Third party request here. My buddy Bill has a firewood operation as fill in work for his crew between jobs and would like to expand and improve it. Input logs are no issue (byproduct of his land clearing, logging, and tree removal work) and processing is no issue, he has a full processor and several commercial splitters for the specialty wood also several conveyors. What he is looking at no is adding a screener to remove the junk before the wood hits the bag or truck box. As he has never had one of these he is looking for pointers and ideas on which do the best job, what he should be aware of as he shops around and any lessons learned from those who have one.
I do not have one but have thought about the ones with 5-sided rotating "wheels" that convey the firewood along its path to a conveyor. I thought about making one, when my BIL worked at a truck bed manufacturing place and could have made the parts for me.
https://youtu.be/z_Br2lVfa4M
Interesting video link.
The machine posted looks like you would have to clean out underneath by hand or pick up the whole unit with a set of forks and move it.
Practically speaking I would want to buy something I could clean out the swarf later using my SS or CTL bucket. Having to flip attachments and move equipment or clean around the machine by hand would be a no go for me.
Yeah we saw that unit at Booneville last year. Cleaning looked like an issue to us also. Just looking at all the styles before he gets into the decision making stages. Being able to have the swarf fall into some kind of container for removal would be a big help. Having to move the unit to clean, while very possible, is something he would like to avoid and it isn't a show stopper, but close.
I had one for a while it was a trommel style that was made out of a old rock trommel. It had a chute under it set up to run a conveyor under it to carry the waste away. We just had a dump trailer under that conveyor to catch the waste. It worked ok but needed some more fab work done to it. Because of some health issues ended up not using enough and sold it. I would look at Multitek's or Whitlands they seem to make some good tumblers to get some ideas.
I like the looks of that Timberwolf style separator. I'd set it on some concrete blocks do you could scoop underneath it. I occasionally run a Timberwolf ProHD for a friend. It would be great to have that between the processor and conveyor.
these used to be just multi-tech now many have them. One is an extra 6 thousand bucks and has a slanted sheet metal shelf that kicks all the waste out to the side and some are set on axles. this is just the first one I found.
(https://www.multitekinc.com/sites/default/files/product-slideshow/20180511_140438_resized.jpg)
(https://www.metsamachines.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/800x800_Japa_Roller_0003_DSC_0078-700x700.jpg)
With a ag background, my immediate thought was use air to blow light stuff to the side and firewood to drop down on a conveyor or slide chute. Vary the velocity and amount of air to suit the product being produced. That wouldn't debark anything but loose material should be easily separated.
Well I like the disk ones but there has to be a way to have easy cleanout. I like the japa one, they thought about that. It's up to Bill what he wants and I seldom can tell. ffcheesy Just trying to find out what folks have that works or doesn't. The desired output is to have pretty much no small junk when he dumps a load of firewood in someone's driveway. Me, I collect that stuff when I am done stacking and throw it in milk crates to use as kindling. It's all good, but some folks expect different.
Tom,
I have seen 1 setup like the Japa where they had a self dumping hopper that has fork pockets. Actually, they had 2 hoppers. When one got full, grab the forks and slide it out, put an empty in its place. Next problem, how and where to get rid of this new by-product!
Some put it in manure and compost it, I think that's what Barge's family does.
Bill's swarf will mostly get shoveled into the OWB on top of a layer of softwood. Other wise it gets dumped/spread in the woods if it's really fine stuff. Disappears in a few months. There are lots of holes to fill everywhere and it's good for the ground.
Mine is used as fill, I've also put it in low spots on a couple atv trails, bit there are a few 22in slivers that get mixed in and those need to be tossed aside. We do take all the saw dust and mix it with cow manure.
I'm biased towards the tumbler style, actually had to weld in additional pipe on the Bells tumbler to prevent to much from coming out. How does he plan to power it ? At somepoint I want to power both conveyors and the tumbler with a stand alone power pack, you can power a tumbler or disc cleaner in series off a conveyor but they take ALOT of flow away from a processor. The manufacturers of the disc cleaners don't like to talk about it but there's been a couple fires because of the disc cleaners, pieces of wood get jammed and get hot, poof your out 150-200k+. Alot of moving parts and wear items. Logger down in Middleburgh has his homebuilt tumbler for sale if your buddy is really looking ?
Look at grain screeners they aren't uncommon out here. They wouldn't work as built but if you could change the screening size the concept is the same.
Yes, a grain screener could be modified, so could one of his dirt screeners, but I think he needs to avoid another project and would just like to put the thing in and run it.
Barge, I can never guess what Bill has in mind, but I believe it will be a separate power pack. Right now he can run the conveyor off the processor or splitter, but with a tumbler, he may just put the tumbler and conveyor on the one unit.
I will ask Bill if he has an interest and maybe he can go look at it on a weekend. How far north of you is he? Will it fit on a 5 ton trailer?
Cody in Middleburgh had his for sale, I will text him tomorrow, it looked pretty portable. There's also a multitek tumbler in Jeffersonville that needed a little love I can find out about. Slowly seeing the stuff come out for sale. Depending on the set up he's got to power 2x conveyors and the tumbler / disc cleaner, again your almost faced with a separate power pack. I bet I could do another cord per hour if I wasn't waiting on the conveyor / tumbler.
Eric, I checked CL and marketplace and didn't see anything. Doers he have it advertised anywhere? Don't go into it too deep until I find out if there is an interest, but a ballpark price would be helpful.
It's gone 🤦 texted him this morning. I've asked a couple other guys what's around, slowly seeing stuff come for sale.
Ah well, ya snooze, ya loose! No big deal, it's part of an ongoing plan and I don't think he is in a rush. Thanks anyway.
I have a Timberwolf (ABS) disc screener and just made a pusher real quick that my forks slip in to push out the debris from under the cleaner. Easy and cheap and fast. Give all that to my buddy with a mulch business and he gives me all
The mulch I need. Win win. I like a disc screener cause I can either run it behind the processor or dump into with the bobcat out of the pile of seasoned wood