Firewood processor build thread

[445A]

Join the club - but you're a bit too late to be president

Yeah that position is already being filled by an idiot!:laughing: (Just couldn't help it)
My digital read out for my milling machine, was purchased new. I could hardly read the numbers. My wife was in the shop while I was milling something, and again complaining about the visibility. She walked over, raised her hand to the DRO, and promptly ripped off the protective brown cellophane that protected it from scratches. Man are those green numbers bright now!:thumbsup: Just finished reading this entire build, what a cool project! Your attention to detail and forethought is second to none. Thanks for sharing. I'm looking forward to the video of it in operation. (HINT, HINT):dance1: 445A

 

[Rustyiron]

Wow, am I an idiot... I took a little break from welding and looked down at my welding helmet after I took it off. On the inside lens you could see the protective film that they put on it to keep it from scratching before you buy it was starting to peel in one corner. All this time I've been struggling to see, I compulsively clean the outside lens but never noticed I forgot to remove the packing film from the inside! I took it off and it was like the lights were turned on for the first time. My welds improved drastically after that.

Not a word of this RT and Jon, if you come over to check it out this weekend, no laughing at me!

I love it when I occasionally find out that I'm not alone in the "sometimes and idiot" department!
Enjoying your build!:thumbsup:

 

[kiotiken]

445A, RustyIron, Thanks, nice to hear.

OK, I've had no time this weekend so far but will get some done tonight. I did duck out of work early on Friday and picked up the paint. It's going to be a dark blue, don't ask why, I didn't know what other colour to paint it. It's a DTM (direct to metal) paint that apparently the local construction companies throw on their equipment. I wanted something better than Tremclad but quick and easy. Hopefully this stuff fits the bill. I would have liked to start painting tomorrow night, but looks like it might be Monday night.

 

[markbuilt]

Have enjoyed your building of your machine, I'm building one as well , I'm using 3 ganged John Deere pumps off some donor 1010 loaders , My Dad told me build it for all the scrape wood that won't make it into a sellable log . Like the wind blown stuff and the hollow heartless stuff . All the best to you , I'm looking for a hydraulic motor to run the saw . I have the typical 36 inch 404 harvester bar and a lumber mate 52 inch that was used in a mill to square up the ends of tie timbers

 

[kiotiken]

Have enjoyed your building of your machine, I'm building one as well , I'm using 3 ganged John Deere pumps off some donor 1010 loaders , My Dad told me build it for all the scrape wood that won't make it into a sellable log . Like the wind blown stuff and the hollow heartless stuff . All the best to you , I'm looking for a hydraulic motor to run the saw . I have the typical 36 inch 404 harvester bar and a lumber mate 52 inch that was used in a mill to square up the ends of tie timbers

Wow, that'll be a beast. Start a thread when you do start your build.

 

[kiotiken]

OK, for all you who couldn't sleep over the anticipation of seeing a gleaming beautifully painted firewood processor this morning, sorry, blame CDN Farm Boy:laughing: He stopped by on Saturday night to check it out and made a few suggestions. He pointed out that the weakest part was the frame from where all my bracing ended and where the ram connected. If something other than the wood is going to give, it could be that area. Sooooooo..., being completely out steel, not to mention the apatite for spending more money on my insanity, I remembered the old dump cart conversion I started years ago, never finished and leaned up against the back of my shed. I started it right before I bought my first tractor and, well, lost all motivation to finish it after that.

Looking a little rough.


Butchered the cart, cut it to length and cleaned it up. Lots of bracing now.


My next post may be cursing CDN Farm Boy for making me add more barcing since the engine now has to be installed from under the processor before the ram is installed. The engine is 18" tall and I now have 19" of clearance. That might not seem like very much when I'm trying to lift the 100# engine at arms length under the processor! I think he should do it since it was his idea :laughing:

So, the entire machine is now fully welded, including the new bracing. Tonight I need to add a rack for the battery, cap two steel tubes that will drink in water and are welded closed at the bottom and then continue cleaning it up. Hopefully paint starts on Tuesday night but probably Wednesday.

I know somebody's going to mention it, so yes, I'm considering throwing the wheels from the cart under one end of the machine. I may see what that looks like but I don't want this thing to start looking like it was built from whatever was lying around, even though that's partly true now.

The carts "bed" will be butchered to make a wood chute as well. I need the wood to be pushed up about 3' so it falls into my firewood bags.

 

[murphy1244]

I think you created a Monster need to call it splittenstein.

 

[markbuilt]

I saw that too , the bracing for the splitter cylinder . I did the same thing tried to split a oak block standing up to test and broke the welds on my cross piece which was a doubled truck frame , now it has gusset at the pin end to the side frame will see if I twist the whole frame

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

:cough: Sorry about that...cough. ;-) Let me know when you want to install it and I'll come give you a hand.

Seriously though, it looks much better with the extra bracing and even though you had to (eek) use used steel, I'm sure you will be happier in the long run

 

[kiotiken]

:cough: Sorry about that...cough. ;-) Let me know when you want to install it and I'll come give you a hand.

