I've been wanting a conveyor to eliminate the bottle neck around my Supersplitter.I found a dual chain bale elevator on CL a couple weeks ago and turned into a firewood conveyor.
I've never seen one like it. It is a Mulkey hay-o-vator made in Kansas City about 1960.It has grooves formed in the pan for 55 conveyor chain to travel in.It only had a cross bar every 60'' so I added 12 more.I added a 14'' pulley and new 4hp lifan motor,axle, new rims and tires,and a removable hitch.I need to build a protective cag for the motor.
I debated sawing a culvert in half to cover it when not in use, but ended up having some 24 gauge metal formed to cover it.I'm pleased with the results.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/26307/firewood_conveyor_2017_008.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1487438519)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/26307/firewood_conveyor_2017_006.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1487438466)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/26307/firewood_conveyor_2017_005.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1487438435)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/26307/firewood_conveyor_2017_004.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1487438410)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/26307/firewood_conveyor_2017_003.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1487438379)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/26307/firewood_conveyor_2017_001.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1487438313)
I'll let you know how she goes with real wood going through her.
Best to all,Mick
Looks good, I like the Idea of keeping the snow off it. Hopefully nothing gets tangled up in there during use.
do you mind if I ask the price? I keep searching and they must be made of gold on the rare occasion they do come up for sale on CL.
Looks go. I could use one. I throw the wood in the loader of the tractor and than dump it in a pile.
Dave ,
The cover comes off when not in use.New chain type conveyor start @$3300 or there abouts.I paid $600 for the conveyor and put another $1000 into it.It is 16 feet long.I need to add some side boards at the bottom to provide a bigger target.
Looks good and congrats! You will like having one.
I made a similar dual chain, paddle converyor from a Little Giant grain conveyor. The only problem I have is occasionally a piece will be of perfect length to "spread" the chains apart in the middile of travel up the conveyor only to get "pinched" when it reaches the top idler sprockets and follows the chain around and jambs when in gets to the bottom of the conveyor. I use mine off my splitter and fill "bags" on pallets. Works good for me.
I have a similar conveyor on my splitter. Like paul said, the main issue is the rogue piece that gets wedged or the ones little ones that get stuck underneath a paddle. Ive broken the chains more than once and tore lots of paddles off. You cant just blindly launch wood into these things. I put my splitter inline with the tail in and made a ramp with sides that properly line the wood up with the splitter so this doesnt happen. So far so good but gotta keep your eye on it.
Bert and peterpaul,Thanks for the heads up on potential problems,the ramp with sides sounds perfect.I'm glad to be here and sure do appreciate the Forum
Ill get a pic of my humble set up this evening. It will save a little hair pulling im sure. if the wood enters the conveyor longways then 95% of your problems are solved. took me 6 months to get that through my head.
This set up orients the wood pretty well for going onto the conveyor and eliminates handling.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/23363/20170220_161310.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1487637957)
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47sawdust, thanks for the info. I may just build one from scratch. We cut mostly 24-30" wood so I'm hoping nothing will get sideways.
Bert, I like that idea to keep them shuffled in line!
I built mine with a single chain and UHMW flights pop riveted on links made for that. Flights are about 5" wide in a base 6" wide, about 16" between flights. "V" shaped chute with wood sides. It carries the pieces up the long way. I pretty much chuck the pieces onto it, with some "tossing adjustment" for alignment. pretty much 2nd nature now.
Mine was not problem free. The smallest protrusion on the wood sides seemed to hang up the wood. After breaking the chain a few times I have not quite sanded the sides but they are smooth, no little bumps like a bolt head either. I added UHMW wear strip under the chain to seal the bottom from slivers of wood that can just raise hell. Lately it has been trouble free but I know as soon as I say that the gremlins show up, especially if someone is watching. ;D
Bert - nice pile of wood! Once you get a conveyor you wonder why you did without.
Hey thanks! That was Sundays effort. I tell people im not in the firewood business. I just have alot of it around from the mill. A conveyor is the only way to go unless your stacking in a shed etc. I just sell it by the pickup load out of the pile. My conveyor runs off a 2hp electric motor. Thats what the generators for.
Bert, Thanks for the pictures.My Supersplitter has the same style table as yours so fabricating a direct feed trough should work well.From the sounds of it I better invest in some more #55 chain and perhaps a chain detacher from ebay.Although in this case the chain will already be detached. ;D
DMcCoy,I like the idea of the UHMW wear strips.My chains ride in a preformed groove,I plan on using old motor oil to keep things slick."Tossing adjustment",I like that term.I used to pitch slow pitch softball but now it's slow pitch firewood.I think the softball was more fun,especially the after game beer.
I used a old grain, bale conveyor for years. Around here in the day they were used mostly for ear corn. If I was by myself splitting I got along pretty good with it but when I had help running the splitter usually by the end of the day a piece would jam and break the chain. Got lucky and found a old gravel conveyor belt was good, hyd's were good but needed a engine. Had to travel 500 miles to get it. I gear it down for wood and it works great anyone can load wood on it. Like everyone has said no matter what kind of conveyor you have it is better than no conveyor.
I haven't broken any chains yet. The reason is mine is belt driven. The idler to tenison the belt is attached to a lever (handle) and pivots. The wieght of the handle is suffiecent to maintain belt tension during normal operation. When mine jambs, the belt slips. Raising the handle stops the conveyor. I'll take a picture of it. Orientation of the splits is very important as is trying to avoid the silvers of wood. I have a grate at the end of my splitter to allow "most of the slivers to fall through.
Looks good. Watch out for the little slivers. I had old JD corn/grain elevator. Took out all the covered end covers that kept grain in. Worked ok, if I had another guy watching the wood. Pto driven and to much tork and tore the chain when wood scraps got caught. Unit went to scrap yard. Next one will I just found has electric moter. I am going to covert this to hyd. drive from my tractor that is running my Blockbuster 14-20.
HAS anyone built a logsplitter to attach to a backhoe/ Am looking at all the designs on utube. I want to build one that I can attach to the bucket without removing all the pins. Don t have a quick-tatch. Any ideas would be helpful.......commercial units are 2000 and up.
Hello Everyone - I found a little giant conveyor for sale, curious if someone has converted one into a conveyor if they can post / send me some pictures.
I tried sending an email to member "peterpaul" but it seems the site will not let me make contact with him.
Thanks
scott
Might be because you've only made one post.
Quote from: peterpaul on February 22, 2017, 08:43:17 AM
I haven't broken any chains yet. The reason is mine is belt driven. The idler to tenison the belt is attached to a lever (handle) and pivots. The wieght of the handle is suffiecent to maintain belt tension during normal operation. When mine jambs, the belt slips. Raising the handle stops the conveyor. I'll take a picture of it. Orientation of the splits is very important as is trying to avoid the silvers of wood. I have a grate at the end of my splitter to allow "most of the slivers to fall through.
Exactly how I run mine. Stalls before breaking anything.