In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

My WoodEze firewood processor

Discussion in 'Chainsaws and Power Equipment' started by Deer Meadow Farm, May 23, 2017.

  1. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    Thanks my trucks are both old fire trucks one red/white was a pumper and the green one a brush truck.

    I think it would be pretty easy to move controls and saw bar to other side little extra wire and hydraulic hose and some fab work. (I saw you pump mt. the fab work should be no issue for you) my hoses run in sq tube welded to bottom of frame, a mount for the saw and controls. the log clamp & cylinder reversed. check out the post on the first part of this page for some photos.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2018
  2. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    Thanks for the nice comments You don't want the black one you want the red one
     

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  3. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    SDC10280.JPG
    Top thumb switch is for log clamp in/out.
    Bottom switch is for Splitter Extend/Retract
    Finger trigger on front activates saw motor.
    Handle is mounted to Spool #1 of a two spool valve (Spool #2 wheel lift up/down)

    SDC10277.JPG
    Control box
    Switch w/red safety cover is for winch in.
    grey toggle is for work lamps.
    red power indicator.
    SDC10260.JPG
    Inside control box. I always was fighting electrical issues finally had enough and cleaned up wiring to make troubleshooting way easier. All connections are inside a dust tight enclosure. with one cable between the control box and Junction box were valve wiring attached to cable. So glad I spent the time to do this. most expensive part was the Hoffman enclosure I used for the control box the rest of the stuff came from surplus center.
    SDC10281.JPG
    Junction box mounted near Solenoid valve bank. short harness from valve bank to terminal strip. cable between junction and control box.
    the smaller cables are wired to limit switches on splitter extend and retract to keep from dead heading cylinder. (I prolly have wired wrong and the limit switches are meant to auto cycle the splitter?? maybe I should think about that some)

    let me know I you need any other info. I checked the internet many times and found no info on wood-eze processors. it nice there are people who share the info and people that I can share my info with.
     
  4. Deer Meadow Farm

    Deer Meadow Farm

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    Hey Rinky Dink - Thanks for the info. I only know of a few of these in existence so we need to stick together! I think I'm going to move my controls to the other side, but leave the saw and log clamp on the side it's already on. For me, my "winch tower" (for lack of a better description) is pretty bent up so swapping everything around might be a big hassle.

    winch, before.JPG
    One person who has another one is Don Blais. His was converted to a trailer mounted version, which I think has a lot of not so good points, but I do like his adjustable 4-way wedge conversion. This would be awesome to me. (Ignore wooden framework; that's just for a tarp to cover it when not in use)

    Trailer mounted woodeze 17.jpg

    I have another on-line friend who has one as well. Marty Lappin. He is where I stole the idea to hard mount the pump from. He has several mods that he outlines in this thread : Wood Eze Firewood Processor like a bar oil warmer, chip conveyor, auto cycling (this might help you) and such.

    My machine was rewired before I got it, but I really think I need to rewire it again. My problem is not with fabrication but electrical stumps me a lot, so I may pick your brain on your wiring job if that's ok?
     
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  5. Deer Meadow Farm

    Deer Meadow Farm

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    Oh, I like your winch disconnect as well; could you post more photos of that?
    Did you add the joystick and switches yourself? Here is my current (crappy) set-up. The top button moves the log clamp in. The bottom right moves it out. The bottom left is the saw motor and the toggle switch on the end is splitter table front/back.
    012.JPG

    That box is loosely attached to the lever of this valve that rotates slightly and controls the saw bar. The single spool valve with the bolt for a handle is the rear wheel up/down:
    011_2.jpg
    You can't really see my rotary valve for the saw that easily because it's mounted under a plate. Marty's processor has his mounted above (I wonder if there are two of these units in existence that are built the same?). You can see where he added a spring to his to center the valve because these valves are.... weird.

    IMG_2008_zpshgiqvifj.jpg

    Question, how do you "feather" your saw arm valve during operation? Although I don't really like my saw arm valve, it's not stiff like a wood splitter valve for example so you can kind of "ease" the saw into the wood and control the feed rate of it. You know what I mean?
     
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  6. DNH

    DNH

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    Rinky Dink your only partially right, now I want both. The red to look at the the black one for playing!
     
