Splitter accumulating table

[blueone]

Helping my son make wood, my thoughts exactly. How many steps can be eliminated in the handling of the wood before it is burned, including as little manual lifting as possible! This is what I came up with. Pick logs off the pile, 1,2, sometimes 3 at a time, cut off of the forks into 30-40 rounds, drop the forks, and scoop the rounds into the accumulating table. The alum. channel was free (machinery tear-out), hardware and 2x10 decking 20.00, hydraulic log-lift expensive, working with the kid priceless.

I was sure that someone here had a similar idea, but seems like we are the only ones. Thanks for the post. I had to do something as I had lower back surgery last Sept and can't do the constant bending down, but can stand all day.
Maybe some-others will chime in now that you've broke the ice.
I haven't tried it out as I'm waiting on the snow to melt and the ground to dry 2-3" mud now.:confused2:

 

[OrangeinWis]

Blueone, same here with fresh hernia surgery and occasional sore back (10 years cheesemaking and 20 millwrighting), I thought the loader and some TBN ideas could be put to work, instead of my body, keeping me out of the Drs. office. Again, the loader, the table at a slant, and a simple garden rake for the splitter guy to pull the rounds down the table while the stacker guy stacks the splits (nice to have a stacker guy, even if he stacks off the thrown split pile while kneeling down because he's sick and tired of getting sore backs and having something like cyclone fence sewn into his gut from misusing his body from, lets face it, 30 years and counting of basically STACKING). Anywho, I hope I can help some other ''sore backs'' out in TBN land. Blueone, try your idea out, let us know, I guarantee it will help, a word of caution, you'll probably want to copy it in steel at some point, it is easy for me to hit mine with the bucket on the side rails while using, plus in no time at all I was filling it as full as I could get it AND resting a full bucket on it (the accumulation factor)! Just my 2 cents. Joel

 

[OrangeinWis]

Arkaybee, I indeed built the Q/A forks myself, thanks for the comment, I took all the ideas off of here, and, well, maybe I dreamed (yeah, that's the ticket - I ''dreamed'') the rest of the ideas. Somewhere on the internet I ''dreamed'' the Q/A brackets and the lock/release tabs, and someone on TBN posted a rendition of a ''knife plate'' type of gusset that I utilized, and I cannot tell a lie: this setup is strong, I could lift the rear of the tractor and they would hardly tweak, if it had the power, I KNOW a lot of the strength is in the knife plate. There is 1/4'' x 4'' flat bar under the Q/A brackets in the bucket, went with this design because I didn't like the idea of clamp-on forks possibly bending my little sheetmetal bucket, and the biggie, the Q/A feature is great in itself.
I will definitely share any specs and pics, working 2-10pm initially this week, only know how to type, picture putter-onner is junior in H.S., so hard to make the connection till asap. I will post new, something about homemade Q/A forks.

 

[forester2]

It's funny how things kind of hit you when you look at how some else is doing a job. I'm going to park my loader right beside my splitter and use the bucket for an accumulating table and see how that works out. When the buckets full, I'll dump it and get ready for another load

 

[beenthere]

forester2
I use the bucket as an accumulating table, especially on the large diameter pieces. All split pieces get stacked on the pallets at hand as they are split. No more handling then, until going in the fire two - three years later.

When the bucket isn't on the FEL, the forks are there to lift logs for bucking into firewood lengths (would be great to buck them so they drop onto a platform that is about waist high, so without bending over, they roll down towards the splitter for splitting), then use the forks to stow away the pallets of split wood for drying. And when hot out (ran late last spring), the forks hold a make-shift canopy to provide shade over the splitter area so the operator doesn't have to work in the sun.

 

[davygp38]

After seeing the in-feed table you fellows are working on, I am hot for one. I was thinking I could get a small used conveyor somewhere, and use that for loading the splits into the truck. I am trying to do all my cutting, and splitting in the woods (less mess at the house.) Right now I get a regular assembly line going with my kids, but they are getting older,and hate cutting wood. I am also slowing down a bit, I figure with the backhoe, an in-feed table, and a small tow-able conveyor, like I see on some farms, it would mean two of us could really turn out some firewood, with a little less effort. Any Ideas on a conveyor?

 

[arrow]

Just an update with some pic but still have not got in the woods with it yet, to much snow and mud. Anyway it gives a better idea of the concept.

Blueone, what helps getting the round to the splitter at the stage you have pictured is a log hook. It helps with reducing the stretch if you are operating the splitter from the opposite side of the round stager. I would wrap it with a cord around my wrist and just let it go to hold the round to split. I found that easier than putting it down and picking it up again and again.

 

[beenthere]

arrow
Could you describe the log hook, or put up a pic? Not sure I follow.

There are some clever firewood block pickers that reduce the bending, picking up the piece by the ends. I've seen them at the logging congress, but have not found them online. Kick myself for not picking one up there.

 

[Regal]

Lots of them on youtube

YouTube - The CRD Metalworks Woodbine Firewood Processor- "The Ultimate" (June 2009)

 

[20 20]

Guy up the road built his own processor, seems to work real good. Hudson sells them, but they come with a heavty price tag. I use my dump trailer as a table, when it comes to splitting time, its the perfect height. Just pull the splitter in behind and start putting blocks on. Once I get started all I have to do is raise the dump until the wood rolls to the back{leave the gate in}.