This point has been covered several times but sorta buried.
Cutting and splitting 4 ft lengths does make a lot of sense but only if you are using a buzz saw or similar circular saw to cut it to final length later. No way do I want to be fooling around using a chainsaw to cut split sticks to length even with the fancy saw bucks that have been posted here. I also built a version of one back when that worked well, but it is still a real nuisance cutting small stuff with a chainsaw.
Harry K
I had a guy come my place a few years ago with a portable Band Saw Lumber Mill. to saw a bunch of logs into lumber for me. Over 30 logs where cut.
Prior to getting my logs cut, I built a fair sized Saw Bucking Horse that was
24" wide at the top of the V, and it was 6' long, for cutting the slab wood, from the logs. It was well braced around the bottom as well.
I built the frame like a big X using 2" x 4" x 5' long. The bottom of the top V was 2 1/2' off the ground. I used 2" x 6" around the whole bottom, and at the top of the bottom V, for support. I spaced the associations in between at
14", so that I would be able to cut 12" or 16" lengths, with out too much interference from the sections.
As the logs where squared up, we pulled the slab wood off the top of the log, after the saw had went through. We placed each slab after it was cut, into the bucking horse, to get it out of the road, of the saw, and the operators.
After we loaded the bucking horse, with about 10 to 20 pieces of slab wood, pretty even at one end, I then took a measuring stick, and marked the load with a small liming axe, I then took my McCulloch 700 Chain Saw, with a 24" bar on it, and cut through the whole stack.
One cut made a pile of wood in a hurry. As I cut, one side of the bucking horse got a little heavy, so I switched sides, and cut until the other side got heavy, and switched back and forth.
I had my wood hauler, an old manure spreader with the back beaters removed, and with the unloading apron intact for unloading with use of the tractor, and PTO, parked for loading the 16" lengths of slab wood into to haul away.
There was no problems what so ever because the slab wood bind ed itself tight into the V of the Saw Bucking Horse, from all the weight. The length of the slab wood was from 10' to 21' in length, prior to cutting.
If you build your Saw Bucking Horse properly, and load it properly, you will be able to cut split wood safely, because it will bind itself into the V.
I split my wood with a splitter after I cut it into 12" or 16" lenghts. I'm no good swinging the axe any more. My back won't allow it. I like the Idea of pushing oil at high pressures, one way or another. Makes life, and work a little easier. Hope this helps. Work Safe. Bruce. :greenchainsaw: