Firewood Elevator

Corley5 · September 21, 2006, 12:25:05 AM

The IH #21 elevator after its arrival here late spring. It's actually a Kewannee ;)

This machine was purchased new by my Great Great Uncle Russell Collins. He used it not only for putting hay in the barn and corn in the crib but also for firewood. He had a hole cut in his woodshed roof just for that purpose 8) I remember this sitting inside on the barn floor and remember Grandpa using it to put hay in Uncle Russell's barn. Grandpa and his brother Uncle Ralph were on the roof guiding the elevator into an opening and they weren't doing it right or not like U Russell thought they should be so at 83 years of age he climbed the elevator and showed them how it should be done ;D ;D. Memories 8) 8) 8) The machine was sold at his estate sale to a man on the other side of town who was going to use it for firewood. It sat in the same place in his barnyard for about 18 years or so as near as I can figure. It was sitting in the same place in 1989 when my work at the time took me by there nearly everyday that it was when we hooked on to it this spring.

40' was a bit long for my purpose so I took out two 7' sections

The galvanized section in the middle was added by Uncle Russell. It wasn't long enough for his purposes before. Some of the flights were 1X3 pieces of wood where the extra chain had been added 8) You can see the hand operated hydraulic pump for raising and lower it. After sitting outside for so many years it finally got enough water in it that it froze and broke.

The cylinder is inside that and it does work. I had it on a job the past weekend and we hooked a hose and a quick coupler up to it and a skidsteer and it went up and down 8) 8) The plan is to eventually plumb in another valve on the processor to control it. In the meantime I've got a ball valve to put on it along with a hose and quick coupler so I can raise it where it needs to be and lock it up by closing the valve. The tractor is free then for whatever.

Rust Reaper was involved in this too. I didn't even try loosening the adjusting bolts up until I'd treated them for a couple days. The third day they broke loose like nothing

In place and working. I ran 60 face cords of sixteen inch wood up it in two days last weekend. Works great. Once in a while if a piece is a bit short it'll wedge between the chain and lock the thing up when it comes around instead of falling off the end. No big deal. The processor impressed me too. It did 4 face cords an hour both days. 36 on Saturday and 24 on Sunday 8) I took the camera but was too busy for pics. Last year Mark hired a guy with a homemade processor powered by a 4-71 running a slasher blade. He did 70 cords in two days ;) ;D ;D

Looks like a Honda eh eh It's not, it came with electric start, runs flawlessly, starts EASY and cost MUCH less than a Honda. Haven't mounted a tray for the battery yet. We had to switch all the drive stuff to this side as the gas engine ran the wrong way to be mounted on the other side like the electric motor was. We were going to run it with a twist in the belt but decided against it. Now I wish we had because the motor is on the wrong side for me, the operator, to access the controls easily :

Just for kicks Dad put a new cord on the old 1hp Craftsman electric motor that was on it and after all those years outside it starts and runs fine

8)

UNCLEBUCK · September 21, 2006, 02:49:32 AM

Nothing worse than having to crank a open flight elevator up by hand so that looks pretty slick how you got it ! I also like that portable power unit because I hate having to spot another tractor just for the pto ! I like it ! You are ready for action !

Doesnt look like a good place to show up wearing a green and yellow cap though ;D

Do you ever have any trouble with the wood chunks wanting to tumble back down if you have the elevator up higher ?

I was having a brainstorm of cutting my firewood on the sawmill ,splitting the logs down the middle and leaving a foot uncut then come back and take it off the way it came in and then drop a chainsaw through . Otherwise I have to split ash by hand again all winter .

Now we have to see a picture of the mule unloading onto the processor while it is processing and wood going up the elevator . I feel like I'm there , more pics ;D

Captain · September 21, 2006, 05:33:05 AM

Nicely done Greg, hope to get started on Mrs. Captain's elevator this weekend.

Captain

SwampDonkey · September 21, 2006, 05:55:20 AM

I think there is a paint job in the works. ;D

Norm · September 21, 2006, 07:48:06 AM

60 cords! Holy cow that's flying, I think the only thing you're missing is a self unloading trailer.....hummm I know where there's a new idea manure spreader just begging for a new home. ;D

SwampDonkey · September 21, 2006, 09:17:41 AM

Quote from: Norm on September 21, 2006, 07:48:06 AM
60 cords! Holy cow that's flying, I think the only thing you're missing is a self unloading trailer.....hummm I know where there's a new idea manure spreader just begging for a new home. ;D

Divide that by 3 Norm. ;D ;) Still a respectable pile of wood. Do me almost 3 winters up here on the tundra. 8)

Corley5 · September 21, 2006, 09:27:14 PM

The wood started out as 21 pulp cords of over ripe saw bolts. It corded out great. We usually figure about 2.5 face cords per pulp cord. As for the self unloading trailer well I've got that covered ;)

Ready to go with 4 face cords. One and a third standard cords if you prefer ;) ;D I'll give that old spreader a new home if it can avoid the 50 cal rounds ;) ;D

Some of the wood over the weekend we ran over the side of a ten yard dump truck and it just kept going up. Never had any tumble back down but the belt would slip if I got too much on it at once. Equipment does run pretty heavy to red around here but you'll find a green one or two or three maybe four ;D There'll be more pics but they'll have to wait. We're heading for the Da U.P. tomorrow. Gonna stop in and see the bear hunter on the way up. Figure he'll only have been there a day and should still be fairly fresh. The days are getting shorter and grayer so I'm thinking that solar shower might not be as effective ;)

Paint ??? That never made anything work better ;D ;D How's your machine working for you Captain? Looking forward to pics of it

Norm · September 22, 2006, 07:45:47 AM

I'll haul the old spreader to behind the saw shed out of range. It'll be here if you make it this way someday in the future.

Captain · September 24, 2006, 06:09:08 AM

It's not working for me at all, it is working for Mrs.Captain.

She did 2 cords yesterday for a customer, clocked 1.1 on the machine. She's getting faster. Disclaimer to that time was I was keeping the live deck full when I saw it low, and she had 2 guys clearing the split pieces into a dump truck. These logs were less than ideal, some with some pretty major bends that have to be managed into the machine. She has her first truckload of wood coming this week, (8-10 cords) and she should be through the roughly 20 cords we have here on the ground soon.

Captain