Converting a woodsplitter into a firewood processor

[Scooby074]

Another Euro idea is to bundle the 1m splits with strapping that is commonly used for lumber and other things. Its pretty cheap. Usually a special frame is used to make the bundles than they are either fed through a dedicated saw like above or a chainsaw with a long bar is used to cut to stove length. They are easy to move with a tractor and grapple. Some of the frames mount direct to the 3pt of a tractor

Ive never used any of these methods, but Im really interested in reducing the handling of firewood. I keep a playlist on Youtube full of videos I come across that have good ideas for reduced handling. My hold up now is not having a tractor with enough strength to handle a pallet of wood.

 

[Scooby074]

So what do you do with the netting after? The bags I can see being reused but if the netting is garbage after, it's rather wasteful.

Yup the netting is garbage. Lots of net wrap goes to trash from the average farm. The quantities used for firewood wouldnt even be a blip on the radar in comparison. Bags would get a few years usage depending on the quality of the bags used. Bags would be more expensive than wrap for a single use.

There are other options too, like using the old frames used around those bulk lubricant pallets, or metal baskets, or even making "boxes" out of a base pallet and 3 other pallets in a U.

To me, Netwrap or bags are the best, neatest, solution if not the most environmentally friendly.

With this netwrap system, you could really get a production line going. Check out the 'Still" forklift, its even Stihl orange lol

 

[Colonel Monk]

I use firewood bags. They cost $3.50 each and I've been able to reuse most of them at least once. I welded up a frame that sits over a pallet and hold the bag open. My processor (I'm building it now) will dump wood into the bags. My tractor then carries them away and you can stack them 2 high. When I need more firewood, I grab a pallet, but it on a dolly I build, put it on the back deck and roll it to the back wall. Each bag holds one face cord. You need a pretty strong tractor to lift a face cord, they're over 2000# with green hardwood and they stick out 4' in front of the loader.

I hadn't thought about the wet wood weight!! Dang it. Been cutting all standing dead ash lately killed by the emerald ash borer (dang bugs!) so I'm spoiled and haven't cut any green wood for a few years.

The 3 point with forks could that that, but you're right, I think our bucket is 1200 or 1500 lbs only.

Oh, but yeah, I wasn't thinking the whole face cord, just 2/3rds. So that's 1334 lbs - maybe still a little too heavy, but about the right size. Perhaps crates of 3 feet instead, two per cart.

I like the bag idea. Too big for my tractor I think. Do they make a smaller size?

Curious, do you need to dry before bagging or can you just dry in the bag?

 

[Scooby074]

I hadn't thought about the wet wood weight!! Dang it. Been cutting all standing dead ash lately killed by the emerald ash borer (dang bugs!) so I'm spoiled and haven't cut any green wood for a few years.

The 3 point with forks could that that, but you're right, I think our bucket is 1200 or 1500 lbs only.

Oh, but yeah, I wasn't thinking the whole face cord, just 2/3rds. So that's 1334 lbs - maybe still a little too heavy, but about the right size. Perhaps crates of 3 feet instead, two per cart.

I like the bag idea. Too big for my tractor I think. Do they make a smaller size?

Curious, do you need to dry before bagging or can you just dry in the bag?

There is mesh available that is about 4' tall. A local firewood company is delivering wood on pallets wrapped with this 4' mesh. They call it a 1/2 cord. Thats still over 2100lbs for green ash.

Youd need to do 1/2 that again to be comfortable moving wet wood with the loader. So 2 or 3 ' high stacked on a pallet. This is the same sort of issue I run into with my BX and wood. The BX is even weaker, only able to move 6-700ish pounds, maybe less.
check these guys out. 1/3cd bags.
Toronto Ontario Canada Commercial Bag Suppliers, Bulk Bag Manufacturers, Wholesale Fabric Grocery Bags, FIBC Bags - Bag Supply Canada

 

[Colonel Monk]

Another Euro idea is to bundle the 1m splits with strapping that is commonly used for lumber and other things. Its pretty cheap. Usually a special frame is used to make the bundles than they are either fed through a dedicated saw like above or a chainsaw with a long bar is used to cut to stove length. They are easy to move with a tractor and grapple. Some of the frames mount direct to the 3pt of a tractor

Ive never used any of these methods, but Im really interested in reducing the handling of firewood. I keep a playlist on Youtube full of videos I come across that have good ideas for reduced handling. My hold up now is not having a tractor with enough strength to handle a pallet of wood.

Interesting idea

What I don't like about it, is that it's stacking. My dad's a stacker, maybe that's why I want to just dump them in a crib and burn them. A 3 x 3 crate or basket could stack two high pretty easy, and my tractor could handle that I think. Easily dry, Wet - might not want to have to move too far.

but it is a good idea for getting it where it needs to go next. I can see using a round bale fork to move that around. You build a rack that fits in, and drop it in, cut the strapping, and done.

