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  1. #1
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    Default Firewood Splitter Modifications

    I have finished the structural mods and only need to finish painting and reassemble except for a couple of minor changes / additions.

    Pump Coupling Removal.jpg

    The splitter has been in operation since 2004 and I did not use any anti seize. Surprisingly it was not too hard to undo the coupling locking grub screws. I was worried it would be a nightmare. The pump side can be exposed like the picture shows, but the motor part of the coupling has to be removed from inside the pump mount. The puller in use is a pitman arm puller I made many years ago. I will be using anti seize when I put it back together, and fitting some extra covers. It occurred to me that the pump mount should be positioned with the opening underneath to keep water out. The motor and pump usually has a cover over them, but sometimes it gets forgotten as I have to wait for the muffler to cool before I can put it on.


    Motor Coupling Removal.jpg

    The only really good way I could think of to remove the motor side of the coupling was to make a large complex puller to come in from the rear (left) of the aluminium pump mount. The pump mount has a locating collar that mates with the motor for alignment and so it will not fit over the coupling piece. This puller would have to work around the 1" motor shaft.

    I finally decided to push the coupling on a bit further with a bolt in the end of the crankshaft, to break it free and then take a chance with using the pump mount to pull the coupling off. Again it was not too bad and this saved hours of lathe work. Standard balancer removal tool worked here.


    Slide Strengthening Angle.jpg

    The main plan was to add 10mm thick Angle to the mast to add a bit of strength and reduce the twist from when the knife is pushing at an angle. I put 3mm thick spacers under the Angle to clear the I Beam radius. The spacers are tacked in and the Angle is ready to be positioned. The Angle is 75mm wide, but I cut one side down to match the depth of the I Beam.

    There is a short length of 50 x 50 x 10mm Angle because I bought the 75mm a couple of years ago and then decided to add a bit of length so it reached the table level.

    The photo date was wrong. Ignore.


    Slide Strengthening Angle and Cross Plates Welded In.jpg

    I have welded the Angle to the mast and tacked 2 of the cross plates in. The mast brace shown in the last picture was originally welded into the mast, although the wrong way around. I had to cut it to fit between the cross plates and then position the last (bottom) cross plate to suit the last bit of brace left. I drilled some 16mm holes in the corner of the Angle, pointing more towards the web of the I Beam. These were matched both sides, so welding thru the holes tied the 2 lengths of Angle together via the web. Welding around the edge of the Angle was done with arc then the holes and some cleanup was done with the mig. I am trying to seal the Angle completely to prevent water getting in behind it. I am also thinking of drilling a hole at the top and filling the space with oil.


    Visitor.jpg

    As always when you are flat out working there is a visitor. This fellow came right up the concrete ramp into my carport in the middle of welding and grinding work. It was dark and I had stepped outside to do something and when I came back in the carport nearly stepped on him.



    Mast Brace Fitted.jpg
    Back out near the shed, the welding is finished. You can see the mast brace. This is roughly where it was originally except...... it .......was .......where ......the green lines indicate.

    It has now had a coat of paint (same green) from the table up. This used the last of the paint that I had. I will need to buy some more.

    I am thinking of attaching 6mm thick HDPE strips to the table and the lift to make it easier to slide the firewood. I am not sure whether this will work or not. I guess I can try some and weld up the holes if it is not successful. I would use CS SS bolts.

    Dean
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
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    That's awesome work mate I would love to be able to make a decent size wood splitter instead of buy a Chinese piece of junk .
    Like to see some more photos a bit further back so I can get a sense of the whole design. I have got a small Masport 7 ton electric splitter but it's as weak as , need a bigger one .
    The volume of a pizza of thickness 'a' and radius 'z' is given by pi z z a.

  3. #3
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    Operating.jpg

    Some bloke splitting sugar gum. This is wood we brought with us from our previous house. There was a row of these gums at the rear of our property. Some were damaged during the Ash Wednesday Fires. Before we moved in. They were on a council easement and they decided to have the damaged ones cut down. We had a massive pile of wood in the yard for a while.

    This is very early in the splitters life. The ram was replaced with a longer one and I haven't fitted the cable for the lifting table. Here it is in the locked up position.

