# Firewood Chop Saw



## wireedm (Jan 10, 2014)

A couple of weeks ago I installed a BK Princess insert into our fireplace (which has far exceeded our expectations).  That created a small problem.........the insert, ideally, needs 16" long splits.  The length I've been cutting to over the years has been 18-22".  After having culled through my stack to get the few short pieces that would fit I needed to figure out a rapid way to get them shorter before the cold snap came through recently.

Here's what I whipped up real quick.  Seems to work pretty well.


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## MrWhoopee (Jan 10, 2014)

Nice, I approve! Good looking beads there. I also like the pivot design. I always appreciate simple, well-made solutions. How's the balance?


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## wireedm (Jan 10, 2014)

MrWhoopee said:


> Nice, I approve! Good looking beads there. I also like the pivot design. I always appreciate simple, well-made solutions. How's the balance?



Thanks for the kind words......Once I moved the pivot back to the rear bar screw stud it was balanced very nice.  The saw is sitting balanced in the picture.


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## lindnova (Jan 10, 2014)

Nice.  I had the same problem.  I just eyeballed and started cutting using the woodpile as my bench - probably not the recommended way.  All those short pieces make for a lot of nice kindling wood. 

Does it put much pressure on the stud?  Wouldn't want to break it off.


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## D8Chumley (Jan 10, 2014)

Good idea! Fortunately my "problem" is reversed. All my wood I cut this year is 20-22" whereas the old stove everything was cut > 18"


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## Ashful (Jan 10, 2014)

D8Chumley said:


> Good idea! Fortunately my "problem" is reversed. All my wood I cut this year is 20-22" whereas the old stove everything was cut > 18"


Maybe you could engineer a glue and dowling fixture, to add small extension pieces to each of your short splits.


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## D8Chumley (Jan 10, 2014)

Good idea Joful!


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## D8Chumley (Jan 10, 2014)

Since I've only worked 1 day since Christmas I've been burning some of my uglies and a lot of shorties I dug out. I'm able to keep the stove room around 75* and the back of the house ~ 65ish. At least some good has come of me being off, not burning any oil when the fire dies out during the day


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## wireedm (Jan 10, 2014)

lindnova said:


> Nice.  I had the same problem.  I just eyeballed and started cutting using the woodpile as my bench - probably not the recommended way.  All those short pieces make for a lot of nice kindling wood.
> 
> Does it put much pressure on the stud?  Wouldn't want to break it off.



That was a concern at first, but I found that the saw has enough power (394xp) that I really put very little pressure on the split when going through it since the cross-sections are so small.  I was prepared to make a little bracket that attached to both studs if it seemed to be a problem but I think it will be okay.  

I used 3/4" hex bar (4140PH) to mount to the stud, so there's a good bit of surface area surrounding and supporting it to help keep it from snapping off.

I really don't want to have to EDM a broken stud out of the bar mount. lol


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## MrWhoopee (Jan 10, 2014)

I like to place a nut over a broken bolt/stud, then wire weld thru the hole to attach the nut, let cool and back it out. The heating and cooling will frequently free a frozen stud. Much faster, and if it fails you can always EDM.


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## Jags (Jan 10, 2014)

Neat and simple build.  I like it.  I once saw a different (more difficult) design where a guard was made for the nose sprocket and a grip handle attached with a squeeze throttle in the handle.  Work just like a chop saw.  That was pretty cool too, but I like the simplistic style of your build.


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## wireedm (Jan 10, 2014)

MrWhoopee said:


> I like to place a nut over a broken bolt/stud, then wire weld thru the hole to attach the nut, let cool and back it out. The heating and cooling will frequently free a frozen stud. Much faster, and if it fails you can always EDM.



On larger broken bolts we use a left-handed drill.  Once it breaks loose it just spins right out with the drill.
Just never, ever use an easy-out.  We are removing them for folks all the time and at that point it's very difficult to know where the center of the hole is from a pin punch beating up the top of the hole. Ugh!


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## shoot-straight (Jan 10, 2014)

i have used an actual electric chop saw with great results.


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## mass_burner (Jan 10, 2014)

did u weld that holder just for this? or did you already have it?


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## mass_burner (Jan 10, 2014)

shoot-straight said:


> i have used an actual electric chop saw with great results.


 

i have too, but something inside me was very apprehensive about it. The piece not being even on either sides is not predictable. I only do it for scrap lumber now.


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## wireedm (Jan 10, 2014)

mass_burner said:


> did u weld that holder just for this? or did you already have it?



Everything about the fixture was just for this.  The material was convenient and wasn't being used for a particular job.  I just sawed it to the lengths I needed, deburred, and welded.  No precision, just quick to try and beat the arctic air that was coming.


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## mass_burner (Jan 10, 2014)

wireedm said:


> Everything about the fixture was just for this.  The material was convenient and wasn't being used for a particular job.  I just sawed it to the lengths I needed, deburred, and welded.  No precision, just quick to try and beat the arctic air that was coming.


 

i'm wondering why a wood holder (2x6) wouldn't have been preferable, it case the saw hit it for some reason.


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## wireedm (Jan 10, 2014)

mass_burner said:


> i'm wondering why a wood holder (2x6) wouldn't have been preferable, it case the saw hit it for some reason.



I'm sure the 2X6 would have made a good holder, I just didn't have one around.  I whipped the base and uprights together quicker than I could have gone to the store and purchased the wood.  

I'm sure I could have figured a way to make the saw mount very rigid to the wood base though.