Seriously though, it looks much better with the extra bracing and even though you had to (eek) use used steel, I'm sure you will be happier in the long run

LOL, thanks. I don't care about the used metal, I'll be happier in the long run if the machine doesn't fold itself in half, my design doesn't lead itself well to curves! I was surprised how well that used metal cleaned up though. The pictures don't show it well, but it's darn nearly new after a few passes of a flap disk.

 

[445A]

I think you created a Monster need to call it splittenstein.

Murphy1244: That's funny...may I use it on my log splitter?

 

[kiotiken]

Out of business again A bottle of shielding gas usually lasts me a year, went through a full one last weekend. I got a few last welds in last night, but by the time my battery holder was done, the tank read 0 psi and the flow was down to 15 CFH. I have 3 welds left!!!! I'm going to try and get a refill on my way to work tomorrow, but this will delay me yet again.

So I put the engine and tank back in place (lots of fun, thanks again CDN Farm Boy!) so I could make sure I put the battery where it wouldn't interfere with anything. Once I had it all placed, I looked at the battery leads from the engine for the first time to see how long they were etc. Turns out, they're made for a small utility battery like one for a small lawn tractor. It's not what I was planning to use but after considering replacing the leads or just stripping the wires I figured, what the heck, I'll stick with the little utility battery. I have a 12 V winch that I was eyeing for hauling up the log deck, but I'll leave that for another year since a little battery won't cut it.

So, here's how I spent the 45 minutes I had yesterday. I had an old utility battery sitting waiting to go back for recycling, so I used it for fitting it up.

 

[murphy1244]

Murphy1244: That's funny...may I use it on my log splitter?

If Ken don't you may use it.

 

[aczlan]

So I put the engine and tank back in place (lots of fun, thanks again CDN Farm Boy!) so I could make sure I put the battery where it wouldn't interfere with anything. Once I had it all placed, I looked at the battery leads from the engine for the first time to see how long they were etc. Turns out, they're made for a small utility battery like one for a small lawn tractor. It's not what I was planning to use but after considering replacing the leads or just stripping the wires I figured, what the heck, I'll stick with the little utility battery. I have a 12 V winch that I was eyeing for hauling up the log deck, but I'll leave that for another year since a little battery won't cut it.

A marine terminal (such as: Amazon.com: Schumacher BAF-MT1 Marine Terminal End: Automotive ) would let you use a regular battery without changing the cables.

Aaron Z

 

[kiotiken]

A marine terminal (such as: Amazon.com: Schumacher BAF-MT1 Marine Terminal End: Automotive ) would let you use a regular battery without changing the cables.

Aaron Z

Actually, they're even smaller, about half the size actually, unless you can get different size marine terminals. We use marine terminals for the boats at the cottage and they're significantly larger, especially the positive terminal. At first I couldn't figure out what kind of battery would fit the tiny leads then I remembered the little battery I've procrastinated taking back that was from a lawn mower, and found they fit. The terminals might be 1/4" bolts, very small.

 

[aczlan]

If they are 1/4", you can use a standard clamp on terminal (such as: Amazon.com: ACDelco 3BA35 Professional Battery Cable Terminal: Automotive) and just put the end under one of the clamp bolts.

Aaron Z

 

[kiotiken]

If they are 1/4", you can use a standard clamp on terminal (such as: Amazon.com: ACDelco 3BA35 Professional Battery Cable Terminal: Automotive) and just put the end under one of the clamp bolts.

Aaron Z

aczlan, my problem was going to be that the battery leads weren't long enough and would have needed to be replaced anyway so I could move the battery to the other side and clear the hydraulic filter. So if I was going to do that, I'd put the proper leads on and it wouldn't be an issue, but I got lazy and decided to just go with a smaller battery and the existing leads. It should be fine, lawn mowers use those batteries with no issues and this is about the same size engine or a little smaller.

 

[kiotiken]

So I said I only had 3 welds left, well I found a few more :laughing: I welded on some hose clamps for the hydraulic lines, rebuilt the log clamp holder since I had more steel to work with now and welded some nails across the pusher plate to stop rounds from moving. I also did some other minor stuff not worth mentioning. I now have 1 weld left (I think) and I ran out of wire! Well, I finished a 12.5 lbs spool anyway and I just didn't have it in me to reload, I didn't feel like being out there last night, so I went to bed. I'll finish that weld and start cleaning it all up tonight. Hopefully, I can tape off some parts, get tarps set up around the machine etc and be ready to paint Friday night.

Nails on the pusher plate.


A couple of the hose clamps

 

[aczlan]

Nails on the pusher plate.
View attachment 401208

If that doesnt hold the wood from slipping, I have seen a hole drilled through the plate and a 5/16 bolt with a sharpened tip welded in the hole.

Aaron Z

 

[kiotiken]

If that doesnt hold the wood from slipping, I have seen a hole drilled through the plate and a 5/16 bolt with a sharpened tip welded in the hole.

Aaron Z

I thought about spikes but didn't want to have wood stick to the plate and be dragged back when the cylinder retracts. This is a similar design to my logsplitter although the nails on this one are bigger than the wire they used on it. I also thought about cutting pipe about 1/4" - 1/2" long and welding those around in a pattern. I guess it's something to add to the "we'll see how it goes" list!