    Frame and Wheels Just Finished Building 04.jpg

    Just finished the structural part and waiting for a coat of paint. I haven't fitted the lifting arm lock at this stage. It can be seen in the previous picture just under the rear of the lifting arm where it meets the table. The ram mount at the top is another bit of I Beam and a bit of 1" plate welded under it. I forgot to mention in the last post that I added a short bit of 3/4 galv pipe to the bottom of this 1" plate as a locator for a length of pipe to push wood off when it gets stuck which it does occasionally because I split everything. I will slip the pipe end over this and raise the ram until the wood hits the other end of the pipe and hopefully is pushed off the knife.



    Under Table and Mast Base.jpg

    The strong bit. The bottom of the mast to the left, with another length of I Beam at a right angle for the table support. This is bigger and heavier I Beam than the mast. The table pieces were cut out to fit around the I Beam and welded in. that 100 x 100mm SHS has 6mm thick walls. In the middle is 125mm channel. Except for the mast, this was just material I had already. In the background you can just see the rest of the splitter frame waiting for the mast to be slotted in.



    Motor and Oil Reservoir.jpg

    Motor and oil reservoir. In the other splitter thread I mentioned having to fix a crack in the weld at the base of the tube visible just to the right of the motor. I have no idea why I made it so high. I must have had a good reason at the time.

    Yell out if you want to see anything else.

    Dean

  4. #4
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    Ok that is a mighty job mate . Could I please see the control valve and hydraulic lines setup like where everything goes . I guess it's similar to a commercial one . That propane tank is a great idea . Once I get my mig welder and learn how to use it I would be fairly well placed to contemplate something like that . What brand motor is that or maybe OHV is the brand seems to ring a bell on ebay maybe , do you like it ?
    What size and brand of pump is right for that motor ? I can see with that kind of splitter it's like a super axe , that a lifting table is mandatory .
    I am not sure what would suit me best one like yours or one that tilts vertical and horizontal . Once you get the block on the lifting table the difference is mute really and less bending . I have split tons of wood with an axe in my time but the back is giving up now.
    The volume of a pizza of thickness 'a' and radius 'z' is given by pi z z a.

  5. #5
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    I will get some shots of the hydraulics tomorrow although they are not on the splitter at the moment. They are still connected together tho.

    The motor is just a standard Briggs and Stratton. This was quite expensive compared to what is available today ($600), but back then there was not as much choice. It has worked perfectly and is easy starting. The only issue I have had is the fuel connector to the carby is plastic. I moved it when doing something about a year or so ago and it started leaking. I bought a replacement to fix it. A couple of weeks ago it started leaking in the same place, but it was a perished hose. While removing the hose the plastic connector cracked in a way that suggested a weakness. I ordered 2 new ones. This is what triggered the mods. It was going to be out of commission for a few days so I will pull it apart. The fittings were picked up on Wednesday. Funny thing happened. I saw one of the fittings in its plastic bag on a shelf in the dining room and picked it up to take out to the shed. Where is the other one? On the table of course, with the other one. Then what is this one? I now have 3. I must have bought 2 last year and forgotten.

    The valve unit is not visible in any pictures. It is on the motor side of the table and below it. I have a knee lever with a yoke for my knee to fit into. The lever has to be moved to the right (safety lock) and then pushed forward to lower the ram, then pulled back to raise the ram. The raise is auto return. Standard design.

    I can see with that kind of splitter it's like a super axe , that a lifting table is mandatory .
    Super axe? Pivoting blade type of splitter? If it is that, it is one of the units mine is based on. My neighbour has one. I like the idea of the pivoting blade because it greatly simplifies the structure. Everything is low down and the forces are not affecting a tall mast. I did not have the ability/equipment to make it back then. My intention was to operate at a normal working height. I will never regret that choice. I look at the ones that tilt vertically to split big stuff at ground level and think that I would never want to do that. It would be murder on your back. I have done 1200mm rings on mine. Not easy either way, but on mine there is a flat steel surface to slide on. Then there is the HDPE strip idea I mentioned.

    I don't know about the pump
    . I bought a kit from a local hydraulic place which had the pump, coupling, mount, valve and oil filter housing. I just bought the recommended motor size. I just found the paperwork that came with the kit. It is a 5hp Hi / Lo, Cross brand pump which was specifically designed for splitters so my motor is a bit bigger than required. It was on special at the time from a local lawnmower shop. There is a number of pages of specifications and recommendations. I could scan them if you wanted to have a look.

