Best way to cut slab lengths

[NC4AB]

Here are some pictures of an engine driven buzz saw that we use. Guessing it is at least 75 + years old, was made by the Buller Manufacturing Company in Hillsboro, KS and was originally belt powered. The construction is mainly bolted adn it you want more pictures / dimensions let me know. FIL converted it over to a 8 hp B&S engine several years ago, the engine runs at slightly above an idle and has plenty of power for 90% of the slabs we cut. If it had a flywheel to store some energy it would go through all of the slabs we cut with out slowing down.

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[zogger]

Here are some pictures of an engine driven buzz saw that we use. Guessing it is at least 75 + years old, was made by the Buller Manufacturing Company in Hillsboro, KS and was originally belt powered. The construction is mainly bolted adn it you want more pictures / dimensions let me know. FIL converted it over to a 8 hp B&S engine several years ago, the engine runs at slightly above an idle and has plenty of power for 90% of the slabs we cut. If it had a flywheel to store some energy it would go through all of the slabs we cut with out slowing down.

That's a nice rig there.

Ya, a flywheel..

 

[NC4AB]

Seeing if I can imbed the images:

 

[Dalmatian90]

I've only used (err...was a helper) on a buzz saw once. Not a bad tool.

Just seems to me it's an awful lot of motions to pickup a slab, place on roller table, cut 16", move slab, cut 16", etc, etc, repeat.

Strapping the entire pile once up on a few pallets and going to town with a long bar, then chuck them onto the conveyor to load into a truck seems like it would be quicker...but that's just a wild ass guess.

BUT...if you did stick with the roller conveyor idea to feed a buzz saw, I'd consider a ball table like this:

Roll-A-Way Conveyors BTT2424-4 - Ball Transfer Table

Should let you move the slabs really quickly in both axis you need.

 

[NC4AB]

Our operation pretty much requires 3 people - A "loader" to get the slabs to the table, an "operator" who positions the slab for cutting and operates the table and an "off bearer" that takes the cut slabs and either stacks them or loads them on the trailer. We normally cut to ~ 25" lengths to match our OWBs. Three of us cut up 2 dump truck loads of slabs this morning, took a little over 2 hours but got right at 3 cords of wood.

 

[cford]

Just cut a half cord load of eastern white cedar ... I had it put in my truck on with some crossers underneath ... just took my 038 with 20 inch bar and cut as far down as I could ... then removed the cut pieces and then cut again then moved to the next cut..
I am planning on doing maybe 10 more loads (will get dropped off), I plan on using for maple syrup and will take up to 36", and my wood furnace takes up to 28" so I just cut it 3 times.
ps. not really concerned if wood is +- a few inches.

 

[zogger]

I've only used (err...was a helper) on a buzz saw once. Not a bad tool.

Just seems to me it's an awful lot of motions to pickup a slab, place on roller table, cut 16", move slab, cut 16", etc, etc, repeat.

Strapping the entire pile once up on a few pallets and going to town with a long bar, then chuck them onto the conveyor to load into a truck seems like it would be quicker...but that's just a wild ass guess.

BUT...if you did stick with the roller conveyor idea to feed a buzz saw, I'd consider a ball table like this:

Roll-A-Way Conveyors BTT2424-4 - Ball Transfer Table

Should let you move the slabs really quickly in both axis you need.

They are really fast once you get used to it and arrange your work area and technique for efficiency. I ran one for a few years off and on, did beau coup with it, firewood and also fence posts. Also handy when cutting in the winter in deep snow, no need to go buck every cut, then go find it and fish it out. They work good on stuff up to but not exceeding what you can pick up, small branches, small logs, slabs. Well, at least when I was using one, didn't try anything that weighed tons, no giant logs, they wouldn't have worked even if I had had a way to load them. Anything else though, fast

Ya, if you got like a six or seven cube saw with one of those ditchwitch sized bars on it and can cut whole bundles at a whack, then yes, a chainsaw is faster. Short of that, the arbor saw or buzz saw is faster and you can get good at consistent cuts. It's like a factory production thing.