log lifter added to the wood splitter

Den1952 · Apr 8, 2014

as the size of the wood pile grew it was evident we needed a woodsplitter .
as the size of the blocks of firewood piled up, it was evident we needed to fab a log lifter to take up some of the tedium.
I had started to looks at others, and various hydraulic valves, when a friend pointed out a simple circuit selecter valve.
I liked that idea and found a used one with a warranty on ebay.
I simply took off the splitter control valve and slipped in the circuit selecter in its place, then used the splitter control valve as the supply to the circuit selector.
I added a flow control valve to the lift, and am glad I did . that gives quite precise control between various weight blocks of wood.
here is a youtube link to a very short video of one block being lifted and then split.
and the lift makes a good staging table for the lighter ones too.
here is a short one of my son testing out the log lifting modification to the wood splitter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRde8zySXYQ
Den

Ken45101 · Apr 9, 2014

I very much need to build one myself, I have too many big rounds. I can do the welding but I'm not familiar with the hydraulics or what I need to buy for it.

Den1952 · Apr 9, 2014

here are 2 photos.
one shows the forward reverse valve that originally came with the splitter. I noted which ports went to the rod end and the cap end of the cylinder.
also which 2 were the supply and return.
the second photo shows a hydraulic circuit selector valve with 6 ports on it.
I removed the original valve and coupled the circuit selector to the rod end and cap end of the cylinder ports.
I used a 90 deg couplings to reconnect the original valve onto the circuit selector. the original ports to the system now serve as supply / return to the circuit selector.
the original supply / return of the forward reverse valve stayed as was, one to the pump and one to the tank.
the circuit control ports were 2" on center and the original forward reverse valve were 2 1/4" on center, so I toed in the fittings on one and toed out the fittings on the other. they mated up for a tight seal on each one. no leaks , and the pair mounted together are rigid enough that I didn't need to add an additional support for the second controlling valve.
in the "almost complete" photo you will see that 2 of the ports on the circuit selector are plugged. I had paused at this point of the mod to test the splitter and be certain I had enough g.p.m. to the splitter ram.
later I unplugged those two ports and ran the 2 new hydraulic lines to the 2x12 hydraulic cylinder to the lift table.
seems like depending on the mounting of the cylinder to the table I could have easily gotten by using a 2 x 8 cylinder at the table.
my system works fine but I am only using part of the full stroke to elevate the lifting table.
in operation, push the spool valve in to select the lift table, and pull the spool valve out to operate the splitting ram cylinder. using the same forward reverse valve for both operations.
Den
p.s. to get the original valve onto the circuit control selector, the actuating handle appears to be upside down and unnatural to use. I simply unscrewed the 2 cap screws , rotated the spool valve handle til it was upright , and put the screws back in. (not shown on the picture)

puckgrinder85 · Apr 9, 2014

That works, that's what I did as well with the same selector. One way it goes to my front grapple and the other it will control my top link, since I never use both at the same time this saved a lot of hydraulic hoses from being run. Btw- that control valves looks really familiar, did you buy it from a guy in WI?

Den1952 · Apr 9, 2014

the wood splitter was from a guy next to Green Bay.
the circuit valve was from an ebayer from new York
the lift cylinder was from ebay, floridaguys presumeably florida.

Gordon Gould · Apr 9, 2014

Nice job - that works good.

Den1952 · Apr 9, 2014

thanks. we gave it a full blown workout this morning, it was loading up 400 pound blocks no problems.
Ken.. if you were to get a circuit selector valve with 6 ports on it , presumeably with 1/2" npt , you could take that valve plus the one from your splitter, and show it (or photos of it) to your local fleet and farm store, or whatever the type of store in your locality, and they would provide you with the proper fittings for it.

Ductape · Apr 13, 2014

I love your log lift. I have essentially the same splitter and may copy some of your ideas. The selector valve is a great, budget solution.

If you don't mind a little constructive criticism though..... those look like iron plumbing elbows on your pressure side. Please replace those with appropriate 90s designed to withstand 2500 psi of hydraulic pressure, not the 150 psi or whatever those pipe fittings are rated for. the only place plumbing parts should be used is on the return line to the tank.

Otherwise, great job on the lift !

Den1952 · Apr 13, 2014

Ductape said:
I love your log lift. I have essentially the same splitter and may copy some of your ideas. The selector valve is a great, budget solution.

If you don't mind a little constructive criticism though..... those look like iron plumbing elbows on your pressure side. Please replace those with appropriate 90s designed to withstand 2500 psi of hydraulic pressure, not the 150 psi or whatever those pipe fittings are rated for. the only place plumbing parts should be used is on the return line to the tank.

