Firewood processor design almost done.

[polemidis]

Yes it is great improvement not only in hours but in hard labor. A friend of mine saw my processor and ordered one for himself, but it is a slightly different style, as we doesnot want to use another machinery to lift the logs on the deck, while he is skidding 30ft long logs from the forest. This is the current design so far, and its a paid job so I have to have it ready in 2 weeks :confused2:, maybe thats a better approach you may be interested in, as it utilizes a winch to pull the logs.

 

[Stomper]

Yes it is great improvement not only in hours but in hard labor. A friend of mine saw my processor and ordered one for himself, but it is a slightly different style, as we doesnot want to use another machinery to lift the logs on the deck, while he is skidding 30ft long logs from the forest. This is the current design so far, and its a paid job so I have to have it ready in 2 weeks :confused2:, maybe thats a better approach you may be interested in, as it utilizes a winch to pull the logs. View attachment 584210

Great ideas with the processors, looks good. The design above is what I am going to build. I got the idea from the wallenstien processors. I Have a Honda engine already and just ordered the pump, cylinder, and auto cycle valve. I plan on using my chain saw like whats in the wallentien video. One of the main reason for this Type of processor with the winch log feed and the chain saw cutter is because the engine/pump combo I have is small. Honda GX160 with 11 gpm pump. It will be fine for my personal processor.
Firewood Processors | WP8 Series - Trailer | Wallenstein Outdoor Power Equipment

 

[polemidis]

From Wallenstein i improved (imho) the negative thing that the splitter is at the opposite side of the operator. It is very often a need to adjust the log or something. For this build I will use a 16hp from Harbor Freight, for some reason I love how robust and cheap are some Chinese products and use a 2-stage pump 22gpm/7gpm with a 5in cylinder. Another thing I do not like on the wallestein is the 2 rectangle profiles for the splitter instead of a W-beam. My calculation show that it is not even close as strong in side-bending force when a knot hits the horizontal knife on the 4-way. I also going to use the full auto cycle valve (extend & return) because the customer wants to use a mechanical chainsaw, so he does not have to keep his hands tied there. Hud-son has a similar model the Badger, which again has some negatives. The controls are above the wheel, which again is not a convenient location for the operator if you do long hours there.
We will see, the design is still evolving

 

[Stomper]

I have contemplated a few changes on the wallenstien platform also, and agree with you on the position of the log splitter. I will most likely put the log splitter directly inline with the feed table. The direction of flow will also be from the front of the trailer to the back of the trailer so I can position the trailer directly in front of my wood shed. That way I can cut and split and the wife can take it from the outfeed chute and stack it. The basic design will be very similar to the one in the link below. I like how simple but effective it is. I love how at 1:09 in the video you can see the chainsaw operator toss his cigarette but in the saw dust pile.
Firewood Processor - YouTube

 

[L120]

Enjoy fab & the invention of things. Saw something similar on YT that made sense to split the cut log as the splitter cylinder traveled L to RT. It takes less time to saw the wood than it takes to split it. Doubling up on the splitting stage could boost production. Having to wait for the splitting ram to come back home might suck.

 

[Stomper]

It would definately boost production for a fire wood business, but IMHO the extra designing and fab work involved to make this work, isn't worth it, at least not for me. Then you have the issue of dealing with wood coming off both sides of the trailer which would create another issue that would have to be adressed. According to my calculations with the equipment that I will be using the complete cycle of my splitter from start to finish should be in the 12 second +/- range. This time will be used to position the log for another cut and cut it. 12 seconds might seem like a long time to some but the whole process will be a lot quicker and a lot less handling than the "old school" way I am doing it now. Drag the wood out of the bush, block the wood, load the truck, take it home, unload the truck, lift every piece onto the splitter and split. I'm getting to old to keep doing this, I need to work smarter not harder.
Of course this is only my opinion

 

[Stomper]

Polemidis, What size I beam do you plan on using for the splitter?

 

[L120]

I'm researching a log splitter and came across this machine sorta like you have planned.
DYNA FIREWOOD PROCESSORS - heavy equipment - by dealer - sale

 

[L120]

It would definately boost production for a fire wood business, but IMHO the extra designing and fab work involved to make this work, isn't worth it, at least not for me. Then you have the issue of dealing with wood coming off both sides of the trailer which would create another issue that would have to be adressed. According to my calculations with the equipment that I will be using the complete cycle of my splitter from start to finish should be in the 12 second +/- range. This time will be used to position the log for another cut and cut it. 12 seconds might seem like a long time to some but the whole process will be a lot quicker and a lot less handling than the "old school" way I am doing it now. Drag the wood out of the bush, block the wood, load the truck, take it home, unload the truck, lift every piece onto the splitter and split. I'm getting to old to keep doing this, I need to work smarter not harder.
Of course this is only my opinion

