Bucking table mostly done

I've got a few minor bugs to iron out along the way, and get the working end finished with a stop. But mostly done. Secondary goal was to make it moveable with the tractor and that was accomplished.

I added some diagonal bracing on the short sides after pulling the log off. It's quite solid now.










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So, you buck cut the log almost all the way through five or six times , then you somehow rotate the log to finish it off? The idea is to get the log off the ground at a comfortable working height? And do you intend to load on several logs at once?

Not sure how you intend to use this.

 

There will be sacrificial boards on the low end of the stand to cut all the way through the logs.

Yes, more than 1 log at a time. I just wanted to see if I needed to add any bracing, which I did.

I'm toying with the idea of building a separate cutting platform that will sit independent, but attached, of the stand. Its currently at the high end of height for comfortable work for me and adding sacrificial boards will increase the height even more. The platform would be wide enough to accommodate 1 log rolled onto it from the stand and 14' long.

 

But yeah, Ive got some specifics to work out. Make it work right for me. The idea is to cut all the way through and then set the cut pieces onto my splitting table which sits right next to the splitter. If I can get everyone trained, I can have someone loading the table, someone cutting and transferring to the splitting table while someone splits. Since everything is mobile, I can set up right where the splits get stacked.

 

Casey,I bought this at an auction sale a few years ago. I've never used it because I bought my OWB and cut most stuff to 32" now. It might give you a few ideas for your table. The owner said it was a real time saver for him as he had some back issues. Main frame is old railway track, height is adjustable and it's easy to move around. He cut smaller stuff that didn't need to be split so he just moved it along his wood stack line and put the cut rounds right onto the stacks.

 

The vertical log stops pull out to allow the next log in, can cut several logs at a time. Front legs are adjustable in height so you control how easy it is for logs to roll down the rails. The whole cutting area on the end is just bolted on and can come off but I'm not sure why, maybe to travel down the road or just easier to build that way. He also had a hay wagon that was the height of the tongue end but I didn't realize until after it sold that it was also used with this cutting trailer. He loaded the logs lengthwise across the wagon and backed it up to the cutting trailer so he had maybe 50 or 75 logs to do without moving it.

 

The orange paint marks a row of lag bolts that secure the sacrificial 4" x 6" timbers. Knowing that is important when cutting nubs and such. The last photo shows intermediary supports for short logs. A slope is good but not too much of one, as you do not want the logs to roll on their own against the log your cutting. Once you start using it you will make adjustments to fit how you work.

 

That's pretty cool. If I had access to the steel I would have gone that way instead of wood. Woods just easier to work with.


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After sleeping on it, and staring at the table this morning, I'm going to extend the low side to create a deck for the actual cutting.


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Looks good!

 

I love that design. If I had a place that was permanent to process wood I would have one just like it.

 

Looks great!
Be safe...
There is a learning curve with two and three hundred pound logs and gravity.

 

Tools, and note 4 x 6 on edge as a bump stop. I used to use 2 x material but with the saw cuts logs would break of the top edge. End stop is gapped from front stop to clear chips. Could use bigger gap. Orange paint denotes lag bolts in top.
Lots of chips! The pet crate has since got smashed by a run-a-way log...
Also, this deck has a 2" lip on the front. The height is a trade off between stopping logs and lifting rounds over it. I tried short removable uprights but the pressure against them made them hard to pull out. I clean the build-up on the cut table portion with the edge of a plastic wedge. Crooked logs and nubs put downward pressure on the cut table. The front 4 x 6 is lagged between each 16" cutting notch to stiffen it up (you can see that below) Your table will be a work in progress as you find what works for you. I do not have much "forward tip" on my fork lift, a few degrees at best, therefor the uprights at the rear of the table. I lift logs over, lower, and back out.
When loading the deck I unhook this trailer and rollout out of the way and make sure the saw is on it. The log deck is a great too, however, I guess I would add a huge caution:

The logs do not always stay on the table. When advancing logs have an exit plan. I always advance logs from the side of the log deck, and not from the front, and make sure there are no trip hazards. For one, there is little room to move, to get out of the way, between the log deck and staging table. Rolling logs towards you is a simply a very bad, bad idea.

