iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Firewood (log not slab) cutting rack

Started by DeerMeadowFarm, January 12, 2017, 11:05:44 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

DeerMeadowFarm

So, my least favorite part of firewood production is bucking logs from a pile to stove/OWB length. Dropping trees, limbing, skidding, splitting, are all fun to me but my back hates bucking.

I was scanning through Pintrest and found these pictures:


 


 
Does anyone have something similar, or have some ideas? I buck to 24" for my OWB. I tried using the grapple on my tractor and picking individual logs up to a comfortable height to cut them but I'd always manage to get one of the forks exactly where I needed to cut, plus it takes way too long. Thanks in advance!

47sawdust

DMF,I'm with you on the dread of bucking to length.This year I'm using the thumb on the backhoe to lift logs to a comfortable height.I have an old Ford 550 home owner special.I can operate the controls from the ground.After cutting from both ends toward the grapple I usually end up with 2 or 3 pieces to finish on the ground.I'm pretty happy with the results.
That rack looks ok but I think the wood might bind as you make your cuts and it might also be a pain to get the wood out of the rack.
Good luck,Mick
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

thecfarm

 I myself thinks it looks good. But I would only put one maybe 2 in at a time. Than have the bucket there to put the wood in there.
I cut my wood in a pile at times. I find out it's really easier to cut just one stick at a time instead of cutting half way into another one.
I just started to cut my wood into about 1 foot pieces. Yes,I have to saw more,but I don't have to handle it again to split.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

JJ

looks like the cutting rack is designed to flip backwards, and dump the logs to a splitting station (on the tarp).  That tractor would have no problem flipping the rack.

DeerMeadowFarm

Quote from: JJ on January 12, 2017, 01:01:18 PM
looks like the cutting rack is designed to flip backwards, and dump the logs to a splitting station (on the tarp).  That tractor would have no problem flipping the rack.
Genius! I hadn't even noticed that, but I think you're right!

brendonv

"Trees live a secret life only revealed to those that climb them"

www.VorioTree.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vorio-Tree-Experts-LLC/598083593556636

hedgerow

I usually don't buck logs until I have my two guys that help make fire wood. I do most of my logging with a skid loader with a saw on it. I have the logs piled and ready when they show up and then I hold the logs with a grapple on the skid loader  while one bucks them at a comfortable height. The other one starts to split and when we get ahead bucking wood then we help split and stack in the trailers. This works well for for my set up and no one has a hurting back at the end of the day.

DeerMeadowFarm

That's cool. I'm just a one man show though..

upnut

Quote from: 47sawdust on January 12, 2017, 11:54:52 AM
DMF,I'm with you on the dread of bucking to length.This year I'm using the thumb on the backhoe to lift logs to a comfortable height.I have an old Ford 550 home owner special.I can operate the controls from the ground.
I shuddered when I read that, had a neighbor get crushed to death operating backhoe controls from the ground. Please be very careful!

We occasionally buck up trees using my brothers FEL and log tongs, find the balance point and work back and forth:


Eliminating bending over helps alot!

Scott B.
I did not fall, there was a GRAVITY SURGE!

Hilltop366

Firewood cutting rack, I was just thinking about this today which got me to thinking that I would have to bend over to pick up all the firewood to split it which got me to thinking that a troth with a feed device and the saw mounted on a hinge would be better and if it was elevated enough so that the blocks landed on a table I could slide the blocks to the splitter.


DeerMeadowFarm

Hilltop366 - Thank you for the videos! That gives me some ideas for sure. My method of sawing small stuff is shown below, but I think a lot of those ideas could be scaled up somewhat to be used for some of my larger logs as well.


 

As for picking up the chunks for splitting my pickeroon handles that nicely:


 

Rural

I have been using a stand very similar to that pictured in the original post (except for designed for about 5' limbwood which is how I bring smaller wood out) it certainly saves the back and by stacking multiple limbs on it at one time save a great deal of time. Anything larger than abt 4" dia I still cut directly on the pile it being more work to put them on the stand than worth while.

