$7958 for a firewood processor !

[LeeB]

Look back at post #70 of this thread. There is a picture of a dead deck in the second video link.

[moonhill]

This was alluded to earlier, just use a basic wood splitter at a reasonable height.  Have the logs dropped by the self loader on a set of bunks (dead deck) already elevated so you don't need a log lifter ( I do this on my saw mill).  roll a log off the bunks onto a sturdy table with pre marked cut lengths, cut the log with the chain saw and turn the bolt of firewood so it rolls down the slightly inclined cut bench to the splitter.  You may have to run back and forth a little but you will spend far less than 8k and that is for the cheaper version.  Add a conveyer if you wish to remove the split wood.  You may not even need a welder.

On the welders, one thing I like about my welder generator is it is a generator too.  Why people buy generators is beyond me, it cost no more than a reasonable generator and you can weld with it, stick or mig.   

Tim

[Mooseherder]

I got this Board Sizer when I bought the Circle Mill.  It would be a good start to building a processor Live Deck with the Blade removed.   

[genesis5521]

Look back at post #70 of this thread. There is a picture of a dead deck in the second video link.

Thanks for straightening me out on the terminology LeeB. So a "deck feed" and a "dead deck" are the same thing. Kinda like "bookmarks" and "favorites" in a web browser. Different terminology for the same thing.

[genesis5521]

Conley, Hilltop and CFarm. Thanks for your posts about welding.

I found 3 good videos about a guy that built his own firewood processor. He did a pretty nice job. Check them out.

After you watch the videos, here is some further info on his project:
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=94145&page=2

[bandmiller2]

Don,live deck and dead deck are turms with their roots in circular mills.They do the same job but a live deck is powered ,usally with a chain,and it moves the logs to the carriage.A dead deck is not powered,you have to roll the logs.In some locals its called a log brow,same thing its a storage/ staging area for the logs you are about to process.Frank C.

[Hilltop366]

Nice home built. I thought it had a good cutting speed.
According to his specs and my conversions he is cutting a little over 2 cord/hour with 45hp and has a chain speed of 5900 ft/min. I thought it cut faster than some factory built ones I have seen on the web that were running 80 hp.
It's got cutting on the ground and lifting on the splitter beat, of coarse I would have to get me one of those fancy log loaders too.

WH I get by OK on the vert. and over head welding when I have to but never have been able to get AC to do as good of a job as  what I have tried with someone else's $$$ welder (DC reverse I think). What setup do you use for overhead and vert. as far as current type and polairty and rod? Maybe you can give me a hint as to what the trick is the old welder showed you.

[bandmiller2]

That guy built a good workable processor,but I'am not excited about the logs swinging around on the grapple.It could be improved with a live deck or dead deck and a hookeroon to pull the logs over. Frank C.

[bandmiller2]

Hilltop I hear what your saying 30 years ago I bought a Miller 250 amp stick welder ac/dc tried one weld on ac then switched over to dc reverse haven't changed it since.Overhead you need a fast solidifying rod like 6010/6011 something like 7014 will just sag and drip,its kinda like filling a gap weave in and out.Frank C.

[ahlkey]

Nice videos. I have a similar Log Loader with grapple to load a dead deck and then cant roll the logs.  I use a PTO cordsaw (buzzsaw) off my 45 HP tractor. Drop everythng down on a small platform trailer for transporting or splitting by hand or if too large use a hydraulic splitter aligned to handle those splits that runs off  the tractor hydraulics at the same time. At times will just cut from the dead deck into a dump trailer with my chainsaws.  Overall it is a lot of work but I can do easily do a complete full cord of wood in a few hours (working alone). I rarely do more than a few hours of firewood at any one time though.  The way I figure firewood for me is excercise and extra wood that would otherwise be wasted. I do heat with wood and by doing over 100 full cords a year in my spare time earn a little extra.  It definitley allows me to bypass the gym and hopely less doctor visits.  The only equipment I need dedicated to doing firewood is the cordsaw & splitter and purchased both new for around $2,000 dollars.  Sure I would like to get a wood processor but for that kind of money I would rather spend it on a lot of other things and then of course what would I do daily for excercise?

[WH_Conley]

Not a processor, just taking some of the back pain out of it.



Wood is loaded on the deck with the loader, cut to length with chainsaw, rolled to splitter side, thrown in the box. The box can be picked up with the loader and either carried to the basement steps or dumped on truck for sale.

