Big Tree Trunk Splitter

[Billhook]

The four quarters should now easily go through the Palax processor 

Three in the photo, I took one away to test 

[Billhook]

I also meant to say that the six ton Matbro had a go at this log, me thinking that Ash would be easy for it.

After several failed attempts, both with four wheel drive and then just using the teleram against the brakes I decided to charge it to create an initial shock to open the split.

The only initial shock was when my nose came into contact with the windscreen  after a very sudden stop and the log just sat there laughing!

 

Just shows the power and traction of the D7, completely effortless.

[Billhook]

I think that now it seems so easy and successful as well as fun, and the axe seems to have survived the trauma and has not been wrenched out of the concrete;  when (if) it dries up I shall lay down a couple of rails for the trunks to slide on and hold them in the correct position for the static axe and I may make a carriage to rest the D7 blade on at the correct height to push the log through 

 

Here are  a couple of photos for Difflock, still in mild steel I am afraid but it seems to have coped with the forces this time

[Billhook]

Well it was fun while it lasted 

The score now is Daisy Etta 1 ,  the static knife 1, the Sycamore Log 2 , and the concrete nil

After this attempt the knife plus a large lump of concrete were pushed out of the ground .  I was impressed by the Sycamore it has only just come down in the recent gales so I thought that it would be easier to split, obviously not!

[monkeybusiness]

More concrete required then!!!

[Conor Wright]

39 minutes ago, Billhook said:

Well it was fun while it lasted 

The score now is Daisy Etta 1 ,  the static knife 1, the Sycamore Log 2 , and the concrete nil

After this attempt the knife plus a large lump of concrete were pushed out of the ground .  I was impressed by the Sycamore it has only just come down in the recent gales so I thought that it would be easier to split, obviously not!

It's the log saying mill me, dont burn me!

[monkeybusiness]

I’d split it the other way around too (butt first) - those unions will be tough buggers. 

[Billhook]

9 hours ago, monkeybusiness said:

10 hours ago, monkeybusiness said:

More concrete required then!!!

I’d split it the other way around too (butt first) - those unions will be tough buggers. 

It could well have been my poor mixing, but yes the concrete was the weakest point so a bit more concrete and more steel mesh.

I have a video of my attempts but it was too big to put on here, needs to go on youtube when I find a moment.  I started with it butt first and there was a sign of a crack after three rammings with the D7.  So  I turned around to see if it was just this particular difficult joint.   All the other logs put through went so easily with hardly any change in Daisy Etta's engine note.

Was it because it was so recently blown over and needed to be left for a year or two?

The first video was a similar Sycamore with just as many branches and no trouble at all. It had been down for a year.

 

10 hours ago, Conor Wright said:

It's the log saying mill me, dont burn me!

The log will now be taken to the Lucas Mill as a punishment and die the death of a thousands cuts into lengths of 6"x8" and then cut into 16" logs on the Palax and conveyored into a one ton wooden box and so to the log burner.

What would you mill it into?

 

 

 

I will upload to Youtube the attempts by Daisy Etta purely for the amusement of all during this lock down!

[MattyF]

Find sycamore gets worse with age my self , processing 2 year old large syc and beech at the moment, only ring to stop the machine has been surprisingly a sycamore one.. find that strange as you can drop an axe with no pressure on some and it splits.

[Billhook]

1 minute ago, MattyF said:

Find sycamore gets worse with age my self , processing 2 year old large syc and beech at the moment, only ring to stop the machine has been surprisingly a sycamore one.. find that strange as you can drop an axe with no pressure on some and it splits.

I agree, when processing 10 inch Sycamore through the Palax it goes through the four way splitter with ease, also when I use the Fiskars X27 together with Ash it would be the log of choice.