Firewood processor build thread

[archertwo]

The other issue I still need to deal with is powering the 12V fan for the hydraulic cooler. I'm still using my battery charger.

Ken, if you're using the bigger of the oil coolers from PA you may have to run an alternator to have enough juice to keep it going. I'm using the bigger one with bypass on another piece of equipment I have and it draws 16+ amps. I wired a fused circuit to the tractor's alternator. That solved the problem.

 

[kiotiken]

Ken, if you're using the bigger of the oil coolers from PA you may have to run an alternator to have enough juice to keep it going. I'm using the bigger one with bypass on another piece of equipment I have and it draws 16+ amps. I wired a fused circuit to the tractor's alternator. That solved the problem.

I'm using the smaller of the coolers from Princess Auto but its still rated at 16A. I basically get nothing from the little motor I have.

I plan on adding a much bigger engine in the near future. That will let me hook up the rad motor properly and have multiple pumps. Until then, I'm stuck with a battery charger.

 

[Wild Bill the 2nd]

What are your plans?
You can't just say "much bigger" and "multiple pumps" without providing additional details...

 

[kiotiken]

What are your plans?
You can't just say "much bigger" and "multiple pumps" without providing additional details...

Sure I can, its much safer that way! My processor is still a work in progress. I plan on adding new features and making improvements with time. I've learned a lot so far, unfortunately, a lot of these lessons would have come in handy before I started . I don't know what I'll replace the little 15 HP engine I mistakenly used, but I know I'll do it in the next few years. I'm also going to add a hydraulic saw. A single pump set up doesn't work well for my current machine, it certainly won't if I add a hydraulic saw. I now have a machine that works really well, now I can tinker with it.

 

[firefighter222]

I just read you whole post on you build very nice work .I am in the process od building one and been looking for hourglass rollers for infeed deck but saw what you used could you let me know wher you bought them plus the rubber conveyor cleater roll . I live in Pembroke close to your tractor dealer.Again very good build.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Welcome to the board FF222


Haven't seen Ken on here in a while. Too bad, he's a nice guy and just around the corner from me.

He made the infeed rollers himself. The belt, well that came from Rath Farm Equipment in Arnprior but they went under a year ago, give or take, so that isn't much help. I'd suggest looking at Bromely's in Douglas or Reis in Renfrew for belt options, possibly Huckabone's on Hwy 17 near Cobden but I've never been there to see what kind of goodies they keep around back. Keep your options open for the belt, tons of different conveyors in the ag world or even belts from an old round baler could possibly work.

 

[firefighter222]

Thanks very much I will take a drive one of these days and drop in to these places .I have to go back to work in Wawa Ontario on 1st April as fire season starts then .

 

[kiotiken]

Hey guys. Haven't been around in a while but happen to check in today. CDN Farm Boy was bang on with what he told you. I'll just add that the belt is from a bailer and is fairly standard and easy to find used. They're 20' long and easily resized or joined. If I had it to do again, I would have used a belt instead of rollers for the infeed as well. V-rollers are pretty easy to make, they just take a while to do, but a belt would work better.

I didn't realize Rath went bust, I did hear they lost New Holland but thought they were selling LS. Too bad, not the most modern dealership but real nice guys.

 

[firefighter222]

Hey guys. Haven't been around in a while but happen to check in today. CDN Farm Boy was bang on with what he told you. I'll just add that the belt is from a bailer and is fairly standard and easy to find used. They're 20' long and easily resized or joined. If I had it to do again, I would have used a belt instead of rollers for the infeed as well. V-rollers are pretty easy to make, they just take a while to do, but a belt would work better.

I didn't realize Rath went bust, I did hear they lost New Holland but thought they were selling LS. Too bad, not the most modern dealership but real nice guys.

Thanks very much will look around for some the belts.

 

[kiotiken]

Finally got around to putting an update video on YouTube. It shows a few of the modifications I made in the fall.

Homemade Firewood Processor - Update - YouTube

I'll be back at it again this summer. I'm planning on putting an axle under it and converting it to a trailer since my tractor struggles to lift the processor. I'm also going to use the extra length and modify it to be able to process 20' long logs. My supplier now brings 16' logs instead of 8' so I had to cut them all in half last year, that was a PITA. I have a few more ideas as well...

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Looking good Ken, and here I'd thought you'd fallen off the face of the earth.

Here's a thought for you, and it won't cost more than a brush full of paint. When you get down to the last cut of the log, rather than trying to cut the 18" off while leaving the short stump on the deck and having to hold it with your hand sometimes, there is an easier way. Paint a stripe on the deck your desired block length BACK from the saw bar and line up the back end of the log with this line for the last cut. That will allow you to cut off the short stump from the bigger piece rather than the other way around.

