Question/s about log processing option's

[yaxleylad]

Forgive me if my question has been asked before, some of the older threads have certainly helped, I'm just looking for a bit more detail.

I am seriously thinking about starting a firewood business as a sideline of my green woodworking.

I realise-from bitter experience-doing logs by hand is a no no (but I have the greatest respect for those of our ancestor's who cut and split wood by hand before the advent of chainsaw's and hydrualic's!)

My initial thought was to buy a small processor (eg self powered japa 300 that you could tow about) But firewood isnt always nice straight coppice poles is it :bawling:. I was thinking how would a machine like that deal with huge diameter, or bendy/gnarly old crap logs (the video's always seem to show pristine round section's of fresh birch, not some wild piece of dry elm or oak) I have begun to think I'd be possibly better off with an old tractor, big horizontal splitter about 16 or 18 ton to split down big sections or round's, and a simpler crosscut saw/screw thread to cut and split smaller logs (only I dont like the thought of replacing/sharpening/maintaining a 700mm blade) surely a chain option is cheaper. Is this sort of set up viable, bearing in mind my wood supply will likely not be of the straightest quality? Oh and I am proposing to offer best quality logs, 15% mc or better. I must admit I am taken by the french method of splitting meter lengths into 4 way or 16 way, then stacking them in square piles to dry then crosscut to customers stove size as and when required.

If any one would care to comment, offer any tips or advise, I would be really grateful.

[Dean Lofthouse]

If you are getting wood in random sizes and mainly big discs, then the hydraulic vertical is the way I would go with a 4 way.

 

Done it by hand and also using the cone shaped Hycrack splitters, which I found too slow and fingers kept getting slapped every now and again.

 

Mr Ed once recommended this one to me which would be a belter if you had the cash.

 

Timberwolf TW7

 

http://www.timberwolfcorp.com/log_splitters/default.asp?id=13

[Steve Bullman]

i have a firewood processor, 50% of my stock is surgery waste and it manages it ok.

[Mr Ed]

I favour the large splitter to cut billets, then a TCT disk saw for cross cutting. a 700mm blade will outlast a chain 100:1.

 

If you have loads of tree surgery waste i.e. big rings, the TW7 is the dogs.

[Chris Sheppard]

I'd agree with the above threads - Processor for nice thinnings, a big splitter and sawbench if you deal with rough stuff.

 

I started out with a Hakki Pilke Eagle sawbench with the conical screw splitter on the side, then bought a big vertical splitter (like Dean's lol) to break down big stuff into billets then eventually bought a Hakki Pilke Hawk (basically the Japa 300). Anything too big for the processor got put on one side and then sawn up for a customer who liked big logs (18 inch by 8inch) for his dog grate.

 

The Hawk could be going up for sale this back end as I've not enough wood lined up for this coming winter

[yaxleylad]

Thanks for your replies lads:icon14:

 

I favour the large splitter to cut billets, then a TCT disk saw for cross cutting. a 700mm blade will outlast a chain 100:1.

 

If you have loads of tree surgery waste i.e. big rings, the TW7 is the dogs.

 

Do you run one of these tw7's Ed, and dare I ask Dean how much they cost??

Do you manage with 2 blades Ed-one in use one sharpened and ready to swap?

With big splitters, do they cut evenly on a 4 or 8 way split (log say a meter long), or do the cut's sometimes run off as they do with wedges and maul?

Can I ask Steve with your machine what maximum dim's can it handle (I assume its a complete processing machine?) I read your comment about the importance of preparing stock to go smoothly through the processor (without having to doctor guard's?) Is your tree surgery waste every diameter and quality (ie rough gnarly bendy etc)

I figured having a tractor would somehow give me more flexibility if I changed to a different 3 point mounted machine possibly less expense involved, plus it could tow a trailer as well which a japa 300/hakke hawk wouldnt?

[Mr Ed]

I dont currently have a TW7 - they cost about £6500. For doing perfect logs from arb waste, there is nothing better.

In the video, he's cutting hard American hickory, that makes a lot of splinters.

 

A TCT disk will usually cut 6 - 700 tonnes before it needs sharpening. The guys I know who use the change them yearly.

 

Using a hydraulic splitter produces excellent billets - rarely do you get runoff.

[yaxleylad]

I dont currently have a TW7 - they cost about £6500. For doing perfect logs from arb waste, there is nothing better.

In the video, he's cutting hard American hickory, that makes a lot of splinters.

 

A TCT disk will usually cut 6 - 700 tonnes before it needs sharpening. The guys I know who use the change them yearly.

 

Using a hydraulic splitter produces excellent billets - rarely do you get runoff.

 

That price is a lot lower than I would of expected

Does any body import them to Britain?

I am surprised about the blade lasting so well, is that a normal tct or one of the "hard steel" sort whatever they are (never heard of them before) I worked in a pallet refurb factory once and we used a blade a week generally on the radial arm, but then they get nicked on nails and soon go. I just thought maybe real dirty muddy logs might ruin them fast. But thanks for your advice, the crosscut seems a real possibility and its not too many £'s either:icon14:

Can I ask what make is your current splitting machine?

At a pinch to start with I could get a tractor/splitter combo first and crosscut large billets into rounds with a chain saw, then invest in a crosscut later?

Cheers Jonathan

[Mr Ed]

Jon, I import the TW range. We also build our own at our Measham workshop.

 

I think that the pro TCT disks are far superior the the little ones.

 

Crosscutting with a chainsaw is expensive on fuel and chains and very tiring....

 

The TW7 can be fitted with a conventional blade and 1.2m stroke for doing billets. Very versatile machine.

You will also find a little honda / kohler engine far cheaper to buy than a tractor.

[yaxleylad]

Jon, I import the TW range. We also build our own at our Measham workshop.

 

I think that the pro TCT disks are far superior the the little ones.

 

Crosscutting with a chainsaw is expensive on fuel and chains and very tiring....

 

The TW7 can be fitted with a conventional blade and 1.2m stroke for doing billets. Very versatile machine.

You will also find a little honda / kohler engine far cheaper to buy than a tractor.

Thanks for your reply Ed:icon14:

I understand completely about chainsaw crosscutting useing a lot of fuel etc, but what other way is ther to do really fat logs that are simply too big for conventional cross cutting? Unless you have something like that tractor mounted spiral splitter to break then lenhthwise first? Or could it be possible to build a simple front loader mounted hydraulic cracker that could split longthwise in a conventional way, but could also be used (maybe with special shaped splitting wedge's) to crack logs open from the side if the logs were turned 90 degree's? It seems that about 4 foot is the max length of stroke on splitter's? I just dont have an in depth knowledge of the possible technology/solutions. What I know about tractors is, well minimal at best ! If you have a seperate engine as you sudgested, can you still use machines that would of needed a 3 point hitch and the pto and hydaulic's? Sorry if it seems a daft question

Cheers Jonathan:icon14: