Firewood processing whole rounds

[MrRastos]

I've been making a bit of firewood by hand and selling it for a few years now. My customer numbers are growing, but so is my age along with it, so I found a used Hakki 1x37 easy and I'll be processing what I can with it. 

A fair amount of customers want some smaller pieces left whole. As an example, one guy has a furnace and wants everything under 6 inches left whole. However, the processor auto cycles. It wants to split everything, even 3 inch sticks. How do I get around that? It would be a pain to separate sizes and still do all the rounds by hand. 

[GRANITEstateMP]

if you 1x37easy is like my old 1x37, and you drop the splitting knife doe to the lowest setting.  That is how you'd change from a 4 way knife to a 6 way, etc.  With the knife in the lowest spot, you simple pull up on the knife and set it aside on logs you don't want split

[MrRastos]

If that's the case then that's a very simple answer. I only just bought the machine. I had no idea the blade was that easy to remove. 

[cutterboy]

I love an easy solution.

[GRANITEstateMP]

Easy is key.  put the knife handle all the way down, actually a bit past the last detent
As you can see, the round rod that moves the knife up and down has now come free off the knife. Just pull up on the knife to remove it
 



 
I switched between the 4 way a 6 way a few times today. I don't use the 6 way much bet had some just right ash and red oak that it worked great in.  I have done a few cords with no knife, but not many

[jimbarry]

I built a 5-way splitter for when I owned a Hakki Pilki 1x37Easy.


20220801 5 way splitter pass-thru design - YouTube


20220801 5-way splitter axe design for Hakki Pilke 1x37 Easy - YouTube

[MrRastos]

The splitting wedge on my particular machine was not removable until I examined the mechanism and saw that one of the mounting points of a linkage had been misaligned when someone re-welded it. After some modification I was able to make it work properly. 

The biggest issue I have now is how quickly the saw chips pile up under the machine. I need some sort of removal device. 

Someday I want to build my own machine, but in the meantime I'm hoping to learn a lot about design pros and cons from this machine. 

[GRANITEstateMP]

As to chips, make sure the little square "tunnel" under the saw head stays clean and clear of chips and plugs.  Most chips come off the chain and are shot down the tunnel out the back of the machine.  I catch mine in a 5gallon pail and dump that into an oversized wheel barrow every time it fills.  I have also.placed a couple scrape pieces of 1x6 along the backside of the machine to keep the dust from making its way back under.  I have some 3in (ish) risers under the machine to help keep it off the ground.  I use a grain shovel to clean out under the machine about every cord or two