 

[kiotiken]

I like that idea. I actually only cut a couple like that, just happen to be in the video. The logs came cut at exactly 16', if I measured and cut them in half before putting them on the processor, they came out perfectly. When I got lazy and eyeballed it, I ended up with a short piece or one just a little too long. I love your idea though, I'll be doing it for sure.

 

[kiotiken]

Well, here we go again...

It's time to do a few upgrades to the processor. It ended up being a lot heavier than I had expected and my tractor struggles to lift it. In fact, My DK 45 can only lift it about 18" high and even with the tractor properly ballasted, the front tires go nearly flat. Moving it from the back of my property were I store it to the area I process wood behind my house is downright scary. So, my first upgrade is to put an axle under it.

When I started buying logs, my supplier delivered them in 8' lengths. He has now changed to delivering them in 16' lengths. So the second upgrade is to extend to the processor to be able to handle full 16' lengths. I'll do this by adding a support to the front of the tongue of the new trailer. I'm building the tongue out of 3" x 4" - 3/16, so it should be plenty strong enough to support a support for the end of the log as well as another arm for my log deck.

I also ditched my little manual log clamp arm. I'm adding a hydraulic clamp. For the most part, a clamp hasn't been needed until you get down to the last cut or two of the log but I couldn't put enough force on my manual clamp and I'm only using 2 out of the 3 spool valve that's on the processor anyway.

The wood conveyor will also be completed this year. It's been sitting in my garage 80% complete since last year. So far, I've added springs to the self tensioning system but I haven't put it all together quite yet.

Finally, my plan WAS to redo the hydraulic return lines and move my hydraulic valves. I think the lines may be causing some of my heating issues and they are destined to fail in the coming years anyway so I was going to run larger, solid lines. The new trailer being built under the processor will be in the way when I'm operating the processor so I was going to move the valves as well. We'll see how it goes, this may or may not happen this year.


Frame for the new trailer. Built out of 1.5" x 3" - 3/16" tube



Dry fitting it all together before putting it under the processor

 

[archertwo]

Looks like it will work quite well. When you install the trailer you can balance it out just like you want it. Way easier than making the trailer part first then having to install things afterwards and doing the balancing act (10% to 20% weight forward) to make it tow eaisly.

 

[kiotiken]

I haven't had much time over the holidays to work on this, so progress has been slow. I do need it out of the garage and I need to get a load of logs soon, so hopefully I can pick this up a bit.

Archertwo, you're right, that would be a good way to get the balance right but in my case, I put the axle as far back as I possibly could without interfering with the operation of the processor. It's also about 100X harder to build a trailer this way, I don't recommend it!

Here are some pics from last week. So far, most of it is just tacked in place. Unfortunately, I'm getting flashed a lot from my auto darkening helmet and many times, half way through a weld, the tinting gets too light and the arc is to bright. Until I can get out to buy a new helmet, I'll be mostly tacking things in place.

I welded the trailer frame I built to the bottom of the processor. Then I completed the frame and added the tongue. I couldn't do this earlier because I needed to be able to sneak the new trailer frame under the legs of the processor.


The new frame in place.


Front of the processor re-enforced and the tongue in place. I also moved the two front legs to the edges of the trailer frame. I'll move one more leg to the front of the tongue.


One of my main motivations for this upgrade was to be able to process 16' logs. The logger I've used for years switched from 8' to 16' last year and I had to cut the last bunch in half. To do this, I added an extra long tongue and a stand to support the end of the log.


For now, I'm going to try this cradle approach to hold the log. I will be adding a 3rd support to my log deck that will attach to this cradle. I'm hoping the drive system I built will be able to feed the 16' logs but if not, next year, I'll have to add one more drive wheel all the way out on the cradle.

 

[aczlan]

Here are some pics from last week. So far, most of it is just tacked in place. Unfortunately, I'm getting flashed a lot from my auto darkening helmet and many times, half way through a weld, the tinting gets too light and the arc is to bright. Until I can get out to buy a new helmet, I'll be mostly tacking things in place.

I picked up a replacement lens that appears to be the same as this one: LESOLEIL Welding Helmet Replacement Lens, Auto-Darkening LCD Display - - Amazon.com

It has worked very well for me.

Aaron Z

 

[kiotiken]

I picked up a replacement lens that appears to be the same as this one: LESOLEIL Welding Helmet Replacement Lens, Auto-Darkening LCD Display - - Amazon.com

It has worked very well for me.

Aaron Z

Thanks, that's great. I'll check it out.

 

[archertwo]

kiotiken, you might want to add a roller to your cradle. Unless you wood is super smooth or you have no knots, which is impossible since these are trees you will be processing, you will be making your drive system working harder than it has to and putting undue strain on the cradle if it a log binds up. Even if it's not powered a roller will let the wood "slide" better.

 

[kiotiken]

The processor has been modified repeatedly over the years and needs more work right now. Here's an update on what it looks like now...

 

[murphy1244]

Glad to see ya back