pile to get recut when I am doing limbs. You cannot really do North South in the Jotul. It is nice to have full width to maximize the fire box, and less reloading.
18" and I use the Mingo to get them consistant. Shorties stay at the wood lot unless it's premium wood (oak/locust etc). The shorties that I do bring home go in storage bins/barrels - not in the stacks. Stacks are much more stable and nicer looking when everything is the same length. Of course I'm a little more picky right now since I'm clear cutting several lots and have more wood there than I can use in the next ten years ;-)
JonP
Member
I usually cut 16in for EW in my Vigilant and when cutting I'll make sure that I cut several rounds at about 8-9in specifically for NS. My starting protocol dictates that I put in two smallish long splits EW a few inches apart with 1/4 of a Super Cedar and some kindling, then I will put a few smaller splits NS on top of that and then load 16in logs stacked on top as high as I need. If there is enough room on the ends I'll drop one a larger 8in split vertically into the space from the griddle door.
Having different sizes makes for some creative stacking but seems to work well for me.
Having different sizes makes for some creative stacking but seems to work well for me.
Jotul Rockland fits 24" if they're straight and narrow. I cut 21", with this length marked on my chainsaw and two hand saws. That gives me room for a bit of error with fit certainty, plus max BTUs per haul indoors.
I try to shoot for 20" to 22" lengths. However, I still end up with about a third of a cord of shorts and uglies (due to bends and such) which I burn in the shoulder seasons. I load these N/S mostly.
We cut most to 16 3/16". Not really, but 16" is good for our stove. I will also be cutting some 22" for the new Progress stove.
barkeatr
Member
my profab 200 takes 29" but i have to go down to like 26" to fit my splitter. the length is important as the logs span two down draft vents to the gassification chamber. i would like a mingo but feel its just going to be another tool to break, or the paint can will freeze up. I have the length marked on my saw also...so i put the saw down horizontal against log to make a quick length determination. Other times i just eyeball it but i do end up with quite a variation.
Unlike Zap I don't measure mine to the nearest hundredth of an inch. But my Regency claims 22" wood So I cut most to 20" or so and almost always load EW. Sometimes I get scrounge wood that is cut to odd lengths. Rather than cut in half and have 12" wood I usually cut it to a 20" and a short piece. The short stuff is what I use when starting a fire. I can pack it in with kindling and it is usually good and dry since its so small.
How do you measure before cutting?
I see that some of you have marked your saw blade which makes a lot of sense to me as if I had a walking stick, or some other marker I know I would leave back at the last tree I cut and never find it again
Someone else mentioned using a Mingo to be exact, what's a mingo?
I have two stoves, one takes 15" max so I tend to cut a lot at 12" for that stove. Prefer 16" for the other. I have marked the splitter with a tape to know when the wood is too long, but I would prefer to cut it the right length to start with instead of having to cut down pieces that are too long. Actually never thought to mark the blade.... have always just eye balled it.
The uglies and uber shorts I throw in a fire pit burn area. Always nice to have a little fire outside to enjoy and a fire pit is better than a bon fire
I see that some of you have marked your saw blade which makes a lot of sense to me as if I had a walking stick, or some other marker I know I would leave back at the last tree I cut and never find it again
Someone else mentioned using a Mingo to be exact, what's a mingo?I have two stoves, one takes 15" max so I tend to cut a lot at 12" for that stove. Prefer 16" for the other. I have marked the splitter with a tape to know when the wood is too long, but I would prefer to cut it the right length to start with instead of having to cut down pieces that are too long. Actually never thought to mark the blade.... have always just eye balled it.
The uglies and uber shorts I throw in a fire pit burn area. Always nice to have a little fire outside to enjoy and a fire pit is better than a bon fire
brokenknee
Burning Hunk
tatnic corners said:How do you measure before cutting?
I see that some of you have marked your saw blade which makes a lot of sense to me as if I had a walking stick, or some other marker I know I would leave back at the last tree I cut and never find it again
I have two stoves, one takes 15" max so I tend to cut a lot at 12" for that stove. Prefer 16" for the other. I have marked the splitter with a tape to know when the wood is too long, but I would prefer to cut it the right length to start with instead of having to cut down pieces that are too long. Actually never thought to mark the blade.... have always just eye balled it.
The uglies and uber shorts I throw in a fire pit burn area. Always nice to have a little fire outside to enjoy and a fire pit is better than a bon fire
I do not have one.
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babzog
Member
Okay. So after a winter (such as it was) burning the Opel 3, I've decided two things:
1. Burning rounds EW sucks. With the amount of coals this thing generates, the wood is always above the door opening and round have a tendancy to roll agains the glass and at least once out the door when I went to reposition it. Scary and smelly. I'm splitting everything now to help avoid that.
2. Burning NS is much easier in this fireplace and I get tons of coals at the end of day or morning for relights. I can get a much larger load in due to not worrying about #1... The firebox can be really packed!
As a result, I'll be cutting 16" now, rather than 18" as I earlier mentioned. I'll have some 18" stuff but it'll be split so it'll stay in place.
1. Burning rounds EW sucks. With the amount of coals this thing generates, the wood is always above the door opening and round have a tendancy to roll agains the glass and at least once out the door when I went to reposition it. Scary and smelly. I'm splitting everything now to help avoid that.
2. Burning NS is much easier in this fireplace and I get tons of coals at the end of day or morning for relights. I can get a much larger load in due to not worrying about #1... The firebox can be really packed!
As a result, I'll be cutting 16" now, rather than 18" as I earlier mentioned. I'll have some 18" stuff but it'll be split so it'll stay in place.
My VC Vigilant is about 22 inches wide. I cut to about 19.5 inches which is the tip of my 16 inch bar to the notch embossed on my sprocket cover. It takes about one second per cut to lay the saw against the log and eyeball the length. The 19.5 inch splits give me enough room to get them into the door and allows a little breathing room on each end.
Works for me.
Works for me.
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