iDRY Vacuum Kilns

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Think it through

Started by r.man, April 08, 2018, 05:55:20 PM

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r.man

I have wanted a block lifter for my wood splitter since I handled some 240 pound pieces of wood a few years ago and I hope to make one this season out of a battery winch, a bit of scrap steel and a crank jack. I always thought I would use my log tongs to attach the cable to the wood but not any longer. I recently saw a few videos about a product called Gorillabac and while the main lift looks good it is not exactly revolutionary. What is revolutionary is the way the lift cable is attached to the block. Picture a small diameter steering wheel with a large wood screw attached to the center of one side so rotating the wheel turns the screw into or out of the wood easily. Screw it into the side of a big block, clip the cable onto the wheel and use the winch to lift the block onto the splitter. Now you have to think it through, if the block is overly large split a quarter off one side, avoiding the screw, and allow the main piece to hang off to the side while you resplit or toss the quarter. When needed bring the main back in to get another piece and repeat until only one decent sized piece is left. Split or turn out the screw out and you are done. Almost impossible to do with tongs which leave you juggling at least one and sometimes two oversized pieces. If the block just needs to be halved then tongs would be faster but not when the block needs to go into 4 or more pieces. If I had more money than time I really like the look of the whole package but that is not the case. How It Works - Gorillabac 
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

gspren

 I think tongs with a bungie to keep the points in contact would be faster and just as easy to split to the side of. I have used a black rubber strap and 2 worm-gear hose clamps to keep a bit of pressure on until I draw tight when skidding.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

r.man

That is exactly what I thought at first and I still think that for a block that is up to twice what you are comfortable picking up. You pick it up with the tongs and release it on the splitter. Now you halve it, let the one half fall to the ground or a wing and balance the second half to process. Quick. But what about a block that is 5 times the weight that you are comfortable with? If you split it in half you are now dealing with two large unwieldy pieces that are dangerously perched at waste height and moving and both need to be at least controlled. If you have a screw attachment then you can slice off a manageable piece and allow the winch to control the other. Repeat until done. For big blocks it is genius.
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

Hilltop366

I had seen that rig on u tube a while back, looks like a good idea for the really big bocks on a horizontal splitter, no reason why you could not use both the screw and the tongs depending on the size of the block.

If I was starting from having nothing I think a vertical splitter or a Box wedge would be better for larger blocks.

47sawdust

 

I started with this,Gm spindle 360° rotation,simple worked well.Sold everything in the picture and now own this.

Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

r.man

I like the platform lifts but you still have to manhandle the block over to and onto the platform. This winch style seems superior for severely oversized blocks that are hard to more horizontally as well.
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

gspren

Whether you use the screw in attachment or the tongs you can take as big or small a chunk off as you want just not through the grip point, keep the tong points within about 2" of the outer diameter. Also to do this you need the wedge on the ram like the horizontal/vertical type.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

J 5

   We started by building a 4 foot wood splitter , with an electric winch with tongs, ( a nice work out). Used that set up for years, then moved on to a muskeg with Hardy log loader. Loading a trailer with hydraulic tailgate to push the wood toward the splitter.
Works well for us.    J5  

 

 

r.man

I am not sure what I am looking at, is the gate chain driven to push a load off the back? Secondly is the wood burnt in that length?
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

J 5

             Yes the gate pushes the wood towards the splitter, keeps the clam well away from the splitting crew. The finished product goes into an Empyre 450.      J5

r.man

Did you also do a switchover on the long splitter, moving wedge and splitting in line with the axle? The second splitter looks like the country cousin of the first.
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

J 5

Same  splitter, the wheels can be moved from the sides to the ends easily using square tubing pockets, like a tow hitch. If I need to go through a tight spot, I can put the wheels back on the side's and the splitter will follow the trailer by a articulated joint holding the two together.

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