Made a rack for cutting branches faster

[Caravan Monster]

I had a load of straightish 2" to 6" dia stuff out of an overgrown farm hedge that had got really leggy on  one side. I made a rack or 'magazine' out of scaffold bars so I could stack the braches held firmly together about 16" wide and 5' high and cut them to firewood length in single passes with the MS460 using a 20" cutting bar (sorry didn't think to take a picture at the time). On the plus side, it worked surprisingly well with a bit of fine tuning one stack would yield enough firewood to fill a bulk builder's sack with the saw running for well under ten minutes. Probably not efficient enough for an operation doing logs full time but maybe useful for a part timer or diy'er. The down side is that I'm pretty sure doing this wrecks cutting bars with the multiple branches moving slightly as they are cut and pulling the chain from side to side, maybe in different directions along it's length at the same time. I was putting a couple of heavy logs on the top of the stack to stop the branches jumping around as the saw passed through, but there was still definite slight movement as things settled. First bar to fail the 1.6mm feeler guage test was a really old stihl one that was approaching the end of it's life so I gave it the benefit of the doubt, but then it also did for a brand new (rotatech 🤨) after a few hours use. 

 

Just thought I'd share. Can't think of a way to get around the bar damage problem but suggestions welcome!

[Stubby]

3 hours ago, Caravan Monster said:

I had a load of straightish 2" to 6" dia stuff out of an overgrown farm hedge that had got really leggy on  one side. I made a rack or 'magazine' out of scaffold bars so I could stack the braches held firmly together about 16" wide and 5' high and cut them to firewood length in single passes with the MS460 using a 20" cutting bar (sorry didn't think to take a picture at the time). On the plus side, it worked surprisingly well with a bit of fine tuning one stack would yield enough firewood to fill a bulk builder's sack with the saw running for well under ten minutes. Probably not efficient enough for an operation doing logs full time but maybe useful for a part timer or diy'er. The down side is that I'm pretty sure doing this wrecks cutting bars with the multiple branches moving slightly as they are cut and pulling the chain from side to side, maybe in different directions along it's length at the same time. I was putting a couple of heavy logs on the top of the stack to stop the branches jumping around as the saw passed through, but there was still definite slight movement as things settled. First bar to fail the 1.6mm feeler guage test was a really old stihl one that was approaching the end of it's life so I gave it the benefit of the doubt, but then it also did for a brand new (rotatech 🤨) after a few hours use. 

 

Just thought I'd share. Can't think of a way to get around the bar damage problem but suggestions welcome!

Usually these things are made from wood ( save accidental dammage to the cutters ) Metal ones can be bought but if making your own I would use wood .  Also you should not be killing your bars doing this . Variouse methods of securing the timber prior to cutting . Ratchet strap etc etc . 

Edited March 15 by Stubby

[Scuttlefish]

In a similar vein here's a cross cut horse made up of scrap 32mm exterior ply , a 5 foot long 8 inch x 2 plank with a 15 % splay cut on it, and scaffolding tube legs . It's good for cross cutting all those branches of any size which are a PITA otherwise , for home firewood. Its takes a ton of weight and has lasted years. I put a sacrifical plank in the base of it- any old scrap , to ensure you don't cut right through it.....

[Steven P]

Yup always use wood if you can. Anything that could be touched with the chain sacrificial - might be hour of use or a year but soon enough you will catch it.

 

For Scuttlefish, I would have made the uprights as 'X's with the bar under the cross over - gives you more time to stop the cut before you go through it and longer before it needs replacing maybe?

[roys]

Posted this on here before, just went into my pics to post it again and I see it is almost 10 years old, still going although it has a few battle scars now, making it out of wood is the way to go. Never had any problems with it damaging my bar.

This one is made out of a sleeper and some odd fencing stabs.

[Scuttlefish]

Steven, It's a good point re making the uprights Xs  to make it last longer.  The main reason I built it like this is the legs just fit into a couple of scaffolding feet, screwed into the underside (  an 8 mm allen key fitting). I end up taking the legs off and throwing  it in a trailer or back of a van quite often for transport to certain jobs, where the customer wants the wood cutting up for firewood. It only takes seconds and   I can do this easily myself. 

[Peter 1955]

15 hours ago, Scuttlefish said:

In a similar vein here's a cross cut horse made up of scrap 32mm exterior ply , a 5 foot long 8 inch x 2 plank with a 15 % splay cut on it, and scaffolding tube legs . It's good for cross cutting all those branches of any size which are a PITA otherwise , for home firewood. Its takes a ton of weight and has lasted years. I put a sacrificial plank in the base of it- any old scrap , to ensure you don't cut right through it.....

I have something along very similar lines, although Steven's idea about crossing the holders to clear the sacrificial plank bears further looking into.  

[Stubby]

No replies from the OP . Hope he is ok . 

[openspaceman]

22 hours ago, Caravan Monster said:

The down side is that I'm pretty sure doing this wrecks cutting bars with the multiple branches moving slightly as they are cut and pulling the chain from side to side, maybe in different directions along it's length at the same time.

 

I have had similar problems with a bunch of thin poles in a device like this, both moving and rotating, but never enough to pull the chain over. As a method I gave it up as much arb waste I get is bigger and the thin stuff goes through the chipper.

 

I shall revisit it for crosscutting the poles we get ,volunteering, removing invasive species, principally cherry laurel. Also holly and birch from the heath.

 

I had hoped to find a branch logger that would cut things at around 8" long. The smaller ones at 4" cut length are just too difficult to store and handle at home.

[Caravan Monster]

5 hours ago, Stubby said:

No replies from the OP . Hope he is ok . 

No chainsaw accidents yet 😀 The dog in my avatar has been dead and gone 12 years, so it must be a while since I registered on here.

 

My device was kind of similar to @roys but I like @Scuttlefish version even if it doesn't hold as much.

4 hours ago, openspaceman said:

 

I have had similar problems with a bunch of thin poles in a device like this, both moving and rotating, but never enough to pull the chain over.

Not 100% sure what was going on but suspect sideways pressure on the bar as the branches moved slightly. It would stop pulling through the cut and needed a slight wiggle to get moving again.

 

Putting a couple of heavy logs on the top of the stack went a long way toward keeping the branches under control but they do still move about a little. I did initially try a ratchet strap but found it went slack as the stack settled when  cuts were made. The bar wear is along the length both sides, which weird. The new bar is about gone, at the stage of starting to cut curves in big logs and the feeler gauge falls straight out. I ended up doing about twenty sacks and there was some grotty heart rot ash remains as well as the hedgerow branches so it was a fair amount of use, but no way near enough to wear out a bar. The oiler is fine.

Edited March 16 by Caravan Monster