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  7. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    I worry about setting on the other side of saw bar if chain ever failed "chain shot" you will be setting/standing in a bad spot. but you cant just move one (saw & clamp) gotta move both or clamp would be pushing wood away from saw not holding wood to saw side. Just my opinion, if that makes any sense??

    Don't remember how I figured this out but mine was setup for some spacers that you bolt in the bottom of splitter tray to hold up wood 2" or so. I leave the in most of the time. if you bustin big wood the big piece will be on the top, run splitter thru and flip the big (top) back in splitter and split again. mine came with slip on wings to split 8-ways but I wrecked them and never fixed em.

    if you get serious about rewiring I made a Auto-Cad schematic of mine (I have a tuff time with electric also had to have something to keep me straight) I can try to find it on my old computer. SDC10262.JPG
     
  8. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    Junk walk behind snowblower parts drilled hole in winch lever and have adjustable (threaded clevis) used a piece of angle iron and drilled and filed a key hole slot and welded and flange nut to shaft nut goes thru key hole to engage/release winch.



    SDC10265.JPG
    might be hard to see but I got rid of both rotary valve (leaked) and spool valve (wheel lift) and plumbed in a 2-spool (2-function) valve to clean up hydraulics on that end. spool with ball handle is wheel lift. spool with control handle saw up down. control handle is from a New Holland skid steer, thumb switches for clamp and splitter. finger trigger on front for saw chain motor. I have preformed all the perv-versions on mine. mine was in tough shape when it came to me. I have wasted better part of 15 years tinkering on this piece o chit. saw up/down is spring centered valve and I just move a little to feed slow or push harder if cutting is easy. I find the "feathering" to be best as each log cuts a little different tried a adjustable flow control but did not work like I thought it would.

    I did not like mine when the buttons were on a box on the rotary valve. mine had big push buttons that took some force to work and seemed like I was always had my fingers pushing the button so hard that I was moving rotary valve and overfeeding the saw. I moved the pushbutton box off the lever and mounted near and used to hands one to hold saw on and other to feed saw. seemed to workbetter for me and cost no money. just an idea?
    SDC10259.JPG
     
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2018
  9. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    how about this one? I wrecked I don't know how much cable getting wrapped on wrong side of drum until one day I discovered why the a-hole before me has a snatch block on the cable and theres a stupid bar welded arcoss this slot in the feed table. cable never messes up anymore.

    learnt the hard way that I had to have splitter extended when winching in case log gets hung up can retract splitter to slack cable. SDC10269.JPG
     
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  10. Deer Meadow Farm

    Deer Meadow Farm

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    Yah, I hear you about that. A ton of commercial processors have the saw opposite of the operator, Hudson Brute, Dyna, Turner, etc. If I can move both, I'd prefer to, but if I can't, I think if I just build a good guard, I should be OK. I discussed this with my friend who worked a dairy farm and ran a huge wood processor for 12 years and hundreds of hours. His comment was that he never had a chain break; he had many come off the bar because he was too lazy to get out of the seat and tighten it as soon as he should of.

    I'm VERY serious about rewiring mine. That schematic would be awesome!

    Do you have the specs on the valves you used for the wheel lift and saw arm? Did the control handle off the skid steer come with the switches already on it? I have a handle from a product that my company makes but there are no switches, etc. on it; I'll have to modify it. Part of my electrical problems is being able to select the correct switches needed. I don't know my DPST from my elbow, amperage requirements, etc. I know what I want the switches to do and I know it's a 12V system but that's it!
     
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  11. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    This should get you started. no guarantee it will work?? I had to change something when I finally wired machine but cant remember if the drawing was the issue or the A-Hole wiring. (my money is on the A-hole mess it up) I used 10 ga wire for power from tractor to box and the rest I used 14 ga.

    I think this is the valve. has the o-ring boss sae ports you can get in pipe ports also. you prolly can by a cheaper valve I wasn't thinking and sized the valve on pump flow. saw bar and wheel needs prolly less than 10-gpm as it is fed by direter valve oil not full pump flow. (if this makes any sense??) 2 Spool Prince Valve SAE Ports | Prince Mfg | Brands | www.surpluscenter.com

    See what one of these Sure-Grip handles cost I think they would come prewired switches and a cord coming out the handle? but remember if it fits in you lunch bucket you get it for free LOL https://www.suregripcontrols.com/j-series-sure-grips
    WOOD PROCESSOR ELEC.jpg
     
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  12. Deer Meadow Farm

    Deer Meadow Farm

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    Thanks for the help! I sent you a PM with my e-mail address. If you could e-mail the schematic it may be better; I can't really read much of anything on it and I have a CAD program at work that should be able to read it.

