[Womble]

Our wee woodstore is currently completely full  (always a good feeling ), but with all the storms just before Christmas, I've now got quite a bit more wood, currently lying by the house under a tarp, ready for splitting.

The trouble is, if I hire in a splitter to do it all, I'll have nowhere dry to stack it, and the pile is likely to be 4mx2mx2m once I'm done. Does anybody have any novel ideas on how I could build a suitable temporary store for it all on the cheap that won't look TOO ugly?

Cheers!

[robert waddell]

if it is lengths just stack i the open the wind will dry them out        if it is logs again stack on there side to allow the wind to dry them how much does it cost you to hire the splitter

[Womble]

Would you cover them then Robert?  If so, just the top, or sides as well?

I think a weekend's hire cost me £80 last time for a great big petrol one (came on it's own trailer). Noisy, but will go through just about anything!

[goosepimple]

My OH was down at a friends estate on Sunday past and said he had several stunning piles of logs all made in to sculptural log piles (he knows what he's doing so they will be drying out).  He said they were set out like huge towers - about 3-4m high - he lays long logs in a large ring shape radius style (likes suns rays) then piles smaller logs into the middle of the ring, then builds up the ring beautifully radius style and the shorter logs in the middle are just 'tipped' in, not formally layed so to speak.  The guests who have been staying at his holiday homes keep saying he should just leave them they look so sculptural and beautiful.  So, get creative!  Photos please when you're done!

[doganjo]

David, talk to Bloomer (Dave).  He told me just to stack my leyland logs alongside the house just avoiding the airbricks.

[bloomer]

annies house has wide eaves to protect from the worst of the weather and still allow airflow to continue the drying process she also has a lot less than you describe mr womble!!!

[doganjo]

Maybe  so, only four 40 foot leylandiis.  Donald built me a wood store out of pallets if that's any help David Womble.  I can see this forum getting confusing 

[Sandy]

We are going to waterproof the roof in the garage soon and the logs are going in there on top of a load of pallets...I said to steve he should stack them outside but the last lot we stacked got soaked....We also have a huge stack in the enclosed chicken run I made, its an area with chicken wire and on top plastic sheets so fairly cheap and easy, the air gets to them but the wet no!!!!!!!!  I want to build something with the pallets........I did have a wonderful idea but not going to do it so don;t worry, I thought we could fill supermarket trollies and wheel them into t he garage and out when we need them....

[HappyHippy]

Womble, if you've access to free or cheap pallets, they'd do a grand job of containing the pile - just leave the front open, you could put anything on for a top and screw down into the heavy corners of the pallets to keep it in place. You can build just about anything from pallets  If you've not got anywhere close and you're passing our place feel free to pop in - I reckon I could spare 3 or 4 for you 
I noticed that Northern Tools are doing a 4 tonne log splitter for around £150 but didn't reall all the details, at £80 to hire one it might be worth checking out ?
Karen 

[Womble]

Yup, pallets do look like the way forward, especially to keep the bottom layer of logs off the ground - I just wondered if anybody had some more novel ideas (like making a sculpture for instance - that's just brilliant!).

The reason I hired the splitter last year was that I'd already borrowed a 4 tonne electrical one from a friend, and unfortunately our old beech logs just laughed at it (much as they had laughed at me armed with splitting maul, wood grenades, etc etc). However, the hired in splitter dealt with even the knottiest, hardest timber with absolute ease and safety. It could even go through leg-thickness chunks of leylandii against the grain believe it or not, so I reckon it was the best £80 I've spent in many a year!!

[robert waddell]

yes womble log spliters are fantastic i have one for sale it works of the tractor hydraulics i also have a hydraulic pump that could be adapted for electric /petrol driven use

[Sandy]

we got loads of them ready...steve would love a log splitter but thats way down on the list of wants!!

[Bangbang]

Try stacking them to form a dome.
construct like an igloo, diminishing each row, gives good strength to the pile
Use smaller logs / branches as a base row to as the sacrificial row from water.
I call it the sod row.
Mine end up looking like Teepees.
As for splitting I use an axe, OH uses the chainsaw
 

[colliewoman]

Try stacking them to form a dome.
construct like an igloo, diminishing each row, gives good strength to the pile
Use smaller logs / branches as a base row to as the sacrificial row from water.
I call it the sod row.
Mine end up looking like Teepees.
As for splitting I use an axe, OH uses the chainsaw
 

What Bangbang said
we stack ours in a circle, and build up the layers, filling in the middle as we go. When it gets tall enough, we 'thatch' it with longer lengths and thin branches.
It might get a bit wet in the bad storms, but we dismantle the pile and bung it in the wood shed when the wood shed is running low (we take out the remaining dry wood from the shed, chuck in the 'new' than lob the dry stuff back on top). It doesn't take long to dry out again if it got wet
I use the splitting axe, Husband uses the chainsaw.