Funny you should ask, the fiancee just bought an antique copper wood box two weeks ago, I never would have thought of that.
Here is my great contribution to wood heating.
These modern wood stoves demand very dry wood. Moisture content needs to be below 17 percent.
The gearheads over on the wood stove forum take three years to dry their wood. So, they have three wood piles, one is one year old, one is two years old, and the third is ready to burn now.
That is a hassle and takes up a lot of space.
I built this wood shed. It sets out in the sun and the wood bakes.
I just built this shed on Sept. 15 and in 9 weeks I had some fresh cut maple and black walnut down to 21 percent moisture.
That is not as dry as spec but it still burns pretty good in the big Norweigan wood stove.
Whereas the regular wood stove gear heads need 3 years to dry their firewood, I believe I will be able to dry it in 3 months.
And this is up here in autumn in the NC mountains, it is 35 degrees cloudy and cold today. I think it will really dry wood fast this summer when it is 90 degrees.
Along these lines, I have been splitting wood by hand for 40 years. I have a Monster Maul and a Wood Grenade, both are bad ass wood splitters.
But, this year I had to split some really tough maple, and some almost unsplittable hickory. I sent off to Bailey's for this Ochsenkopf aluminum wedge. Cost $55.
This thing has a 45 degree twist built into it, so that as you hit it with the 10 pound hammer it screws into the wood.
I have never seen anything that will split wood like the Ochsenkopf. Kraut talk for "Ox head." Made in Germany.