Converting a woodsplitter into a firewood processor

[kiotiken]

6' X 8' on sale at CTC for $2.99 today, I'll pick up about 10 of them tonight.

 

[Colonel Monk]

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.

Ahhh, interesting!!

But I see that you while you are harnessing the sun to drive moisure out of your wood, you're also not covering it on 4 sides with a tarp all the way to the ground.

The book I was referencing (lent it to a friend, don't know what the name is) had an interesting plan in there for "wood pile shingles" which I thought was a great idea, if you're not using a building (roof) to store your wood. Our "manger" was a step in the right direction, letting the scrap wood set the inside height wasn't. Only short people can stack in there, because at 5'8" I can't stand up.

 

[Colonel Monk]

I call to order, no online shopping option I know of. They are sold in lots of 200. The first time I bought bags he was good enough to break a lot and sell me 50. The second time he sold me 100. I'll likely buy more this year or next but will be buying a full lot. It sounds expensive (heck, it is expensive) but if you look at an extra $3.50 per face cord, it's not too bad. I pay about $35 per face cord to block and split my own vs $120 per face cord if it's cut, dried and delivered, so it's easy to justify that cost.

Thanks, I actually dont' think it's expensive - heck I was thinking of investing in fabbing multiple racks/cages to handle the 12-16 face cord we burn each year, so this is obviously cheaper. Although it does hurt to have have to buy a lifetime supply of bags!

I think wet, I'd have to lift those with a 3 point fork, but I think the bucket could do them dry? Am I crazy thinking that?

 

[jejeosborne]

Regarding this processor in the viddy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33t4V1Wyp6c#t=272

One thing I like about that idea, is the idea of "containerization" of the wood in the trailer. You load those baskets, get home and move them with tractor under shelter, bring into garage with tractor one at a time, or back deck, or what have you.... but you don't handle and stack the wood 18 times. Typical german engineering, they decided not to handle the wood with brawn, and so they don't - at all!

My old man, decided he didn't like the looks of the wood pile or woodshed here at our compound, so it's a quarter mile away on our property, where you can cut the wood and leave the waste laying and and that..... but stacking it in his "manger" , then hauling it from there to the house, which when he's around is: stacking it in the tractor bucket, then driving to house, restacking it in garage in wood rack....... Built the manger with scrap wood and it's not tall enough to stand in, so I can't carry wood in and out without hitting my dang head!

Does anyone else but me get weary of this never ending re-handling of firewood?

It's got to be done, I'm just always wondering "there's got to be a better way" so that you're not rehandling it so much. And I forgot to mention, for those of us with no firewood processor, cutting it, bucking it, throwing it in the trailer, then handling it to split it, then picking it up to get it stacked, etc etc... You all know this too well....

I just wonder if a proper system should also include that kind of thing so that you don't need to haul it.

I'm fresh back in the upper midwest after being in sunny California for a decade and a half, and so I'm reacquainting myself with wood handling and burning. Curious what you guys are doing....

Perhaps a design for a wood "pod" that holds a whole face cord. 2 rows, 4 x 4 x 16" so the unit size is roughly 4 x 4 x 3 ft. Built in fork tubes, and a caster cart at home so you can drop it with loader at the garage door, and then push it into that nook by the door into the garage (that's how we are set up...)

I like the idea of the conveyor just piling it into the basket, but then you're having to lean over the basket all the time to get the wood at the bottom. Removable side would be OK, but might just spill out. Maybe there's a minimum amount of cross tubes that would work well enough and you could remove them one at a time, or reach thru for the wood.

Yeah, the investment on building your baskets wouldn't be cheap, but you'd get all of your handling done in the warmer weather. If I bring it with tractor, I have to start tractor, warm it up 10 minutes, load in bucket (just a 5 foot little bucket) unload in garage, then get another bucket.... I've ended up just getting a load on the tailgate of my truck once a day instead of doing it smarter somehow.

Does anyone handle their wood smart?

I posted my method a while back. I have 20 of these storage containers I use. My B7800 will barely lift them to stack when the wood is green. Split at felling site and move to lean to.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/119615-great-wall-wooda.html?highlight=

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

I posted my method a while back. I have 20 of these storage containers I use. My B7800 will barely lift them to stack when the wood is green. Split at felling site and move to lean to.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/119615-great-wall-wooda.html?highlight=

I've seen your thread before. Those are exactly what I'd like to use but can't seem to find them at a decent price. The one supplier I've found wants $100 each. Considering I'd like to have 50 of them to be 2 yrs ahead, that's a bit much to chew

 

[kiotiken]

Thanks, I actually dont' think it's expensive - heck I was thinking of investing in fabbing multiple racks/cages to handle the 12-16 face cord we burn each year, so this is obviously cheaper. Although it does hurt to have have to buy a lifetime supply of bags!

I think wet, I'd have to lift those with a 3 point fork, but I think the bucket could do them dry? Am I crazy thinking that?

I don't think an L2250 will be able to lift a bag full. Unfortunately, the bags have to be full, so I don't think it's going to work. You need to have more than 2000# lift to do it, my CK30 with about 1300# lift wasn't even close.

