BlueRidgeMark
Addicted to ArboristSite
I've got a bunch of smaller wood I need to buck, lots from a local tree guy, and some from trees on my property. I see no sense in splitting large pieces down to kindling size, while throwing away kindling sized branches! 
Besides, a bunch of the tree guy's stuff is 5 - 8" diameter. Easy to pick up, and a pain to buck on the ground.
So, I built a sawbuck that would handle multiple small pieces at one time. Stack 'em in there, strap 'em down, and cut! I tried it out today, and it works great.
I made it to fold up so it's easier to store, or transport.
Take a look (click the photo to open a bigger image):
This was just a test run with a few small logs. See the chains at the bottom? They run from an eye at the back to a hook on the front. This allows me to vary the spread of the legs.
Here's an end view:
Here's what happens to the wood when it's cut:
Sometimes it falls, sometimes it doesn't. I make each cut just to the RIGHT of the 2x4. They are spaced so that I get a neat 16" log with each cut. No marking, no thinking about it. I just load and cut.
Here's a run with a bunch of pine branches from a dead one I felled today. Great for starting a fire of good oak logs. The nice thing is that it accomodates wood that isn't very straight.
I'm not sure the strap is really needed. I did tht first batch of logs and one run of pine without it, and the pine branches were a bit more trouble with things shifting, but really not too bad. The logs were no hassle at all.
It wasn't hard to build, and I think it's going to save save a lot of hassle. No more bending over to buck small stuff. The only critical part was getting the holes & bolts lined up. They have to be in a straight line to act as a hinge without binding. I used some 3 1/2" 5/16" carriage bolts I had. I would have preferred half inch, but I had these already. Two 1 1/4" fender washers between each pair of legs to act as a bearing. All the bolts face the same way so that the nut and excess thread is AWAY from the cutting side.
Well, folks, what do you think?
Besides, a bunch of the tree guy's stuff is 5 - 8" diameter. Easy to pick up, and a pain to buck on the ground.
So, I built a sawbuck that would handle multiple small pieces at one time. Stack 'em in there, strap 'em down, and cut! I tried it out today, and it works great.
I made it to fold up so it's easier to store, or transport.
Take a look (click the photo to open a bigger image):
This was just a test run with a few small logs. See the chains at the bottom? They run from an eye at the back to a hook on the front. This allows me to vary the spread of the legs.
Here's an end view:
Here's what happens to the wood when it's cut:
Sometimes it falls, sometimes it doesn't. I make each cut just to the RIGHT of the 2x4. They are spaced so that I get a neat 16" log with each cut. No marking, no thinking about it. I just load and cut.
Here's a run with a bunch of pine branches from a dead one I felled today. Great for starting a fire of good oak logs. The nice thing is that it accomodates wood that isn't very straight.
I'm not sure the strap is really needed. I did tht first batch of logs and one run of pine without it, and the pine branches were a bit more trouble with things shifting, but really not too bad. The logs were no hassle at all.
It wasn't hard to build, and I think it's going to save save a lot of hassle. No more bending over to buck small stuff. The only critical part was getting the holes & bolts lined up. They have to be in a straight line to act as a hinge without binding. I used some 3 1/2" 5/16" carriage bolts I had. I would have preferred half inch, but I had these already. Two 1 1/4" fender washers between each pair of legs to act as a bearing. All the bolts face the same way so that the nut and excess thread is AWAY from the cutting side.
Well, folks, what do you think?