What you don't see in my pictures are all the logs that have rolled off the front and sides of the table when loading, or shifting and advancing logs to the front. Keep your saws, gas cans, etc. out of the zone. Especially when loading keep other people away, and facing you. I've had logs roll diagonally off the top of the pile when loading, which makes the 'zone' a fairly large foot print. If a log hits the round staging table, the table can hit the splitter. Think Dominos! (the game...)

Using a cut table, like a chainsaw, is simply dangerous. It sounds like your cutting every day, and well aware of potential hazards.

Tools:
Saws chain break. I use it religiously.
I use a short handled peavy to pry, roll and end shift logs. This is my go to tool.
Small logs, I sometimes use a pulp hook if there is no danger of other logs shifting.
A hook-a-roon is sometimes handy, as is a long handled peavy.
A pitch fork for bark, and scoop shovel for chips. (With a day or two of cutting your table will be 4" shorter in height.)
I have an old pet crate that I set my saw on when staging rounds.
A crate for cut-offs, etc., so the ground is clear of trip hazards.

 

All good advice Crane. I still need to devise a stop block at the end of the cutting stand. I'll also need to rework how this 4x4 are attached. I may buy a couple more and lag them all together so they are solid, then attach the solid top to the legs. Right now I don't have a lot of confidence in them staying put.

I am in the process of acquiring a short handled peavey. I have 2 long handled ones already.


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Oh, and I won't be stacking logs on the deck. Single height. I'm hoping that a single row of logs will be about a nights worth of cutting and splitting.


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I was thinking of building something similar all my logs are 8 feet coming out of the woods so I would just build it 8 feet I was thinking of putting the splitter rounds table to the right of the log table so that it wasn't far to move the rounds could be turned 90 and rolled over to it and then proceed to the splitter I am thinking landscaping timbers for the sacrificial table as they are less expensive by about half compared to 4x4

Can I ask what you use for the cages on the pallets to hold your wood is that like a wrap of chicken wire or some sort of fencing

my idea to stop or slow down run away was 3/4 black pipe , drill a few holes in timber closest the edge of the table and have a few 14 or so inch pieces of pipe cut to fit in the holes the holes would be in line with the row of lag bolts holding the timbers on.
put them on rope or so that hang out of the way when you don't want them


an old guy down the road a piece said when he had his farm and they were heating with wood his son worked at a saw mill they built up a hay wagon with 4x6 timbers across so that 2 bundles of scabs could be laid length ways across and strapped down his son would pull the wagon home from work , they could cut trough bundle then stack it up the timbers were set up so that the saw went between the timbers and they never cut the trailer.

if I knew where I could get the running gear for a hay wagon cheap I would build something similar up with cutting table off one side

 

I would liked to have used landscape timbers, less than $4 for an 8'er. But all my wood coming in can be up to 14', and I didnt want to have to piece the bed together. I suppose I could by staggering the joints... I may do that when the time comes.

My idea is to have my other staging table right next to the cutting table and the splitter right next to that... We'll see.

3' tall welded wire fence. Seems to hold up well, but Ive had to abandon that idea. As much as I would loved to see it work, it takes up to much space for the amount of wood stored. Winters like the one we just had mean the yard will get torn up moving pallets.

Thats a good idea.

I toyed with a running gear... But I don't want to put that much money into it and most of the ones around here that are not priced by gold prices need tires or work.

 

Just realized I know where some decent railroad timbers are. Should be free. I'll have to investigate tomorrow.


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My solution to bucking might be a little easier. I lay the heavy logs flat about 6" apart. Then I use a cant hook or peavy to lift them up and buck off 18". Then I move the cant hook and buck the next 18".

One other solution for bigger logs is to buck cut five or six lengths part way down and stop before the pinch starts. Then roll the log to complete the buck cuts. Most of the time I can complete at least one buck cut with no pinch and that makes it easy to roll the log(s). Oh, and a simple wedge at the top of the kerf that starts to pinch allows me to complete most buck cuts.

Casey, how are you lifting all those logs onto your new structure? Seems like it would take some really strong power equipment (fork lift?). The ones my logger friend dropped off for me to buck up weigh at least 1000 pounds apiece, maybe more.