Gmorgan

So am i correct in thinking the clutch is there purely for if a log/nail e.t.c jams the saw blade?

Morning all, Im in the process of making an engine driven sliding table saw bench, Ive got the pulleys, belts, tensioner, engine and drive shaft/spindle made and fitted but its just occurred to me - will i need some sort of clutch on the pto from the engine instead of an ordinary taper lock pulley? Im just thinking when the engine is switched off, would the blade stopping suddenly affect anything? Ive never used an engine driven one and i haven't got one i could go and have a look at to see if they have clutches fitted. Thanks George

Not sure if I could help at all? I haven't got a processor but I've got saws and a road tow splitter if you just need a hand to get on top of it? I'm in Great Chesterford? Thanks George

It can certainly split bigger rings in the horizontal position, in fact i would say its a much nicer working height that way, but for large diameter rings, you cant beat them in the flat position, just turning them slightly every time the splitting wedges comes down. its much less work this way as you haven't got to pick up half a lump of wood every time it splits.

Thanks! I opted for it to run that way so i can turn the splitter vertical, allowing a plate for larger rings to sit on and be split if needed, I don't often use it vertically though! as for clearance I think the flange of the beam is 11.5mm and the spacer between the top slide and bottom plates is 12mm. I don't have any trouble with friction at all, I have fitted a grease fitting on the back of the top slide and underneath on both sides to help it glide.

I was asked by someone else a while ago to post some pics and never got round to it, so hopefully 2 birds with 1 stone here.... it still needs a colour change, most likely bronze green with a yellow or orange ram, valve block and splitting wedge. I said i would keep it red oxide this year as a trial incase i wanted to modify it at all. it can be used horizontal or vertical by removing the cat 1 link arm in photo 4, i've also changed the filler/breather cap for an extended neck version as it used to spill a drop or 2 when towing. Another thing i have recently done but yet to fit is 3 spikes i've turned on the lathe to weld to the base plate to stop odd shaped logs slipping.

My home made splitter has a 9hp honda gx engine with an 11gpm pump, the ram is an 80mm cylinder with a 50mm rod and works out about 16 tons at full engine revs, splits all but the biggest knottiest lumps with ease, but will split the horrible bits just takes a bit longer! i used flowfit for the spool valve, pump, bell housing and drive coupling, then used a local hydraulics firm to make all the hoses e.t.c. i don't feel like i would need any more power than this has to be honest, it has an 800mm stroke on the ram and will happily split lengths into billets all day long.

Mark at Atom hydraulics in braintree is also an extremely helpful chap

I built one earlier this year and it took a while to decide what engine/pump arrangement. I am very happy with how mine works, 9hp honda engine with 11gpm 2 stage hi/lo pump. that cost around £1000 to build from scratch. I would most certainly build another if I needed it, but I am the only one who uses it so no employee worries etc. If you have the money to buy one for £1000 then spend probably another £2-500 on an engine ( depending on make ) and then at least another £100 on a pump, plus any extra oil storage or cooling and fittings/pipework needed. this of course would then depend if said modified splitter works properly, you are really left with 2 options that i can see; 1- spend more money and get a better manufactured one that suits your needs 2- spend more time looking at what your ideal machine would be and then fabricate the thing yourself I dont think you would save yourself any time, money or hassle if you where to modify in the long run. plus any warranty would almost definitely be void if you modify.

looking at the cost of a petrol saw bench, i could most probably get a tractor and a pto bench. are grey fergies capable of running a modern saw bench, such as a balfor or an oxdale style bench, i know they have a ferguson bench but id prefer a newer one i think. thinking ahead here i could at some point use said tractor to move my ibc cages around.

For the time being at least i have no intention on buying a processor, its just the saw bench i need to speed processing logs up. thinking more for ease of moving said tractor about, maybe a 25hp kubota/iseki or yanmar then?

I've been on the lookout for a saw bench for a while now and I'm stuck between 2 options really, 1- get a petrol powered one rytec, balfour, riko e.t.c, 2- get a pto powered one oxdale, riko or balfour and a tractor to suit, the trouble I'm having is understanding power, i.e some petrol ones have 6hp engines whereas some have 13 or 15hp. i don't necasarily need a tractor at the yard as i have just made a towable petrol splitter that i take down there with my truck. however I'm sure a small tractor would become invaluable in time. would a compact kubota for example say 18hp be enough to lift and power a pto saw bench? based on the petrol saws only needing 6-15hp, or would i need to look for a larger machine such as a david brown? i don't do tons and tons of firewood, but enough to get fed up using a chainsaw all the time! my thinking is i could always take a compact down the woodland i cut firewood from to help drag wood closer to the tracks? i haven't currently got a trailer licence but I'm seriously considering this as well, maybe giving me the option to take a david brown ( for example) down there instead your thoughts would be appreciated thanks George

Thanks for the replies, I was rather hoping by offering something i could dodge leylandii e.t.c. Maybe worth a call around and see i suppose

Good Afternoon, As a possible top up for my firewood stockpile and as i haven't always got as much time cutting up in the woods as i would like, I've been thinking about contacting local tree surgeons to see if they would be interested in letting some of their arb waste go. Assuming it would all be rings or larger pieces or knotty lumps unsuitable for a processor, and it all being hardwood, what sort of price would you consider fair to offer? i don't expect anything for free but i also don't want to give too much away, after all I've still got lots of work with a saw and a splitter to do myself. I have a double cab ranger and an unbraked 8x4 trailer that i generally use to transport from woods to yard so i'd be after a guesstimated a price based on what i could fit between the 2. I could well be interested in a steady supply rather than just the one off depending on location as well. cheers George

Cheers for the link. Ive also sent you a P.M regarding the GX390 Thanks