    One important thing to consider is a support to prevent tipping. I have tipped mine over once with a big ring on the lifting table. I quickly knocked up an arm to slip in the side like the supports crane trucks have. Mine is only adjusted by 1" threaded rod with a crank handle, but I can stand on the very end of the lifting table and bounce my weight on it.

    I have also split a lot of wood by hand, but I use what is known around here as a Canadian Splitter. They are designed so it is very hard to get them stuck. A lot of the wood I have split would not be possible with an axe. That sugar gum I mentioned for example. I finished the last bit of it with the hydraulic splitter, but most of it was done by hand. An axe would just get stuck in it.

    I just love watching the yanks splitting their long billets of wood with the knife gliding thru like butter, while my splitter groan and moans going thru half that length. It would give them a shock to split some of our wood I think. Keith Fenner says that he only burns green wood as that is the only way to get an overnight burn. Right! Try that with redgum.

    Dean

  6. #6
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    Ok thanks for that , just some photos as you put it back together would be good. I am not familiar with the Canadian splitter , I use Kelly axes and Fiskars axe , plus an el cheapo maul . Did have a set of competition axes that an old guy gave me when I worked on a cattle station but some bastard stole them . Never found out who . Not familiar with Kieth Fenner but I doubt he burns fully green timber it just don't burn as far as I have experienced and the smell would be bad , some woods like Lilly Pilly will burn green in a real hot fire but most of my firewood has been fairly dry stuff from dead trees .
    I like my wood that was cut green to show some sign of drying out like radial cracking before I use it . Got some blocks in the yard that are two years old now and showing drying signs they will be good for next year . I got a dry block of tallow wood I think or yellow box I'm not sure that an axe or maul just bounces off . I use it as a chopping block now. I was taught to cut firewood by an old country woman the mother of an old mate of mine and she clued me up on all the right ways to start the block and work it down the easy way . I laugh when I see people start right in the middle of a big hard block they are making it extra hard to do. Working on cattle stations taught me lots of handy farm skills but age is catching up a bit now. Now that I am retired I can work slower and do it a bit easier than when I worked full time and everything had to be done on days off .
    You are right about the yanks those pine logs would split like nothing . I don't really understand why they use such long pieces . Must be for big open fires ? I like to cut all my blocks about 14 inches long . Makes splitting easier and fits the fire good . Collecting firewood in the town is much harder than when I lived in the bush it was all just down the paddock but I do manage to scrounge up enough each year . People in cities are not so generous and want money for any old rubbish that should go to the tip . I have a mate on a small property about an hour away but I have cleaned out all his fallen timber now and it looks like a bloody golf course . So I am hoping he might steer me onto another place maybe.
    Can you please give me a link to that Canadian splitter I'm interested ? I still have my set of post splitting wedges from the old days and I use them sometimes to break down a big block that someone else may have cut . My chainsaws are limited as to how much they will cut would love to buy a big Stihl with a 36 inch bar but it's too much money .
    The volume of a pizza of thickness 'a' and radius 'z' is given by pi z z a.

  7. #7
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    The Canadian splitter I am talking about is just a hand splitter, but not the common square block tapered down to a bit of a point like the old ones. Just a common block splitter, flared a bit like an axe, half as wide, but twice as thick. The better ones have a raised wedge extrusion along the sides. This and the thickness prevent them sticking into wood.

    I laugh when I see people start right in the middle of a big hard block they are making it extra hard to do.
    City people.

    You are right about the yanks those pine logs would split like nothing . I don't really understand why they use such long pieces .
    Because they can. They have been doing that for centuries now. The wood is so easy to split why wouldn't you.

    Not familiar with Kieth Fenner but I doubt he burns fully green timber it just don't burn as far as I have experienced and the smell would be bad
    Keith is one of the original YouTube machinists and the first one I started watching. He's a pretty good machinist and not as rabid as most Yanks regarding American tool brand name dropping and refusing to have anything to do with metric. Why would someone say "I am going to measure this with my Starrett micrometer? They sound silly.

    I still have my set of post splitting wedges from the old days
    You need an explosive wedge, and a long length of heavy chain.

    I took a picture of the hydraulic hoses today. It will be easier to see them rather than on the splitter as they are all visible. Unfortunately I don't seem to be able to upload pictures at the moment. There must be an issue with the forum.