[genesis5521]

Welding question. Keep in mind that building a firewood processor requires welding some 1/2 inch thick material. I could get either a stick welder or a wire feed welder to do the job. However, I've been reading that there are "multi process welders" that will do both stick and wire feed? Does this mean I can literally do "wire feed" when I want to and switch to "stick" when I want to on thick material? Is a multi process welder something I should consider, or am I better off with a single process welder?

[WH_Conley]

Went to Lincoln 's website and looked to see. These machines would do about anything. At $6200.00 plus tax you could buy a lot of seperate machines.

[moonhill]

The bottom line welder generator from Miller and Lincoln run around $2500.  I can weld with the mig and in 2 minutes be welding with the stick, but I wouldn't for the mig and I can do a better job than the stick and I, IMO.  I can turn the heat up to max and adjust the wire feed to fill the need, at 100%duty cycle.   I am running a Trailblazer.  I looked at the low rpm diesel version they offer and at $9000 I couldn't do it, I would have liked to. 

The welder generator may not be ideal for everyone, it is for me and my needs.

Tim

[Reddog]

I have welded with 600 amp wire/stick machines burning 1/4" rod and 3/16 flux core wire down to small tig jobs on .015 foil stock for work.
At home I have a Hobart 140 wire feed and a Lincoln 225 ac buzz box.
The only difference is time. In welding 1/2 stock I know I need to bevel the pieces before welding, which means more time filling with the smaller machines.
And on any thing thick preheat is your friend, a drip of water should dance around on the piece when ready to weld.
If you want two rods to keep in your rod oven that will cover 99% of your needs it would be 6011 and 7018.
6011 does well with overhead and first passes in dirty steel. 7018 is good for strength and up too a point dissimilar steels.
On the wire feed I run 80K psi flux core. A lot less splatter than stick and very little stopping, much faster for tack ups also.

If you have other specific questions, post them we have a very good group of welders here that will try and solve the problems.

[motohed]

Welding question. Keep in mind that building a firewood processor requires welding some 1/2 inch thick material. I could get either a stick welder or a wire feed welder to do the job. However, I've been reading that there are "multi process welders" that will do both stick and wire feed? Does this mean I can literally do "wire feed" when I want to and switch to "stick" when I want to on thick material? Is a multi process welder something I should consider, or am I better off with a single process welder?

These machine are very expensive I have one that will run on 120 volst all the way up to 3 phase 440 volts . it will do tig ,mig and stick , and is in a little suit case . I take it to most any job I am on . you will never need a welder like this unless you are doing steam pipe or or large pipe repairs on ships mining equipment etc. I would buy a good 250 amp ac /dc machine and good leads , you can always add the seperate mig setup .

[genesis5521]

My thanks to all of you who posted comments about welding. Every little bit helps (or raises more questions which I need to consider). I've ruled out a multi processor welder. Still leaning real heavy toward stick.

Hey Reddog, I checked out some of your albums. What kinda bike do ya have. I have an 08 Suzuki DR650SE on/off road. I ride almost exclusively off-road in the Nicolet Forest in Northern Wisconsin. It's a nice way to find trees for firewood.
http://www.suzuki-bikes.com/2008-suzuki-dr650se-pictures-specs/

[woodmills1]

don't rice rockets go too fast to see trees?

[genesis5521]

Update on the $8400 Canadian dollars firewood processor. The Canadian to U.S. exchange rate is constantly changing.
I just calculated $8400 Canadian dollars to be $8143.64 U.S. dollars.

I just received an email from Sheldon Gilmer. Quote "Hi Don: Its been a few weeks since we exchanged emails on our firewood processor.  We did some homework with our insurance company and our lawyer and they agreed that someone from the US could come to Canada to purchase the unit. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions."

I emailed him back with these questions:
1) Would I have any problems at the border. (i.e. Would I need any special paperwork from you to present to the border guards (both U.S. & Canadian).
2) Would I need to pay in Canadian dollars or U.S. dollars.
3) Would there be any tariff or tax.
4) Is the unit "street legal". If not, will it fit in a 5 foot X 10 foot 3500 pound (gross) trailer.

Here's a nice picture of the unit. (Kinda looks like an overgrown splitter, but who cares, as long as it gets the job done)
http://edmundston.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAdLargeImage?AdId=173304759&back=-5&ImageIndex=0

They now also offer conveyors of various lengths starting at $2850 for the 16 foot unit.
http://edmundston.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAdLargeImage?AdId=173304759&back=-7&ImageIndex=2

[woodmills1]

It sounds to me like you are going for it, let us know how it turns out.