# Cutting slab firewood



## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

What do you think is a good way to cut 4 to 5 foot lengths of slab wood into smaller pieces? Thinking of using a couple of stacked pallets and putting 3 lengths of wood on them. Cut the closest one to you then the next and next. Using a foot to hold down the wood.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)




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## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

He is standing at the wrong end of the saw. Looks professional.


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## Hunters Edge (May 15, 2009)

The few times I cut up slab wood I had the bundle off the ground on either fence posts, 4x4 or landscape timber. Then left the bands on and cut around them roughly 16" lengths. Not a big fan of handling wood over and over. Might not have been the safest but worked out well for me. Remove those pieces (firewood) then cut back the next row.


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## CrawlerHarness (Dec 9, 2017)

Widowmaker


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

When I had my sawmill I use tobundle the slabs with a couple of straps and cut a bunch at one time. Then later I made a 3 foot wide by 3 foot high box using post driven into the ground. Stack slabs in it and cut them up


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

Build a sawbuck. Way safer and easier on the chain than most other methods. FM


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## perchjerker (Feb 8, 2002)

We get 10' slabs from the Amish sawmill down the road from my cabin

I use one of these, works pretty well

https://www.baileysonline.com/chainsawbuddy-chainsaw-firewood-cutting-attachment-cb41.html


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## grapestomper (Jan 9, 2012)

i don't cut the bands open. Cut them with the chainsaw when they are all together.
when you get close to the bottom stick those up on the pile and cut a couple at a time.


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## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

grapestomper said:


> i don't cut the bands open.


This is a good idea but had to cut the 9 foot lengths in 2 to get them in the bed of the truck to haul home. No trailer, darn.



Forest Meister said:


> Build a sawbuck. Way safer and easier on the chain than most other methods.


I like Forest Meister's saw buck method. I think I would put two forks close together by the end you would be cutting at. No bending over all the time would be nice.


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

wpmisport said:


> This is a good idea but had to cut the 9 foot lengths in 2 to get them in the bed of the truck to haul home. No trailer, darn.
> 
> 
> 
> I like Forest Meister's saw buck method. I think I would put two forks close together by the end you would be cutting at. No bending over all the time would be nice.


When I was kid we heated with wood, it was all we had, and you are right that it saves the back. 

Also, if you have something substantial to catch the wood as it gets cut off it saves time and effort in being able to easily transport it to where you wish the pile to be, assuming you are not going to stack it near where it is being cut up . FM


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## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

Forest Meister said:


> When I was kid we heated with wood, it was all we had, and you are right that it saves the back.


This works good. I can make multiple cuts without moving the boards around. Did it for less than than $30.00. Thanks for the info.
Steal toe shoes are a must and keep your feet away a little.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

10" Makita miter saw and a cheap but sharp blade. I've got mine on a stand and kick the cut pieces over into a wheelbarrow.


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## FISHMANMARK (Jun 11, 2007)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> 10" Makita miter saw and a cheap but sharp blade. I've got mine on a stand and kick the cut pieces over into a wheelbarrow.


A chop saw is not the tool to cut firewood to length. I know someone who just had a toe to thumb transplant because a log caught and rolled his hand into the blade.

I built a sawbuck out of an old set of wooden saw horses. Took about 2 minutes with scrap I had laying around.


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## Hookernuts (Mar 2, 2019)

I used to use a miter saw like that to cut my kindling before I split it but found that it bogged down on anything over about a 4 x 4 and it was not safe. Also if the grain is gnarly it will kick. But that stuff in the pic looks like it would cut well. Instead of a stop I had a line on the end of the saw that I would line it up. Eventually figured out that a shop vac was better than the goofy little bag.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Then his hand was in the wrong spot. I have a fishing buddy with an oddly twisted finger as a board spun out in his drill press.

Works fine for me. Then, I've got more time on a miter box than most. I would not refer to a Makita as a "chop" saw. With a Freud thin kerf I use the same saw for high end trim work and cabinets.

Round stock would be ill advised but slabs are no big deal, especially when it's mounted on a deck with a full length back stop.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

what I ended up doing is I made a wood processer without a splitter on it. I would feed the slabs into the trough and clamp cut with hyd saw then they dropped into the elevator where they went into a dump trailer. I could cut a trailer load in about 1/2 hour. When we moved here I added a splitter and use it for my firewood here. I have been using it for the last 2 days without the elevator and I just stack into the wood shed


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## Hunters Edge (May 15, 2009)




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## FISHMANMARK (Jun 11, 2007)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> Works fine for me. Then, I've got more time on a miter box than most. I would not refer to a Makita as a "chop" saw. With a Freud thin kerf I use the same saw for high end trim work and cabinets.



Chop saw is a general term used by guys that don't feel the need to overcompensate for some inadequacy.

Personally, I wouldn't use my 8" or 10" Hitachi slide compound miter saws as chainsaws.


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## Quackkiller (Sep 13, 2007)

Back in the day when we used to burn slab wood we used a buzz saw hooked up to a John deere A with a belt pulley 
That blade would sing going through the wood maybe that's why I can't hear too good.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Quackkiller said:


> Back in the day when we used to burn slab wood we used a buzz saw hooked up to a John deere A with a belt pulley
> That blade would sing going through the wood maybe that's why I can't hear too good.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


What? Me too!


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## Al L (Mar 22, 2001)

We had a Allis WD with a front mount we could move around to cut all our fire wood.

Still have a buzz rig and use it on ojne of my Massey Harris tractors. But works best with 2 or 3 guys, one to feed the slabs from the pile and one to throw the cut offs in a wagon trailer or some where away from the saw.










 Al


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