Seasoning Firewood

[cqaigy2]

I agree on the IBC totes. I now have 30 totes and plastic lids which equates to almost 3 years of wood supply for my use. I also stack the split wood directly into the totes from the splitter and also built a deck off my back door that will hold 4 totes at a time. I have since bought 2 rubber tired - heavy duty 4 wheel wagons from Northern Tool which will each hold appx. 1/4 cord with the extended plywood sides I have attached to them. I then fill the wagons from the totes on the back deck and wheel them onto my back porch. The wood stove is appx. 20 ft. from the wagons on my back porch. My back is already feeling 20 years younger - just telling this story. The biggest impediment to this whole story is just having a tractor with a loader strong enough to lift IBC totes filled with hardwood to a height of 4 ft. to get them ont the deck.

Do you just dump the wood in, or arrange it in the totes. My neighbor has 15 of the tote metal frames, sans plastic container and he stacks the wood in them. Fortunately his tractor is big enough to left them when full, and it's probably mostly Doug fir.

 

[bcp]

Black pepper may be a good seasoning for firewood.

Keeps away insects.

Effects of Black Pepper on Plants

Bruce

 

[hkbirdman]

Do you just dump the wood in, or arrange it in the totes. My neighbor has 15 of the tote metal frames, sans plastic container and he stacks the wood in them. Fortunately his tractor is big enough to left them when full, and it's probably mostly Doug fir.

I stack the wood in the totes and I estimate appx. 3/8 cord per tote when done this way. Currently I am burning mostly Ash - but occasionally I will fill them with green Oak and my tractor still moves them, but I can tell there is considerable weight on the end of the forks.

 

[oosik]

When we burned wood - we stacked it in a woodshed. Stacked because there was only enough room for five chords. We burned five chords a year. Harvested and stacked in the early spring. Burned the coming winter. Pine - by fall it was dry as a popcorn fart.

 

[BnRidge]

When we burned wood - we stacked it in a woodshed. Stacked because there was only enough room for five chords. We burned five chords a year. Harvested and stacked in the early spring. Burned the coming winter. Pine - by fall it was dry as a popcorn fart.

You have very dry low humidity summers where you are? Whenever drying success and methods come up, location has a lot to do with it. Here in se Wi, I can get away without top covering, then after a midsummer drought get it under cover. Guys out east or the northwest coastal areas need more time and top covers. Also hardwoods are far different than soft.

 

[oosik]

You could hear the split/stacked firewood "cracking" in the dry summer weather. Pine dries quite quickly and easily.

 

[deezler]

Do you just dump the wood in, or arrange it in the totes. My neighbor has 15 of the tote metal frames, sans plastic container and he stacks the wood in them. Fortunately his tractor is big enough to left them when full, and it's probably mostly Doug fir.

I stack mine in two neat rows in the IBC totes. The tote is 40" deep which let's me have a nice air gap in between the rows of my 15-16" firewood sticks, for better air drying.

Throwing them in randomly reduces the volume of firewood a good bit, makes it harder to unload, but most importantly, gives critters a perfect homebuilding setup. With a nice air gap in between my wood rows in my totes, Mice don't feel comfortable enough to make a home. Usually.

 

[BnRidge]

Throwing them in randomly reduces the volume of firewood a good bit,

 

[lpakiz]

Anyone know where I could source some of these IBC cage tank skids, preferably in Central Wisconsin?

 

[deezler]

Anyone know where I could source some of these IBC cage tank skids, preferably in Central Wisconsin?

I would start by searching craigslist and/or facebook marketplace for "IBC". I got my first 12x for $25 apiece (275 gallon size, = 40x48x48"), with no plastic tanks of noxious chemicals to deal with.

If the plastic liners are not too disgusting, you can cut them up to make hats or find other purposes for them. But disposal is a hassle, so I was glad to get my first 12 without the liners. My next 8 came for free (craigslist post again) but with nasty liners of cow manure residue. It was extremely gross to rinse those out, drain them, and cut them up for disposal, lol.