    Thanks a lot for your help!
     
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  13. Deer Meadow Farm

    Deer Meadow Farm

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    I looked at the joystick site. I get to this page on what I would want and this is where I get stumped. I don't know enough about electronics to know what to specify.... :(
    Joystick controls.PNG
     
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  14. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    Only thing you need to know about electric stuff is every electric component has smoke inside, try to keep the smoke inside. LOL

    This is what I would order (I would first call and pester someone with a bunch of stupid questions)
    Handle color: Black (I think grey would get grubby looking quick)
    Switch style: B 3-amp sealed. (or 4-amp unsealed if sealed were crazy money)
    Trigger option: SN Single (1st question; trigger momentary or maintained?) I would want momentary (only works when trigger is held down also works as dead man switch for safety also). SAW
    Function type: MO momentary contact (functions only when button is held down) SPLITTER & CLAMP.
    Wire length: 12"
    I think the part number for fun would be = JE-B-B-SN-A-A-A-A-012

    2nd question: What is their cheapest joystick handles (I picked the JE series cause it showed four switches on the front. no other reason)
    3rd question: Micro joystick (how cool would that be!! One thumb controls both clamp & split functions.

    I wired my switches so they control relays to switch the power on/off to solenoids on control valve. Switches control the ground side of the relay coil opening/closeing relay contacts. I was told by someone smarter or at least a better bullchitter, that this was the best way to control a relay. Switch being on Ground side of coil no arcing in the switch which makes switch last longer. IDK sounds good though??
     
  15. Deer Meadow Farm

    Deer Meadow Farm

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    Sounds good to me but you are obviously smarter or a better BS'er than me! :D

    I'll give them a call. Thanks for the e-mail. I am having some difficulties opening it but I have a computer geek friend here at work who should be able to help when he comes in.
     
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  16. Deer Meadow Farm

    Deer Meadow Farm

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    Ugh. Got a quote:

    Part # CU-12650
    Price Per Unit $319.95 USD
    Custom Build, Non-Returnable
    :faint:
     
  17. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    WOW..……….300 plus kinda hard to spend that kinda money. check these stuff.

    Maybe joystick for split & clamp, mounted in control box cover?
    4NO 4 Position Momentary Type Monolever Joystick Switch HKD-FW24 | eBay

    Maybe something like this for saw motor & saw bar cylinder mount were valve knob would be? (71 bucks is still too much money for basically a switch)
    TCI 618009 StreetFighter T-Handle with Push-Button Swtch 788120037457 | eBay

    hard to search for a "control handle" seems to only come up with game boy controllers. but gotta be some used chit out there somewere?

    you need to find somebody junkin excavators or logging feller bunchers or similar equipment those things have control handles like were are looking for. maybe someone like
    Golden Rule Equipment (these are pretty good dudes they may take time and help you out if you can explain to them what you want) I know timbco feller bunchers used sure grip handles (ones nicer than what were lookin at)

    Got any pics of the one you can get at work?
     
  18. Deer Meadow Farm

    Deer Meadow Farm

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    What we make at work are flexible endoscopes for minimally invasive surgery. The handles we use are made out of aluminum. I pulled this one out of the recycle bin:
    008 (4).JPG 009.JPG

    My thought was to hold it like this (see below). I would want some sort of trigger switch where the round opening is and 4 push button (or rockers that operate like yours) where the rectangle opening is. It's definitely not as nice as the Sure-Grip or any joystick made to do what I'm trying to do, but if I knew how to select the switches I need, I could make it work I think.
    010.JPG
     
  19. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    looks promising you will have to play around with switch size arrangement????
    if you use toggle switches you would want an 0n-off-on momentary contact in on position (I think would (SPDT single pole 3 terminals on switch) double throw (toggles in two directions) push buttons would be momentary contact. check this like has bunch info and descriptions on switchs with dimensions which would be helpful sizing for your handle.

    maybe pushbuttons (4 on top split and clamp in/out) one on front for saw for trigger finger operation)?

    Screw Terminal Heavy-Duty Toggle Switches - SPST
     
  20. Rinky Dink

    Rinky Dink

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    Just messin around
     
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