The nice thing about using wood is that it would have been easy to adjust if I was off a bit. Welds.....not so much. lol


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## shoot-straight (Jan 10, 2014)

mass_burner said:


> i have too, but something inside me was very apprehensive about it. The piece not being even on either sides is not predictable. I only do it for scrap lumber now.



yeah it was a little hairy especially with strong, stringy woods like oak. key was to take your time. i do think its alot safer than the chainsaw.


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## MrWhoopee (Jan 10, 2014)

wireedm said:


> On larger broken bolts we use a left-handed drill.  Once it breaks loose it just spins right out with the drill.
> Just never, ever use an easy-out.  We are removing them for folks all the time and at that point it's very difficult to know where the center of the hole is from a pin punch beating up the top of the hole. Ugh!


 Back when I had my shop, we kept a selection of LH drills just for that purpose. Easy-outs should be illegal, or at least more expensive than a shop charge (which you're going to pay anyway). It's always more expensive to remove after you've broken the easy-out.


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## MrWhoopee (Jan 10, 2014)

wireedm said:


> The nice thing about using wood is that it would have been easy to adjust if I was off a bit. Welds.....not so much. lol


 
Yea, but try putting a sixteenth back on that 2x6.


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## Ashful (Jan 10, 2014)

MrWhoopee said:


> Back when I had my shop, we kept a selection of LH drills just for that purpose. Easy-outs should be illegal, or at least more expensive than a shop charge (which you're going to pay anyway). It's always more expensive to remove after you've broken the easy-out.


I've searched far and wide for a set of left hand bits, but have only found a few sources, at a very high cost per bit.  Any recommendation on where individual bits or a set could be bought at prices similar to standard RH bits?


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## MrWhoopee (Jan 10, 2014)

Joful said:


> I've searched far and wide for a set of left hand bits, but have only found a few sources, at a very high cost per bit.  Any recommendation on where individual bits or a set could be bought at prices similar to standard RH bits?


 
Maybe Australia?
	

		
			
		

		
	




Try MSC
http://www.mscdirect.com/FlyerView?contentPath=/sales-catalogs/big-book
page 35
LH drills are never cheap, limited demand.

Edit:
I stand corrected:
http://www.harborfreight.com/13-piece-left-hand-drill-bit-set-95146.html


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## wireedm (Jan 11, 2014)

Joful said:


> I've searched far and wide for a set of left hand bits, but have only found a few sources, at a very high cost per bit.  Any recommendation on where individual bits or a set could be bought at prices similar to standard RH bits?



Here is another source I use often.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#left-hand-drill-bits/=q7h0h5


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## MrWhoopee (Jan 12, 2014)

wireedm said:


> Here is another source I use often.
> http://www.mcmaster.com/#left-hand-drill-bits/=q7h0h5


When I was doing a lot of purchasing, McMaster's big yellow book was my bible. I kept one by the crapper just to keep up on all that was there. I routinely received calls from friends in the business asking "Do you know where I can get ......?" My first response was always "Have you tried McMaster-Carr?" It's easier now with the Internet, but McMaster is still the go-to for all things industrial. Small minimums, reasonable prices, high quality and FAST shipping.


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## Ashful (Jan 12, 2014)

I get weekly shipments from McMaster to my house.  They're the too expensive left hand bit source to which I was originally referring.


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## Seasoned Oak (Jan 12, 2014)

shoot-straight said:


> i have used an actual electric chop saw with great results.


THats what i have been using for years. THe chain saw thing is way overkill. I use a craftsman 10" chop saw. About wore one out already after 4 years of continuous use. They are so easy to start compared to a chainsaw. spare blades a lot cheaper too.


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## Ashful (Jan 12, 2014)

Seasoned Oak said:


> THats what i have been using for years. THe chain saw thing is way overkill. I use a craftsman 10" chop saw. About wore one out already after 4 years of continuos use. They are so easy to start compared to a chainsaw. spare blades a lot cheaper too.


Maybe for kindling.  What do you do with the majority of trunk-sized rounds?


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## shoot-straight (Jan 12, 2014)

I whittle them.


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## Seasoned Oak (Jan 12, 2014)

First u split em then u chopsaw em


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## Ashful (Jan 12, 2014)

Seasoned Oak said:


> First u split em then u chopsaw em


I find them hard to split before bucking.

How do you split something like this before moving it to your chop saw?




Here's what I bucked in one day last winter... how would you tackle this pile with a chop saw?




For scale... that ain't no garden tractor.  It's an old Ford 3000 = some big logs to split before chopsawing.


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## 711mhw (Jan 12, 2014)

Very nice tool! Now get some angle and make some nice saw horses worthy of your chop saw & chit can those plastic ones!


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## Seasoned Oak (Jan 13, 2014)

Joful said:


> I find them hard to split before bucking.
> 
> How do you split something like this before moving it to your chop saw?
> 
> ...


I did some like those with a 32 ton Spl ,jammed it a few times too,and yes getting them to the splitter takes 2 guys rolling it. Things must weigh 300lbs 
Chop saw is good just for what i use it for,which is getting those 20-25" splits down to stove size ,under 19" .


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## jcjohnston (Jan 13, 2014)

Used the chop saw like others have mentioned, worked well. My first year burning I cut everything ahead of time to 21" as the stove takes 22" then found this site and learned of the north/south loading instead of east/west and have never gone back to E/W. Cut every stick I had to 14" and love that method of burning.


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