 

[Colonel Monk]

I don't think an L2250 will be able to lift a bag full. Unfortunately, the bags have to be full, so I don't think it's going to work. You need to have more than 2000# lift to do it, my CK30 with about 1300# lift wasn't even close.

How come they have to be full? Couldn't you just twist them off and tie with a wire?

I'm pretty sure our manual says there's slightly over 2000 lift with the 3 pt. A quick search of the internet says 1875#. Well, going back to my earlier thought then, 2/3 of a face cord...

We generally don't process much green firewood. Standing dead, or laying tops from a friend's 5000 acre spread. I only mention that, because the weight of those pallets will change alot with the moisure content....

Your supplier had this bag which holds approx 1/3 of a cord - should then be under the 2000lb mark.

Anything like that would work so long as I can lift it.

 

[kiotiken]

How come they have to be full? Couldn't you just twist them off and tie with a wire?

I'm pretty sure our manual says there's slightly over 2000 lift with the 3 pt. A quick search of the internet says 1875#. Well, going back to my earlier thought then, 2/3 of a face cord...

We generally don't process much green firewood. Standing dead, or laying tops from a friend's 5000 acre spread. I only mention that, because the weight of those pallets will change alot with the moisure content....

Your supplier had this bag which holds approx 1/3 of a cord - should then be under the 2000lb mark.

Anything like that would work so long as I can lift it.

If they're not full, they fall over or spread wider than the pallet and spill over the sides. Believe me, they have to be full or it doesn't work and even then, you have to worry about them slumping over time. The bag in your picture is 1/3 of a full cord, which is the same as one FACE cord and is the same as what my bags hold. Those ones are just a different style, heavier material, reusable and more expensive. I'm not sure 2000# lift will cut it but I'd guess it's an absolute minimum. When you're lifting something that far out in front, it's a lot harder and you need a lot more lift. My tractors will lift 2700# to full height and almost 4000# of break out force. I can only lift these bags with the snowblower on the 3pt for ballast (about 1500# + my tires are loaded) and the rear still feels light and I often need 4 wheel drive.

I have 48" pallet forks. Notice you can't seen the ends of them poking out of the pallet in the picture. The pallet is 50"+ in front of the FEL's rate lift point

 

[kiotiken]

Nice stack

Looks like the stacks the guy delivers around here. He crosses the crosses the corners so it holds nice and square. I like the tarp for a hat. lol.

Get the cheap PA tarps when on sale. IIRC the white really cheap ones are something like $3 or 4 each.

If you watch the sales, you can find them at TSC or Crappy tire that cheap too

HF has a coupon for a free tarp. No purchase necessary.

Best I found was 6' X 8' for $3. Bought 10 of them and 80 mini bungee cords. I only got 8 pallets covered, but that should get me through till the snow is almost gone. These tarps are a little too big I think, 4' X 4' would be a lot better, I'll keep my eyes out for them. I'm not stacking the ones with tarps, pretty sure that would destroy them

 

[Colonel Monk]

If they're not full, they fall over or spread wider than the pallet and spill over the sides. Believe me, they have to be full or it doesn't work and even then, you have to worry about them slumping over time. The bag in your picture is 1/3 of a full cord, which is the same as one FACE cord and is the same as what my bags hold. Those ones are just a different style, heavier material, reusable and more expensive. I'm not sure 2000# lift will cut it but I'd guess it's an absolute minimum. When you're lifting something that far out in front, it's a lot harder and you need a lot more lift. My tractors will lift 2700# to full height and almost 4000# of break out force. I can only lift these bags with the snowblower on the 3pt for ballast (about 1500# + my tires are loaded) and the rear still feels light and I often need 4 wheel drive.

I have 48" pallet forks. Notice you can't seen the ends of them poking out of the pallet in the picture. The pallet is 50"+ in front of the FEL's rate lift point
View attachment 401898

I guess the bag being in the bed of that ranch cart threw me off - I mean, who would believe they can handle 2000+#!! I was thinking those bags were less than that. I think you understand what it is I'm looking for, a bag that holds from 1/3 to 2/3 a face cord. I'm pretty sure I can handle 2/3 face cord pretty easily, low to the ground. Certainly with a 3 pt fork, but we would need a taller wood shack to get the tractor that far in. I could reach in with the loader and forks I'm pretty sure.

My tires are also loaded, and we have a stout box blade always on. Dunno what it weighs, but I've been considering building some structure on there for additional weight for dragging the driveway. Loader breakout for BF400G loader is 1650# and 900 lb lift to full height.

Is the breakout number based on stall of the hydraulics, or is it the point where the rear end comes off the ground? Lift ratings typically with unloaded tires, or loaded tires? We don't have a manual for the loader, I've thought about buying one but they are about $30 on ebay...

Maybe the answer for this tractor is to build some pallet-crates that will hold loose wood around 2/3 face cord, low to the ground, and see if I can manage them. That would be a good size for the garage as well. At least I could get an idea of what is manageable.

thanks