Shake Splitter

[oercheron]

This is a slight modification of a home built excavator log splitter so that it can be used for splitting roofing shakes. I have it attached to my mini excavator here, but there is no reason not to use a 3 point woodsplitter the same way, or attach to a tractor hydraulic system, or attach it to any other hydraulic source. And/or use your tractor to load the finished product onto as I am doing here.

In this video I am just trying this machine out, in this case the end product is not that good because the shake bolts are not that good, but the shakes will still be used (to roof a chicken house) and the waste will be kindling.

Around my neck of the woods red cedar is THE wood for roofing shakes. I think there are other suitable woods that have been used for this purpose in other parts of the world or maybe here (BC, Canada) as well. Would like to hear more about this as I am kind of a wood guy, been a carpenter all my life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuju5NLVaDA

 

[hslogger]

Pretty cool application. I would be curious how long that second growth lasts in BC. Coast Range of Oregon would be pretty much the same. Probably get twenty twenty five years out of em,and then maybe the moss will give you another five or ten, eh?

 

[oercheron]

Pretty cool application. I would be curious how long that second growth lasts in BC. Coast Range of Oregon would be pretty much the same. Probably get twenty twenty five years out of em,and then maybe the moss will give you another five or ten, eh?

Ya 25 sounds about right. I made these shakes close to an inch thick, mostly because the wood won't split any thinner, but that might help some with length of service. This wood has pretty good colour but the growth rings are really wide. I have seen good cedar shakes last 50 years here.

 

[hddnis]

Looks like an easy way to do it, splitters are useful for lots of things other that just splitting firewood. One thing though, you need to flip the bolt end for end between each shake you split.



Mr. HE