i am just curious as to how the actual logs are wired together. i have a general understanding but i am just wondering if someone could give me a little bit of an explanation. thanks

Its basically a figure 8 that is used to wire two logs together. In doing this a cross is made between the two logs with wire. The outside log is wired to an inside log that is already wired to another log. On the outside of the log the two ends of wire are twisted together, first with hands then with pliers to get the wire tight so the logs can't shift. This is usually done two or three times total so that each log is wired to two or three other logs in turn.

what kind of wire is used?

any specific type I am not sure of, all I know is that it is a little bit thicker than baling wire. Someone that knows more about logistics could answer the rest of that better.

bailing wire. When I worked we had 2 different guages. The thinner guage we would double over and wire each log to 3 other logs. We didn't double the thicker guage.

You've got to remeber that where the wire crosses in the back youtake your penny nail and twist it through the wire couple of times to make it real tight.

My knuckles still haven't forgiven me for doing that on a bunch of double sets with only a couple of inches in between logs

you only need to use the penny nail if you cant get it tight enough from the front only. Other wise you end up breaking the set to often.

It's not bailing wire, I don't think

It's a larger gauge, but I could be wrong... just didn't seem quite like bailing wire to me.

chunks don't argue with your dad

In theory, every log should be wired to three other logs. It isn't (generally) bailing wire. If I'm not mistaken it is a wired used to hold up overhead phone or cable lines. Whatever it is the tensile strength is considerably better than that of bailing wire, which is crap.

From time to time bailing wire would show up, but you were almost always better off not using it.

bailing‚baling

Bonfire is first and foremost an environmental movement. Therefore all wire used is recycled from the little twisties on loafs of bread. Twist a few together and there you go.

I couldn't agree with that sentiment more. I always prided myself in the contributions I helped to make in freeing all the carbon so greedily hoarded by all those stingy trees. I mean, share the wealth.