Rethink required, billet bundles are too heavy

[difflock]

Heres more (evidence of how little I actually got done:001_tt2:)

First photo is my general set-up, with

(i) the 2.5m3 cap box I fabricated from discarded fence sections

and

(ii) Use of winch on splitter to haul trees in for to cut into 1.0m lengths beside the splitter.

I pull them in over a couple of crosswise logs to keep the saw clear of the soil when cutting, generally leaves them ready to fall away when cut as well, i.e. not trap the saw.

Second Photo is for Rowan, my home made "sappie".

Made from (i) a discarded and bent cold chisel cut to a diamond point with a plasma disc.

(ii) a length of water pipe beaten to "flare" the end over a crowbar.

(iii) a heavy washer welded to the end of the water pipe to give meat to weld the chisel to

(iv) a broken and cut to length long tail shovel shaft.

Third photo indicates how well the 0.5m3 bundles stack.

I may try for 6 layers high, in 3 lines side by side with the 6th layer bridging between the adjacent rows for stability.

Edited June 3, 2013 by difflock

[rowan lee]

Nice improvisionation Marcus, Wouldn't fancy that fecker in the kneecap. I like the yard setup, very ergonomic - winch to splitter, billet to rack, grab to stack. Enjoyable work.

[difflock]

Since I bought the crane scales, I have weighed a few 0.5m3 billet bundles.

When wet 250kg (single representitive sample only)

When dry 165kg at 12.5 to 15% max (average of 10 bundles)

So at 4KwHr per kg= 660KwHr each = equivalent to burning a 30Kw oil boiler for 22Hrs.

I actually find that hard to comprehend.

My bloody Solarbayer must be well inefficient.

cheers

m

[_tc]

I love the images. I've never done billets but they do look great stacked up.

Do you saw bench or chainsaw at the time of sale?

Is your tractor a 1494?

Or and lastly what is the big spike on a handle for?

[difflock]

Depends, One customer buys the bundles, the brother prefers to run them through my tractor PTO cross-cut saw.

Not really in commercial sales mode yet, still testing the water, and busy other directions forby.

Currently studying up fabricating a 1.0m long hydraulic clamp to grip end on.

oops

dinner "is up" back later

Marcus

[difflock]

( I) Tractor bes a 1984 vintage 1490

(ii)Sappie? my fearsome homemade tool is essentially a pick-up or reach out tool, especially handy for wet wood.

I have finally got a few billet bundles stacked in the shed.

So plan is:

(i)Process into billet bundles and stack mechanically, and I can stack 5 or 6 rows high, which minimizes the storage area covered and also the amount of tarp required to cover, the rounded profile is also kinder on the cover.

(ii) When dry mechanically transport to shed and stack 3 or 4 high.

(iii) ONLY When required cut to desired length with the wee PTO cross cut saw, and either into a wheelbarrow, to go to the boiler, or up the elevator into a trailer, for delivery.

Am getting there.

My creaky 55 year old back is a great motivator for minimizing manual handling.

Next purchase needs to be a tractor loader or preferably an Avant type tool for the mechanical handling aspect, the tractor forklift is WAY too clumsy.

cheers

m

Edited September 19, 2014 by difflock

[_tc]

Thanks for the replies Difflock. Looks a great set up and nice to see a tractor like mind working too, makes me feel less guilty using the old girl.

Billets look great but I have log sheds so try abc log if all at once and chuck it in the bays.

[rowan lee]

Currently studying up fabricating a 1.0m long hydraulic clamp to grip end on.

whats this Marcus, for the billet bundler?

[openspaceman]

Since I bought the crane scales, I have weighed a few 0.5m3 billet bundles.

When wet 250kg (single representitive sample only)

When dry 165kg at 12.5 to 15% max (average of 10 bundles)

So at 4KwHr per kg= 660KwHr each = equivalent to burning a 30Kw oil boiler for 22Hrs.

I actually find that hard to comprehend.

My bloody Solarbayer must be well inefficient.

cheers

m

 

How do the crane scales work?

 

In round terms:

 

0.5m3 bundle at 70% solids gives 0.35m3 solid so with a basic density for spruce of 0.35 tonne/m3 each billet should contain 122kg of oven dry wood. At 15% mc wwb that would weigh 144kg.

 

Fresh felled norway spruce will have 180% of this as water so the green billet should weigh 343kg

 

I suspect the stacking is less than 70% and you have less dry weight in the bundle than my calculations suggest.

[agrimog]

late into this, but lodgepole tips the scales at 39lb a cubic foot, its sometimes easier to work in old stuff cos its easier to picture a cubic foot than a cubic mtr when your looking at a bit of wood