I burn in two stoves of different sizes, but I don't want to go to the trouble of storing wood of two different lengths. Splits of 16" - 18" are ideal. I consistently receive loads of splits or rounds from my regular suppliers that are just right. Occasionally I get wood from other places, and the length can vary from 12" to 24". The short ones just get stacked, but the long ones are a problem. Cutting 2" off the end of a 20" long 8" diameter round is sort of a scary thing. It finally dawned on me that I'm operating a gas-powered hydraulic wood vise (otherwise know as a splitter). Snug the round up nice and tight between the wedge & anvil, then safely trim off the end with the chain saw. I'll keep all the scrap and burn it in my shop stove. Now I can get everything neatly stacked in consistent and convenient lengths without doing some sort of frightening one-handed chainsaw trick or cutting my foot off. I'm sure this is not a revolutionary idea, I just thought I'd pass it along. Safe wood processing to all! Rick
Wood Vise
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Good idea Fossil. I think it would take more time doing it like that but may be safer. You must leave the splitter running all the while for this to work.
I usually lay one block on the ground, then lay the one I want to cut off on it and use the saw for a stop to cut it off with. Works well for me but sometimes the smaller diameter pieces tend to spin a little. If I really get frustrated I take them into my shop and cut them off on the 18 inch bandsaw. Works better but more of a hassle since they have to be carried in a couple at a time and returned.
I usually lay one block on the ground, then lay the one I want to cut off on it and use the saw for a stop to cut it off with. Works well for me but sometimes the smaller diameter pieces tend to spin a little. If I really get frustrated I take them into my shop and cut them off on the 18 inch bandsaw. Works better but more of a hassle since they have to be carried in a couple at a time and returned.
Carl said:
Yeah, Carl...both the splitter and the chainsaw are running continuously while I do this. It really goes fairly quickly, as I'm not running the ram full travel, and I wait until I have a number of these trimming jobs piled up to do. If a round is too large to safely clamp, I split it first, then clamp & trim the splits. Safety is the key, I think, and I feel pretty secure doing it this way. Rick
Hey nice idea, I used to have to cut my splits all the time when I had that Old Russo.
That looks like the same splitter we have .........Troy-Bilt 27 ton ?
WoodButcher
That looks like the same splitter we have .........Troy-Bilt 27 ton ?
WoodButcher
Butcher, mine's a Yard Machines (MTD) 25-ton, with a Briggs & Stratton, from Home Depot. I'm perfectly happy with it. More splitter than I need (softwoods here in Oregon), but it was available in the store during the "off season", all filled with fluid and ready to go, so I towed it home, gave it some gas, pulled the rope twice, and away we went. As a ~60 y/o retired Mechanical Engineer, I appreciate the tools available to us woodburners (particularly the hydraulic ones) in more ways than one! :cheese: Rick
I don't think my bronze age splitter would do that...it could be an 8tonner...truthfully I dunno. Does that qualify me as the most F'ed of poster here?...It should.
I'm Gumby dammit!
I'm Gumby dammit!
Rick,
Great idea! I will definitely employ that, next time I need to trim a delivered round.
>
Savage:
Re: this:
No, you are not the only one with an anemic splitter. Mine is a circa 1981 Sears, 5hp. unit. The "throat" only accepts a 19 and 1/4" log, it's relatively slow, I believe it's a single-stage pump and right now, it has (again!) lost it's spark. I need to pull the flywheel (again) to address the spark, and weld a tongue on the end of the splitter (it broke off), so I can "pin" it to a large, short round, as otherwise, when I roll a big, 3' diameter round up on it, it moves around too much.
The funny thing about your post is--my splitter is BRONZE-colored! LOL
The only good thing about my splitter (other than the fact that it was FREE) is that it is so low, that it is easy to roll the big ones up on it, once I made some short ramps. It does NOT go vertical, so this is critical, with 200# rounds. (I'm not a big guy).
I did some rough calculations in my head, and believe this splitter may be as little as 6 tons. HOWEVER, that is WAY better than flailing away with an 8lb maul, according to my elbow and back.
Any splitter that runs (which mine currently does not) is a good splitter!
Great idea! I will definitely employ that, next time I need to trim a delivered round.
>Savage:
Re: this:
No, you are not the only one with an anemic splitter. Mine is a circa 1981 Sears, 5hp. unit. The "throat" only accepts a 19 and 1/4" log, it's relatively slow, I believe it's a single-stage pump and right now, it has (again!) lost it's spark. I need to pull the flywheel (again) to address the spark, and weld a tongue on the end of the splitter (it broke off), so I can "pin" it to a large, short round, as otherwise, when I roll a big, 3' diameter round up on it, it moves around too much.
The funny thing about your post is--my splitter is BRONZE-colored! LOL
The only good thing about my splitter (other than the fact that it was FREE) is that it is so low, that it is easy to roll the big ones up on it, once I made some short ramps. It does NOT go vertical, so this is critical, with 200# rounds. (I'm not a big guy).
I did some rough calculations in my head, and believe this splitter may be as little as 6 tons. HOWEVER, that is WAY better than flailing away with an 8lb maul, according to my elbow and back.
Any splitter that runs (which mine currently does not) is a good splitter!
TruePatriot Mine is low to the ground as well which makes it real easy to ramp up those 30"+ boundary trees. I've gotten used to those low splitters too and often times sit on a log while splitting. Now I look at these new splitters and wonder if I'd be happy with them. Anyway it's still better and more productive than using the maul.