    Dean

  8. #8
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    Don't know about explosive wedges it sounds a bit dangerous . The noise of the powder going off all the time would have the swat team and bomb squad on me .
    Think I might save the powder for better uses like hunting . I'm partial to all my fingers and toes so I will pass on that kind advice mate.
    I am going to build one of these soon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ1ZK8_ICb4 just to break up a large block in the paddock .
    Then split it further at home with axe or hydraulic splitter . The are more work to use to split the timer to fire size pieces than an axe or maul but they are useful just to break up a large block because the wedge can be driven all the way down . Mine will have a bigger wedge system than in the video and a heavier hammer . It's just a wedge driver in my book. Drive it in and if it don't split it add a separate wedge in the crack to release it and go again further along .
    The volume of a pizza of thickness 'a' and radius 'z' is given by pi z z a.

  9. #9
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    Don't know about explosive wedges it sounds a bit dangerous .
    There could some risk involved. The chain is there to reduce the search radius. Ideally you should not need to search, but apparently the situation was not always ideal. The wedge went one way and a barrel I suppose went the other. If you work it right the wedge would go into the timber. The timber this was used on was a bit longer than firewood tho. Full length logs if I recall correctly. I doubt they would be used today. The Govt takes all the fun out of life. My mate who used to be a professional firewood cutter said at one stage he worked for a guy removing tree stumps. They mixed the fertiliser / diesel in a cement mixer on site. He had a ball.

    The splitz-all looks interesting. I am glad you intend to build a bigger wedge. I think that would not survive for long on some good solid Aussie hardwoods. It looks very thin and flimsy across the higher wedge section. It would be good to split pine.

    It's just a wedge driver in my book. Drive it in and if it don't split it add a separate wedge in the crack to release it and go again further along .
    Too true. My step son made me 4 wedges when he was doing a blacksmiths apprenticeship. They are round, about 300mm long and 30mm diam. They are forged to a wedge for about 100mm. Pretty good steel. They don't get used much but when they do they are pretty handy and are a good size for doing a big block. I have a few old cast type wedges as well.

    How big are these blocks you are thinking of? I have had a number of methods of load heavy rings over the years. I have a ramp with tracks for the trolley (sack truck) so I can just pull it up and someone can push if it needs it. I was thinking of making a pivoting A Frame to sit on the sides of the trailer. It would have had a chain to lift the wood and a winch to lift the A Frame and would be adjusted so the wood will swing up and then down into the front of the trailer. Limited loading area tho. Mostly it is just me throwing it in.

    It is a long time since I have had to travel any distance for wood. About 5km max and mostly withing a couple hundred metres. There is a tree that is mostly cut to size a few kms down the road. I have been trying to catch one of the property owners next to it to check if it is all right to take it, if they cut it up that is. The locals usually leave this stuff for us because we don't have many trees to cut on our little property. We only cut ones that fall or need removing and a lot of what falls is left in place for the wildlife. We have probably 30T of trunks in one of our front paddocks, from the road, when it was relaid and widened. The guys doing the cutting laid them out in a nice long row so they were not piled up. I have probably cut about 10T already. I notice that the bark is finally peeling off. This can be a bit of a problem as some of the bigger diameter stuff has bark about 75mm thick so it takes up a lot of space.

    Dean

  10. #10
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    The picture I was unable to upload before.

    Hydraulic Hoses.jpg

    I stuck the knee lever in as well. Of course I have it upside down. The yoke that your knee fits into is adjustable for height. I left the square tubing long until I worked out the location. Maybe it is time to trim it.