Hilltop366

Your welcome DeerMeadowFarm, I could not find the video I was really looking for it was a deck and a power feed log advance with saw on a hinge and a table to catch the wood. When I get a chance I will look again.

I was wondering how good a pickaroon would be for picking up firewood, sounds like you like yours!

DeerMeadowFarm

Yes a pickeroon works well for me. I pick up rounds with it all the time


hedgerow

DMF I do most of my logging by my self also. I trade some deer hunting rights for some help from these two guys that help buck and split. I am working on completing a firewood processor as it is getting harder to find help. The bad thing is I have to cut most of my wood in the heat of summer because that is normally when I have time to do it.

DeerMeadowFarm

That is hard; I hate cutting when it's really warm. I try to do all my wood cutting at this time of year. Once maple season starts I'm busy with that. Then it's haying season and summer projects, and then we're in hunting season again.

DR_Buck

I built this one this past fall so I wouldn't have to bend over.    It works for slabs and logs.










Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

Brandon1986

We have something kinda like that to accent our cord king.. we load the live deck with a self loading log truck and anything too twisted or ugly to feed through the processor gets bucked to 20' or less and stacked on the saw horse up too 1/2 cord depending on how ugly the wood is.. it obviously gets bucked at that point and once its all bucked the loader will reach down grab the saw horse pick it up give er a shake and clear it away from the pile of rounds, so the guy on the ground can set too with his splitting maul and load them on the processors conveyer.. really hops up production..

DeerMeadowFarm

Thought about this all weekend. Of course, the project is escalating....


 



 

John Mc

Interested to see what you come up with, DeerMeadowFarm. I like the idea of something mounted on a trailer. If I ever get a dump trailer, my existing homebrew "in-the-woods" trailer may get remade into something like what you are doing.

Where in Central MA are you? I have a brother in Shutesbury, and my Mother grew up in Worcester.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

DeerMeadowFarm

I live in Warren. It's about halfway between Worcester and Springfield. 

North River Energy


glassman_48

DR_BUCK,
Did you build those steel boxes that are holding your firewood?  I saw some for sale once on craiglist, and have not found them since.  I need 10 to 20 of them, if anyone knows of some for sale up my way, I am looking for some. 

DR_Buck

Quote from: glassman_48 on February 04, 2017, 09:08:25 AM
DR_BUCK,
Did you build those steel boxes that are holding your firewood?  I saw some for sale once on craiglist, and have not found them since.  I need 10 to 20 of them, if anyone knows of some for sale up my way, I am looking for some.

Bought them from a surplus warehouse for $30 ea
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

peterpaul

Bucking up log lenghts is my least favorite part of the process also.  I mostly work alone.  I cut my firewood logs 12 feet long and use my grapple to carry them to my landing so they are not full of dirt.  Here are my thoughts:  I have a nice heavy duty axel (w/leaf springs) which is 4' between the tires.  A roller conveyor which is 18" wide x 10' long and a bunch of 4" angle iron.  I plan on using 6 staging jacks for levelers, (4) on the trailer and (1) for each outboard end of the log deck.  Staging "X" brace would go between the outboard legs of the log deck.   Also make the unit so it can be towed from either end using the bolt on hitch from my TW6 or weld on a 2" reciever on each end and with a removeable length of square tubing with a hitch on it.   Due to very little open, level space on my property, I plan on disassembing the log deck and storing them under the converyor.  I'm thinking of having the conveyor/log deck elevation between 4' and 5'. This would allow for more room for cut-offs but also require an operator platform and fold-up catwalk.   I also have a powered 16' converyor which I could "drop" the cut-offs onto in order to create a large pile.  This unit would also be road worthy.  I do have sketches of my plans but they are too crude to post. 
Woodmizer LT15, Kubota 4330 GST, Wallenstein FX 85, Timberwolf TW6, homemade firewood conveyor

Thank You Sponsors!