The weather was awful yesterday so I was a little undecided with what to do. I wanted to make the most of the daylight so I thought I'd just go and cut some firewood up for next year. When you're kitted up and the saw running you don't notice the weather too much, well I don't.
I am fed up of cutting branches on the floor though. It's no good for my back or for the saw blade, every time I skim the ground it blunts it slightly. So I decided to knock together a quick saw buck to make it a little easier and efficient for me.
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| My new saw buck. |
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| Made from 4 lengths of rough 4x2 |
It only took me half an hour to knock up and should last a little while so long as I'm careful with the saw. I used some old timber to make it with so it didn't cost anything other than a few screws and three bolts.
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| Loaded with wood |
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| First little batch done, wood given to me by a neighbour - I might add a bottom rail to the saw buck to strengthen it a little bit. |
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| It's much easier than bending down for each cut. cutting the willow we pollarad the other day. |
It's a little tricky to get the wood to stay where you want to start with, but once I got going it made cutting the branches much easier. I could do multiple lenghts in one cut and have a pile of fire wood in no time.
With the light nights now it means I can spend a bit of time each night splitting this logged up wood ready for burning next year (if it dries enough). I'm planning on making up a palletised system for storing, drying and moving my firewood using pallet collars chicken wire and euro pallets. Last time I had them stored in just pallets with pallet collars but there wasn't enough air flow and some started to go mouldy.
Does anyone else use a saw buck for cutting firewood? Is it similar to mine? How do you store your firewood over the summer?
We only heat with wood. We have a metal saw horse, DB doesn't have a chain saw, just an ordinary one. I love splitting any logs we get. Something so satisfying about having heat by our own labours
ReplyDeleteWe have only spent about £100 on oil in the last two years so wood is pretty important to us as well! I also love splitting logs and find it satisfying but I don;t know if I'll be saying that forever!
DeleteMartin got himself a saw horse a couple of months ago when his back trouble returned, I have been saying to him the past two years to make one, my dad use to use one to save his back, he kept saying he didnt need one now he as it he loves it, should have listened to me, but do they ever :-) We are building up wood stores for next winter so far they are just on a pallet covered with tarpaulin I will suggest your idea.
ReplyDeleteIt does make it quicker! I've got a few ideas for storing wood but I want mine to be movable for now as we're going to start the extension soon and I don;t want them in the way.
DeleteMy daughter and son in law bought David a metal one for Christmas. He can saw for so much longer, with multiple lengths, like you. He wonders why he didn't use one before as it is so much kinder on his back. When we get going and I do the feeding and moving away we can get a goodly pile going in no time.
ReplyDeleteFor small lengths it's so much faster it's like doing a different job! I keep all branches and burn everything and normally dread cutting up the little bits.
Deletehubby just uses a modified workmate , he made a v shaped jig to go in the jaws . we store them in a south facing open fronted barn in 1 ton bags and they dry pretty quick . Hubby did think about buying one of the self supporting log holders but I am not convinced, i would however buy one of the the saw horse /chop saw combinations but he won't entertain the cost even if it would reduce his workload
ReplyDeleteI wanted this to be left outside so I didn't want to make it out of anything of value. I think the self supported ones would be too slow for the amount of wood I want to get chopped in a short space of time!
DeleteLooks very much like one I knocked up many years ago and used for a long time, I did put a bottom rail on each side, seems to make it a bit steadier.
ReplyDeleteYeah a bottom rail might makes it last a little longer, I think I'll add one next time I'm going to use it I think.
DeleteI need to make one like you have but currently use one made out of a shipping crate. I put a wheel on one leg and handles on the other end so that I can flip it up on that wheel and move it around like a wheelbarrow. I also screwed wooden uprights on the 2x3 handles of another wheelbarrow that I have over engineered and use for wood cutting. I can lay a small log across the handles diagonally through the up rights and use a chainsaw or buck saw on it. Mobility is key to where I have to go to cut wood. I think a wheel could be put on your design to move it but if you have a tractor a 3pt hitch could be rigged up.
ReplyDeleteThis one folds down and is pretty light so I can carry it on my shoulder if I need to. I'd like to make it so I can saw the logs a little smaller if needed.
DeleteI just got one of those from my neighbor who is moving. However, I found a much better solution for cutting wood. I TRADE hay and chicken feed to people who then BRING me wood. Although now that I'm thinking about it I am not sure I am saving any effort...
ReplyDeleteMy cousin is a logger and runs a machine that cuts a tree, measures it, then cuts it into different lengths. He says it is the best way to cut firewood. He parks his pickup under the machine and cuts a load of wood in five minutes.
I do get firewood from my brother but it's good to supply as much of my own as I can.
DeleteI know what you mean about a trade of skills - it's not always easier. How much did your cousins machine cost though as I bet if I had to buy one it would be cheaper to heat the house on oil!
I posted a blog about our: Homemade Chainsaw Horse For The Smallholding last June and you commented that you liked it Kev. Ours is made of steel. Do you sharpen your own chainsaw chains? Perhaps you could do some posts about chainsaw maintenance?
ReplyDeleteI remember Dave, but my skills lie in wood not metal so I went for this. Yours will last longer though! I do sharpen the blade but I'm not great at it compared to my brother who is!
DeleteYou could sell those here. Everybody needs one and wants one, but most people (like me) don't have the patience to make one. Don't know anywhere you can buy one within a half days drive, either.
ReplyDeleteSounds like my skills would work well for me around your way!
DeleteCheers Gorge, Should help to keep us warm next winter!
ReplyDeletethe power miter satisfies and helps you create your work quicker and easier which is more accurate in creating crosscuts on your work more guide about Miter Saw ho check out https://protoolzguide.com
ReplyDeleteChainsaw sharpeners come in many different types, from hydraulic sharpeners to electrical sharpeners and much more. Irrespective of your budget, you need to be able to find a terrific chainsaw sharpener for the own purposes. Invest in a chainsaw sharpener and maintain your saw running easily.How To Sharpen a Chainsaw Chain
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