kindling machine

[smiley]

One of the old shingle machines? Seems something you could rapidly run stuff through would be the best.

Haymakers thoughts were the same as mine about a shingle machine, but finding one might be a problem.
Then I googled kindling splitter and came up with this.

Patent US5355919
I couldn't really figure it out but it got me thinking.
A cabbage slicer. A wide thin wedge horizontal wedge with boxed sides to keep things aligned, with a ram pushing selected blocks through the blade. The ram would have to have a frame attached, slightly longer than the blocks, to pull the block back for the next slice. The block would just drop down on the return stroke for the next slice. stacking the slabs in sideways would finish the kindling up to a point.
The second thought was to split as long of blocks as you can handle, down to gang saw size and run it through like grade stakes, then cut them in kindling lengths.
My 2 cents
Smiley

 

[SensibleNick]

Now.. a Shingle machine has just been mentioned, and I'd never heard of one before. Here's the most instructive video I could find.
YouTube - Lane Shingle Mill

When it comes to making what I know as kindling though, I think of 20mm x20mm strips that have been hacked from logs with a hatchet.

I end up wondering about a combination of meat-slicer and the more worrying type of log splitter. The "Wheel of death" or "Widowmaker" ones that employ a big flywheel and a splitting blade. YouTube - WORLDS FASTEST LOGSPLITTER

If a fence were used when feeding the logs in, the logs could be split along the length with fairly good consistent slices. A continuous fence could even be on the large wheel itself, with a chunk out of it to allow the split piece to be ejected. They'd probably look like fat and rough shingles.

Small stacks of the "fat rough shingles" could then be fed in against the fence in the same way, cutting many sticks of kindling at a time.

That sort of splitter however looks bloody lethal....

 

[gwjd]

im an eagle scout so paying extra for some one else to us a hatchet seams mad, however you can probably call a fairly high price for kindling get dried ceder and split it a super sharp hand ax will cut it right up work with say 8-10 inch pieces a litttle safer than 16 in, also you could buy cader shake and split it prolly just break even on it but would satisfies the customer,

 

[SkunkWerX]

What you need is an attachment for your log splitter.

Take some grader blade material, and weld it into tac-tac-to pattern, or spokes-of-a-wheel pattern and make it so it slips on the main wedge.

Feed only sort straight grained wood and there shouldn't be a lot of stress.
I second the tulip poplar, splits easy, burns fast and hot.

To give an idea, look at these:

Big industrial machines, but use this idea on a smaller scale, for smaller softer wood.

YouTube - Multitek TSS-16 Way Wedge

YouTube - Cord King Model 60 cw 14 Way Hyd Adjustable.VOB

Even with a single wedge, you can split fairly thin sections of wood, then stack them one on top of the other, place them on the Beam of the splitter, and start splitting them again and get a large amount of small uniform pieces.

Another solution would be to sell them a full round log, a hand axe and some soft wood, tell them to have fun!

 

[drythropple]

THATS THE ONE! well spotted, thanks

 

[CRThomas]

Hi, has anyone out there managed to make an automatic kindling machine, any ideas/pics will be appreciated

I saw a kindlin maker on the end of a log splitter but the way you look at it you can't tell how it,s built in side. As going to take my 4 way and try and make a kindlin splitter but I hate to mess up a $95.00 dollar splitter head Ayer gator

 

[crash325]

im an eagle scout so paying extra for some one else to us a hatchet seams mad, however you can probably call a fairly high price for kindling get dried ceder and split it a super sharp hand ax will cut it right up work with say 8-10 inch pieces a litttle safer than 16 in, also you could buy cader shake and split it prolly just break even on it but would satisfies the customer,

I fine it hard to believe that some one can't or is to lazy to split kindling.

I started to split kindling when I was about 4 or 5, now at 71 I can still do it. Don't wait until its needed, split a little at a time through out the year. When I Don't feel like working and need to get my blood circulating I split a little. Some times at the end of the day to wind down, I have a beer :thumbsup: and split a little.

Construction cut offs are great and easy to get.

Don't put you holding hand on top. hold what you are splitting, about 1/2 down, sink your hatchet, then just pound you block.

If that is too much for you. Throw out your wood stove and get an oil burner.

Safety Police, yes I still have all 10 fingers and have not ever really hit my holding hand with the hatchet.

 

[forgeblast]

That is the way I do it. I take the smaller branches from trees I cut and then split them with a hatchet and stump and then throw them in a plastic tote (dont put the lid on it will get all fuzzy/moldy).

 

[Snaker]

I cut up firewood right down to the 1" stuff for myself. It cleans my woods and gives me a lot of starter sticks. I can clean up enough bark and splinters for kindling.

For your larger scale setup how about adding a wood chipper? Chip the branches and brush and store under a roof to dry. Bag up appropriate size and sell with load of wood?

 

[BHD]

I jsut use the little pieces that are under the wood spliter and have all I can use,