Hope we aren't hijackin this thread ! Please forgive us

I'm toying with idea getting into the firewood business. Having moved to the country a few years ago and own a few acres that could be used for FW processing, my wife keeps shooting my idea down, but she can see how valuable FW is having a fireplace that was our only source of heat last winter. We now have a brand new central heat & air 4-ton 16seer heat pump that seems to be kicking butt so far keeping us warm with very low electric bills. I purposely ordered the unit with a small 10kw backup heat knowing the fireplace could take up the slack when necessary. At 54 y/o I have a bad back, but the more exercise I get, the better it feels so Hmmmm. My neighbor has 100's of acres of land out here and says I may cut all I please having done an inventory last year to see hundreds of cords of wood available downed trees etc...

Trying to picture just how many times the wood is handed from harvesting to buyers door step. I have a 4'X8' trailer and Explorer 4WD XLT which seemed to do the job hauling loads of 8'-0" logs back to the house to be cut to length while on the trailer hanging off and then split by hand using a sledge & wedges. Tell me that isn't hard work, but I did it and kept us warm and save money buying the wood from a crook in town selling apt stacks for $70 each.

Everytime I see one of these machine setup Rude Goldberg contraptions (inventor of the Mouse Trap Game), I get thinking just how neat it would be to design/build one. I'm a mech engineer CAD designer. I also have a crap ton of tools welders etc to do just about anything I'd need to do. My mind says I can do this while my body says no. If there was some way to work smarter-not harder like you said, I might be able to pull this off.

Another question for you guys...what do you do with all the sawdust? Probably not a good idea to have a lot of it near the foundation of the garage inviting termites and other bugs.

 

[Stomper]

That processor is nice but it's way overkill for what I need. As for the saw dust, I just lay a poly tarp down where I do most of my cutting and haul it away with the tractor

 

[polemidis]

Hope we aren't hijackin this thread ! Please forgive us

Everytime I see one of these machine setup Rude Goldberg contraptions (inventor of the Mouse Trap Game), I get thinking just how neat it would be to design/build one. I'm a mech engineer CAD designer. I also have a crap ton of tools welders etc to do just about anything I'd need to do. My mind says I can do this while my body says no. If there was some way to work smarter-not harder like you said, I might be able to pull this off.

About the sawdust I just spread it around in the compostpile.I have no termites in MAine.

Polemidis, What size I beam do you plan on using for the splitter?

I my own firewood processor I have implement a W8-31 beam. But on my friend's processor I am thinking to go with a a W10-49. It adds about 100lbs but I know it will not get destroyed if as knot gets on the outer horizontal knife. 30tons of force is a lot.

L120, can you plz helpme with the FEA? I can provide you the splitter .step files (or .fcstd ifyou work on Freecad), can you tell me if a W10-49 is a overkill? I have hard time to analyze the complete splitter assembly in Freecad

 

[polemidis]

Polemidis, What size I beam do you plan on using for the splitter?

not I beam, but W beam

 

[L120]

Been OCD today watching YT's of different FW cutting machines. Big chainsaw or huge saw blade? There always seems to be something special needed with each design. Mostly other expensive equipment such as an excavator and/or a tractor with forks to load the logs onto a cradle. A grapler needed to lift each log onto the cradle. Then there is the monkey pulling controls back & forth in repetition.

Someone like me could maybe use one of these machines if serious into the FW business. Not sure what a fair price would be, but an expensive tractor would be out of the question. Like me, some guys will get together with pickups & trailers and cut wood until full. Then bring it all home to be split & stacked.

There has to be an ingenious & affordable way to put together a machine to reduce hard labor to also speed up the process. Here's another brain pressure gas release I just had. What if you had an outbuilding with concrete floor with all equipment arranged to be a firewood factory of sorts? You have racks where the split wood can be stored with a forklift and pulled to be put on a trailer or PU truck for delivery.

 

[cathy liebchen]

It would definately boost production for a fire wood business, but IMHO the extra designing and fab work involved to make this work, isn't worth it, at least not for me. Then you have the issue of dealing with wood coming off both sides of the trailer which would create another issue that would have to be adressed. According to my calculations with the equipment that I will be using the complete cycle of my splitter from start to finish should be in the 12 second +/- range. This time will be used to position the log for another cut and cut it. 12 seconds might seem like a long time to some but the whole process will be a lot quicker and a lot less handling than the "old school" way I am doing it now. Drag the wood out of the bush, block the wood, load the truck, take it home, unload the truck, lift every piece onto the splitter and split. I'm getting to old to keep doing this, I need to work smarter not harder.
Of course this is only my opinion

There are a variety of ones that attach to the front of a skid steer and lift the log, cut it and split it automatically (Hahn, for instance).

