Finally decided to build a log splitter.

[chew]

After much research, thinking and over thinking. I have my plan and would like to run it by the great people that populate this forum. The splitter is going to be built off a splitfire 3203 3pt splitter for the great engineering that goes into their product. (3-1/2" cylinder splits both ways.) I'm building it so the working high will be 31" or so, so no bending over. The splitter will be mounted inline with the axle roughly, so you stand at the back of the splitter to operate it. It will have a log lift to the left of the operator position. I'm using a 5hp 240v electric motor coupled to at 2 stage 13gpm pump. 20gpm filter on the return. I've used my mad MS Paint skills to draw up a diagram.



So the RED is the splitter
BLUE is the table area/log lift (There will be a bar (shown in blue) to keep the log from rolling right over. Also 90% of the time I'll keep the lift up and just load it with wood to be split.)
GREEN is tank and motor/pump
YELLOW 2 spool valve
BLACK trailer frame

I figure this design will work best for me splitting the wood to the perfect size, then loading a wheel barrow or down the road a wood conveyor to my right just off the splitter. Oh and I do have a Gen set that should be able to run this the off chance I want to be more mobile with it.

Question: This is the 2-spool valve I was looking at. So "Reversible handle" what I'd like to do is mount the body facing down so all my connections are straight from underneath and still have the handles facing up. Is my understanding correct?
and finally, what do you think?

 

[J_J]

It is not a log splitter valve per say, but will work if you hold the handle for retract.

Prince makes a log splitter valve with log lift.

2 SPOOL 25 GPM PRINCE LOG SPLITTER/LIFTER VALVE

If you feed it back to the 3pt, you will need the PB adapter.

You could run the OUT port directly to tank.

 

[triptester]

You will need some stablizers at the rear to keep the splitter from see-sawing when using the log lift.

 

[chew]

It is not a log splitter valve per say, but will work if you hold the handle for retract.

I didn't want it to be auto in any direction. I'll be splitting 16" my neighbor 24". I figure with the wedge moving left to right with 16" splits the log will split halfway through then I can just slide it to other side and split again so less travel time for the wedge. As for the valve it looks as though i just remove 4 bolts and can rotate the handles 180* Is that all there is to reversing the handles? Is there anything I should look out for?

You will need some stabilizers at the rear to keep the splitter from see-sawing when using the log lift.

Good Idea. I was debating welding the axles straight to the frame and no suspension. If I want to move it any distance I'll just trailer it. That being said I could quickly add two screw jacks to the end instead. The same as they use to level staging. I'm sure that would be more solid. Thanks

EDIT: Oh I was thinking left to right. Front to back I was hoping to have the motor and hydraulic tank far enough ahead to give it say 200-300 lbs tongue weight but I like the stabilizer idea better.

 

[glastron23]

as far as the cylinder goes, are you going to use one cylinder or are you going to use two.. with the 3 1/2 inch unit you will not have much for splitting force when you retract the cylinder. on extend with the 3 1/2 @ 2500 psi you will get about 12 ton and on retract with a 1 3/4 inch rod @2500 psi you will get about 9 ton. this is workable as long as the wood is not tough or stringy.
You are not going to be able to use an of the auto cycler valves because of the dual stroke splitting. The valve you found will work great, you could also just use 2 single valves and have the log lift mounted away from the splitter valve, just a little more plumbing .. Jim

 

[J_J]

There is no reason you can not use the auto cycle valve, if you can operate with in the cycle time.

You are going to have less force on retract with any valve.

As far as the valve I posted, you can use the valve as a regular valve. You don't have to use detent.

 

[glastron23]

JJ you can not use an auto cycle valve on a double ended splitter because it is under load in both strokes.. they split on extend, remove the wood then drop a piece in the retract side and retract it to split again. the auto cycle will kick off after 700 psi on retract so you will have to grab the handle and hold it anyway, so why spend the extra on something that is useless in this application?

 

[J_J]

I did not say to use the autovalve, but you can adjust the pressure to kick out, or not use the autovalve function.

Just use it like a regular valve.

The valve I posted is not an auto valve, however it is a detented valve for a log splitter, and will work quite well. He can use any valve he wants to suit his operation.

If he wants to hold the handle in both directions, that is fine. He will be either lifting a log or splitting a log, but not both at the same time.

It's not worth arguing about, let him pick his own valve.

 

[chew]

It's a moot point anyway, valve is already purchased. I understand there will be less force with a single 3-1/2 cyl and even less on the return stroke. I did however drink the cool aid splitfire sells about there being less force need. To quote them.

"The narrow profile on the front of the log STOP also allows the butt of the block, as it is
being split, to "bend" around the STOP instead of conflicting with the splitting action.
The wider stop design used on standard splitters would pinch the block being split back together
on the knife. The back pressure on the knife requires more horsepower from the splitter to
complete the cycle."

I also live in BC right now and we have very straight grained wood. My fall back plan if I move back east and I'm having trouble splitting knotty hardwoods is to mount a 2nd conventional splitter just behind the first with a 5" cyl so if the first one can't cut it just roll it back 6" and use the larger 5" splitter then back to the faster one when it's down to size. I"m 100% sure I don't need that here and it's only a backup plan.

 

[glastron23]

Yah .. they have some interesting things going on there.. i see they have some plastic slides inside the tube for the cutting head to run on, high molecular plastic may be a problem to find, we use it in the bucket trucks we have here and its not cheap or easy to find... then again i'm on the east coast. Would be nice to build it so as to be able to swap out the cylinder with litter fuss..