Firewood processing

[Crofter]

Looking at getting a full load of logs for firewood, I think they are delivered in 3m lengths, so will need chopped into rounds and then split. Interestingly I work out the cost as 1.5p/kWh or 2p once stove efficiency is taken into account. Considerably better than the electric storage heaters I am currently using!

 

In the spirit of starting as I mean to go on, I think I will need to invest in some machinery for processing. Somehow I think the novelty of chainsaw + axe will wear thin after a couple of winters. And chainsaws freak me out a bit anyway.

 

So wondering if anybody has any experience of a log saw, e.g. http://www.screwfix.com/p/scheppach-hs410-405mm-swivel-log-saw-2-2kw/3014k

 

Followed by a hydraulic splitter- how much do I need to spend here? I see they start at around £150.

 

Cheers

[TerryE]

Where you live, I think that we can give you a bye on going woodstove (And we do the same in our current farmhouse).  Wood burning is high labour.  There's no denying.  If you want efficient burn then you need to cut and stack your wood for a couple of years to get the moisture content down (otherwise a large % of the heat energy goes into boiling off sap water up the chimney).  

 

If your logs need cut to length then you'll need a chainsaw, plus making up a logging cradle and PPE such as kelvar trousers, ear defenders and gloves.  I can't remember how old you are but IIRC you are a couple of decades behind me.  Even so, doing a 3-4 tonne load of logs is back-breaking work so you will need to be reasonably fit and do your yoga ( ... ) exercises to strengthen  those muscles.  IMO, your don't need a hydraulic splitter for green wood, though a couple of splitting wedges, a sledge hammer and a splitting axe are pretty essential.

 

BTW, if you have electricity on-site then I'd recommend an electric chainsaw.  I always had problems starting my bloody Stihl, so I swapped it with a friend and bought myself one of these.  Bloody useless for wandering around a forest, but perfectly adequate for working in the garden at a saw bench, but buy yourself a set of sharpening files and watch the usual "how to sharpen a chainsaw" videos on YouTube.

[PeterW]

So.....

 

If you go down the chainsaw route, get the gear and always wear it - no exceptions !

 

If you buy one of those log saws then get the same chainsaw gear as I've seen them hit nails in timber and they spit teeth at speed !!!!! They are also pretty useless at anything over 140mm so I would be surprised if your supplier sent anything under 150mm/6" as its just not that viable as firewood.

 

I would get a TecTake rack - they are great and you can cut a lot of logs pretty quickly with a decent chainsaw. If you aren't overly happy with sharpening a saw then get one with the Oregon PowerSharp bar. These are a little pricey (although a B&Q chainsaw comes with one !) and they sharpen on the bar.

 

Most of the splitters are the same when they are less than £250, but try and get one that is reasonably tall unless you want to sit on the floor surrounded by logs...

 

 

[PeterW]

Oh and unless you're a double jointed 6'8" giant - don't buy one of these ...!!! Waste of money and very slow.

 

Safety Saw Horse

[ProDave]

One of our neighbours does that. Buys a lorry load of logs and processes them.

 

You won't be lifting 3 metre logs onto a saw horse. He just saws them into slices where they are on the stack with a chain saw. I don't know if he splits them with an electric splitter or by swinging a splitting maul. And you don't want or need to do them all at once.

 

Personally I have never paid for firewood yet, but then there are more trees over this side, and a god winter gale always brings some down, or at least the beech trees drop some useful sized branches.  When I do collect big trunks, I usually saw them into slices fairly soon and leave them as slices and split them later.

 

 

[Declan52]

http://www.screwfix.com/p/titan-ttb355chn-40-5cm-2000w-electric-chainsaw-230v/92771

http://www.screwfix.com/p/roughneck-log-splitter-set-3-pieces/48279

 

I have logged up close on 30 trees average about 18inch wide and have only blunted one chain so far, hit an old nail in one trunk. Have used the chainsaw to cut pallets and other scrap timber up so it has well made its money by now. It does like the chain oil though.

