Machinery, firewood and a bit of fun. I post videos (when I can) of projects I try my hand at and the successes and failures I have. You can read my newly created blog at www.jrindustries.net.au/blog/categories/woodcutting-and-around-the-mill I'll be posting my thoughts and experiences as a small firewood and timber business owner in Australia.
That stuff does look good. I wonder how much hotter it is than our stuff? I know when camping in the Fink River Gorge area (somewhere miles from Alice Springs) in 2018, I was astounded how hot the trash firewood we gathered up burned, and how long it lasted.
If I had any understanding of the firewood BTU index I'd try work it out but I don't so I won't 😂. I know it's a lot hotter and longer burning than the pine we grow around here! That would have been a nice spot to camp 🔥
You find those tractor loader forks are easy to dig with don't you, especially when you cantt see their angle, as the tips are so far forward that any rotation is magnified. To avoid this try do it by feel keep the forks where you know they are up about 6" or so off the ground till you feel they hit the log then dip the forks angle slightly till you see the log roll on then you know you are about level, if need drop loader too. It's frustrating not being able to see but I found this works for me, of course still get dirt sometimes. I hate getting dirt on freshly sawn boards.
Thanks for the tips! When I posted this video I'd only had the loader for maybe 6 months - I've definitely picked up some tricks since then thankfully.
My first thought was a mirror as well , mounted to the tripping table at the right angle? but camera also sounds good. They might not take the rattling and vibration well. Another thought would be something to do with the hydraulics or linkage. Some change up that increases the bar withdrawal speed. That could possibly be done with an odd change up or linkage so it flips back quickly once its so far so the travel doesn't matter.?
The tipping table is REALLY violent especially when I try to shake a block if it gets caught up. It snapped the flapper frame in half. That's another good idea with the increase in withdrawal speed- would need to look into making it load sensitive as the logs vary in size from 30" down to 8" which makes it hard to have a set and forget quick return.
The simplest short term answer would be to fit a convex mirror so that you can look along the line of the log. A more elegant solution would be to mount a camera in a similar position to what you have on "Firewood Processor productivity - being realistic!." and have a monitor somewhere in something like a direct line between you and the saw. Either option you'll likely need a battery leaf blower or similar as sawdust will need to be blown clear.
A 12v camera might be the answer! I think the mirror would get busted- I had the same thought until I had a big log slip on the forks and smash into the machine. Thank!!I I'll look into some reversing cameras or similar.
Great stuff. The missing knife in the splitter would be a several hour job, I'm guessing? I think you're right about hours. Are you trying to see what's the maximum volume production/ per hour, or tracking your input time so you're getting your costs covered and calculated.? That's two different things altogether. Slow and steady wins the race. The controls look like it would take a bit to get smooth with those. Cleaning it, there's hundreds of methods. I'm still hoping to build a disk screener. It would take all that stuff you started your video with and get the usable stuff out. I'd definitely use it for my boiler. But buying a manufactured one is something like 20 thousand US dollars. - no thanks. Enjoyed the whole video.
You are right I think the missing knife would be hours to fix, getting the correct angles to account for the fall of the hopper and the fanning of the knifes for the lack of a better word would also be a real pain. I like getting the production/hourly rate because I can calculate what it costs, and more importantly what I can achieve in an average day. I've got it working to the point one person with a chainsaw can block the same amount of wood so that was my ultimate goal. As for the controls- I'm in the process of ordering joysticks and new valves. The reason being I'd like to make it easier to train an operator to use the machine. I agree with you on the disc cleaner they are really cool and I'd love to have one, but I do not like parting with money 🤣 Give me a lathe and I'd have a crack at making one! Thanks again for watching 🪓
Those small logs, you need the 4 ft solid logs I had yesterday. Only took a couple logs for a load and gun barrel straight, too good for a processor. 😂
I hear you! I have most of the parts to build a disk screener, but it's not a small project. It definitely will be worth it in the end. Especially with snow in the winter.
I have been talking to the owner of Jobs Engineering. Nicest bloke you'll meet in a days march. Speaks of the quality to still be making wood at the age it is- about the same age as me!
heh mate, to avoid having to pull split blocks apart build your bench up an inch or two, i just put a flat piece of timber on my vertical splitter bench and it works great
Hey thanks for the tip! When I built the splitter we made the spacing so our standard size block only just fits in the space. In hindsight I should have made the splitting wedge more aggressive to split the wood apart further as it went down.
On the chainsaw I'm running.063" Stihl Tungsten and I can't recommend it enough. On the mill I got some unbranded Chinese chain that was the only stuff in the bigger gauge that I could find.
That's working great holding and dropping the chunks like that. The saying "slow and steady wins the race" fits here. All kinds of people telling you it's too slow & no volunteers offering to buy you a faster machine! All that chips and trash would burn 100% fine in my outside wood burner. It's forced air & I just shovel it in when I have any. The chain: do the teeth have tungsten grit on them, or are they a welded insert? Couldn't tell watching on my phone.
Yeh it's a really good concept I can't believe someone would have removed the original clamp! As for a faster machine, this machine will do a 4ft log, bent logs, knotty logs you name it. Watching some of the flash machines on RU-vid and how they need gun barrel straight logs and are so limited by size it makes me appreciate the consistency of output from mine. The chain has about a 4mm wide tungsten tip welded on. It held up really well- I have tried the same brand in chainsaw chain and it was really dismal but that was because it ripped teeth off constantly which I put down to being too narrow.