I'm tired of burning inside the house. I like the idea of the wood boiler. The big pieces can be a chore though. Was loading my neighbor's when they were out of town. The first stacks were most 12-14" 3 foot logs - unsplit. No idea how he gets them in the 18" sq door, but I hurt my shoulder trying to toss one in - too much ashes in there. So was thinking though, if I'm going to be doing that when I'm older I got to handle smaller wood, but don't want to be hauling small pieces in a wheelbarrow either.

You have a woodboiler right? how does your handling method cater to that?

CM

 

[Scooby074]

Interesting idea

What I don't like about it, is that it's stacking. My dad's a stacker, maybe that's why I want to just dump them in a crib and burn them. A 3 x 3 crate or basket could stack two high pretty easy, and my tractor could handle that I think. Easily dry, Wet - might not want to have to move too far.

but it is a good idea for getting it where it needs to go next. I can see using a round bale fork to move that around. You build a rack that fits in, and drop it in, cut the strapping, and done.

I'm tired of burning inside the house. I like the idea of the wood boiler. The big pieces can be a chore though. Was loading my neighbor's when they were out of town. The first stacks were most 12-14" 3 foot logs - unsplit. No idea how he gets them in the 18" sq door, but I hurt my shoulder trying to toss one in - too much ashes in there. So was thinking though, if I'm going to be doing that when I'm older I got to handle smaller wood, but don't want to be hauling small pieces in a wheelbarrow either.

You have a woodboiler right? how does your handling method cater to that?

CM

No woodboiler for me yet. I heat with a Alderlea T6 woodstove. I try to keep my wood in the 20" range.

A gasifying wood boiler with thermal storage, like a Froling or varmebaronen or equivalent combined with solar, mounted in a standalone outdoor building, will likely be my heat source at my new place. These boilers are high efficiency and take sticks in the 21" range which is right in the sweetspot for my processor.

I wouldnt want an outdoor wood furnace that took 3'+ logs for the reason you said, too heavy to feed and also not very efficient. Firewood is getting too expensive here for those types of boilers.

Apart from not having an outdoor boilerhouse with wood storage, this guy has about my "dream" setup. Froling wood boiler with Solar hot water.

 

[muddstopper]

I think I mentioned this earier in this thread. To save handleing, I back my dump trailer under my splitter wedge. The dump bed acts as a table for anything that needs resplit and each stroke of the splitter pushes the wood into the bed of the trailer. Get it full and haul it to the shed, stack off the trailer. Shed gets full, I just let it pile up, then take the tractor fel to scoop it up to hual to the shed once its empty. I think the wood left in piles out in the weater seasons faster than stacked in the shed. I am doing next years wood now, so it will stay in piles until sometime in spring before its stacked.

 

[Colonel Monk]

I think I mentioned this earier in this thread. To save handleing, I back my dump trailer under my splitter wedge. The dump bed acts as a table for anything that needs resplit and each stroke of the splitter pushes the wood into the bed of the trailer. Get it full and haul it to the shed, stack off the trailer. Shed gets full, I just let it pile up, then take the tractor fel to scoop it up to hual to the shed once its empty. I think the wood left in piles out in the weater seasons faster than stacked in the shed. I am doing next years wood now, so it will stay in piles until sometime in spring before its stacked.

I read this old book on firewood, was mostly about axes and axe technique, but had all kinds of info on putting up firewood. You don't think about it, because most of us have already been doing it for decades.

Said that VENTILATION was the number one important thing for proper firewood storage. So ideally, a roof, but no walls on your wood shed. And for dang sure, not a blue tarp completely covering your wood, all the way to the ground. Common sense should tell you that, but I still see rank amateurs doing that same thing, and wondering why their wood is rotten!!

I would agree with you, not just because being out gives VENTILATION but you also get the benefit of the sun in the warmer weather to dry you out.

I'm ready to improve our handling situation.

 

[muddstopper]

I use one of those portable carports to stack my wood under, sides and ends are open, just a roof. I have easy access to all sides of the shed. I usually make my stacks lenghtwise of the shed on each side, then fill in cross ways. I stack to about head high. I will pull wood from one end this year using what I need and refill with new wood at the end of the season. Next year, I pull from the opposite end. The shed is 14x19 and I usually use about a half a shed worth each winter, about 4 cords worth.

 

[Scooby074]

There has been some "interesting" discussion on some of the dedicated firewood sites debating if its heat or airflow that is most crucial in drying. This year I put it to the test and made a solar kiln. I havent done final testing yet, but others have and show that a solar kiln can drop green wood from 30% to 17% in 3 months!

Solar Kiln | Firewood Hoarder's Club Forums
Solar Kiln Firewood Drying | Firewood Hoarder's Club Forums
Solar Kiln | Firewood Hoarder's Club Forums


My wood in the kiln is noticeably dryer than the control. Here's my kiln part way through construction.