You can easily split the logs with maul once you get the hang of it. Nothing as satisfying hearing that crack when you make contact. I have around 2-3 years worth sitting at my shed drying out. 

 

[Crofter]

Good call on the electric chainsaw- somehow seems less daunting even though logically it's every bit as dangerous, perhaps more so since there is a 230v cable to chop through or trip up on   But that's psychology for you.

 

I've got a decent splitting axe, it was my FiL's, who has upgraded to a very nice hydraulic splitter. I learned how to swing one working on farms in NZ. Satisfying for sure, but you feel it for a few days afterwards. Think I may pony up for a cheap splitter but will check out reviews etc.

 

The logs will be stacked quite close to my house so I need to work out how and where to have my processing area. The new house will have a large, dry, space underneath that I can fill with split logs- should swallow a few tonnes.

[TerryE]

@Declan52same chainsaw as me The maul set seems a bargain.

 

Rob, the maul takes a bit of getting used to.  Momentum and accuracy.  Also the C of G is slightly off the axis of the shaft so the head naturally turns to split the wood on impact.   I recommend making up your own bench out of offcuts.  Then you won't cry when you accidentally saw it in half!!  

[Crofter]

Tbh, as Dave says, I'm not going to be lifting these logs anywhere due to the size- so probably no need for a bench.

 

I could start out with the splitting axe, until I get an idea of how knotty the wood is and can choose an appropriate splitting machine.

[PeterW]

5 minutes ago, Crofter said:

Tbh, as Dave says, I'm not going to be lifting these logs anywhere due to the size- so probably no need for a bench.

 

I could start out with the splitting axe, until I get an idea of how knotty the wood is and can choose an appropriate splitting machine.

 

Just out of interest how big are they..??! Splitting green is easy - let it dry even a couple of months and it will tighten up so worth while doing it as soon as practical.

[Crofter]

Haven't got them yet but judging by what I see stacked up locally, they are full grown conifers so something like 30-45cm diameter. I'd better make sure the lorry puts them in the right spot, I'm not shifting 24t of wood in anything other than very small pieces!

 

(by the way, my BOTE calculation suggests that this load will keep my little stove burning continuously at full chat for about a year and a half).

[TerryE]

Just make sure that you've got a full hot tank so you can have a good steep and top-up in the bath when you are done!

[Declan52]

I used an old pallet to roll the trees on to so they where up of the ground then cut them into  6ft lengths and from there onto a saw horse where they where cut into 1ft lengths. 

[Declan52]

53 minutes ago, TerryE said:

@Declan52same chainsaw as me The maul set seems a bargain.

 

Rob, the maul takes a bit of getting used to.  Momentum and accuracy.  Also the C of G is slightly off the axis of the shaft so the head naturally turns to split the wood on impact.   I recommend making up your own bench out of offcuts.  Then you won't cry when you accidentally saw it in half!!  

If there is a better chainsaw for £50 I would love to see it. 

The maul is that good I didn't need to use the grenade. 

[gravelld]

Anyone had a problem with the chain brake failing on the Titan electric chainsaw? Mine runs for about 3s after switching off now...

 

What's the best saw horse for smaller diameter cuts, e.g. I have a load of beech that will be fine for burning, but only 5-10cm diameter. When the chainsaw meets the wood, it inevitably moves. Best to have a saw horse with teeth rather than a clamp?

Edited January 24, 2017 by gravelld

[Declan52]

Bring it back. Screwfix have a brilliant return policy. As they take your name and address when you buy something it will be on their system. 

[Temp]

12 hours ago, Crofter said:

Haven't got them yet but judging by what I see stacked up locally, they are full grown conifers

 

Perhaps not the best wood. It burns a bit fast and can produce a lot of tar.

[Crofter]

5 minutes ago, Temp said:

 

Perhaps not the best wood. It burns a bit fast and can produce a lot of tar.

 

It is literally that or nowt.

I'm not sure if you've been to the north west of Scotland but big spruce plantations are all we've got.

