Wood to Coal?

Lightning wrote:Is that face cords? Or full cords? A full cord is roughly 3 face cords, I believe.

I thought only crooks used the term "face cord" to fool newbies about how much wood they were buying. In fact it was (may still be) illegal in Maine to sell "face cords" of firewood, simply because it is not an exact measurement -- depends on the length of the sticks.

From the Maine Attorney General's web site:
Under Maine law, firewood must be sold in one of three allowable units: standard cord, cubic foot, or loose thrown cord.

In a classic Maine story, the math teacher asks a boy whose family sells firewood, "If firewood is $100 per cord and someone gives you $200, how much wood do you deliver?"
"About one-and-three-quarter cord," answers the boy.
"No, that's not right," says the teacher.
"I know it ain't right, but everyone does it," says the boy.

The loose or "thrown cord" of 12 or 16-inch wood is 180 cubic feet, to allow for more air space among the jumbled pieces. 195 cubic feet for 24-inch wood.

rberq wrote:In a classic Maine story, the math teacher asks a boy whose family sells firewood, "If firewood is $100 per cord and someone gives you $200, how much wood do you deliver?"
"About one-and-three-quarter cord," answers the boy.
"No, that's not right," says the teacher.
"I know it ain't right, but everyone does it," says the boy.

And THAT is why I don't buy firewood... no... wait... that's not right, I don't buy firewood... because I burn coal Bwahahaha...

I rarely bought firewood. When I first started cutting in 1977 I didnt know squat. Luckily I got together with an experienced wood cutter before I maimed myself. I was taking my saw to the dealer for sharpening. He said why you givin your money to him, sharpen it yourself. I learned how to file sharpen a sawchain. He said keep the nose out of the dirt you wont file the chain so often. So I kept on learning from this kindly man. First 30 years were a big challenge to me to make my quota of wood. The last 10 years were getting wearisome and then I saw the light COAL. That's why I don't buy or cut wood.