Heh, reminds me of an idea that I gave my buddy. He was looking to straighten the forks on a motorcycle. He was trying to come up with a way to straighten it in a press at work. I said "why don't you use your splitter" (I admit...I was being a smartass when I said it). He said it worked great!.
Somebody should tool up some mandrels for bending pipe too....just a thought. I'm sure there's many a unintended uses for a splitter. I suppose a lot of things you could do in a shop type press you could do with a splitter too.
Somebody should tool up some mandrels for bending pipe too....just a thought. I'm sure there's many a unintended uses for a splitter. I suppose a lot of things you could do in a shop type press you could do with a splitter too.
Adios Pantalones said:
Don't laugh, done it many times. Some with 6" white oak to boot.
Yeah Rick, I have been using your method for a few years. Never seams to fail that I always guess a few cuts a little long. It must be that tool I use to measure it with.
Carl said:My Gosh Man, is that pine your'r splitting and burning???????
Just couldn't help it.
Actually, that particular piece is Western Larch...what most folks around here seem to call Tamarack (somewhat inaccurately). Harder than Pine, and a better firewood. I have a bunch of it mixed in with Pine, Douglas Fir, Juniper, and other woods that you folks east of the Continental Divide consider weeds. I'm just a weedburner, I guess. :-S Rick
I was thinking about this, because I usually use my foot and don't have a splitter, and this is what I am thinking about doing.
First get a pipe vise like this one.
(broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.com/RIDGID-PIPE-VISE-BC210-1-8-2-CHAIN-VISE-PLUMMER_W0QQitemZ130238082350QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item130238082350)
The chain will be too short so get a longer one say like this or make your own.
(broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.com/RIDGID-24-INCH-CHAIN-PIPE-WRENCH-C-24-WORKS-FINE_W0QQitemZ260261798299QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item260261798299)
Then mount it to a heavy duty sawhorse. Could probably be done for around a C-note all together and you won't have 2 machines running. Just an idea I'm throwing out there.
First get a pipe vise like this one.
(broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.com/RIDGID-PIPE-VISE-BC210-1-8-2-CHAIN-VISE-PLUMMER_W0QQitemZ130238082350QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item130238082350)
The chain will be too short so get a longer one say like this or make your own.
(broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.com/RIDGID-24-INCH-CHAIN-PIPE-WRENCH-C-24-WORKS-FINE_W0QQitemZ260261798299QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item260261798299)
Then mount it to a heavy duty sawhorse. Could probably be done for around a C-note all together and you won't have 2 machines running. Just an idea I'm throwing out there.
I use a pallet marked off at 16", 18", and 20". I put the round on the pallet and it rests between the slats, I steady the round with one foot before I start my cut and I am ready to go. I prefer this method because it is quick and I don't have lift the round. I am thinking of getting a measuring tool I saw advertised at northern tool. It mounts onto the chainsaw where the chain tension nuts are. It is definetely easier to measure once and cut once. I especially have trouble measuring correctly when I am cutting different size rounds. The diameter changes throw off my judgement and I end up cutting large diameter rounds longer than I should.
I take more of a high volume approach... I made a wooden frame (next time I'll make a box, in order to keep logs from tilting out the sides) an inch or so shallower than my target length, with a solid back, about 3' high and the width of my bar. I stack any over-length rounds in the frame until it's full, then make one cut down the face of the frame with the saw. Lets me get 20-40 peices cut to length in one go, depending on their diameter...
The frame holds everything in place and lets me keep the feet and other precious body parts out of the way.
I came up with this when I switched stoves, and had 3-4 cords of 24" that I needed to reduce to 18" length. I tried two or three other approaches, and this was the best way I found. Now I only have to cut 2-3 frames a season as all I get now are the "oops" cuts that we all end up making... I just fill it up over the course of splitting other wood, and when I'm doing stuff with the saw, make it one of my last cuts as I think I'm about to run out of gas...
Gooserider
The frame holds everything in place and lets me keep the feet and other precious body parts out of the way.
I came up with this when I switched stoves, and had 3-4 cords of 24" that I needed to reduce to 18" length. I tried two or three other approaches, and this was the best way I found. Now I only have to cut 2-3 frames a season as all I get now are the "oops" cuts that we all end up making... I just fill it up over the course of splitting other wood, and when I'm doing stuff with the saw, make it one of my last cuts as I think I'm about to run out of gas...
Gooserider
Gooserider said:
That sounds like an excellent idea for cutting those pesky over long rounds. I think I will adapt this.....THANKS for sharing it. :coolsmile:
You're welcome - glad to help out... As I said the only change I would make is to either put solid sides on the frame, or at least put some additional wood on the sides to keep the rounds from trying to angle out - especially needed if you have gnarly peices that want to fit in crooked...
Also the size isn't critical, I essentially made my setup out of scraps of stuff that I had laying around, using the "no-cut sizing method", so it's mostly a matter of what is available to make it with.
Gooserider
Also the size isn't critical, I essentially made my setup out of scraps of stuff that I had laying around, using the "no-cut sizing method", so it's mostly a matter of what is available to make it with.
Gooserider
Thanks Fossil! I tried your slick splitter trick (using it like a hydraulic vise) and it works like a charm!
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