    Dean

  11. #11
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    Ok thanks for that picture . Mixing nitroprill ( Ammonium nitrate /diesel mix in a cement mixer is a bit risky but as long as no metal to metal contact happens inside the drum or while getting it in or out done properly it would be low risk , you don't need a concrete mixer , dry the AN is low risk . Being an ex Infantry soldier I know all about using that kind of stuff and have blown many a stump and full trees while working on stations . Cockies would come and hire me for a few days to set the charges . If you set a full tree right the trunk takes off like an ICBM and all the branches stay put and drop off into the stump hole , the farmers loved it . Normally you want a stump to just pop out onto the side off the hole .
    I could go all into it but not on an open forum .
    You are dead right about the wedge mate , it is mainly designed for pine timbers and needs to be stronger . I am even toying with the idea of have several removable wedges so if one will not do it just disconnect and pop another on and continue the crack . Got lots of ideas but it all takes work and money . The problem is metal expansion from pounding that could bind up any disconnection system . It may not be practical .
    I have seen that A frame idea on youtube some place it's a good idea . The thing is sometimes I get offered blocks of wood that someone else has cut and they may not have cut it specifically for firewood and I never know what size will come my way . Some may be huge . I have had to cut a few up first with the chainsaw just to be able to lift the sections into the trailer . That A frame Idea would be helpful but I still have to break it down further at home and I can't get my railer into my wood yard . So it works easier for me to break them down in the paddock or where ever first but an A frame would still save my back a lot . I much prefer finding wood in the bush from standing dead or fallen trees .
    I did a chainsaw operators course in the Army and have fallen hundreds of trees on stations for varies things like split posts to firewood . No one uses split posts much anymore it's all star pickets and solid round strainers but they still have to be cut and barked . Some even use concrete strainers and steel tube supports now more fire resistant . If you are cutting down green timber with thick bark it is better to remove the bark in the paddock . Just cut up the logs into 6 or eight block lengths and then run a chainsaw cut just through the bark all along every log then roll them over and run the cut along again . Just let the saw teeth bounce along the hard wood under the bark . Then with the back of the axe strike the edge of the bark and work along the lower edge of the cut . Most bark will pop right off in a big round sheet and especially easy after some good rain .
    Then roll the log a bit and work on the other side . Once the bark is removed then you can cut up the individual blocks to length , it works better on a log as you need some weight to resist the axe strike , short blocks would just run onto your feet every time you strike the bark edge . You can't do this if the wood was cut down some time ago because the bark sets on as it dries out but then eventually starts to peel off but some barks hang on for a long time . Don't cut any trees shortly after a bush fire either as the bark will not come off easy wait till you see regrowth and after rain. I think I can smell a wood fire and billy tea !
    When logs lay on the ground for a long time the bark actually protects the wood from absorbing smells from the ground. Split firewood should not be stacked on the bare ground as the lower pieces will absorb smells from the ground and stink in the fire . So if the trees come down green bark them straight away and stack the blocks on the sheets of bark to keep them off the dirt . If you are leaving the barked logs on the ground for a long time then lift them and put some smaller timber under each end to get them off the dirt or roll them back onto one sheet of bark you just removed , it's right there ready . Old bushies tricks .
    The volume of a pizza of thickness 'a' and radius 'z' is given by pi z z a.

  12. #12
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    Cool.

    The bark keeps the log off the ground for cutting. The thick stuff comes off when splitting. I take the splitter to the wood, when on the property. I specifically built the splitter so it cannot be towed on the road. It has never left the property. I just toss the bark around the area. It will break down and help the soil.

    I saw some posts being split from Stringy Bark years ago. On the way home we saw the very same posts being put in the ground on the side of the hwy. Ahh, thats what they are for! A lot of the posts on my property were Redgum. There is still a few, but they are not very good anymore. They must be getting close to 70yrs old now. One of our front gate posts is 3ft in diam. I was told that Redgum branches are used as they last much longer than the trunk. I don't know if that is true. I am certainly not going to cut any down for posts. I use creosote for the strainer sets and CCA for the rest.

    Good idea to keep the wood on bark. I don't have to worry too much about smells as we only have slow combustion stoves. Wood stored on the ground absorbs moisture so it does not burn as well.

    Dean

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    I usually just cut most of the way through a log then do all the block lengths along the log , then roll it over using a log roller I made and then just finish the cut by putting the bar into the cut and pulling up . That way I avoid running my bar down close to the ground . However you may be dealing with bigger longer logs and have to cut them all the way through some place . The ground in the bush is never flat and rocks abound . Bark on fresh green timber can come off during splitting but some barks like on stringy bark tend to stay on small pieces even when green . I like getting it all off in one big slab . I once bought a load of split timber and when it arrived the trailer was half full at the bottom with bark . Supposed to be a 2 cubic meter load and it was only about 1.2. Needless to say they never got a sale I walked away .
    It's the moisture wicking up into the wood that transports contaminates from the soil .
    If you creosote and wrap tar paper around the base of a split post it will make it last a lot longer .
    CCA treated posts are ok but if dogs or stock pee on them they will rot out quicker than plain ironbark posts . I am not keen on the use of CCA , just steel pickets , stainless steel spreaders and solid timber strainers with a galvanised pipe strain support . Maybe CCA as a strain support would be ok .
    Don't know about branch timber lasting longer . Wish I had a front paddock with all that precut and delivered free logs . Wish I had a front paddock !!
    The volume of a pizza of thickness 'a' and radius 'z' is given by pi z z a.