"been having a bit of trouble with the mill lately" while loading it with ironbark... lol. Did the people who made that mill know what ironbark is? Usually when you tell non-Australians about timber that will throw sparks when you hit it with a chainsaw, they look at you like they think you're pulling their leg.
I think the problems I was having was due to sap build up mainly. I bought tungsten bands and it made good progress with blade life but the sap and stress in the logs was a big problem for me as a novice.
Don't tell them about Cooktown Ironwood then, it's so dense it sinks. Much harder than anything on the east coast. I've milled a fair bit of timber, the hardest being Iron Bark, Red Gum, Red Mahogany, Tallow, Spotty and others, very hard and the stringy and iron barks too can cause a lot of abrasion and jamming of chain. Trying to not breath the dust sawing and milling is a challenge, must be avoided as has silica.
@@tealkerberus748 VG but the Cooktown Ironwood is scarce and mainly in Nth Qld and NT which are out of the main timber industry areas of the eastern sea board where most mills are, so not sure how much is produced. The main commercial processed flooring in Australia is produced from Tassie to Se Qld, species like Spotted Gum, Red Gum, Blue Gum and of course the famous Iron Bark. The best of all the flooring goes straight to export it's in such high demand abroad. Furnature: it's beautiful timber but super heavy. Look up images: Red Gum furniture or Spotted Gum Furniture, especially pretty with fiddle back grain.
I already watched the long video of this job, but failed to ask or hear what's the plan for the trash you piled up? Burn just before it rains? Or is it always too dry to risk burning?
The farmer that owns the property will likely burn it in the winter. I've never had anything to do with burning box thorn but being so loose and spindley I am betting those piles will burn fast and uncontrolled! Glad it's not me to be honest 😂
Cool stuff. Good little machine for that job. I m guessing brown snakes are poisonous? We have no snakes to speak of in our area except the very rare garter snake.
Im interested to know what you think about working it after its been seasoned. I have an architect wanting a post and beam arrangement and im looking to mortice and tenon my upright post and house my beams in a ring beam with dovetails... I worry i wont be able to drive anything through it screw wise and would probably have to bolt everything.
Well, funnily enough I am a terrible wood worker! So I can't give any insight into the workability, but I know Ironbark goes bloody hard! The fences I did I used cup head bolts drilled right through.
Have found a few things I've been able to adjust or modify. Have even found what the original log return was like on the machine when new so will be working to recreate that as it is a really great method
G’day mate , Aussie her end just subscribed. That machine has potential for sure . I see you’re using the Fiskars pickeroon , don’t know how I ever did without when I’m splitting firewood .
Hey Bloke yeh we're definitely starting to get somewhere with the machine. Won't ever be as fast as some of the new machines but it is versatile and built tough. Yeh the pickeroon is handy I actually was surprised to find it at Mitre 10 one day! Thanks for subscribing I have been a bit slack with posting.
There was a restriction in the suction from the tank and we've fixed that. I think the only thing left keeping it from running the optimal speed (for me) is the engine speed. It's a non turbo and likes revving well under 2000RPM. If you try it at 2200+ the functions are a great speed. So I may swap the motor out when time permits.
just found your channel I subscribe hope you are doing well down under going to be a nice machine after you put a little time and effort into it.big hi from Arkansas in the u.s.have a wonderful up and coming week friend.
Great to have you here, and thanks for subscribing! She's a beautiful big bit of kit, wish I could spend more time getting it up to where it needs to be.
Thanks I'll be doing a normal video but when I went to film everything was running in super slow motion and I didn't have time to work out the problem. Ended up being low oil supply so an easy fix. Just haven't had time to get back into it.
That looks like it's working okay. If that top thing that sweeps the wood back was a little shorter, would it work better or would then it be in the way all the time?
Yeh it would work better but the blocks would jam either feeding in or when they're big top heavy ones. The way I'm going to overcome that but have the same effect is out two very small (possibly pneumatic) cylinders in the push plate, I'll have these actuate on each return pushing out and holding the block against the plate. This should fix the problem of me needing to adjust each block when it's returned to the hopper bed.
@@lovesloudcars the pneumatic option should give me a faster action and less clamping pressure so it shouldn't cause further issues. Time will tell. I'll be posting a long form video soon to show the functions properly.
Hopefully you continue to get the bugs out of the system. Shaving an hour off per load is pretty good. I have one conveyor with the belt like that and I was thinking of changing it to have roller chain on both sides and then tie the belt to it. It seems like those types of belts always want to wander because they get trash stuck between the roller and the belt and it rubs on the side somewhere all the time.
I don't think any of the previous owners have done any tracking or maintenance on it for a long time if ever! I'm thinking of putting a couple of joiners and maybe some new sections in it until it starts making me money.
I haven't had a chance to do a video yet, but I added a heavy rubber flap on the chute, removed the top blade and added an arm to pull the top blocks of wood back and turned it into a box blade type splitter. This pretty much eliminated the issue with blocks going sideways and shaved an hour off per truck load!
