My 3PH Carry All

[Haywire]

Well, this is what I ended up with. It's made of 1.5", 3/16" wall square tube. 30" forks. I think it's plenty stout.

The firewood rack I made for it needs some tweaking though. It's not totally finished yet but I strapped it on temporarily and did a test run. First thing is that I didn't count on the side to side swaying. I either need to figure out a way to really make the side supports a LOT stouter or change the design to stack the wood the other direction. The stack would be a lot more stable that way, but would be more of a pain to fill as the supports would have to be on the back side and in the way.. Driving really slow was mandatory or I was going to be playing 52 pickup with it like it is. The side supports are just tacked in place but what I had in mind for the permanent solution wasn't going to be much more stable.

Suggestions?
Ian

 

[jake98]

I think what you got there is a 'firewood spreader'..

 

[Haywire]

LOL.. yep true dat. I hope to rectify that situation.

 

[dillo99]

Haywire,

I built a similar firewood carrier - I'll try to get a picture today. I pick mine up with the loader though - I bolted 2x4's on the bottom of a pallet with spacers that leaves a 2" gap on one side. The bucket lip slides in there and then I can pick the whole thing up with the bucket. I then built a similar frame to yours (about the same height) but I added wire fencing on three sides. So now I can stack firewood two deep (probably almost 2x what you have there). I load it up behind the barn and then set it in the garage until empty.

Works pretty well. So you may want to think about how you can put wire fencing on the sides of your carrier.

 

[mojoinco]

Great minds must think alike -- or at least close.

I am on year three of a similar experiment. Year one/two, I just took pallets (wife is a horse woman -- they collect pallets for hay storage) as they were, then added 2 or 3 rows of 2x4's inside the pallet stringers (2x4's), then cross strapped the tops (nailing the tops over the two vertical 2x4's). Then I nailed another 2x4 across the tops to tie them together. I spaced the rows for face cords. It is fairly rigid when full, but flacid as all get out when empty.

I do use forks, with a back fence. But one should back with that set up (if you loose any wood you don't risk driving over it). I set it in the garage and fill up my wood ricks. I like the idea of just moving them in and leaving the pallet until empty. Will have to consider if I can move enough junk around to make that work.

Several years ago I bought a pair of the Northern Tools wood rick stands (the kind you add 2x4's to; made out of 3 pieces of steel). I made a 3rd, put it in the middle of an 8' 2x4, then have two ricks. I use the 'dry' one, and fill the empty one. By the time you need the 'wet' wood, it has dried (we don't get a lot of rain when it is cold enough to want heat, so what snow has made it into the garage will melt and dry off in 3 or 4 days). It is pretty dry in Colorado, so I don't worry about covering up my fire wood.

Back to the pallets. I see them as consumable. I use old pallets (well, whatever is free) and whatever junk wood I can find, even buying the culls at Home Depot. 4' is all the higher I go with the vertical 2x4s. That helps a lot with being rigid.

This year I decided that 3 ricks on a pallet was too much work to unload, as you have to bend over and reach back through 2 ricks of space to reach the back rick. Even if you move the tractor out of the way the middle row is harder. So I sawzalled the third row off while fixing them up prior to wood stacking this year. Plus, my wife has a small skid steer, and the 3 rows were just on the ragged edge for it (balance issues). Her machine fits in the garage, mine will not. I also nailed 2x4s across the inside of the two rows to tie them together better (and give the corner joints more to nail to). Mo' rigid.

The biggest reason I started doing this is so I could move the wood pile from next to the house and cut all the wood by my shop (out of site, looks a lot nicer; might help with critters in the wood, including bugs, and them from the house).

 

[Haywire]

I think I have come up with something that will work, and when not in use will come apart with pins and hang flat on the barn wall. It will be not as high, but two stacks deep. It's raining today, and will be cold and snowy tomorrow. Probably won't get to it till next week. Will post pics when I get it finished and all the kinks worked out.

Ian

 

[beenthere]

I just use the pallets, and stack about 1/5 of a cord of split wood at the splitter.
Then stack the loaded pallets two high for two years storage and seasoning.

Then use the forks to run a pallet at a time of seasoned wood into the garage for the wood boiler.

The first pic is stacked higher than I normally stack but didn't lose any and the only investment is a free pallet. The second is more normal size and have been doing this method for 4 years. The third is how I use three pallets to stack limb wood (too small to split) for drying and transporting.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

I just use the pallets, and stack about 1/5 of a cord of split wood at the splitter.
Then stack the loaded pallets two high for two years storage and seasoning.

Then use the forks to run a pallet at a time of seasoned wood into the garage for the wood boiler.

The first pic is stacked higher than I normally stack but didn't lose any and the only investment is a free pallet. The second is more normal size and have been doing this method for 4 years. The third is how I use three pallets to stack limb wood (too small to split) for drying and transporting.

That first picture is an impressive load.

Do you use ballast out back.??

 

[Haywire]

A set of pallet forks for the bucket would be ideal since I could lift it onto the porch for transfer to my rack there, but I understand the 2660's bucket lift capacity is fairly limited once you extend the load out there with clamp on bucket forks.

I figured out what I needed and went to Lowes tonight to get it. I had my lumber and hardware on a cart and instead of taking that big cart all over the store for the other stuff I wanted, I staged it close to the checkout on the lumber side and went to finish my shopping. When I got ready to check out, I found that some jackwagon had assumed it abandoned and put all my stuff away. I dropped the rest of what I gathered on the counter and walked out. Whoever it was can put that away too.

