33flame tables/cradles - Who's got 'em?

[MasterMech]

I've seen one pic of one on a Huskee 22ton. I'm looking for pics of it on other machines, on an Iron & oak would be golden if any 'yall have one.

I want to upgrade/replace the I & O table/cradle that is sold for my machine. I'm tired of "re-adjusting" it all the time after the wedge pushes a knot or corner into it and bends the brackets. Plus the small size tends to drop splits onto the engine and I already have a dented gas tank from it.

I might build my own as I think I want it to cover the whole 24" opening since that would give better protection from falling splits. Maybe 33flame will build me a "custom" one. :coolhmm:

 

[velvetfoot]

I have one. It's great, if you're splitting horizontal.

 

[Kenster]

I don't think I'd care for the above table, or any other in which the table is well below the level of the beam. Wouldn't you always be bending over and down to reach the wood you want to split/ re-split? Why not have your table flush with the beam? Seems like it would make things a lot easier.

Not wanting to spend any more money than necessary to support my all scrounge lifestyle, found a smallish, very sturdy pallet made of 2 x 4s on a recent pallet run.
It measures, roughly, 30 x 24. I set two saw horses on the ground perpendicular to the beam of my Huskee 35 and lay the pallet across the saw horses. I slide an old 2x6
under the legs on the far side and that gives the table a little bit of slope toward the beam. The side of the table at the beam is pretty much flush with the beam. I'll put several rounds on this table at a time and split them all before refilling. Of course, the table serves as a place to set a split while it waits to be further split.

For me, it works as well or better than any store bought table that I'm always reading about that shears bolts and gets bent all the time.

No cost is always a plus for me.

 

[thinkxingu]

I just got one--I'll tell you how it goes next week, when I'm done my shed and start splitting. It installs super easily and comes off whenever you need it to, so I'm liking it so far.

S

 

[MasterMech]

I don't think I'd care for the above table, or any other in which the table is well below the level of the beam. Wouldn't you always be bending over and down to reach the wood you want to split/ re-split? Why not have your table flush with the beam? Seems like it would make things a lot easier.

Not wanting to spend any more money than necessary to support my all scrounge lifestyle, found a smallish, very sturdy pallet made of 2 x 4s on a recent pallet run.
It measures, roughly, 30 x 24. I set two saw horses on the ground perpendicular to the beam of my Huskee 35 and lay the pallet across the saw horses. I slide an old 2x6
under the legs on the far side and that gives the table a little bit of slope toward the beam. The side of the table at the beam is pretty much flush with the beam. I'll put several rounds on this table at a time and split them all before refilling. Of course, the table serves as a place to set a split while it waits to be further split.

For me, it works as well or better than any store bought table that I'm always reading about that shears bolts and gets bent all the time.

No cost is always a plus for me.

You almost just answered the question you started off with. My current table sits level with the beam and the problem with any table of that design is that it's very easy to get an edge, branch stub, knot, etc caught in-between the table and the beam. When the wedge travels the beam, forcing the wood apart, it damages the table brackets.

Having the table a couple inches below the beam virtually eliminates this problem and if it attaches to the beam under the wedge like the 33flame unit does than there is no possible way to get anything jammed in it.

I'm ok with lifting splits/halves the 4" or so to the beam. Beats pickin' 'em up off the ground and for $75 the 33flame table beats the pants off the $140-$150 (Don't remember the exact price) that the Iron & Oak table for my unit cost. I'm all for home-built solutions like yours but I need something more durable than my current table and it needs to setup/breakdown/travel quickly as I am usually splitting at multiple sites.

I noticed as well that the Huskee/Speeco units have a "captured wedge" design that allows a table to be built or set-up a lot closer to the beam (leaving no gap) than the traditional "clamp-on" style wedge most horz/vert. units use.

 

[SolarAndWood]

What keeps the first split from the big rounds from rolling right off the table? Or do you have to kind of catch that first split and guide it down to the table?

 

[velvetfoot]

If you look at the picture, there's a lip that prevents them from rolling off. I split some pretty big rounds I could barely get up there and it didn't have a problem. I mean, I try to be gentle as possible when half of a big one rolls down to the cradle, but still, it did take some heavy hits without a problem. I did 6 cords horizontal and it was still perfect at the end.

 

[MasterMech]

What keeps the first split from the big rounds from rolling right off the table? Or do you have to kind of catch that first split and guide it down to the table?

Bingo. With my narrow table I gotta hang on or rolls off and smashes the fender on the way down. I spend more time in vertical mode if I'm splitting alone.