Cutting rounds to lengths

[Will76]

I have an onging supply of hardwood rounds, that I want to feed into something like a Splitta 400 to make logs.

 

The rounds are are various length, but I require a consistent log length. I require that I can control and vary that length based on packing and customer demands.

 

What machine(s) will cut rounds accurately to a given length? Preferably automatically. Can I use a firewood processor such as the Woodcutta 400?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[Alycidon]

Woodcutta would cut rings to a consistant length yes and feed them into Splitta automatically.   Posch now have a similar system.

 

But you are asking about taking rings of various lengths,  I assume if these are Arb waste then they are likely too be 200mm - 600mm in diameter as maybe up to a meter long.   Looking at my own pile most rings are in the 400mm long area,  as far as I am aware these would need chainsawing by hand.    

 

Have you seen the japa 435,  this cuts rings into a constant log diameter unlike traditional splitters,  looks like you can just drop pre cut rings up to 435mm diameter into it.  

 

 

 

[Will76]

Thanks for replying. It is arb waste, of all kinds of lengths and diameters.

 

I think I understand how I will deal with long lengths that have a diameter suitable for processor machine. That seems easy enough.

 

However a lot of the wood is in rounds of various lengths and diameters.

 

I guess I have two problems that are vexing me:

 

Let's assume I require logs that are 25cm long.

 

1. Rounds that are say 30cm long and have a diameter that fits in a woodcutta. Can something like a woodcutta take a series of 30cm long rounds and then cut to 25cm, for feeding into a splitta? 

 

2. Rounds that have a diameter too large for a woodcutta. How does one feed these into a woodcutta? Split them into quarters first? Will a firewood processor deal with quartered rounds?

 

Sorry we're newbies at this and doing some research before we invest in any way. Sorry for the dumb questions. I am sure there will be more!

 

 

 

 

[spuddog0507]

What your asking is you want a machine to take 50mm of the end of a 300mm round from arbe waist so you can pack it in to a nice neat package for sale, i think your barking up the wrong tree here, from 40+ years of being in the tree / firewood market, i think if you go and buy a machine to try and do the above i can just see it as a wast of money, and it would be far quicker doing it with a chain saw, what your after is a machine that will do what you want, and sometimes there is not a machine to do that task, but nothing is impossible, one thing i will say is arbe waste is very time consuming as nothing is the same length, the machine your after i think you need to build yourself and then it will only have the one use ?, chainsaw, hardwork and a lot of time may be the best/quicker/cheaper way to process your logs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[muldonach]

3 hours ago, Will76 said:

Thanks for replying. It is arb waste, of all kinds of lengths and diameters.

 

I think I understand how I will deal with long lengths that have a diameter suitable for processor machine. That seems easy enough.

 

However a lot of the wood is in rounds of various lengths and diameters.

 

I guess I have two problems that are vexing me:

 

Let's assume I require logs that are 25cm long.

 

1. Rounds that are say 30cm long and have a diameter that fits in a woodcutta. Can something like a woodcutta take a series of 30cm long rounds and then cut to 25cm, for feeding into a splitta? 

 

2. Rounds that have a diameter too large for a woodcutta. How does one feed these into a woodcutta? Split them into quarters first? Will a firewood processor deal with quartered rounds?

 

Sorry we're newbies at this and doing some research before we invest in any way. Sorry for the dumb questions. I am sure there will be more!

 

 

 

 

1. You need a jig that one end of the log can sit against while you cut the excess length off - you can achieve this by using a rocking beam circular saw  or a processor - but it is a seriously bad idea and very dangerous in my view - make a jig you can throw your rounds on to with a length indication that will not get in the way of a chainsaw - don't put a lot of time into it because you will throw it away pretty quickly

 

2. Hit it with an axe or run a chainsaw through it

 

 

[Will76]

13 minutes ago, muldonach said:

but it is a seriously bad idea and very dangerous in my view

Thanks for your reply. I didn't quite follow your response. Are you saying a processor or a rocking beam circular saw would be very dangerous?

 

on point 2. Will a processor take quartered rounds?

[muldonach]

4 minutes ago, Will76 said:

Thanks for your reply. I didn't quite follow your response. Are you saying a processor or a rocking beam circular saw would be very dangerous?

 

on point 2. Will a processor take quartered rounds?

what you are apparently looking for is something to cut a small amount of excess length off - processors and circular saws generally have an end stop that you butt the timber end up to and then push it against or activate the blade - in the example you give there will be 25cm of timber on one side and 5cm on the other - the snag is that that 5cm piece is where you (or the machine) would normally be holding or pushing the timber - you would be using the machine in a different manner to that intended and your hands are likely to be far to close to cutting implements.

 

2 - if it will go into the splitting chamber and engage with both ram and splitting knife it will be fine - but it is also a bit tedious.

[monkeybusiness]

Your 5/8/2/12 etc cm offcuts from whatever process you choose are going to quickly mount up and also produce a lot of sawdust/waste in their creation.
If you are looking for a continuous automated process for cutting rings to a consistent thickness then you need to allow for the odd-length offcuts being measured into the following ring - only the first ring would be the correct thickness unless you can separate this surplus before presentation.

I think you need to either rethink your feedstock (buy in uniform timber if you need to sell a uniform product) or adapt your market (sell uneven logs). Obviously you could do a combination of the two and grade your product as you split. 

[Steven P]

Not an expert here. However. Are all your logs to be the same legnth or do yuo have clients that specify a 25cm log and some that specify 30? If so this makes it a bit safer, a 27cm log can go into the 30cm pile for example, a 35cm log can be cut to 25 and this adds al larger factor of safety  if needed. I'll also assume and knowing what logs I pick up that some will be undersized - if this is not an issue, I guess cutting threm undersized will aso not be an issue. Just trying to make that 5cm end to cut off a bit longer.

 

If your secs are tight though, I would be tempted to split the -slightly oversized- wood first keeping it in a seperate pile and with these thinner logs you can get a bench circular saw or siimilar (with suitable guards and guides, hold the long end and cut off the small pieces with thst.

[gensetsteve]

Big rings 30 cm long or just over, we sell to customers with big fireplaces if they are 50 cm cut them in half with chainsaw . Because nets command a premium price you can afford to buy cord wood for them