Otherwise, great job on the lift !

thanks for pointing that out, it should be easy enough to remedy that.
hindsight shows me that I would have done the ramp just a little bit different. I could have had ears on top for pinning the ramp to the upper table. had i done that, i could simply flip the ramp up and over, it would lay flat for transportation.
i did it this way primarily for clearance over the wheel , thinking it simple enough to unpin the ramp and cylinder for loading onto a trailer for hauling.
i have seen other mods where the table and ramp were bolted directly to the web of the I-beam, using the lift alone as a "staging area". i couldnt get away with that with this splitter.
also i had used a 2 x 12 cylinder, and find i am using only part of the stroke. I think a 2 x 8 cylinder would have been alright for stroke length.

Den1952 · Apr 13, 2014

here is a snap shot of one wood pile being stacked vertically rather than what might be thought of as traditional. it cannot tip over and gets more wood into the smallest footprint.
(since this pic, the woodpile girth has grown and is piled up to 8 ft. high) will need a hay hook to take it down.)

Den1952 · Apr 13, 2014

another thing, if you look real close at the beginning, you will see where i welded in a heavywall 2x2 underneath the upper table and extended that out just past the wheel. with a leg to the ground from there. i found that with 400 pounds on the lower part of the lift, if it didnt nestle up tight to the ramp, it wanted to overbalance the splitter, as the hinge points to the upper table are just inside the wheel. with the stabilizing leg cantilevered outside the wheel there is no problem with any weight we can manage to roll onto it.
ironically this splitter is capable of flipping into a vertical splitter. but we find that with such heavy blocks it is much easier wrestling with those at waist height. and easy enough to roll them onto the lift to begin with.
it isnt the easiest working with that heavy a block , on the ground to get it positioned repeatedly to the vertical splitter, we like the hydraulic lift ramp much better. several of our blocks of wood are 40 inch diameter.

Briar Hill Brittanys · Apr 14, 2014

Den1952 said:
another thing, if you look real close at the beginning, you will see where i welded in a heavywall 2x2 underneath the upper table and extended that out just past the wheel. with a leg to the ground from there. i found that with 400 pounds on the lower part of the lift, if it didnt nestle up tight to the ramp, it wanted to overbalance the splitter, as the hinge points to the upper table are just inside the wheel. with the stabilizing leg cantilevered outside the wheel there is no problem with any weight we can manage to roll onto it.

I wondered what keeps the lower frame/tongue from racking when lifting a heavy round. I usually split those big rounds on the ground, vertical. A few pictures of the cradle side, showing attaching points and outrigger would be mucho appreciado!

I need to fab up something that will still allow it to be towed in the woods without a leg sticking out the side of it. Good project.

Den1952 · Apr 14, 2014

Briar Hill Brittanys said:
I wondered what keeps the lower frame/tongue from racking when lifting a heavy round. I usually split those big rounds on the ground, vertical. A few pictures of the cradle side, showing attaching points and outrigger would be mucho appreciado! I need to fab up something that will still allow it to be towed in the woods without a leg sticking out the side of it. Good project.

sure, next post will have a few more photos for you, not the best , it snowed out last night, but still should be alright to see how it looks.

Den1952 · Apr 14, 2014

3 more photos. the cradle bolted to the web of the ibeam is smallish on purpose. this splitter can go vertical and I wanted to have the cradle so it would tuck in alongside the wheel when flipped up to vertical. and that is why the table lines up inside the wheel, where it pins the ramp. the outrigginng leg solved the tippy problem.
I dont intend to use the splitter vertically anymore, our blocks are just too heavy to wrestle them to the wedge. but ya never know if someone else might be using this without the lifter, and might need to go vertical. that is why the cradle stays on the beam even if the ramp is removed.
as for transporting through the woods etc, i think that where the ramp pins to the cradle can be stepped off, above the cradle and below the ramp. then the ramp could (unpin from the cylinder) and flip over onto the beam, for some traveling with it.

Den1952 · Apr 14, 2014

otherwise, the ramp, and cylinder, and outrigger, unpin so quickly and easily, it is less than a minute to have the whole thing trail-ready.

Den1952 · Apr 14, 2014

next i am going to measure and make a steel plate that lays over the cradle and is also supported on the other end, to cover the motor while splitting.
seems like a good insurance policy. a little something to keep the crap out of the recoil fins area and to protect the plastic oil and gas caps. it will be simple and removeable. just in case anyone at all loses control of the block and it falls onto the engine area.