  14. #14
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    I also generally cut a log like you do, but if there is 75mm of bark holding it off the ground I go straight thru. When I get near the ground I keep an eye on the tip to avoid hitting the ground and then get the saw on the ground and only cut til it is level. The bar will be above the dirt. I lift the saw a bit to clear chips as I go. The ground around here is flat and no rocks.

    CCA treated posts are ok but if dogs or stock pee on them they will rot out quicker than plain ironbark posts.
    Too many trees for the dog to water already. I have never seen stock pee on posts. No Ironbark around here.

    I would not use CCA just steel pickets , stainless steel spreaders and solid timber strainers with a galvanised pipe strain support .
    Stainless steel? That is one I have not seen. I can get cca posts for next to nothing ex vineyards so I try to just use posts. Steel pickets (star droppers) seem to rust off pretty quickly around here. Galvanised pipe strain support? Galv pipe on an angle down from the strainer, plate on the ground and a steel rod with threaded section to tighten? Like gripples I won't touch them generally. They are actually good at pulling strainers out of the ground. They rely absolutely on the strainer being really tight in the ground. At times here the ground is totally waterlogged. I have a row of posts I need to straighten as they are leaning out. I just have to get the ute on the other side (former Bluegum plantation) and give them a nudge. Dead easy. Problem is I have to get the timing right. Wait long enough for the ground to be hard enough to drive on, but still soft enough to nudge posts. That is the fence line that had a galv pipe strainer support. It pulled the strainer out of the ground. About 7" creo strainer. The Bluegum people were re-fencing from that corner and they put in a bigger strainer and strained it using a box set. Stay post and cross bar, strained with wire around them, bottom of the strainer to top of the stay. 8ft strainers with nothing cut off. Over 4ft driven into the ground.

  15. #15
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    Most of the crap gum timber I get has thin bark like spotted gum etc. The only thicker bark I see is on Iron bark species and Messmate generally never 75 mm thick though . If you get the chainsaw body down flat as you bottom out the cut it does keep the bar off the dirt . I like to put a wedge in the top of the cut before I go all the way through a log , bit of insurance in case the log drops and jams the bar . I hate bucking logs on a hill side it's dangerous . I stay on the flat country . I feel quite privileged in as much as I was taught a lot of good stuff by country people who new the land better than I did so I listened and learnt a lot once they know you appreciate the knowledge they help you even more .
    Water logged ground is a pain for fencing I never worked in a place with water logged ground generally speaking seen a few wet spots from natural springs got bogged in one once and a few fences crossing creeks and low marshy areas . We put suspension fencing in areas like that . I doubt the gal strainer support pushed the post out more likely excessive wire strain . 7 inch is quite small but I could be wrong maybe the support was too low on the post . When your fence line runs down into low spots wire strain needs to be less well that's what I was taught .
    Still have my two sets of fencing pliers the older types no one uses much anymore . I take them away with me and occasionally fix fences for farmers when I am away hunting if it's just a few broken strands nothing big or they would have you working 12 hours a day .
    I just looked back to see where you are I am surprised it is so wet out your way . Cows don't intentionally pee anywhere really , they just do it when and wherever they need to .
    We used to laugh when tourists would pull up right beside a cattle truck in town and a cow would pee out the crate right onto them . In Gunnedah I saw a guy in an open sports car pull up beside a cattle truck and a cow peed right into the open car . Poor bast*rd was unlucky .
    Station dogs pee on fence posts then that attracts wild dogs to pee on the same post so over time the CCA post will rot out much quicker like I have seen 150mm posts rot out at ground level in about 12 years when they should last 25 or more . I guess if you don't have many dogs or no wild dogs it's not a big issue but sometimes people have a CCA post fail early and have no idea why , this can be the reason .
    The volume of a pizza of thickness 'a' and radius 'z' is given by pi z z a.

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