Ian

 

[sodamo]

A set of pallet forks for the bucket would be ideal since I could lift it onto the porch for transfer to my rack there, but I understand the 2660's bucket lift capacity is fairly limited once you extend the load out there with clamp on bucket forks.

I figured out what I needed and went to Lowes tonight to get it. I had my lumber and hardware on a cart and instead of taking that big cart all over the store for the other stuff I wanted, I staged it close to the checkout on the lumber side and went to finish my shopping. When I got ready to check out, I found that some jackwagon had assumed it abandoned and put all my stuff away. I dropped the rest of what I gathered on the counter and walked out. Whoever it was can put that away too.

Ian

I've had that happen - really TICKS me off

 

[dillo99]

I just use the pallets, and stack about 1/5 of a cord of split wood at the splitter.
Then stack the loaded pallets two high for two years storage and seasoning.

Then use the forks to run a pallet at a time of seasoned wood into the garage for the wood boiler.

The first pic is stacked higher than I normally stack but didn't lose any and the only investment is a free pallet. The second is more normal size and have been doing this method for 4 years. The third is how I use three pallets to stack limb wood (too small to split) for drying and transporting.

That is an impressive load of wood. My trail from the barn is winding and bumpy...I don't know if I could move that without ending up with a mess.

 

[beenthere]

I do have a ballast box on the 3ph and don't load the pallets like that anymore. Got carried away and just wanted to see if I could make it the 1/8 of a mile to my garage. It worked but I was inching along pretty slow.

At times, I lift double stacked pallets but have to pick up the ballast box on my front blade for counter weight.

 

[Haywire]

How heavy is that box full of chain like that?

Ian

P.S. going for a second try at Lowes in a bit.

 

[tommaple]

I think I have come up with something that will work, and when not in use will come apart with pins and hang flat on the barn wall. It will be not as high, but two stacks deep. It's raining today, and will be cold and snowy tomorrow. Probably won't get to it till next week. Will post pics when I get it finished and all the kinks worked out.

Ian

I think you're on the right track - stack the wood in two rows and not as high.

The suggestion of using wire fencing to hold the wood in place also makes sense. Ideally three sides would be fixed and the fourth side removable or hinged for easier loading and un-loading.

Keep us informed of your progress, I'm learning a lot of do's and don'ts on hauling firewood.

My goal is to split the wood, put it on a pallet and then from that point use the tractor and pallet forks to put it in the field for seasoning/drying. When it's time to put it in the shed or burn it, it's just a matter of using the tractor and forks and putting it on the porch next to the door where the stove is located. No putting it in a trailer, stacking, putting it in a trailer again and re-stacking on the porch. Will only need to handle it twice.

Tom

 

[beenthere]

How heavy is that box full of chain like that?
........

Not all chain, but full of washed gravel rocks. The chains are just on top as my "carry-all". A couple felling wedges, bungie cords, odds-n-ends.
Good luck at Lowes.

 

[Haywire]

Good luck at Lowes.

Lowes... :confused2:

I had a master plan. Get all my running around done before going for the lumber. I look for a basket to put the small stuff in. Come to find out they got rid of them all. Don't want a shopping cart since I'm getting the lumber cart so I just carry the stuff. I stop at the hardware, set my stuff on the counter to get it together and write all the numbers on the bag. Turn around to pick my stuff up and... yep... shleprock put it away again. Luckily it was right around the corner. He apologized when I asked him where my stuff was and said that the cashiers always dump returns on the counter and he automatically puts anything away that appears there.

LOL

 

[Haywire]

Ok, this is what I ended up with for the firewood rack. It pins together with door hinges so it can come apart and stack flat. The back I rigged so it will swing open. Not the best, but it works. A buddy of mine welded 1/4" rod to the hinge pins so I'd have a handle for removing them but it's not working out, they're too tight and under some bind. It's a PIA to pull them. I think I am going to replace them with some big nails to make them easier to pull.

It doesn't sway all over the place, but it doesn't hold as much wood either. Good tradeoff.

Ian

Oh, pic 2... as soon as I drill the holes, it will pin to the carryall.

 

[tommaple]

Nice job, how many will you be making? Will you store the wood in it or just use it for transport?

You could take the hinge pins and lightly grind them with a fine grinding wheel to allow them to slip in and out more easily.

Another way is to coat the pin with coarse valve lapping compound and put it in a drill chuck and spin it into the hinge. Of course the 1/4" rod would need to be removed first.

 

[Haywire]

It's just for hauling from the wood shed up to the house. I have a rack on the front porch that holds about twice what that carrier does. I usually refill it before it is completely empty, so between that and the bucket, it should be enough for a one trip fill.

I need to find an ol time hardware store that sells nails by weight instead of by the box. A 40d nail would make the perfect hinge pin diameter wise and it's long enough to bend the top 1.5" over for a handle. I need 8. Will never use a whole box of them in 10 years.

Ian

 

[dstig1]

Why not just buy a piece of steel or alum rod stock from the "metals" display at HD/wherever? Cut to whatever length you want and bend over a handle. Should cost $2-3 and take 5 min to make a couple of them. Plenty of size so you should be able to find what you need.