Our timber is processed in a couple of ways into the firewood logs we deliver. Before the timber is processed we leave it in the stacks you can see below for 12-18 months to help with the seasoning process (and reduce the risk of us running out of stock which has never happened so far in our 33 years).
When delivered the timber lengths will be stacked into sections with timber small enough to go straight through the processor stacked together and the larger timber stacked together so it can be further split before it is ready to go trough the processor or cut into rings for our little splitter (whom Jake calls triggers brush if you know you know, there are not many orginal parts left on the little thor splitter).
Once the timber fit to go straight through our Posch 375 processor has been adequately seasoned in its full legnth it will brought alongside our processing set up by the Valtra and timber trailer. Jake then uses his crain to load the timber from the trailer onto the log deck positioned next to the processor. Once fully loaded jake will then begin processing the timber as seen in the video below. The timber deck and processor are both hydraulic operated. This allows Jake to stand at the processor operating both machines with levers.
One length of timber drops onto the processor feeding deck at a time (occasional intervention needed). The timber is then transfered on to the processor intake belt where it reaches the clamps. The timber is clamped into place before the circulat saw then cuts a 9/10 inch ring off the length. This then drops into the splitting chamber. in the splitting chamber the ring is pushed agaist a cutting knife which splits the ring into logs (varous sizes used depending on wood size an type). The logs then travel up the elevator onto the log cleaner and into the cubic metre bags.
Alternatively If the Timber is too large for the processor and full of knotts or twisted it will get cut into 9/10 inch rings and be split using the little Thor splitter by hand. This is set up next to the processor so logs split can be thrown into the elevator and thus into the bag ready to be sotred and seasoned.
Finally the Timber that is too big for the processor however is still relatively stright is split using the big splitter as seen in the video below. The timber lengths are lifted onto the splitter using the crane on the timber trailer. Once on the spitter the second operator then nips the timber against the splitting knife and slowly using the controls to push the timber through the splitting knife creating smaller full lengts of timber that can then go through the processor as above.
The finished product is stored and stacked by the JCB in special ventilated cubic metre bags with the movable metal roof structures Jake made as we were fed up of using sheets (both dangerous and time consuming). The logs will stay in these stacks for a further 6-12 months seasoning before we test their moisture content and send them out onn delivery if under 20% moisture content (wet basis -more infor on wet basis moisure content and howit differ from dry basis moisture content on dedicated forum post).
