Back-Saving Firewood Cutting Table

2007 - Volume #31, Issue #4, Page #17

[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story | Read this issue]

Often the simplest ideas turn out to be the best ones. That's the case with this firewood cutting table built by Donald and Mark Sears of Redwood, N.Y.
    "It eliminates the need to bend over while cutting firewood, and also prevents chainsaw kickback," says Donald.
    The table is designed so two operators can cut firewood at the same time, one at each end of the table. It measures 6 ft. long by 4 ft. wide and mounts on a base made from 16-in. channel iron. The table's surface is about 4 ft. above the ground and consists of a series of five 8-ft. long, 8-in. sq. timbers spaced about 6 in. apart. The timbers are bolted to a pair of larger wooden beams bolted crosswise to the base.
    A forklift is used to pile logs onto the table. To cut a log into firewood length, the operator cuts through it at every space between the timbers. A series of 6-in. high wooden pegs, or stops, keep the cut logs from accidentally falling onto the operator's feet. Once the log has been cut, the operator pushes it over the side of the table.
    Once all the logs have been cut into firewood length, a tractor is used to pull the table out of the way, making room for a log splitter which minimizes the handling of wood.
    "We built it five years ago and it still works great. I don't know why I didn't think of it a long time ago," says Sears. "Two men can easily cut 35 face cord of wood in an 8-hour work day. Yet even after a full day's work I don't have any back pain. The timbers are spaced on 16-in. centers which is just the right length for firewood. The empty space between the timbers makes it impossible for a chainsaw bar to come in contact with anything but wood."
    A local machine shop built the base for about $500. "We made a cardboard pattern for the welder to follow. We used our own sawmill to cut the timbers," says Sears.
    "We made the table's surface 8 ft. long because that way both operators can reach to the center of the table and pull the logs toward him," he notes.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Don Sears, 41783 County Route 21, Redwood, N.Y. 13679 (ph 315 628-5535).

Click here to download page story appeared in.

Click here to read entire issue

Back-Saving Firewood Cutting Table WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 31-4-17 Often the simplest ideas turn out to be the best ones. That's the case with this firewood cutting table built by Donald and Mark Sears of Redwood, N.Y. "It eliminates the need to bend over while cutting firewood, and also prevents chainsaw kickback," says Donald. The table is designed so two operators can cut firewood at the same time, one at each end of the table. It measures 6 ft. long by 4 ft. wide and mounts on a base made from 16-in. channel iron. The table's surface is about 4 ft. above the ground and consists of a series of five 8-ft. long, 8-in. sq. timbers spaced about 6 in. apart. The timbers are bolted to a pair of larger wooden beams bolted crosswise to the base. A forklift is used to pile logs onto the table. To cut a log into firewood length, the operator cuts through it at every space between the timbers. A series of 6-in. high wooden pegs, or stops, keep the cut logs from accidentally falling onto the operator's feet. Once the log has been cut, the operator pushes it over the side of the table. Once all the logs have been cut into firewood length, a tractor is used to pull the table out of the way, making room for a log splitter which minimizes the handling of wood. "We built it five years ago and it still works great. I don't know why I didn't think of it a long time ago," says Sears. "Two men can easily cut 35 face cord of wood in an 8-hour work day. Yet even after a full day's work I don't have any back pain. The timbers are spaced on 16-in. centers which is just the right length for firewood. The empty space between the timbers makes it impossible for a chainsaw bar to come in contact with anything but wood." A local machine shop built the base for about $500. "We made a cardboard pattern for the welder to follow. We used our own sawmill to cut the timbers," says Sears. "We made the table's surface 8 ft. long because that way both operators can reach to the center of the table and pull the logs toward him," he notes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Don Sears, 41783 County Route 21, Redwood, N.Y. 13679 (ph 315 628-5535).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.

SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW NOW