 

[polemidis]

There are a variety of ones that attach to the front of a skid steer and lift the log, cut it and split it automatically (Hahn, for instance).

Yeah, these are cool! Everybody has a different need guys. I am selling firewood, as a side income. My guy who ordered the winch processor that I showed above is logging year round. Even though that processor is not like the big brothers, it will really boost his operation as he will be able to process 40ft long logs, as soon as he skids them out of the woods with his skidder. Ido not have a skidder, but I have a regular tractor and I have a grapple (that I also designed and fabricated myself) and I will load 12ft long logs on the deck.
Everybody has different needs. On the chainsaw chains vs circular saw the answer is easy though The circular is way faster. It does not need frequent sharpening.But you need 50hp+ (from what I have read). So for the rest of us a chainsaw chain is good enough.
12sec cycle is not bad, but I assume you get that with a 4in cylinder. which imho is not strong enough if you split hardwoods 4-way. But everybody has different needs

 

[Stomper]

I agree that everyone has different needs so if you are building your own equipment, no matter what it is, build it to the specs of what YOU need it to do, not what others need it to do. In my opinion, if you are looking for a processor that doesnt need any other equipment like tractors with forks or grapples to load the wood onto the processor, the second design that Polmidis has shown would be the best option. But having said that you will have to get the logs out of the bush to the processor. This is the reason I am building one of that design, even though I do have a tractor with forks and grapple. It just saves me one more step I the whole process. Park the processor at one end of the log pile and pull off the pile with the winch. Sounds easy to me.
Correct me if im wrong but isnt the W beam that you are talking about, a wide flange I beam with a heavier flange and web. I just never heard them called a W beam before.
The 12 second cycle time is with a four inch cylinder. Around here most of the firewood is either jack pine, spruce, or poplar and in the past 17 years of cutting firewood I have seldom had a tree over 16 inches so a four inch cylinder will work good for me and the trees I have around here.

 

[polemidis]

I agree that everyone has different needs so if you are building your own equipment, no matter what it is, build it to the specs of what YOU need it to do, not what others need it to do. In my opinion, if you are looking for a processor that doesnt need any other equipment like tractors with forks or grapples to load the wood onto the processor, the second design that Polmidis has shown would be the best option. But having said that you will have to get the logs out of the bush to the processor. This is the reason I am building one of that design, even though I do have a tractor with forks and grapple. It just saves me one more step I the whole process. Park the processor at one end of the log pile and pull off the pile with the winch. Sounds easy to me.
Correct me if im wrong but isnt the W beam that you are talking about, a wide flange I beam with a heavier flange and web. I just never heard them called a W beam before.
The 12 second cycle time is with a four inch cylinder. Around here most of the firewood is either jack pine, spruce, or poplar and in the past 17 years of cutting firewood I have seldom had a tree over 16 inches so a four inch cylinder will work good for me and the trees I have around here.

You are correct about the W-beam. It is just a name we use to order steel Do I understand correct that you use softwoods poplar for firewood? Here in Maine these are not acceptable for firewood.

 

[ktm250rider]

Park the processor at one end of the log pile and pull off the pile with the winch. Sounds easy to me.

I like the mobile idea. Just need to be sure the processor stays put when pulling the log.

 

[Stomper]

Yes I burn soft woods. Spruce, jack pine and poplar. Its not a choice, but a matter of what wood is available and those are the three major ones where I live. The only hardwood around here is birch, but not in abundance. I mostly burn spruce and pine but I wont pass up easy poplar. I burn whats readily available.

 

[L120]

About the sawdust I just spread it around in the compostpile.I have no termites in MAine.


I my own firewood processor I have implement a W8-31 beam. But on my friend's processor I am thinking to go with a a W10-49. It adds about 100lbs but I know it will not get destroyed if as knot gets on the outer horizontal knife. 30tons of force is a lot.

L120, can you plz helpme with the FEA? I can provide you the splitter .step files (or .fcstd ifyou work on Freecad), can you tell me if a W10-49 is a overkill? I have hard time to analyze the complete splitter assembly in Freecad

Hi...sorry I didn't see your reply.

I work with AutoCAD all day everyday in 2-D design for restaurant planning & engineering. Determining a W10-49 would be better left to a structural engineer OR look on the internet for specs.

I had to do this when I vaulted my living room ceiling having to build 2-beam to carry load. Found all the formulas. That was all fun on CAD, but a bugger to drywall ! lol PS...it looks great.