how best to bucking small diameter, bent wood, and lots of it?

[KiwiBro]

Something like this only larger? That is my limbwood saw buck. Just did come in from cutting up a good batch from the waiting pile of limbs.


After cutting they mostly stay right there for easy pick up:


Takes longer to load up than it does to cut them. Doing it again it would be both wider and taller. As is it is 14" inside dimension width and height. It also folds up.

Harry K

Thanks. That's certainly my line of thinking too. Where it doesn't work so well is on the bent branches that will also need splitting. It's troublesome keeping the cuts on those ones square-ish enough for easy splitting. But I'm thinking those would need to be cut to a fairly short length to be easily handled on the PTO buzz saw anyway and if they are still so bent they don't stack well in a cradle like yours then I'm better off cutting those from the tip to trunk with the chainsaw as it arrives on the landing.

But I like throwing these things open to the great AS knowledge base because there's always plenty of things I've never considered and much smarter, more lateral firewood thinkers than I'll ever be on here to learn from.

 

[turnkey4099]

Thanks for posting this photo Harry.

I recall a thread on it a few years back and was dreading having to search for it. I remember liking the fold-up feature of it, even if that was not originally intended - gives it a little portability. I also recall suggesting that if the steel at each station was welded as an 'H', instead of as a 'U', the wood would be supported up off of the base runners and you would not cut into them at all.

(P.S. - I suggested that Zogger place swing-out 'J' hooks on the side of his firewood trailer to do the same thing).

Philbert

That was an interesting thread. "sawbuck for limb wood" is close to the thread title.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

--I like your design for larger branches and small logs, but what about the side branches? See, I would rather something like the bailey's tool, as you can stick the butt end of any branch into it, no matter how many smaller side branches there are, then work your way down. Grab the whole branch *once* then milk it out (if the branch isn't on the tree). Several more cuts on the branch leading to more wood in the pile. yes, smaller chunks, but they burn, too, and using your smallest lightest saw, it really isn't that much hassle or additional work (well, if you consider sawing fun, any excuse to do that like I do)

I guess I would like both type holders. I get both type oddball chunks that are harder to deal with.

Ya, I know I am odd duck here on taking and using smaller pieces..I still get all the large rounds that everyone else gets, the smaller are just frosting to me, plus no mess leftover, nothing of note.

I also save limbs/branches down to around 2" guage. I clean off everything and cut them down to at most 8' long, toss on truck and offload onto a pile. Slow day, grab the saw and have some fun. I hate cutting/loading small chunks in the field and then having to off load them - a lot of handling. Much better to haul home in long pieces and finish processing there IMO.

Harry K

 

[zogger]

Thanks for posting this photo Harry.

I recall a thread on it a few years back and was dreading having to search for it. I remember liking the fold-up feature of it, even if that was not originally intended - gives it a little portability. I also recall suggesting that if the steel at each station was welded as an 'H', instead of as a 'U', the wood would be supported up off of the base runners and you would not cut into them at all.

(P.S. - I suggested that Zogger place swing-out 'J' hooks on the side of his firewood trailer to do the same thing).

Philbert

--weird, I have no recollection of that (not saying you didn't do it, I just don't remember right at this time). and I have only been here a year, not years, and use a cargo box on the 3 point hitch, not a trailer, so.... now I do remember you forwarding a link to a truck trailer hitch attachment that held a branch in place up off the ground, similar in theory to the bailey's tool.

Either way, swinging J hooks are interesting as well.

I thought about building a conventional set of Xs sawbuck that fit on top of the cargo box, but decided against building one, just more clunky weight and a big "thing" I don't want to travel with me all the time.

*Usually* I have no probs with branches as I don't immediately just whack all of them off the tree. Starting at the top and working your way back, the tree itself holds them in place. Now really large big branches that go way up high, sure, I drop those to the ground, but they are so large they are like trees themselves, so the same thing, start at the tops and cut my way down to the base.

