Log Processing Platform

For the longest of time I’ve been working on the ground when processing my logs with a chainsaw.  I had a wooden pallet and I would position the logs on it and then cut them.  It worked OK.  Often I had trouble securing the logs so they didn’t move while I was cutting them, especially when they were still round.   However with the use of wedges and such I normally could work around that and get the job done.  And each time the job was done my back was killing me!

So I started looking for ideas as to how I could raise the logs to a more comfortable working high and hold them securely while cutting them.  Finally I saw a solution in the June 2010 edition of the American Woodturner, the AAW journal.

The log processing platform was in the “Tips” section of the journal and I’m really pleased with the one I built.  It holds the logs secure and steady, has plenty of room for the chainsaw to travel after the cut is complete so the chain doesn’t end up buried in the the dirt, and it raises the logs to a comfortable working height, which my back is really pleased about!

I built mine from pressure treated pine.  It took about ten minutes to cut the timber to size, cut some 45 degree angles on the uprights, and then I shot it together using a framing gun and some galvanized nails.  The four tall upright pieces are 32″, the two shorter upright pieces are 26″.  The gap between the  tall pieces is 7″ and the other gap is 4″.

Processing logs with my chainsaw is a far more enjoyable experience.  Quicker, safer and less stress on my back.  My thanks to the reader who submitted this tip to the AAW Journal.