 

Well I guess I could burn peat instead

[TerryE]

2 hours ago, gravelld said:

What's the best saw horse for smaller diameter cuts, e.g. I have a load of beech that will be fine for burning, but only 5-10cm diameter. When the chainsaw meets the wood, it inevitably moves. Best to have a saw horse with teeth rather than a clamp?

 

The height is a trade-off: bending the back all of the time or lifting wood.  I personally prefer using my legs to lift and keeping my back straight when I cut. 

 

As to the notch, IMO you should engage the dog teeth and then let the saw's own weight and its own pull rotate it into the log.  No need to push, pull or force the blade down; if you are doing this then your technique is wrong.  This being the case, the notch only needs to be half (maybe up to the full) maximum width that you want to cut.

 

And keep your blade sharp.  As I said before the files are cheap and YouTube gives you lessons on technique.  If you do start hitting nails then it's probably eaiser just to order a new chain.  They only cost ~£15, IIRC

[Temp]

I'm not sure if you've been to the north west of Scotland but big spruce plantations are all we've got.

 

In which case I would make sure you choose a stove that doesn't tar up it's glass. We have two wood burners, one is a Clearview stove and the other is a European made fire insert. Both burn the same wood which is usually a well seasoned mix of oak and ash. The Clearview is great but the fire insert manages to obscure it's glass rapidly. If used all day it would need cleaning at least every other day. Some say you just rub it with newspaper, well no way would that work for me. It's not dry soot, its more like the sticky tar you sometimes find on a beach. We have to use something like HG stove glass cleaner to get it off and it's a very messy job requiring plenty of protection for you, the floor and the fire surround. There is also a nice stainless steel gasket with sharp edges to be cleaned.

Edited January 24, 2017 by Temp

[Dudda]

12 hours ago, Declan52 said:

If there is a better chainsaw for £50 I would love to see it. 

The maul is that good I didn't need to use the grenade. 

Have the same one and it's one of my best every buys. Could do with changing my chain now but it's a great price and keeps going.

[TerryE]

7 minutes ago, Temp said:

In which case I would make sure you choose a stove that doesn't tar up it's glass.

 

Or just get one that doesn't have the glass in the first place. I think that Jøtul still do these.

[Crofter]

Thanks for the words of wisdom re stoves but I think I'm doing fine.

My first stove was an Aarow which was OK... when I moved house I shopped around a bit more and ended up getting a Charnwood. Massive improvement, the airwash feeds via tubes in the top of the stove and the preheated air does a far better job of keeping the glass clear.

The new house has a Burley stove rated at 89% efficiency. I cannot wait to get it fired up, it has been designed by someone who really understands the principles of how a fire should work (i.e. get it hot, keep it hot, nothing up the chimney except CO2 and H2O, ideally).

I also bake all my firewood on a rack above the stove, so it is already hot and dry when I throw it in. Obviously this needs a bit of an eye kept on it, especially when wood has resin pockets in it. The smell lingers...

[ToughButterCup]

26 minutes ago, Crofter said:

[...]

I also bake all my firewood on a rack above the stove, so it is already hot and dry when I throw it in. Obviously this needs a bit of an eye kept on it, especially when wood has resin pockets in it. The smell lingers...

 

Take care. One or two over the eight, a bit of a happy-dragon doze; it doesn't need to catch fire, just smoulder and smoke until the almost inevitable

 

Forgot to add: Stihl do some 'twisting' wedges: get four, that'll see you through the largest tree. Split in half and half again; a cheap saw will cope with the results

[Crofter]

Yes I'm aware of the dangers of keeping wood too close to the stove... it does make a huge difference though if you can get the moisture meter to read less than 10%. Suffice to say I would never leave it unattended.

 

The increased efficiency is remarkable... I have sometimes pondered some sort of Heath-Robinson contraption where you suspend a basket of wood above the stove, on a counterweight, and once the water has been baked out of the wood it would swing out of the way. Somehow I don't think I would get it past SWMBO...