It's an ill wind...

[swyn]

We're getting to that sort of amount now, we'll use about 10 cubic meters (stacked) of mainly ash for a year of heating and a bit of cooking.

This is all our own wood and if I can sort out a sensible way of extracting it we could easily end up with 50 cube or more stored. Then seasoning will not be a problem but keeping the firewood in good condition will be more important.

Currently mulling over some designs for decent wood stores.

A pole barn perhaps. Rain is kept off but wind can pass through.
Removing one part of manual handling is paramount.
Mine; Arrival on articulated self load wagon, load trailer with mechanised equipment, take to processor, feed processor manually which then self loads bags/trailer on conveyor, move final produce to store & unload by hand, move produce to log-box by hand, feed fire.
Enjoy the heat
S

 

[swyn]

Now the firewood man arrives, tips the 1.0m3 load. I stack at my leisure and then move the required firewood to the log box.
S

 

[British Red]

We're getting to that sort of amount now, we'll use about 10 cubic meters (stacked) of mainly ash for a year of heating and a bit of cooking.

This is all our own wood and if I can sort out a sensible way of extracting it we could easily end up with 50 cube or more stored. Then seasoning will not be a problem but keeping the firewood in good condition will be more important.

Currently mulling over some designs for decent wood stores.

Storage is always a challenge. For me, rotation is everything. Half of ours is in our "log shed". Thats about 5m x 3m so, stacked full, it holds 30 cubic metres.

Problem is, that the but you want to be using is always at the back.

We use these veg crates a lot. Each hold about 2 metres cubed

Wood yard by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Now IF you have a telehandler and can stack them, they are ideal. If not, they are good but take up a lot of floor space

Wood yard by English Countrylife, on Flickr

I think the right solution if I were to build it would be a long, low, slatted building 3m deep with 2m wide bays. So each bay would hold 12 cubic metres

 

[swyn]

Storage is always a challenge. For me, rotation is everything. Half of ours is in our "log shed". Thats about 5m x 3m so, stacked full, it holds 30 cubic metres.

Problem is, that the but you want to be using is always at the back.

We use these veg crates a lot. Each hold about 2 metres cubed

Wood yard by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Now IF you have a telehandler and can stack them, they are ideal. If not, they are good but take up a lot of floor space

Wood yard by English Countrylife, on Flickr

I think the right solution if I were to build it would be a long, low, slatted building 3m deep with 2m wide bays. So each bay would hold 12 cubic metres

I used my loader tractor and stacked vented bags for a few years but I have always been trying to move away from volume.

 

[slowworm]

I had planned to get a small tractor and use pallet forms to move around crates or the metal IBC frames full of logs. But with the cost of machinery and the cost of storing it I'm now leaning more towards a shed type store, or several sheds. Probably with a floor about a foot high to reduce vermin and to mean less bending. It also needs to be 'temporary' as we live in a restrictive planning area as well. Probably thinish sheds to get the air through and to prevent having to reach through unseasoned stuff to get to ready logs.

 

[TLM]

I have just a roof on poles for firewood, I guess that I am using about 6-7 m³ a year altogether on several fireplaces.

The one problem I have that one has to be careful when taking wood out of stack because bats seem to like them for day time naps. Maybe I should make some bathouses for them.

 

[slowworm]

Wildlife is a big consideration for us as well. I don't want rats nesting in the wood but we get birds nesting, lizards feeding, all sorts of insects overwintering etc so would try and cater for them. I'd love to put up bat boxes but the rules around bats would prevent me from using the shed to store wood.

 

[British Red]

I had planned to get a small tractor and use pallet forms to move around crates or the metal IBC frames full of logs. But with the cost of machinery and the cost of storing it I'm now leaning more towards a shed type store, or several sheds. Probably with a floor about a foot high to reduce vermin and to mean less bending. It also needs to be 'temporary' as we live in a restrictive planning area as well. Probably thinish sheds to get the air through and to prevent having to reach through unseasoned stuff to get to ready logs.