I guess professional volume cutters (a lot of them) just walk down the trunk and take them off, necessitating some way to do mass quantities of goofy branches. Of course most I think are just left in piles in the woods, I have seen a lot of that over the years. "Slash piles". Sometimes just left, sometimes bulldozed into a big pile of green wood, doused with diesel, set on fire, then the dudes leave, three days later still a smoky pile of mostly unburnt stuff. Seen that a lot as well.

Small saplings I do by what I can reach. Go up, trim what I can, that high, hit a 90 degree turn and cut my rounds off right down to the base. (not many obviously, but I am talking 3-4 inch at the base stuff, so I get 4-5 rounds from it). the left over top is small for even me so they get toted to some area that has runoff issues and used for erosion control. Larger than that I fell normally and cut from the top normally.

edit: Philbert's brain FTW! He is too modest, he remembered and I didn't.

I claim a SENIOR MOMENT! hahahahaha!

 

[Philbert]

That was an interesting thread. "sawbuck for limb wood" is close to the thread title. Harry K

Somehow, I think that some of the original photos got switched (?), but post #9 has a good close up of one that follows your design:

http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/87226.htm

Philbert

 

[turnkey4099]

Somehow, I think that some of the original photos got switched (?), but post #9 has a good close up of one that follows your design:

http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/87226.htm

Philbert

Yep. TDhat is where I learned not to delete pics from Photobucket. It changes every picture you ever posted.

I've beenwondering if one couldn't delete the oldest ones without that happening.

Harry K

 

[Philbert]

Saw This Today

Looks like a commercially available version of turnkey4099's set up. It has incorporated the 'H' design I was suggesting to keep the saws off of the ground

Only saw it on line (Northern Tool) - can't tell you how well it's made. Takes apart for shipment/storage - if you look close you can see where the 2 parts of the uprights fit together, just above the cross bars. Might be an option for those who can't weld? Actually, might be able to make something similar out of plumbing parts. . . .

Philbert



(replaced deleted photos)

 

[CRThomas]

Chopsaw

I use a chop saw with two hold downs hooked into one handle stop kick back. Chop saw are not that high priced little change and you got a good way to chop wood to your length. They make a blade that cuts steel or wood for nails that happen to be grow in the tree keep you from getting a face and chest full of steel . Later

 

[KiwiBro]

hmmmm

[video=youtube;4IyGAOmINIs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IyGAOmINIs&feature=related[/video]

 

[danthe]

This jig is wath I would want to buck small stuff


Can Cervera - Chainsaw support now with safety bar, firewood processing. - YouTube

 

[CTYank]

I usually use a band saw for small diameter stuff. Cutting at an angle, you can easily make 18" long small logs, even if bent wood. Saves a lot on gas after awhile. I just carry 6' lengths into the workshop and turn on the band saw. It also works better than the table saw.

I use a 16" Grizzly bandsaw for essentially everything that goes into my little stove. (Initial c/s/s to 16" long for stacking; bandsaw to 8" long for stove, when it comes time to make a batch ready.) The height limit of 6" of the bandsaw is not a problem with what I feed this stove. Ripping pieces no problem.

Stacking as 16-inchers keeps the wood ready for others, too. (Ever try stacking 8-inchers?)

Prospects for safety are excellent, relative to chainsaw or circular saw. Blade costs ~$10. 1hp motor rips through 'em. Narrow kerf wastes min wood. And ... bandsaw can be used for many other purposes. At $445 from Grizzly, it was a no-brainer IMHO,

 

[Philbert]

A large bandsaw is an interesting idea. The fence sets the length. Some type of sliding table could speed things up while keeping your hands farther from the blade.
(We used versions of these in the packing plants to basically slide half a cow through, so 16 inch wood should not be a problem with the right blade).

