I am looking to build smaller size rocket heater. No mass due to weight concerns, just the rocket stove part. (I might try setup a water based central heating, but that's another story)
The one thing I haven't managed to understand - is how do you get your wood logs prepared for burning in rocket stoves with (relatively) smaller size? That is, aside from burning fallen branches.

I live in urban area, and I have no big property with trees. So no big stash of fallen branches - I would have to buy my wood. And it would come in form of thick logs that are 1 meter (1yard) long.
Now lets say 1 meter is a bit too long for normal feeder, so half meter will have to do. The question is how do you split those half meter (1.64 feet) logs onto small sticks?

Manually, I guess it would be very tough job to do (due to the size and height, and pure volume of wood needed for whole winter). And tough job, due to having to split those thick logs in many small sticks that would fit in (relatively smaller size) J tube feeder.
Any obvious solution that I am missing somehow?

In the US, purchased firewood generally comes in 16" (40cm) lengths, more or less, and is split to fireplace/woodstove size. Is it expected where you live that firewood customers will cut and split the wood themselves? Or do stoves generally use 1 meter unsplit logs?

If you do have to cut the wood down yourself, 0.5 meter pieces are probably on the long side but if the wood is straight it will probably work. You definitely need small pieces, finger to 2-finger size, for kindling to get the fire well started, but according to ernie and erica, after the fire is burning well you can use wood up to a size that only maybe two pieces will fit in the feed tube at a time. This will burn a bit slower and last longer between loadings than kindling.

Vann; After your wood is 1.6' long try mounting a used tire to your chopping block , This allows you to split many pieces quickly and safely AND you don't have to bend over to pick them all up.

@thomas rubino that's mighty fine advice, m8. Will use that tire "trick" for sure. It will help with less frequent bending and log positioning when splitting.
Unfortunately 0.5 meter logs will still be pain to split on small enough pieces sized for the feeder of small rocket stove.

I think should go with 0.33meter lengths (~13"). That would be much easier for splitting, even as the shorter lengths would mean more tending and more frequent feeding to the rocket stove. Can't have it both ways.

Glenn Herbert wrote:In the US, purchased firewood generally comes in 16" (40cm) lengths, more or less, and is split to fireplace/woodstove size. Is it expected where you live that firewood customers will cut and split the wood themselves? Or do stoves generally use 1 meter unsplit logs?

If you do have to cut the wood down yourself, 0.5 meter pieces are probably on the long side but if the wood is straight it will probably work. You definitely need small pieces, finger to 2-finger size, for kindling to get the fire well started, but according to Ernie and Erica, after the fire is burning well you can use wood up to a size that only maybe two pieces will fit in the feed tube at a time. This will burn a bit slower and last longer between loadings than kindling.

Here, wood comes in form of 1 meter unsplit logs. After that it's my concern to pay somebody to saw and split the logs, or do it myself. Stoves are regular sized, 12" or 16" lengths of wood. 1 meter logs would do for some mighty big woodstove!
Tnx for the input, unfortunately it seems that things are as I was afraid - wood for rocket stoves needs more processing time. More if the rocket stove is smaller.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=drop+weight+log+splitter&qs=SC&sk=&FORM=QBIR&pq=drop%20weigut%20log%20spliter&sc=1-23&sp=1&qs=SC&sk=#view=detail&id=18437EE6CE9163F56DD27B2B27ADE6400039C7C2&selectedIndex=3

Drop weight splitter, it's like a giant dent puller. Nice and compact for the city.

^^
That brings some nice ideas, tnx.

This video addresses what size of wood for a rocket mass heater