Makes complete sense. I've debated simply upending those 2m long crates - they are a metre deep

 

[British Red]

Well, that's a lesson learned, without a splitter, it's really hard to keep up with processing the big stuff at this time of year - fingers crossed the new one turns up soon and is as good as I hope

Wood yard by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Its interesting to note that its only later in life after bucking things up with brute strength that I have learned the value of using traditional timber tools when man handling large baulks of wood around

Timber tools, log tongs, sappie, hookeroon pickeroon by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Log tongs make lifting long, slippery medium baulks of timber SO much easier. They extend my arms meaning that I don't have to crouch or lift with my back hundreds of times. They also provide a really secure grip and log "handles". Once you've used them for a while you can flick them on and off logs

The "log picks" aka sappie, hookeroon or pickeroon are amazing for moving big rounds of wood. Smacked into a round, it can be dragged, lifted or rolled easily. I team them with a sack truck for moving big trunk sections around

Timber tools sappie hookeroon by English Countrylife, on Flickr

Its interesting that the amount of hook makes a huge difference - the sharper hook on the wooden handled one is not ideal. It wants some bend but The fiskars one is just right

Sappie pickeroon hookeroon ends by English Countrylife, on Flickr

I also find cant hooks and timber jacks to be incredibly useful in maneuvering this stuff. The old time lumber jacks knew a thing or too!

 

[Nice65]

Sorting through stuff and found my copy of Norwegian Wood. It’s a lovely book on the storage and pride in storing wood.

 

[British Red]

Sorting through stuff and found my copy of Norwegian Wood. It’s a lovely book on the storage and pride in storing wood.

I keep meaning to buy a copy - it's been recommended to me before

 

[slowworm]

I should read through my copy of that book. It's been seasoning for a year or two on the bookshelf...

 

[slowworm]

I mentioned earlier that extracting/transporting my logs is my main issue. Despite having a decent electric splitter I've split most of my wood this year with my cheap maul, so I can then carry the wood back or load it in my car.

One thing I've learnt when logging up a tree is to cut as many decent logs from it first, split them and stack them, then worry about the crotchy, knotty bits later. If all the rough bits get mixed in at the start it makes life more difficult and stacks messy and prone to collapsing.

 

[TLM]

I have used a Honda motorized wheel barrow (actually rubber tracks) for moving firewood for 10 years, one of the better buys I have had with enginned equipment (chainsaws not counted).

 

[British Red]

I mentioned earlier that extracting/transporting my logs is my main issue. Despite having a decent electric splitter I've split most of my wood this year with my cheap maul, so I can then carry the wood back or load it in my car.

One thing I've learnt when logging up a tree is to cut as many decent logs from it first, split them and stack them, then worry about the crotchy, knotty bits later. If all the rough bits get mixed in at the start it makes life more difficult and stacks messy and prone to collapsing.

I'm lucky like that given our stuff is generally delivered. The crotch / crown / rotten stuff is known as "ugly wood" . If I don't want it, it gets fed to one of the local biomass boilers. Generally I take it but just cut it up with a chainsaw since, as you know, it doesn't split. Now rootballs are awful. Sawing them is murder on blades because of soil and stones, they don't split and the biomass boys don't want them.

 

[slowworm]

I have used a Honda motorized wheel barrow (actually rubber tracks) for moving firewood for 10 years, one of the better buys I have had with enginned equipment (chainsaws not counted).

I've looked at powered barrows but the distances I need to go are too far. I also have very steep slopes.

An idea solution would be an Alpine tractor with a timber trailer but that's just too expensive, even 2nd hand.

Current thinking is a UTV with a trailer and winch. Although I'm disappointed with what's currently available as the load space seems to be tiny.

 

[slowworm]

I'm lucky like that given our stuff is generally delivered. The crotch / crown / rotten stuff is known as "ugly wood" . If I don't want it, it gets fed to one of the local biomass boilers. Generally I take it but just cut it up with a chainsaw since, as you know, it doesn't split. Now rootballs are awful. Sawing them is murder on blades because of soil and stones, they don't split and the biomass boys don't want them.

My rootballs are 'habitat', as you say it's not worth the problems processing them. I have had to dig out some decent sized ones and have a few wounded chains to show for it. Once the cutters have been rounded over by stones it can be very hard to sharpen them again.

 

[TLM]

I've looked at powered barrows but the distances I need to go are too far. I also have very steep slopes.

I use it on distances upto about 500m, beyond that I call a neighbor with tractor. Rubber tracks give surprisingly good performance, they crush vegetation very little and on firm surface climb well, on loose moss not at all well.

Mine has a max load capacity of 500 kg but I doubt I have ever loaded it that full

 

[swyn]

I'm lucky like that given our stuff is generally delivered. The crotch / crown / rotten stuff is known as "ugly wood" . If I don't want it, it gets fed to one of the local biomass boilers. Generally I take it but just cut it up with a chainsaw since, as you know, it doesn't split. Now rootballs are awful. Sawing them is murder on blades because of soil and stones, they don't split and the biomass boys don't want them.

There’s value in crotches if they are in good order. Boat-builders love them.
S

 

[swyn]

My cordwood stack in 2019