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

This jig is wath I would want to buck small stuff


Can Cervera - Chainsaw support now with safety bar, firewood processing. - YouTube

Nice - I did not see this when you first posted it, but it also led me to these YouTube Videos:



It took me a few views to see that the bar he contacts with the wood controls the throttle. A variation on the tractor driven 'buzz-saw'.



This one looks a little more 'finished', plus he cuts with the bottom of the bar, which I like. A vertical bar up front, to the right of the saw, might help to keep the feeding hand out of the cutting zone.

Each of these set ups would be better with some type of stop gauge to cut things to equal lengths.

Philbert

updated video links

 

[turnkey4099]

Nice - I did not see this when you first posted it, but it also led me to these YouTube Videos:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y_1Jh4ETLCM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It took me a few views to see that the bar he contacts with the wood controls the throttle. A variation on the tractor driven 'buzz-saw'.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Uvw8HHniz6w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This one looks a little more 'finished', plus he cuts with the bottom of the bar, which I like. A vertical bar up front, to the right of the saw, might help to keep the feeding hand out of the cutting zone.

Each of these set ups would be better with some type of stop gauge to cut things to equal lengths.

Philbert

I am too lazy to spend all that effort freehanding a limb through a saw!

Harry K

 

[Philbert]

OK, been a while, but I just ran across this on YouTube. Appears to be a commercially available version of what some of us have been talking about. Has the 'Oregon' brand, but I have never seen it. European? Anyone seen this?

Philbert

"OREGON® Easy Cut Saw Horse"

 

[Philbert]

Another. There are a few more if you look for them.



Philbert

 

[Speed]

I will agree with the others that have said it, a buzzsaw cannot be beat in 8" and under wood. I spent years on one growing up. BUT, if the stuff you want to use it on is all twisted AND you want square ends on every piece, forget it. You'll lose all your time twisting the piece for every cut. Also, the wood should be tight up against the table so you don't bind the blade.

As far as fuel usage, I can't speak for the PTO saws, but the belt driven saws run barely above an idle. Fuel usage is minimal. And the hour meter thing? That just kills me. I've got a friend that would rather let the tractor sit and do things by hand than to click that hour meter. And he inherited the thing for free, to top that I know he'll never sell it. If I was worried about the hour meter I wouldn't own the thing. My tractors were bought to save me as much time/labor as possible.

 

[Poindexter]

I am a small operation, just cut for myself. Straight pieces light enough to throw in the truck I'll bring out at 6-8 feet long, I got a saw buck for those.

The twisty ones from 3ish to 6ish inches diameter I want to burn, I dropped the tree; but I don't want to fool with them anymore than I have to. What I do is unzip them, or stripe them, by running the tip of the blade up the branch while it is still attached to enough of the tree that it holds still. Just a deep enough cut to get through the bark and into the wood.

Then I cut them off wherever makes sense, 16" or shorter. Once I get them home, they go straight on the stack to be burnt two years from now without having to be split, so they don't have to be cut square.

 

[Oliver1655]

While saw buck can be handy, I believe the OP is talking about bent/ twisted pieces that will not works well in a saw buck.

If I am cutting for a home owner or have a helper who will be doing the clean up I work from the top of the tree down. For the limbs pointing up, after clearing the ones under it, I will cut it part way by the trunk & let it hinge down. This helps to keep it off the ground.

If by myself, I cut to 8-9' lengths & load them on the trailer to take home & process there. I really like the stationary mounted saw. I will be making one with a length gauge & tall enough to have my 3'x4' lawn cart under it to catch the splits. I really don't like picking rounds off the ground if I don't have to.

 

[Islero]

Since we use alot of branches for our wood stoves and outside baking ovens, we use a saw buck. Specifically, we load the branches on the saw buck, then use ratched straps every three of four feet and strap the branches very tight so they won't go flying everywhere. Once the straps are tight we cut them the size we need with the chainsaw.Once cut we gather the pieces and place then in a 8' x 8' x 2' foot bin that keeps the wood off the ground and organized.