Mother's Cordwood Cutoff Saw
Here's a homebuilt tool that could very well become the Cuisinart of stackwood construction, including diagram, instructions, operating the cutoff saw safely.
May/June 1982
By the Mother Earth News editors
Here's homebuilt tool that could very well become the Cuisinart of stackwood construction:
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The cordwood cutoff saw's length stop adjusts to trim logs for different wall thicknesses.
The square piece of metal butts against the frame to stop the saw's rise.
As with any equipment, always be sure to observe proper safety procedures.
Whether you're putting up an inexpensive outbuilding, adding an attractive wall to your home, or even erecting an entire dwelling, there are few building methods that can match the low cost, speed, and ease of construction of the stackwood technique. In fact, cordwood masonry has resulted in the arrival of more enthusiastic mail here at MOTHER (concerning both the numerous articles in our magazine and the three cord-wood structures at our Eco-Village research center) than has any other building idea we've yet explored.
And, frankly, we're not a bit surprised by the construction method's popularity . . . since erecting a stackwood wall isn't much more difficult than piling up an orderly heap of firewood. What's more, the finished product—with its interesting patterns of log ends and masonry—is both distinctive and beautiful.
Well, we've got good news for would-be wood stackers. MOTHER'S Eco-Village staffers have come up with a piece of equipment (it was inspired by Jack Henstridge, our Cordwood Construction Seminar instructor) that makes building with firewood even easier . . . and produces logs that are all equally long and properly squared off at the ends.
WHAT LENGTHS WILL WE GO TO?
For small cordwood projects, it's perfectly feasible to section all the timbers by hand, but we've found that the cutoff saw pictured here is a real timesaver for larger jobs . . . such as MOTHER'S cordwood barn (featured on page 178 of issue 72). If you're contemplating a significant stackwood project, then, you might do well to start by assembling the device shown in the photos and drawing on the opposite page.
The illustrations should provide all the information about dimensions and materials that an amateur welder will need to put the table together. Therefore, we'd like to devote the rest of this space to touching on a few of the important construction procedures, and describing what we've found to be safe operating methods.
THE HOW AND WHY OF IT
We made the tabletop for our cutoff saw from some 2 X 6 tongue-and-groove pine decking that we had on hand, but less expensive standard "two-by" lumber (in any appropriate combination of widths) would work just fine. Do be careful, however, to locate the carriage bolts no more than 6 inches from the working end of the top . . . making sure that the saw chain can't possibly hit one of them.
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