I'm A Believer (The Pics)

[Dogsout]

I thought I read on here some where that if you don't post the pics you do not earn your Elm merit badge. I want that badge so here you go. The second of two loads on my high $ wood trailer. (Right or wrong I usually figure two loads as the one pictured is about 1 cord.) In the one picture you can see the two that I said the heck with and will drag them over to the brush pile. From what I gather from the previous thread Elm is doable under the right circumstances, but in my case I had virtually everything going against me splitting this. Anyway I got the last load home and will stack tomorrow to finish up. I am actually enough wood ahead now that this will get two full summers to season before it is introduced to my ODW.

 

[Rookie1]

I end up borrowing a hyd. splitter when I get a load like that. Nice job with the pics too. Ill give you thumbs up for your merit badge.:msp_smile:

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Nice load!

Oh yes....I know that wood all too well! Yes....you earned your Elm badge!

Nice reuse of a spreader! Just today I was telling my FIL that I wanted a trailer with a moveable floor! Now I know what I'm going to look for to make that wood trailer! Did you do the 'conversion'? How much do you think it would take to put a belt in the bottom of that trailer so it's an automatic unloader? Do you have the chains that were on it?

 

[DeAvilaTree]

You should refurbish that trailer and spread your junk wood

 

[Steve NW WI]

I'm bettin Dogsout will mention the fact that spreaders have a hellacious tongue weight when loaded full front to back. With a tractor, not a problem. With a small truck, maybe.

The apron doesn't take a lot of power to run. I would bet a 12v electric motor of half decent size would run it with some belt / chain gear reduction.

I have a 530 IH up on the hill that's gonna get the beater taken out of one day, and leave the apron in for a wood trailer. Someday...if I ever get to the end of my someday list, I'm gonna retire!

Dogs, that'll be some nice heat when you burn it, and by then your back should have forgotten all the swinging it took to bust em up!

 

[Bushmans]

I was inspired by this so I sharpened up a chain and threw it on the new 044 BB and went out back to noodle some white elm rounds. The saw performed great and this will help dry it out and make it easier to split.
View attachment 231637

 

[zogger]

You get the elm badge complete with the gnarly elm strings clusters!

Just ain't that some fun stuff...not!

Burns good though.

Not sure if they still do it, but I know way back in the day some elm we got, got took to a mill then it went to a ...casket company!

So, you can work yourself to death processing it, then get planted in it!

there *is* an alternative way to deal with elm and like sweetgum, cut fat cookies, instead of normal size rounds and trying to split it. Depends on your heater, what you can fit, etc. I get tons of sweetgum, and if the diameter is cooperative, I just cut them things shortie size and that's it, in the stack, no splitting. I can fit a scosh over 12 inch diameter loading from the top, so, that's what I do. Normally I try to cut around 16 long, but a 12 x 12 stubbie works good for an all night or all day log, and dries just as good as a normal size split to fit.

 

[Stihl310]

Nice load, Good to see we aren't the only ones using an old spreader....

Guy I work with tried leaving the chains in the bed so he could unload wood, said it wouldnt pull the load out.

 

[branchbuzzer]

I hereby award you the Knothead Badge for splitting above and beyond the call of duty!

 

[Dogsout]

Nice load!

Oh yes....I know that wood all too well! Yes....you earned your Elm badge!

Nice reuse of a spreader! Just today I was telling my FIL that I wanted a trailer with a moveable floor! Now I know what I'm going to look for to make that wood trailer! Did you do the 'conversion'? How much do you think it would take to put a belt in the bottom of that trailer so it's an automatic unloader? Do you have the chains that were on it?

Manyhobies
I did not do the conversion on this spreader. I purchased it from a farmer that used it for the same thing I use it for, for a whopping sum of $75.00. It was run off of a pto shaft originally so if you are somewhat mechanically inclined you could probably rig something up to get this to turn. Now if you don't want to run the original spreader chain I am not sure how you could get a belt rigged up to run off of this set up. My first thought for an auto unload spreader is you probably have to pick them up and stack them when done so it may be best just to stack them right out of the trailer so you don't have to bend over to pick them up. Hey if you ever get something like this rigged up remember no pictures or it didn't happen.

SteveNW

Concerning your comment on the tongue weight you are correct, but it seems to me that the length of the spreader behind the wheels will balance out 2/3 of the weight in front of the wheels. So yes you will have tongue weight but not near what you would suspect. I have pulled a bunch of wood home with that ole 94 Blazer and it hasn't missed a beat. Now could I go out and get a bigger truck to pull it with? Sure, but you dance with what the good lord gave you so I dance a long with my old Chevy.

 

[Stihl310]

I had a load on our spreader frame that was so heavy the rear tires on the tractor were flattening out... Not sure how much weight was in it, but I've never seen them do that before.

 

[cat10ken]

No one has mentioned it yet but it looks to me like you have a load of rock elm. It sure isn't red or white elm. According to the chart previously posted, it is at the top of the list. I have hand split a lot of elm over the years with my monster maul but only when it is frozen solid or dried and brittle. I have a hydraulic splitter now but still split 95% by hand with a Fiskars x27.

 

[Dogsout]

No one has mentioned it yet but it looks to me like you have a load of rock elm. It sure isn't red or white elm. According to the chart previously posted, it is at the top of the list. I have hand split a lot of elm over the years with my monster maul but only when it is frozen solid or dried and brittle. I have a hydraulic splitter now but still split 95% by hand with a Fiskars x27.

If it is indeed rock elm, then you sir have just made my day!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BrokenToys]

that was after cutting it off the splitter when it got jammed on it.

 

[ShaneLogs]

I thought I read on here some where that if you don't post the pics you do not earn your Elm merit badge. I want that badge so here you go. The second of two loads on my high $ wood trailer. (Right or wrong I usually figure two loads as the one pictured is about 1 cord.) In the one picture you can see the two that I said the heck with and will drag them over to the brush pile. From what I gather from the previous thread Elm is doable under the right circumstances, but in my case I had virtually everything going against me splitting this. Anyway I got the last load home and will stack tomorrow to finish up. I am actually enough wood ahead now that this will get two full summers to season before it is introduced to my ODW.

That wood looks stringy as s***! I bet it splits like a devil to!

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

that was after cutting it off the splitter when it got jammed on it.

Been there DONE THAT! (more than once!)

It's amassing what will stop a hydraulic splitter! We have a thin splitting wedge and some of that Elm (even the soft Maple dropped in Zumbrota) can stop the ram cold! And it's no wimpy splitter!

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

I'm bettin Dogsout will mention the fact that spreaders have a hellacious tongue weight when loaded full front to back. With a tractor, not a problem. With a small truck, maybe.

The apron doesn't take a lot of power to run. I would bet a 12v electric motor of half decent size would run it with some belt / chain gear reduction.

I have a 530 IH up on the hill that's gonna get the beater taken out of one day, and leave the apron in for a wood trailer. Someday...if I ever get to the end of my someday list, I'm gonna retire!

Dogs, that'll be some nice heat when you burn it, and by then your back should have forgotten all the swinging it took to bust em up!

Day project? Let me know!